The La Tania Ski Blog
Latest news, snow, pics, gossip and information from the locals in La Tania – latania.co.uk
All the latest news from around the Three Valleys from the La Tania locals. A real blog since 2006, not just endless re-posts for search engine optimisaton! Photos, gossip, snow reports, what's on and all the latest on the Apres Ski scene... Now fully optimised for iPhone, Touch and Android Mobiles - just go to latania.co.uk/blog and view on your phone. Our other past blogs & favourites here
Provisional lift opening for tomorrow (more expected)
La Tania opening day tomorrow (Sat 16/12/17) and these are the provisional lifts due to open – expect an update with piste opening later today.
Certainly green and blue pistes down to La Tania will be open.
Folyères down to La Tania groomed full width and magnificent (bottom section closed)
A quick check on the Folyères blue piste down to La Tania shows it fully prepared and groomed to its full width. Absolutely magnificent and it’s snowing (again!)…
The bottom section is still officially closed although the green Plan Fontaine piste is now open to resort (access is via Le Praz Foret gondola or from Chenus / Plantrey in 1850).
La Tania opening day on Saturday and we expect most of the area to be open including the Loze link to Méribel – avalanche safety work permitting….
Nice first tracks by La Tania locals over near Aiguille du Fruit & Suisses
Still no lifts higher than mid-station on Saulire open but some great skiing still available – these tracks are over the ridge from the top of the Aiguille du Fruit chair cutting down toward the piste in front of the Suisses chair – a lovely little pitch.
The Chenus area is open with skiing on the La Tania side down to the Bouc Blanc chair and to Le Praz via Plan Fontaine and Murettes (bet there’s some tracks down Jockeys though!). Bouc Blanc chair and Forest gondola opened today for the first time – La Tania base lifts still scheduled for Sat 16 Dec.
Plenty of tracks down to Bozel too…
The newly refurbed La Tania Ski Pass Office
Open Mon-Fri this week from 09:00 – 12:00 then normal hours from Saturday (opening 08:45 – 16:45 then a bit later from 03 Feb 2018).
As we mentioned on the What’s New pages the pass office has had a complete refurb and should make everyone’s time here a little easier and more efficient.
Thanks to Ralph at The Freeride Republic for the pics.
La Tania top sector and down to Le Praz open today
As we reported at the weekend – the Bouc Blanc chair above La Tania and Foret Gondola from Le Praz will open today.
Due to the huge amount of new snow and high winds, the top lifts around Saulire have remained closed due to avalanche risk and safety control work needing to be carried out.
Because of this runs down to Le Praz and the Bouc Blanc chair will be officially open.
Looks like the officially open runs will be Boulevard des Arolles, Bouc Blanc, top Folyères section to the Bouc Blanc chair and Plan Fontaine / Murettes down to Le Praz.
La Tania base lifts opening Day remains this Saturday, 16 December 2017.
Update on lifts opening – top sector of La Tania to open next week
We’re sure it wasn’t T Walls Snow Report but ….
The massive amount of new snow high up along with the prevailing winds has led to high avalanche risk and restricted opening high up.
So skiing down to Le Praz is to be opened up next week and the top area around La Tania will open too.
S3V state that official opening of La Tania and 1650 base lifts remains as next Saturday 16 December.
Amazing start….
Original opening lifts above
Most impressive GFS Ensemble (Wigglies) for a while…
The big snowfall has started – already 10cm of fresh snow and lots more coming..
One of the most solidly forecast storms predicted over a week ago has for once gathered in size rather than faded away as it hits The Alps.
The GFS ensembles above showing huge precipitation (bottom lines) and a plunge in temperatures to nearly -15°C top lines. Each line is a different forecast model or compilation, the red line a 30 year average.
Heavy snow today with a little respite Saturday and significant snow on Sunday and Monday (could be some rain at resort level at times but nothing to worry about as the wave of warmer air precedes the weather front) followed by further snow showers becoming heavier towards the end of the week if it all pans out.
There are some seriously crazy automated global forecasts out there – The Daily Express would be proud (predicting worst Winters ever for 10 years and at it again today).
SNOWMAGEDON once again? Bring it on, certainly one of the best starts to a season for years…
Piste Opening Released For Saturday & Free Ski Bus Timetables Confirmed
This Saturday’s opened pistes now confirmed and largely as expected. Lifts were confirmed 10 days ago
The link to Meribel will only be via Saulire this weekend with Col de la Loze opening on 16 December.
Full Size Piste Opening Image Here
Plenty of snow in the forecast for Friday and in to Saturday although 6 days of snow next week is pure iPhoneWeather at the moment.
A good article here on why the amount of snow is hard to predict (especially in the UK) – and no serious forecaster ever tries to predict exactly how much will fall (the heavier the snow, the more it compresses – depending on altitude, pressure, humidity, aspect, wind and of course temperature.
Bus Timetables Confirmed for Winter 2018
Finally we’ve confirmation of the Free Ski Bus Service for La Tania and the Courchevel Resorts. No major changes – the additional service around 17:00 will only run during the school holidays.
The Meribus service for the Meribel Valley for early season 09-22 December 2017 has also been released.
All the timetables and information at: www.latania.co.uk/resort/skibus.htm
Staying very cold & possible significant snow at the weekend
Nearly got to a double figure minus temperature last night at resort level with the La Tania weather station reporting a low of -9.2°C just after midnight.
Temperatures hardly scraping above zero for 3 days now and set to remain cold this week. The wigglies 30 year average is the red line on this graph.
More interesting is the low pressure system due over the UK Wed/Thu that will drag cold air from the arctic and weather fronts bring significant snow to The Alps for Courchevel opening weekend (La Tania lifts and all 3 Valleys links open 16 Dec).
Out of the reliable time frame but could be an amazing start to the season and quite a bit of snow in the UK too. Whatever happens there will be masses of skiing available for early season and Christmas skiing…
