 Poster: A snowHead
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For once even I am getting twitchy about our pre-Christmas trip to the Dolomites. We're flying to Innsbruck on Monday 14th, with a rental car and a hotel booking in Selva Val Gardena. Returning from INN on Fri 18th.
There is no snow there now, and no hint of the necessary preconditions in any of the forecasts. Of course this can all change and a "storm from the south" can work wonders in any 24h period. In our favour is the fact (as frequently noted by my skiing family and friends) that I am a snow-bringer of international repute. This was settled beyond doubt last New Year as we struggled our way from GVA to Les Gets in a snow storm that was so last minute I had seriously considered packing some golf clubs in my ski bag. Anyway....
I am wondering what our bailout options are if everything is still warm and green this time next week. We could cancel our hotel booking (probably a bit of a squabble but there you go) and head for somewhere snowier instead. It should still be relatively quiet from 15th-18th. Our budget is flexible.
Recommendations please!
Requirements are:
1. <2hrs from INN
2. Has snow now. Skiable snow, lifts open...
3. Reasonable sized resort with a choice of restaurants, the possibility of Christmas markets and non-skiing distractions
4. Heroic skiing not needed - it's a family cruising week with some learning for my 6 & 8 year olds
5. Faff free skiing - ski in/out or short walk to lifts. Ski buses etc are a PITA with young kids
6. Hotel with pool/SPA/gym/"Vellness" facilities
Lech?
Iscgl?
I'd be really grateful for any thoughts, comments, ideas.
Thank you in advance!
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Wed 2-12-15 16:10; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Obergurgl, Solden - lots of accommodation
Kuthai - lots of accommodation
Hintertux - mainly by bus but I think some accommodation?
Stubai - bus
Schnalstal - ?
Pitztal - some accommodation
Kaunertal - bus
Ischgl - lots of accommodation
Zugspitz - bus?
Sulden am Ortler - ?
Not sure what is/will be open in any of them but all are high and may have something.
Always impressed with Ischgl a few years ago when no one had much snow and lots of places didn't bother with cannons Ischgl managed about 50% of their area!
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Wed 2-12-15 16:23; edited 3 times in total
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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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By the way IF the current forecasts go well there may be some new snow in that area around those dates.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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+1 for Ischgl, also seriously consider Obergurgl and Kuhtai.
As the flights are into Innsbruck you have so many options it will still be difficult to decide.
Ischgl does tick every requirement on your list - I'm sure there will be many people with suitable hotel recommendations.
I suspect Christmas Markets may tend to be something that happens in larger lower altitude ski towns/villages - like Kitzbuhel, Mayrhofen, Zell am See or Seefeld. Though I'm pretty sure that Ischgl will have one.
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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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Kuhtai is surprisingly (for me at least) quite expensive. I think that Obergurgl has a wider choice of accommodation and might be a tiny bit less expensive. I wouldn't rate Ischgl as particularly suited for children.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Those pistes look white to me. As long as you don't want snowy views or want to ski off piste, you'll be fine. the snow making as incredible out there and teh temmperature forecast looks good
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are they making snow now with a FL over 3000m?
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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've been skiing this area early season (before xmas) for 17yrs and have never been caught out. We've come seriously close a few times, but have always gotton away with it. Before yesterday, it had been pretty cold and they'd been making snow out there extensively. Hopefully that allowed them to get a base down which will hold until some snow turns up. We're in Selva on Jan 15th.
One of our kids is in Courchevel 1850 on a season, he's text to sat that the recent dump there is now melting.
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Some positive spin from the VG website. 
"Val Gardena is ready! Thanks to the hard work of the lift operators as planned from 4th of December 2015 the lifts and slopes in Val Gardena will be open.
The low temperatures allow the work of the snow making systems in Val Gardena and the lift operators made nearly perfect slopes.
The lifts and slopes, at Plan de Gralba/Piz Sella will already open one day earlier on the 3th of December 2015!"
From 04/12 open connections Val Gardena - Alta Badia - Val di Fassa - Arabba (interruption Arabba - Val di Fassa)
On the following link you will find the updated situation about the open lifts and slopes in Val Gardena:
http://www.valgardena.it/en/ski-snowboard/slopes-lifts/open-lifts/
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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Obergurgl.
Solden.
Hintertux.
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| Quote: |
One of our kids is in Courchevel 1850 on a season, he's text to sat that the recent dump there is now melting.
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that must be happening everywhere with current high temperatures. That's why the conditions now are not necessarily a reliable indication of conditions in a couple of weeks - could be a lot worse than now or (fingers crossed) the snow could come and change everything overnight. But that's not gonna happen soon.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Mollerski, As Pam w says the problem may be the temp for running cannons. The runs don't seem to suggest a definite swing to particularly colder weather even by mid-month. There is some snow coming up in recent runs around mid-month but if it happens it may fall as rain lower down?!
@IanTr waiting until next week should be a good idea, as maybe some change will be afoot by then. Anyway finding accommodation elsewhere on those days shouldn't be a problem so assuming you can cancel what you have at short notice you should be fine.
