Long have the lives of humans been at the mercy of Mother Nature. And here, in our extreme climate on the top of our mountain, we’re more exposed than most to her whims.
This week has been a perfect example of what forecasters are predicting for the entire season: changeable. So rather than provide you with graphic detail of how the pistes this week morphed from unforgiving ice to thick slush to fresh powder, with skies providing rain, sleet, snow and sunshine, I thought I’d show you the photos from each day this week.
Wednesday 05.01.11: the clouds start to roll in but no hint of rain or snow just yet…
Thursday 06.01.11: grey all day and the odd flurry of sleet…
Friday 07.01.11: temperatures plummet overnight, the sleet turns to rain and freezes on the roads…
Saturday 08.01.11: the skies clear, the sun shines and all is right with the world…
Sunday 09.01.11: the warmer weather has melted a lot of the snow leaving brown patches all over the lower pistes, especially Auris…
Monday 10.01.11 (afternoon): the snowstorm we’ve been expecting all week finally arrives and a good 40cm settles overnight. Skies clear after lunch leaving time to play in the powder or sit in the sun…
And that brings us to today…
Tuesday 11.01.11: overcast, snowy and cold, just as you’d expect on the average January day…
Interestingly, the forecast for this week shows snow and sunshine all the way. The freeze level is set to rise to 3200m, jumping 2000m in just a few days which isn’t great for the off-piste as major temperature changes destabilise the snow pack.
The only way to handle this sort of weather is to be flexible and get out there. Those who braved the storm yesterday morning were rewarded with a stunning afternoon. I’m ashamed to say I wasn’t one of them.
And with that in mind I’ll leave you with this promo film for Protest, made by Adam and the boys at Archer’s Mark and partially shot in Les 2 Alpes this summer…
Until next week…
PS: if you liked today’s photos, check out my Flickr page and entries into the Alpe Photo Contest.
Click on the link for more information about riding this winter in Alpe d’Huez and do email me any questions or comments, we’d love to hear what you think!
