Varsity Skiing A (S)No-No

The Varsity trip leaving today looks to be a letdown as the slopes remain hopelessly snow-less.

The “record low rate” of snowfall in the Alps has resulted in the closure of several slopes. While Val Thorens, location of the Varsity trip, remains open, the snow depth at 2,300m remains at just 40cm.

Val Thorens’ website predicts some snow today, but it will still be well below seasonal averages.

Val Thorens – 30th November 2011

The Varsity Trip Committee told the 3,200 attending students that “we must honestly tell you that the amount of off-piste and natural snow is severely limited, and that a significant amount of runs have yet to open.”

Students were told the Three Valleys ski resorts around Val Thorens are completely closed off due to lack of snow. Students who paid extra to be able to use these slopes will be reimbursed, but not until January next year the Committee said.

Although more runs have been opened in Val Thorens as a result, the absence of deep snow will mean that students’ ski experience will be worse than expected.

Donal Mee, third year lawyer at Corpus told The Tab: “It’s a bit of a nightmare really. But hopefully it’ll snow later in the week, which would improve things.”

But Newnham second year Lily Davies-Evitt had a more positive spin on the situation, saying: “I have a recurring nightmare in which I fall off a ski lift. I’m so afraid. At least if there’s no snow, I won’t break myself.”

You can check conditions live on the Val Thorens’ Webcam.

http://www.livecam360.com/webcam/val-thorens/webcam-chalet-de-thorens.html