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Creation of a new three
hour 'anytime' lift pass for the Courchevel 1650 or Vallée de
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What about fitness levels
needed for skiing? We have the info and training advice needed to get
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Are there consequences
for the alpine environment as a result of snowsport activity? Can we
yet see any effects of climate change upon the ecostructure? - read
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Opening in safety overnight
here's how and why - read on
Three Valleys packed with
legendery slopes and hidden treats for you to discover. Here's a sample
to get you started -
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Opening in complete safety
>> Mountain respect & avalanche safety
PIDA
The PIDA is a battle plan for artificially creating avalanches to be carried out by ski patroleers following a heavy snowfall that is categorized as "dangerous". Governed by local by-law, this document details exactly how, by whom, and where the safety measures are to be implemented. It provides the list of qualified explosives experts, prefectorial licences, the protocol to be followed for each detonation point (amount of explossives , method ...) and precise maps indicating specific dangers (locating avalanches and different risk zones depending upon the size of the avalanche, transport itineraries between the explosives warehouse and distribution point, the slopes and gulleys to be triggered ...)
The day after a heavy snowfall, securing the ski domain occassionally delays the opening of some ski lifts.
To be frank, without the involvement fo the ski patrollers, any skiing domain - especially one as vast as the 3 Vallees - could not possibly open the day after substantial snowfall, because the risks would be to great. However the mountain professionals do their utmost to ensure that any delay is kept to a minimum.
From seven o'clock these teams of snow people move into action. The aim: to open the maximum number of pistes in the shortest possible time, but with safety paramount. The action plan depends on the depth of the fall and they start planning the evening before upon receipt of the overnight forecast from the French meteo office.
In the event of snowfall at less than 30cm, only the steep parts of the piste are secured. This is generally finished quickly and in time for normal lift opening.
If there is more than 30cm of accumulated snow or when high winds accompany the snowfall causing drifts in particular areas, the story is quite different. Shock measures, known as the PIDA (avalanche triggering plans), are put into practice across the 3 Vallees domain. "These measures for making the skiing domain totally safe only apply to the marked pistes, and not off-piste" one of the piste staff emphasizes.
Controlled avalanches in action
The ski domain is divided into controlled sectors, each of which is the
responsibility of a team, comprisisng a qualified explosives ski patroller,
an explosives assistant led by the sector head. They are backed up by an on-call
support team. Depending on the nature of the slope to be secured, the team
can employ a variety of methods to trigger an avalanche. The most common being
the use of a hand grenade.
The explosive experts throw their charges, contained in red plastic tubes, from a ridge or from a helicpoter. These tubes can contain up to 2kg of explosive. Areas of difficult or dangerous access are equipped with Catex (Explosive transport cable) and Gasex (a fixed metal pipe activated by remote control that ignites a mixture of oxygen and propane, blowing hot gasses onto the snow). This is a reliable and efficient system and there are no fewer than 245 Gazex systems located at strategic points throughout the 3 Vallees domain.