 Poster: A snowHead
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This might be a stupid question, but where in Europe is reliable the week before Christmas? will it be crazy busy?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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That's Christmas week. Will be busy, but nothing like as crazy busy as the following (new year) week. You could probably hang on and wait to see how snow conditions develop - right now it's a bit uncertain.
You could go to somewhere with lots of very high skiing and get the best chance of snow on the ground. But most Christmas weeks there are loads of resorts with decent snow, throughout the Alps, and the very highest places can be bleak and windy and freezing.
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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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Austria is looking good just now - Lech is generally good at Christmas and not too busy in my experience.
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It's always been pretty quiet when we've been over Christmas.
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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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Austria is looking good just now
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So is quite a bit of the northern French alps - the south, not so much. But a lot can happen to the weather, for better or worse, in the time between now and Christmas week. If you don't have to book up now, and don't have very specific requirements, I can't see much argument for deciding right now.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Tignes.
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@amps, PDS is looking good, snow right down to Morzine level, and lots in Avoriaz sector. Good week to come, not as busy as New Year week, and better prices too.
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PDS is looking good
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so it is, but three weeks is a long time in politics and early season weather..... I will be in the northern Alps at Christmas, with family. My area has 30 cms at village level at present and I am crossing fingers (not that it will help) that the forthcoming super-warm spell doesn't last too long. The weather gods are keeping us guessing.
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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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I don't have to decide now, but I feel like everyone else books early. Cost is a bit of a factor, also a reason to book early. I have to fly from London so flights are an issue. And book accommodation. The usual.
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also a reason to book early
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 It's not early for Christmas 2015! But neither is it late. Booking late (prior week) is the best way of getting a bargain, provided you are flexible about destination etc. And even if money wasn't an issue, I'd not book now given the big uncertainty about the weather.
If you insist on booking now I'd agree with @Whitegold, if you are looking at France. But why go to a high, quite expensive, resort (which could be cold and bleak and windy) if there's great snow at lower altitudes with nice stuff like trees.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I can wait if bargains are to be had.
One trouble is that I will be bringing my 7 year old daughter for lessons. So that will limit me.
Is there a good snow website? I am using the on the snow app but seems to not update some mountains. It's got nothing for lech and St anton.
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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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@amps, Chamonix opens Dec 12... pretty easy to access...
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There seems to be a lot of unsold TO capacity this Xmas, some deals at half brochure price appearing even now 3 weeks out. Probably the peak-date brochure pricing and memories of last Xmas' lack of snow has put off many early bookers.
If I was going to book for Xmas, I'd keep an eye on where the snow falls (& melts) between now & then and wait til the Mon/Tues before departure when you usually see the big bargains released.
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You know it makes sense.
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@amps, there might be bargains but it might also be a case of waiting to see where there's snow to be had.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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@amps, against my usual late-booking instincts, we've just booked what I consider a hotel H/B bargain in Les Arcs 1600 departing 20 Dec. The good standard hotel, very good food, local airport flights and extra £100 off this weekend proved too tempting. Now I'm also crossing all fingers and toes hoping the snow will be OK. Not too far to get up to Tignes from there if push comes to shove. I still think late booking will be fine if flexible on departure airport, accommodations etc. I doubt that having a 7 year old needing lessons would be much of an issue with a late booking. Plenty of ski school capacity that week I would think.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I like chamonix, but been there twice and would like something new. Tines looks good. Besides chamonix, what has easy access without a car and close to Geneva.?
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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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Zermatt on the train?
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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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@amps, The Ski Amadé region is partially open already (I skied Wagrain/Alpendorf and Reiteralm last weekend) and will be fully open by the 20th. Loads of choice still by booking direct, getting to Salzburg and then either picking up a transfer shuttle or using the local public transport. None of the resorts are more than 90 minutes along reasonably flat valley roads from the airport. I've skied in the area for the past 20+ years and never had a problem with lack of snow or crowds - last Christmas I was 1 of only 3 guests in my regular hotel and most of the other hotels were reporting the same.
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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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Besides chamonix, what has easy access without a car and close to Geneva.?
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Grand Massif (Flaine etc) or the Portes du Soleil (Morzine, Les Gets, etc). BUT the weather and snow cover now is not necessarily a reliable guide to snow on 20 December. My area (Les Saisies, not at all good for access without a car) is opening 11 pistes this weekend and will also open next weekend. That's quite unusual, IME (and they won't be open during the week, there simply aren't enough people to warrant it). But there is going to be very mild weather till pretty near to Christmas and snow cover will dwindle - fast, on south facing slopes. There are signs of a weather change just before Christmas, thankfully. So, fingers crossed there should be loads of choice. But there are no guarantees that slopes open early now will still have good cover at Christmas, with weather too warm to use cannons. The northern French Alps (all the places mentioned above) were pretty shocking last Christmas, as were parts of Austria (St Anton, for example). But other parts were fine, and there was some very good cover in parts of Italy too - but those southern areas are poor at the moment, as the weather came from the north. There really are no guarantees.
None of the places with easy access from Geneva (apart from the Grand Montets) have high altitude skiing or a glacier to depend on.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| amps wrote: |
Is there a good snow website? I am using the on the snow app but seems to not update some mountains. It's got nothing for lech and St anton. |
www.snow-forecast.com
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Snow-forecast looks good.
So far, snow is looking good!
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@amps, snow forecast is a bit rubbish at forecasting snow...see elsewhere on here
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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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Solden is looking good!
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ok. Now we are close. Any recommendations?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Looks like 15cm-20cm of snow expected in St Anton and Ischgl over next few days. Also Val Thorens and Val D'Isere expecting bit of a dusting.
Go high and you should be ok for next week.
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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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Unless there is no other week you can ski, I'd save my money and go when conditions are better. Even high areas are not necessarily fully open and any with half decent conditions will be very busy. Sure, the top of St anton should get some good snow but the village and lower areas are forecast equally hevy rain (FL 2000m). Precipitation forecast for France is miniscule - fortunately, with FL forecast above 3000m at times this week.
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I want to take my daughter (8 ), so wanted to this week as half term is usually a mess. But that means I need the village to be well covered as she will be in a ski school.
I want her to love skiing so I don't want to take her when conditions are poor. I think I'll wait then 
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