Sleet or slush? Changable conditions greet our rep in La Plagne

Easter conditions report from Tim in La Plagne…

The weather in the Alps has been very changeable over the last few weeks with January style temperatures of -20 for a while and then a very warm period last week, with rain up to 2000m.

Thankfully the snow is now back in force with cooler temperatures and more snow due above 1200m over the next couple of days.

In Paradiski even when the spring snow gets slushy in the afternoons there is always something to keep you busy. I recently tried cross country skiing for the first time, and now that my legs have stopped aching, I can look back on it with some satisfaction!

Tim making it cross-country

There is a large network of trails around the la Plagne ski area which are also fun to walk if you don’t fancy the unknown quantity of free heel cross country skis. I took several falls due to trying to manipulate these skis as I would alpine skis and I can tell you it doesn’t work!

Get the most out of your ski pass and discover other Alpine resorts

Taking advantage of the quiet January weeks, Tim Wilson, our rep in La Plagne heads over the 3 Valleys with a friend for the day…

With our Paradiski season passes we get 2 free days in the Three Valleys (Courchevel, Meribel, Val Thorens) and two in the Espace Killy (Val d’Isère/Tignes). There is a reciprocal arrangement between these three domains allowing people with a six day full area pass to use one of those days in another domain. Just ask the lift pass office for a special card which will then be stamped when you get your day pass in the other area.

We set off at 8am from la Plagne and got to Brides les Bains within 45 minutes, only a short drive up the Bozel Valley from Moutiers.

Me at top of Orelle overlooking Maurienne valley

The Olympe gondola from Brides les Bains gets you to to Meribel in about 30 minutes, from where we headed for Val Thorens. Having worked seasons in VT a while back, we both had our favourite spots to aim for. The “Boismint” red piste off the top of the chair with the same name had perfectly groomed snow, leaving our legs burning by the bottom.

Another old friend was the “Tete Ronde” from the top of the Funitel Peclet which used to be a red run but is now designated a blue.

As one of the highest ski areas in the Alps, Val Thorens is blessed with very good snow quality, but we had to keep one eye on the clock and start making our way back to the Meribel Valley in good time.

Stunning panoramic views from the top of Val Thorens

On our way up the Plein Sud chair we saw the new Folie Douce mountain restaurant just getting into gear with a house DJ and live musicians accompanying. The legendary Val D concept has found a welcoming crowd in Val T!

It seemed a shame to leave behind such a great party vibe, but the last gondola down is at 5pm so we made the most of the final descent with a beautiful late afternoon light over the mountains.

Quiet slopes on the way back down to Mottaret