 Poster: A snowHead
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We always go skiing at Christmas.
This year the kids break up on December 16th so we are having this big debate about whether we go 17th - 24th December or 24th to 31st December.
One of the missus arguments is that the earlier week will mean cheaper apartment prices (maybe £100-£150 as we don't rent expensive) and the lifts/slopes will be less crowded. I'm thinking another week for winter to take hold and perhaps dump more snow.
I've just looked at the pics when we stayed in Oz-en-Oisans (ADH) in 2010 when we were there 18th - 25th December and we had excellent conditions but as we all know the last three years have been quite lean at Christmas. And whether having an extra week makes much odds is debatable. It's either good or bad.
What do others 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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It's a difficult one. I was actually looking forward to being able to go 17-24th, but it turned out the OH didn't finish work until 19th anyway (20th really but she is part time so has Tuesdays off). The main reasons for wanting to go earlier were the crowds the closer it gets to New Year and so that we'll still have a reasonable amount of time at home before we have to go back to work. Whilst Jnr loves skiing he likes being at home for Christmas itself as he spends the day with his cousins and wider family (even though we haven't done it for years!).
We ended up checking out all different permutations of dates for flights out and differing lengths of stays. We've ended up booking to go 20-27th pretty much due to a very reasonable deal with Neilson for somewhere we've been to before - it would have been difficult to match going DIY.
Last year an extra week would have made no difference. The year before there was a reasonable amount of snow on Boxing Day which opened up a much wider area where we were.
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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've got to admit it, with a topic title "date dilemma", the question is a bit of a let down.
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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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@Layne, Why not go on the 17th and come back on the 31st, problem solved 
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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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In your situation I'd probably go the second week.
- The snow could be better. It's unlikely to be worse than the week before (although it can happen, nothing is ever guaranteed with the snow).
- You get to spend Christmas in the snow (fingers crossed) in the mountains. How magical is that!
- You have to use fewer days off work. That leaves you with more days to go skiing again later in the season.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Pick a high resort an go the first week, it will be much cheaper and a lot less crowded.
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| Quote: |
Pick a high resort an go the first week, it will be much cheaper and a lot less crowded.
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+1
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Some friends did the pre-Christmas week last year and then realised one major drawback .... They were going to miss out on all the parties that happen in that week.
Personally I wouldn't go during either of those weeks for fear of poor snow, but if I had to, then I'd pick the first week as the far less crowded pistes will more than compensate for the slightly higher risk of poor snow.
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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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| Quote: |
They were going to miss out on all the parties that happen in that week.
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That's a drawback? For me it is a relief.
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If the season has a poor start and it doesn't snow during the holiday period the first of the two weeks will offer the best snow conditions, as there will be less time & traffic which makes the conditions deteriorate. I skied the opening week of Espace Killy, Trois Valley & Paradiski last season (which did have a poor start to the snow) and each of those weeks had the best of the conditions until the snow started to fall again in January. The third week of December in Paradiski was just about OK, but the final week of the month was looking like it would be very poor for on piste conditions.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| dogwatch wrote: |
| You've got to admit it, with a topic title "date dilemma", the question is a bit of a let down. |
Soz mate 
| srobbo wrote: |
| @Layne, Why not go on the 17th and come back on the 31st, problem solved |
Trust me, if the missus would, I would!
| olderscot wrote: |
In your situation I'd probably go the second week.
- The snow could be better. It's unlikely to be worse than the week before (although it can happen, nothing is ever guaranteed with the snow).
- You get to spend Christmas in the snow (fingers crossed) in the mountains. How magical is that!
- You have to use fewer days off work. That leaves you with more days to go skiing again later in the season. |
All valid reasons which I have mentioned in the discussions. TBH as you point the first point can be contested. The missus strangely doesn't seem to be fussed by the second. The third whilst having some validity isn't a showstopper for us.
| chocksaway wrote: |
| Pick a high resort an go the first week, it will be much cheaper and a lot less crowded. |
Will be going high either week, probably Paradiski.
| foxtrotzulu wrote: |
| Some friends did the pre-Christmas week last year and then realised one major drawback .... They were going to miss out on all the parties that happen in that week. |
As per @Hells Bells that would be a plus for me.
| foxtrotzulu wrote: |
| Personally I wouldn't go during either of those weeks for fear of poor snow, but if I had to, then I'd pick the first week as the far less crowded pistes will more than compensate for the slightly higher risk of poor snow. |
We are restricted by school holidays and can't go Feb half term - we make the best of a bad job. And to be fair we've had some great snow aswell as a couple of not so great years.
| rob@rar wrote: |
| If the season has a poor start and it doesn't snow during the holiday period the first of the two weeks will offer the best snow conditions, as there will be less time & traffic which makes the conditions deteriorate. I skied the opening week of Espace Killy, Trois Valley & Paradiski last season (which did have a poor start to the snow) and each of those weeks had the best of the conditions until the snow started to fall again in January. The third week of December in Paradiski was just about OK, but the final week of the month was looking like it would be very poor for on piste conditions. |
Cheers, fair logic!
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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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Looking at rental rates this year it is very strange. Christmas week is 50% more expensive than the week before (no suprise there) but New Year week, the week begining 31/12/2016, is the same price as the WB 17/12/2016. New Year week is normally the most expensive of the season.
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Missing the frenetic rush of the last week before Christmas, with "buy, buy, buy" being thrust down your throat at every opportunity has to be one of the best reasons to be somewhere else.
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Last year was very much as Rob says. We had a not very good Christmas week, but the kids enjoyed ski school (they don't seem to care about conditions) and their parent found enough to ski. The New Year week was grim, with less snow and far more skiers on the ground. I was very relieved that my visitors had gone so I could either chill out or go XC skiing - conditions in the XC area weren't bad as they had so much less traffic.
I really dislike the crowded lifts and pistes of New Year week.
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You know it makes sense.
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| johnE wrote: |
| Looking at rental rates this year it is very strange. Christmas week is 50% more expensive than the week before (no suprise there) but New Year week, the week begining 31/12/2016, is the same price as the WB 17/12/2016. New Year week is normally the most expensive of the season. |
probably something to do with schools returning on 3rd January in many cases.
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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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17th to 24th should be a nice quiet week as some schools don't even break up until the Tuesday of that week.
I'd also see if you can avoid the Saturday changeover as there seems to be more flexibility this year over the Christmas period.
I would not go the week of 24th to 31st Dec as I think it will be busier than New Year week as people with school age children will not be able to do New Year week.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Sounds like 24th to 31st might be more new year week than Christmas week price/availability/busyness wise.
Sounds like a clincher!
The missus pointed out that on the continent most kids are in school until the 23rd December hence in many years they can't head to the slopes like we do - which I guess explains thing somewhat.
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