Maison Jaune Blog

Although there has been precious little snow for about 9 weeks now, we are still skiing in and out of the chalet without any problems!

The pisteurs have done a fantastic job and we are out skiing in great conditions….
It is warm – 10°c – sunny and spectacular!

Chamonix Les Houches - simply beautiful

Sure, it can be a little slushy in the afternoon in Les Houches – like any spring-time conditions – but Grands Montets is still fabulous – though a little rocky off-piste!  Look like Grands Montets will still be open until the 8th May!!!

The best thing is though that there are SO few people here at the moment.  Lift queues? I don’t think so.

Skiing Les Houches on Sunday March 20th!

In Winter, there was an incident where a trailer overturned near the Prarion lift, spilling 1000 litres of diesel fuel…

A lot of that fuel ended up poisoning the Lac du Chavants – the pretty fishing lake just near the Chavants climbing area, and local tennis courts.

Anyway… To avert ecological disaster (on a Les Houchian scale) the council have drained the lake.

So, it currently looks like this:

Where did all the water go?

 Hopefully they will refill it and re-stock it before the summer season starts.

Les Houches have also finally released the calendar of events during the summer season:

Highlights include:
Fireworks and ball on the Tuesday 14th July (yes – word of our wedding has slipped out, and sadly the only day the whole town could celebrate it happens to fall on Bastille Day!)

ps.  It has been scorching here the last few days! 30° in the shade! 
Looks like it has broken though as thunderstorms today.

[editors note: the lake was re-filled in mid-June and is now back to normal!]

I love Spring in Chamonix. 

I love the fresh new colours, the flowers springing out of the ground at an exceptional rate, the warmth in the air as we have lunch out on the patio…   We have white and purple crocuses popping out of the ground now, and wild yellow alpine primroses scattered across the garden.

Our Forsythia came into bloom two days ago - ski piste behind

Les Houches closes tomorrow…  We have had an amazing season this year.  The snow has been phenomenal and has lasted right to the end – albeit a little slushy these last couple of weeks.  

It is melting back very quickly now..   but that is how it goes end of season.  I am reminded of David Attenborough programmes where the winter ice melts to reveal the tundra!

Snow melting back - but it is still possible to ski past the chalet!

Compare this with just a few weeks back!

Do you know what though… I am getting excited!   When the winter ends, we get a whole load of different sports to play – different things to do…  Walking, hiking…  We’ll be getting the bikes out soon and going for cycle rides.  The local climbing crags will be warm and Helen and I can go climbing again…  Paragliding season really starts – the possibility of cross-country flights – taking off from Chamonix and not knowing where I am going to land…  Very cool stuff.

Amazingly beautiful at any time of year!