 Poster: A snowHead
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This may sound like an odd question, but for the first time ever we've been in Grand Massif during French holidays this week. And it's been noticeable that the number of skiers has varied enormously day by day. The weather's been good since last Saturday, so don't think that accounts for it.
This is what we've seen:
Saturday - transfer day, quietish, although a fair number of day trippers
Sunday - lots of people milling about, but not that many skiing
Monday - very busy all day, including lunchtime
Tuesday - very busy all day, including lunchtime
Wednesday - dramatically quieter than Tuesday, and almost deserted at lunchtime
Thursday - don't know, we took the day off!
Friday - quietish in the morning, very busy in the afternoon including too many people going way too fast for their capability
If this is a pattern during French holidays, then rather than totally avoiding that time (we're only here now as the snow was bad earlier) I'd consider arriving on the Wednesday of the last week of French holidays rather than avoiding them totally.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@sj1608, usually sunday to friday. I don't ski at busy weeks so can't say I've ever noticed a difference one day to the next
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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?
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@holidayloverxx, Sunday to Friday is what I'd expect, we only ever miss a day if we're tired and we've never noticed daily variations in off peak weeks.
I'm wondering if the French, who are generally much closer to the slopes than we are, don't value the time spent skiing in the same way as Brits. The French might see it as 'a holiday in the mountains, of which skiing is a part' where we see it as 'a skiing holiday'.
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@sj1608, I only ski in France at the beginning of december when the place is pretty deserted
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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..
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Fri 13-02-15 20:57; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
Thursday - don't know, we took the day off!
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?????
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During French school term-time, Wednesdays are often busy as the kids have the day off, and the local ski clubs are out doing slalom, racing, etc. Families are also spending the day on the slopes.
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Sundays tend to be busy, with the Saturday arrivals keen to get going. And lots of locals up for the day, if conditions are nice - v busy in the restaurants at lunchtime. Friday afternoon is awful - ski school finished, the boy racers going mad, last ski of the week. Saturdays are generally quiet.
However, that applies to France, and to holiday weeks. All the low season times (from the end of the new year week until the four French holiday weeks, then through to the end of the season), it's generally quiet away from the big package tour places IME. I am surprised to encounter a life queue other than at New Year or the "vacances scolaire". When I spend odd days somewhere like the 3V or the Espace Killy I am always taken aback by how busy it is, even in supposed low season times. Too many Brits!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@pam w, we found the Dolomites to be a lot more crowded than our home slopes.
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@johnE, we have been here for over 2 weeks, and our legs were too tired. We took the day off to make sure we really enjoyed our last couple of days...... 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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The French might see it as 'a holiday in the mountains, of which skiing is a part' where we see it as 'a skiing holiday'.
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They do, they most definitely do.
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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.
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I now have an early finish on the Wednesday , the day they say you become tired !! ( also a Wednesday when I did my knee in)
In champoluc it's quiet Monday to Friday.. Weekends is the time it gets busy there,
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| Quote: |
we found the Dolomites to be a lot more crowded than our home slopes.
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yes, same here, though less so this year, because I skied a lot away from the Sella Ronda (some quite big lift queues on the Sella Ronda lifts last year). But yes, the slopes were definitely busier than the slopes in my bit of France in a low-season week. But the hot chocolates were better and cheaper. 
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You know it makes sense.
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Yesterday, today and tomorrow. 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Yep, Winterhighland. While "The French might see it as 'a holiday in the mountains, of which skiing is a part'", some think of it as a day sport to enjoy when conditions are right for it, in much the same way as going for a long bike ride or walk.
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Poster: A snowHead
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some think of it as a day sport to enjoy when conditions are right for it, in much the same way as going for a long bike ride or walk.
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sounds right to me.  If it's blowing a hooley at minus 26 windchill, or zero visibility, I really don't enjoy skiing very much, thanks.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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?
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The grand massif has their 'happy days' ski pass that allows any two weekend days + one weekday. It makes a very cheap long weekend. Perhaps that makes a difference.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Only those days ending in a y
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Serre Chevalier has a Ski Cool pass which is for 5 days out of 7.
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Most places can sell you a "non consecutive days" pass which can give you a guilt-free rest day - for whatever reason. Maybe to slob out and relax, maybe to walk, or go snow-shoeing, or have a fantastic long lunch (which can be a bit of a lift pass if you stop early for a pre-lunch drink and are then too wiped out to do much afterwards).
People who go for a holiday on the beach don't feel constrained to swim all week, do they?
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| pam w wrote: |
People who go for a holiday on the beach don't feel constrained to swim all week, do they? |
Not quite the same.
Who could swim all week? I surf and if on a surfing holiday, if conditions are right, might manage two 2 or 3 hour sessions each day max. Skiing, I aim for first lifts each day (doesn't always happen) and usually ski until last lifts. As I'm generally only there for a week, ski time is very important. The only time I have taken a day off was when I broke a rib.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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When there's pow to be had - so first lifts, and here in Serre they open some lifts up at 08:30 so can get four or five laps in and be back down by 11:00
White-out days mid end to week, not Mon / Tues as punters still keen.
Then time it right (if snow is good) to go up circa 11:45 as ski schools etc are making their way back down and Frenchies thinking about lunch, so good to be up on the hill till around 14;45 and then ski schools and hordes start becoming more prevalent.
Saturdays can be good, but if snow is good many locals make a huge effort to get out, especially if snow fall was Thurs/Fric
If snow is bad then all the above goes out of the window 
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SAT + SUN + 10 few days here and there.
Real job limits opportunities.
Surfing is the opposite, as that is a surf-holiday, then it is up at crack of dawn every day to catch the morning Hossegor tide after it has turned. I normally only manage 1 session a day, especially towards the back of the week as it is a holiday after all, and the warm afternoon sun through the pines of the Foret des Landes makes for good a siesta following a nice lunch washed down with a bottle of bordeaux.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Trace Snow (used to be called Alpine Replay) - one of the GPS tracking apps - will draw you a pretty graph of typical activity for each day of the week for each resort. I just ski all day every day regardless of how busy it is, but I did think such a graph might be useful to those who want to take a break but still ski in the quieter times.
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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.
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Every day
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@kieranm, that sounds like just what I was getting at. I want to know if it's better (=quieter) to ski, say, on a Friday morning rather than a Friday afternoon. That's an easy one, since it's clear from just looking at the slopes.
But it's not as clear if Monday or Tuesday is the quieter, and that's what I'd like to know. Whilst I'd like to ski every minute the lifts are open, my legs won't stand it, especially since we now typically visit for two or more weeks at a time. 
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FAQ
