Looking for some ideas on where to ski in early November.
Please no glaciers as we will have been skiing on stelvio glacier most of the summer.
We will be needing some where with a bit of powder by then and Bormio doesn't open until end of November.
Need a powder fix before the season starts.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
For lift-served at that point I think it'll have to be a glacier. I think Obergurgl usually opens towards the end of November, and is usually one of the first non-glacier resorts to open.
Stubai can be really good in November, though obviously very weather dependent. If you're happy to skin just wait 'til it snows then head wherever - I've had really good touring all over Tirol from October in previous seasons.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
@peter42, early November will be very dependent on weather. The only places that will actually be running lifts will be the glaciers as they are the only places that are snow sure enough to make it economical. Schladming is one of the few exceptions as they normally try to have something running in late October.
I'd probably be thinking of either Hintertux or Stubai and hoping it snowed a lot. Or else hope it snowed a lot and be ready to get my touring gear out.
Why no glaciers just 'cos you've skied Stelvio in summer
There are some fairly extensive glaciers, with non-glacial slopes below that could be (but are unlikely to be) open in early November - eg Hintertux and Stubai.
If glaciers are to be ruled out, it's not unknown for Scottish ski areas to be open very early doors - particularly Cairngorm.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I'd go for Hintertux, its a glacier of course
After all it is free
After all it is free
In France the 7 Laux is the only non-glacial French resort that I can think of that opens its doors that early if there is snow but it is quite rare. Here from a couple of years ago:
I think some of the Austrian resorts have opened terrain in past seasons. I've skied both Davos and l'Alpe d'Huez in late November as well as the non-glacial terrain at VdI, Tignes and Val Thorens but things open later and later it seems. Val Tho used to open weekends at the start of sNovember. Some of the Pyrenean resorts try to open in November too, if there is snow. I think Serre Che and Montgenevre both opened in late November this year. Verbier normally opens a bit towards the end of November.
Last edited by After all it is free on Mon 13-04-15 22:09; edited 2 times in total
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Cervinia opens 1/11 and Zermatt even earlier I believe.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Solden will be open; yes some of it is glacier. 3 years ago it was fantastic in mid october; as it as 2 years ago; last year it was an ice fest!
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Zermatt with be open. Probably just the glacier though. Later in November they tend to get links to Cervinia open down to mid station if poss.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Another Austrian glacier option would be the Kitzsteinhorn at Kaprun, I was there early November 2014 and it was fine... even with some (albeit limited) off piste available.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Norway for non-glacier stuff. But, AFAIK, not many lifts open in November at a lot of Norwegian resorts.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
For the last 3 Novembers we have skied in Scandinavia. Always heading off around the second week of Novemeber
First year was Ruka in Finland which was basically man made snow but there were a few runs and it was a fun adventure. And it also got very cold and you are skiing under lights from about 2.30. But the lifts were open from about 8 in the morning and one day we were still skiing at 8 at night. In the first week they just seemed to keep the lifts going due to International teams training. Great experience.
http://www.ruka.fi/en/alue
The second year we were at Hemsedal which had a lot of international teams doing race training. There was some fresh snow and we managed to even get a tour in. Bases got a little scratched. Again though it was the first week they were open and we got a lift up one day at 7 in the morning and we gave up on the last day at 6.30 evening.
https://www.skistar.com/en/Hemsedal/About-Hemsedal/
Last November we went to Ski Kampen in Norway near Lilliehammer. Very easy to get to from Oslo though not many Pistes open due to a very poor snow fall early in the season.. Managed some touring but again skis got a little bit of a beating. A few of the locals said you can get some good early snow and that this season was an unusually poor start.
All these areas are great for some early turns in November but you would have to be lucky to get some powder. Generally there is no base at that time of year. In saying that certainly prefer it to skiing Glaciers and never had to que once. And not as expensive as some think though a lot of travel time getting to Ruka. The Lift pass for Ski Kampen was £15 at that time of year.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@yuppie, the start of this year was bad for a lot of Norwegian resorts, I think. Certainly far worse than 2013/2014 when there was loads of snow. The race training hacked us off a bit in Hemsedal this year (Feb) because it shut-off a couple of the better pistes.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@yuppie, Thanks just the information i needed. Anybody know about anything in northern Sweden?
Just want something a bit different as we ski all year round here. And will be tired of Glacier skiing by then.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
A lot of the northern Swedish resorts do not open until late feb early march due to the darkness, ice and lack of snow making facilities. We are skiing Riksgransen and Björkliden in May and will be touring around that area for a few weeks so will report back if that information is true.
When looking at this in the past i think the only place that might be open in November in the North of Sweden is Hemavan/Tarnaby.
http://hemavantarnaby.se/en/skiing-in-hemavan-tarnaby/
But from what we read it is very icy, cold and short days at that time of year. Also tough to get to with plane departures only on certain days of the week from Stockholm.
Are is open late November but it is usually just a few runs under lights. Best to get to it at that time of year by flying into Trondheim and hiring a car. Another option might be to look at Oppdal in Norway from Trondhiem.
http://www.oppdalbooking.no/Index.aspx?PageID=286&Language=en-US
It can get some early snow, though it would require touring and some warm jackets. Only been there in early march, but incredible snow conditions.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Lake louise opened on the 13th November this season and sunshine village on the 14th
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Poster: A snowHead
- particularly Cairngorm.
