GLOBAL WARMING (Alps)
We have just spent our 10th Christmas and New Year in 'Le Nid' in the Domaine des Cimes. The previous Easter we had been apartment hunting around Morzine, Les Gets, and Chatel, the day we drove into the St.Jean ski station - 'Grande Terche' I said to Husband 'This will probably be a waste of time' because his no.1 proviso was that our apartment was to be in a 'proper town'. The rest is history.
That first year in December we looked out on wall to wall (valley to mountain really) GREEN. I think it remained that way until the last day of the holiday - it seems to often snow on the last or last but one day of our winter break. But as always there was snow on the ski runs 100 plus metres above us. So we were not overly disappointed then and never have been during the other 9 years. Sometimes the snow isn't great on our doorstep which means you can not ski the 'circuit Roc d'enfer' but the slopes above have always functioned bar one day that first year. In recent years the situation has been helped with the installation of snow making equipment so the run down into the 'village' has always been white, I think it must have been the final winter before it's installation snow was actually airlifted in by helicopter to ensure the end of this run functioned. This year was warm, all of western Europe has been unseasonably warm. We arrived to moderate snow -
And this is how it ended up. Lots of lovely snow, sunshine, but unfortunately too WARM, I'm guessing it's very green now, there having been no snow worth mentioning for a fortnight. But the good news is it is on it's way. The very, very thin lower slopes of Morzine and Les Gets will become lovely again and door to door skiing at Domaine des Cimes will be possible.
So Global Warming? - there has been no fixed pattern to the weather in 10 years, O.K this year was quite warm but I remember skiing in Austria 20 odd years ago in 20 degrees (was like skiing in dissolving sugar). As we get older snow conditions matter less and less, I'm happy just to be up in the mountains and enjoy a days walking as much as skiing - so as long as it doesn't rain, and boy can it rain (solidly all day on Christmas). Oh well there's always next year.
That first year in December we looked out on wall to wall (valley to mountain really) GREEN. I think it remained that way until the last day of the holiday - it seems to often snow on the last or last but one day of our winter break. But as always there was snow on the ski runs 100 plus metres above us. So we were not overly disappointed then and never have been during the other 9 years. Sometimes the snow isn't great on our doorstep which means you can not ski the 'circuit Roc d'enfer' but the slopes above have always functioned bar one day that first year. In recent years the situation has been helped with the installation of snow making equipment so the run down into the 'village' has always been white, I think it must have been the final winter before it's installation snow was actually airlifted in by helicopter to ensure the end of this run functioned. This year was warm, all of western Europe has been unseasonably warm. We arrived to moderate snow -
- view from our window before Christmas (with 9 new chalets being constructed). A few days later -
- the snow plough was having a little bit of difficulty.
So Global Warming? - there has been no fixed pattern to the weather in 10 years, O.K this year was quite warm but I remember skiing in Austria 20 odd years ago in 20 degrees (was like skiing in dissolving sugar). As we get older snow conditions matter less and less, I'm happy just to be up in the mountains and enjoy a days walking as much as skiing - so as long as it doesn't rain, and boy can it rain (solidly all day on Christmas). Oh well there's always next year.
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