2 Alpes Snow Report: 28th February 2012

In winter the glacier park closes, largely because of its exposure to regular high winds, and moves down to Toura at 2600m, where it occupies a sheltered little suntrap next to the Toura piste.

Up to this season the park has offered something for everyone, including beginners and the merely curious, but this year the powers that be have built a dedicated beginner zone on what used to be Lac Noir2 (disappointing for many, as this used to be one of the best and least crowded runs in resort, but never mind), leaving the main park exclusively for people who more or less know what they’re doing. Or think they do.

This means the rollers and little jumps at the top of the drag lift have gone, replaced by new boxes and rails as well as a couple of much larger jumps. The step-up at the park entrance has also gone, which is disappointing as it was one of the few things I could make a reasonable fist of, replaced by an alarming-looking uphill box arrangement. Really, this stuff gets sillier by the minute.

The half pipe is there us usual, and users will no doubt be happy that the ESF no longer have any reason to take strings of small children down it, always a ridiculous move on their part if you ask me.

Off the top of the Lac Noir chair, the new Zone Initiation or beginner area boasts several easy boxes, a set of rollers and a mini-halfpipe, all of which are proving popular, especially with children. Certainly a great way of fobbing off little so-and-so if you think his mother wouldn’t appreciate you hurling him off the big air over the other side.

Keeping the beginner area separate from the main park is a great idea, as it means beginners, ESF snakes and cautious toe-in-the-water types can have a go and a bit of fun before either progressing to bigger things or just tootling off back to the pistes. I can’t help feeling it would have been better placed elsewhere, though, as to my mind the area is too steep at the top, and too narrow all the way down. But presumably they wanted to keep all park activities in one sector, which is fair enough.

The big park attracts regular competitions, both amateur and professional and including Germany’s inter-university challenge in March and the Belgian national freestyle championships the following month. And if this is all a bit intimidatingly pro for you, the Beef Roast Rail Jam sponsored by popular resort bar Smithy’s Tavern at the end of the season is open to all comers.

Meanwhile, there’s plenty to practise on if you’re looking to get your freestyle skills up to speed, and several schools in resort which run group or private freestyle lessons. Try Italian independent instructor Luca Baraldi of Lungostyle for an entertaining park experience you won’t forget in a hurry.