Courchevel Snow Report: 15th January 2013

On Friday the resort was quiet, seasonnaires were shopping for next week's guests and holidaymakers were sheltering from the freezing fog and wind. Out on the mountain there was a foot of fresh snow and we dashed out to play around in the Fruit Bowl - the valley between Courchevel Moriond and Courchevel 1850. It's always top of our list due to its accessibility and the protection provided by the trees. While you could feel the base in parts, the skiing was good and there were definitely a few face shots to be had.

The Fruit Bowl area gets tracked quickly, especially in low light and stormy conditions so we headed off to find a few more secluded lines. A few years ago we found a tight, bush riddled run from the top of the Ariondaz bubble and it's always a good marker of how the season is progressing. We've named it Tom's line, after it was found by Tom from The Boot Lab. This year, due to the heavy snowfalls, these lines have become wide and open. The small saplings have bent over and been pinned to the floor and rather than trying to avoid ripping your coat on every turn it can be skied in one smooth pillow-strewn run.

My parents were out last week and they had a great time, spending the first half of the week in the sun with Marco from New Generation Ski School. They've only skied five times but have really come on. On Friday afternoon I joined my mum as she lapped the powder on Grange lift until she could ski no more. She gets 10 out 10 for trying as the conditions were extremely difficult and the arms got a good workout from the amount of times she had to pick herself up. We eventually got beaten by the weather as thick freezing fog moved in.

This week the temperatures have dropped massively and tomorrow the forecast is a balmy -28degrees at the top of Saulire. So if you're heading out to the Alps this week make sure you bring your base layers, glove liners and bobble hats. Wednesday will be even colder down to around -35degrees with wind chill in the evening. So spare a thought for me on Wednesday night when I'll be taking part in the Dynafit challenge. This is a ski touring race from Le Praz to Courchevel 1850. Last week Sam and Pete from New Generation took part and completed it around the 40 minute mark which is a very respectable time. It's a serious race and the course is rumoured to be holding a World Championship in February. The fastest time for the course is a crazy 22 minutes, which is the ski equivalent of Usain Bolt running up a snowy hill! They'll be plenty of lycra and I've been given some sneaky hints and tips regarding gaffer tape and wax.

How will I get on? All will be revealed in the next snow report.