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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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at least it's cold overnight and cannons may be run.
The sort of snow that's being made doesn't melt so quickly as to make it useless, at least if it's shaded and it doesn't rain...
Rain at least is not forecast.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I am in a similar situation. I have three places I'm watching for conditions. My criteria is that I want to be in Sauze December 20th, so what is #not out of the way in terms of Sauze# and has a reasonable chance of having snow starting the weekend of 12 December.
This is my top 3, that I will be monitoring - including possible accommodations:
Jungfrau - Wengen - Murren (bear in mind I'm driving from Amsterdam)
Verbier - (or Chamonix)
Tignes
Feedback welcome
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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^ Tignes.
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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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| Whitegold wrote: |
Obergurgl.
Solden.
Hintertux. |
I'd add Ischgl and Arlberg to that too, even though they're lower - Arlberg/Vorarlberg area got significantly more snow in the last couple of weeks than further east in Tirol (def more than Stubai), so it balances out. Not much left in St Anton village, but above 1600m or so there's a LOT of snow sitting around.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I'd pick Switzerland. Engelberg, Jungfrau or somewhere in the Valais with higher slopes. These areas have had the most snow so far and look to have the best chance to get snow in the next few weeks.
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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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@clarky999, .......and more due 10/11th onwards!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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No need to book anything yet - see how the weather pans out.
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@pam w, I'm not 'picking'. It's like the first round. Based on current snow levels + weather forecast as I am 10 days out. I pick my short list to 'watch'. Should an unexpected snow dump appear somewhere, my whole strategy would change.
I also have requirements for lodging, so for my short list, I am developing a 'lodging' short list, and ultimately will book around the 10 or 11th of December
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It's still looking like around the 15/6 Dec is the most likely start of colder and snowier weather. Been kinda consistant on the GFS runs. Not showing many indications it will be particularly cold for the unsettled weather around the 9-10th Dec. Bergfex (ECM) is being a little more optimistic for around the 11th with possibility of some snow to lower levels and ECM suggests colder weather coming in around then.
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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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@IanTr, What a beautiful picture 
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Thank you all. I shall devote a little time to finding reserve options from the suggestions posted. Looks like Obergurgl, Solden, Ischgl are favourites. No decisions until the last minute!
@red27, It is a beautiful picture - can you think of anything that might improve it?
@Mollerski, Yes - loving the positive spin from the VG website. I can just imagine the "content creator" thinking of their father the ski instructor, their uncle's hotel, their cousin's restaurant...
Everything x'd here.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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grands montets opening tomorrow
rest of Chamonix due to open next week
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| IanTr wrote: |
| , It is a beautiful picture - can you think of anything that might improve it? |
Susanna Reid on a sofa in the foreground doing her 'Cupid Stunt' leg crossing routine?
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You know it makes sense.
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Only been to Selva once, several years ago, but I was amazed after the first uplift to see the ribbons of white amongst a lot of green. The pistes appeared to be full width and were corduroy every morning. I can't remember any closed pistes around the Sella Ronda and we were told the only issue they might have was that only 3 weeks of water remained for snow-making. Don't Panic!
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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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Ischgl, reasonably high, famously good snow making, compact village seems (nominally?) family friendly, close to INN (I think), open already, classy resort so likely to tick Christmas market box...
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Poster: A snowHead
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While we have snow here in Ischgl and many other paces do not, accommodation will fill up really quickly.
I would suggest if you want to come here....book now. You may be too late already for town centre hotels.
1. Within 2 hours
2. Open now
3. Good sized resort, can ski across border into Switzerland. Large choice of restaurants, shops, bars. Skishow.
4. Full range of slopes. Snow parks. Excellent ski school.
5. From town hotel short walk to lifts. 3 lifts up from town, high capacity/speed lifts. Non stop ski buses if staying out of town. Can store skis at lift station either in valley or on mountain to save carrying them around everywhere.
6. Massive range of hotels many with spas and wellness.
http://www.ischgl.com/en
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I reckon Val Gardena might still be a better option than Igschl. VG knows it's snow record is variable so has invested in making sure thy can voer the mountain with man made stuff. http://www.ischgl.com/en/more/webcams
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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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On snow making, Champoluc,
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Gotta say it, as the Val Gardena eternal optimist, it is looking pretty grim on the livecams and the short range forecast right now. 
We used to ski the area in 2nd week of Dec for several years and always got away with it, just. The 2nd week of this Dec is looming and there is no sign of snow on the horizon.
Fingers crossed for those heading out before Christmas.
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If you decide to change, Hintertux would be a good option!
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I would choose someplace else.
I was/am booked in at the Milky Way, but going to head somewhere else that week.
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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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| 8611 wrote: |
| Ischgl, ... classy resort... |
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Despite the desert like weather the Dolomites have had, whilst parts of the UK drown under record precipitation there are apparently an incredible 445km of runs open and 245 lifts
http://www.bergfex.com/sellaronda-dolomiten/schneebericht/
Compares rather well to val disere\tignes 23 lifts and 46 trails..........if it is true 
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