Conditions Report
This report is from Monday, December 2, 2024
While most resorts in North America are making snow and waiting for Mother Nature to fill in the terrain so they can open, there is no such problem here in Tignes, France.
Tignes opened on November 23, and while it is not fully open, the resort’s sheer vastness means that even if there’s only 10% open, there is more than enough to ski.
We fuelled our day with a hearty Club Med buffet breakfast: sausage, bacon, eggs, and plenty of coffee. We refused the temptation to repeatedly return and fill up on pastries, fruit, yogurt, cake, bread, and more. But only just.
Stepping into our boots, warmed overnight in our locker, we skated from the hotel door to the closest lift about 100 feet away. The temperature was around 30ºF with zero wind. The sky was overcast, but the sun was making an effort, with blue peeking through every now and then.
We skied the front side, off the Tichot and Grattalu lifts, for a few runs, getting our ski feet back on after not skiing since March. The conditions were surprisingly good for this time of year. Decent coverage, a little hard-packed but nothing unskiable, and a bit of snow to push around. Although busy, the slopes weren’t overcrowded. It was mostly groups of instructors being instructed and preparing for the busy season.
We headed to Tignes Le Lac from Val Claret and skied a few runs over there, mostly off the Grand Huit chair. Again, conditions were good, with plenty of little side-hits to keep it fun.
We forewent the buffet lunch, choosing a coffee and dance instead. If I eat a Club Med buffet three times a day, I will go home 20 pounds heavier!
After a quick break, we decided to head high and went up the Grand Motte glacier. We took Les Lanches to Vanoise chairs, then the Grand Motte tram to the top. The clouds broke as we got up there, and the sun shone through, offering us spectacular views of the valley, Tignes below, and the Alps.
The snow up there was the best of the day, and there were fewer people. We skied the red runs to the base, finding good snow underfoot and steeper pitches to help us regain our ski legs. From top to bottom, there were about four miles and over 4,000 feet of vertical. Over the course of a couple of hours, we covered 15 miles and almost 15k vertical.
There is a chance of snow tonight, so tomorrow, we will start on the glacier and see where we go from there. It is possible to ski from Tignes to Val d’Isere, so we want to make that happen this week.
Before tomorrow, there is dinner tonight, followed by theatre entertainment with a cappuccino dress code. I’ll report back tomorrow!
Photos (in chronological order)
