Season Diary - Day 17

Henry

4 days ago2 min read

Tuesday 28 January, 2025 – La Clusaz, France

Jesus wept what a difference 12 hours can make. Arriving back at the chalet yesterday evening, we unloaded in the piss pouring rain, watching the valley turn green around us as temperatures of nearly double figures ruined what little snow there was down here at 800m.

As the sun rose this morning, we were met with freezing temperatures and trees covered in snow, as far as the eye could see. The drive up the hill to the test station turned progressively snowier and snowier.

We were forced, however, to watch and wait as we still had to wrap up testing some piste skis from the day before. To be honest, the all felt amazing, the inch of powder sitting on top of perfectly groomed pistes making anyone and everyone a hero today.

The second run was different, and we headed up the main La Balme gondola and scored some runs in fresh, foot deep powder.

It was only when heading up for run four, however, that today went from awesome to epic.

Taking a different chair to the top of the La Balme sector, we scored knee deep powder from top to bottom. I managed to pick the right skis for the occasion, too, meaning I was flying. Flying through the powder, and my mind was flying in absolute ecstasy.

This was awesome skiing on awesome skis in awesome snow.

Impossibly soft, the snow cushioned and bounced you back up for more. You didn’t have to think about turning your skis, and you didn’t have to turn your skis much at all! But if you did, you were guaranteed a face full of snow!

This was skiing at its very best.

All over the mountain, people were out having fun, after a day stuck inside or lapping the pistes in appalling rain. And who can blame them? There were some serious sends going on all over the hill, us included.

Did I get tracked out quickly? Hell yes. But did we have the skis to push through everything, bounce through tracked out snow, and keep going to have an amazing time? Hell. Yes.

Arriving back at the chalet this evening, it was snowing once again. And will continue to snow throughout the rest of the night and tomorrow. More of the same? Oh. Hell. Yes.