 Poster: A snowHead
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A month left to go for downhill skiing in France this year. Here are the closing dates for the Northern French Alps if you want to make plans for your last 4 weeks on snow.
Arêches - Beaufort Friday 15/04/2016
Aussois Friday 15/04/2016
Brides les Bains Friday 15/04/2016
Crest Voland Cohennoz Friday 15/04/2016
La Toussuire Friday 15/04/2016
Le Corbier Friday 15/04/2016
Manigod Friday 15/04/2016
Pralognan la Vanoise Friday 15/04/2016
St François Longchamp Friday 15/04/2016
St Jean d'Arves Friday 15/04/2016
St Sorlin d'Arves Friday 15/04/2016
Valloire Friday 15/04/2016
Valmeinier Friday 15/04/2016
Bessans Saturday, 16/04/2016
Doucy Combelouvière Saturday, 16/04/2016
Valmorel Saturday, 16/04/2016
Auris en Oisans Sunday, 17/04/2016
Chamrousse Sunday, 17/04/2016
La Tania Sunday, 17/04/2016
Les Carroz Sunday, 17/04/2016
Les Gets Sunday, 17/04/2016
Les Houches Sunday, 17/04/2016
Montriond Sunday, 17/04/2016
Morillon Sunday, 17/04/2016
Morzine Sunday, 17/04/2016
Samoëns Sunday, 17/04/2016
St Gervais Mont-Blanc Sunday, 17/04/2016
Ste Foy Tarentaise Sunday, 17/04/2016
Villard Reculas Sunday, 17/04/2016
Courchevel Friday, 22/04/2016
La Rosière Friday, 22/04/2016
Le Grand Bornand Friday, 22/04/2016
Les Contamines - Montjoie Friday, 22/04/2016
Les Menuires Friday, 22/04/2016
Les Saisies Friday, 22/04/2016
Praz de Lys - Sommand Friday, 22/04/2016
St Martin de Belleville Friday, 22/04/2016
Val Cenis Friday, 22/04/2016
Alpe d'Huez Saturday, 23/04/2016
Champagny en Vanoise Saturday, 23/04/2016
La Plagne Saturday, 23/04/2016
Les Arcs Saturday, 23/04/2016
Les Karellis Saturday, 23/04/2016
Montchavin - La Plagne Saturday, 23/04/2016
Oz en Oisans Saturday, 23/04/2016
Peisey Vallandry Saturday, 23/04/2016
Vaujany Saturday, 23/04/2016
Avoriaz Sunday, 24/04/2016
Chatel Sunday, 24/04/2016
Flaine Sunday, 24/04/2016
Megeve Sunday, 24/04/2016
Meribel Sunday, 24/04/2016
Bonneval sur Arc Saturday 30/04/2016
La Clusaz Saturday 30/04/2016
Les 2 Alpes Saturday 30/04/2016
Chamonix Sunday 01/05/2016
Val d'Isère Sunday 01/05/2016
Orelle Sunday 08/05/2016
Tignes Sunday 08/05/2016
Val Thorens Sunday 08/05/2016
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Thank you davidof, useful information, but not very uplifting.
Much better would be opening dates for all these resorts, and something to look forward to 
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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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Well L2A will be open again (up on the glacier) in a couple of months!
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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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davkt, not quite what i had in mind.
Did try summer skiing in Zermat many years ago - Zermat is a lovely town in lovely surroundings, so pleasant enough in the afternoon. Not so sure about Les Deux Alpes.
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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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@davidof, yes, very useful list. I skied on 12 May in L2A once, early 90s. Not just glacier, snowing heavily down to mountain mid station.
Just wondering if it is likely snow conditions that determines each closing date? Or is it demand v cost of running resort? Is closing date decided before season starts, or variable depending on annual snow levels?
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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: |
Is closing date decided before season starts
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Yes, in my experience. Since 2002, to my certain knowledge, local closing dates in my area (Espace Diamant) have all been as published well in advance, except a few years ago when exceptionally bad snow conditions meant they closed a week early - a fairly widespread problem that year. Sometimes resorts close with absolutely heaps of snow, sometimes they have managed to scrape enough snow off the surrounding countryside to keep some pistes going till the end.....
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One factor in France is that 90% of workers are seasonal and the summer season on the south coast starts with the bank holiday weekends in May, so a lot of resort staff need a bit of time off before heading to their summer jobs.
But closing dates do seem to be creeping earlier. Allevard, les 7 Laux etc all used to close in the 2nd half of April but now you are lucky if they go to the first weekend, this year they both did the 10th on very partial openings. I think it makes economic sense for them because no-one around.
Allevard was fandabidozi last weekend but it was like being the last skiers left on earth
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Fri 15-04-16 22:08; edited 1 time in total
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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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La Grave normally opens later than L2A and for some it's a tradition to go over ski a bit then hike over and ski down L2A when closed. Not this year though La Grave closes the previous week-end.
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In Spain there are still lots of ski resorts still open, albeit mostly small ones outside of the main mountain ranges where the snow came late this year. The exceptions are Sierra Nevada in the south and Masella in the Catalan Pyrenees, both of which will be open until 2 May. The latter resort has one of the longest seasonal ski seasons in Europe; it routinely manages 5 months and in good seasons it can reach 6. The season passes are generally more expensive in Spain than in France, but the resorts seem to open quite a lot longer (at least when considering the Pyrenees and southern Alps).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I never get why some resorts close on a Saturday, seems odd as a lot of people come skiing at the weekends and that includes Sunday too... Anyone else think it's odd?
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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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Les Saisies and the other Espace Diamant resorts always close on a Friday.
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| Mountain Addiction wrote: |
| I never get why some resorts close on a Saturday, seems odd as a lot of people come skiing at the weekends and that includes Sunday too... Anyone else think it's odd? |
I do.
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You know it makes sense.
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closing on a Friday is even more odd... anyone know why? or does the obvious just not occur?
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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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Friday closures is probably because lots of folk ski their last day then (as Saturday is transfer day). But that's obviously linked to the assumption that people are going for 1 week and always Sat-Sat (which is common in France)
I got back from Les Arcs yesterday - Saturday was so quiet on piste!
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Poster: A snowHead
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If a couple of years ago it was Porté Puymorens in the eastern French Pyrenees which was able to open for alpine skiing during a couple of weekends in June, this year it's an even more surprising resort: the tiny Serra de Estrela, Portugal's only resort, is reopening its 150m of vertical and 5km of pistes this weekend thanks to the 40cm of snow that's just fallen in this unstable springtime that we're experiencing on the Iberian peninsula. It's all the more welcome because they were only able to open for 4 days in total until mid February, similar to most of the small resorts outside of the Pyrenees, due to the warm and dry first half of winter.
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FAQ
