Two days in La Clusaz

So if anyone asks me I'll say that La Clusaz is definitely the most beautiful resort I've been / drive to. Our family friends have a two bedroom flat out in La Clusaz that once a year for my childhood we'd cram both families in. This is where I learnt to ski (and also snowboard in the dark teenage years) so understandably it has a pretty big place in my heart. By extension I guess it played a big part in my being in Chamonix. Not much to live up to... I Popped over for two days to see my parents and our family friends the Howards to celebrate Ruth's birthday.

Merdassier - where I learnt to ski

Aiguille

View from the flat

Tues 4th: First day the visibility was awful, but as I was only there for two days we headed up to the other side of the resort to La Balme. Yeah, the one made famous by Candide Thovex. That one. We did a few laps of various runs on the way there, a few tree runs and then a couple of laps up the top of Balme. For the most part we couldn't see a thing but the snow was great. Highlight was traversing off Lapiaz into a big bowl of hardly tracked, although slightly windcrusted, powder. Good day but a bit of a shame about the visibility.

In the evening we went out for a proper Savoyard dinner to celebrate Ruth's birthday. Who doesn't love meat cooked on a stone. Amazing meal.

Gorgeous

Birthday tart

Weds 5th: Woke up to a glorious day. Perfectly clear. Bullied my parents into getting up (how the tables have turned) and we were on the slopes by 9. It was a good choice as now there was visibility all the powder was obvious and so the skiing was excellent. I was determined to go back to Balme now there was visibility so we made our way over again, stopping to do a few of the steeper runs of my childhood en route. They didn't have quite the edge anymore... I lead my parents off the back on some weird traverse I'd vaguely spotted the day before. Oops.

We got to Balme and I was determined to have a bit of fun. I wiped out first run on the moguled runout off a drop I'd eyed up the day before. Then after a great lap below the chair with my dad I went off on my own for two fast and playful runs. Then landed the same drop although the brutal moguls punished my knees. I finished by doing a couple of hikes. For less than 2 minutes hike there was a mini, completely untracked, Hotel Face. Steep, deep and untracked with some rock bands to play with. Bear in mind this was three days after a snowfall... Amazing way to end.

Right side of Balme

The drop

Main bowl, Hotel-esque Face circled

Playing about down the main face

Fresh tracks baby

Making the most of the terrain

My advice? GO TO BALME. The terrain is awesome. To get there take the Col des Aravis in the day to take in the stunning views La Clusaz has to offer.