Hello!!!
Has anyone been to UCPA Val D'isere in December (Planning a trip on the 15th)?
I was wondering if the snow conditions this early in the season are historically good in Val D'isere for a week´s UCPA Half-Day camp.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
The Snowheads pre-season bash is in Tignes is a week or two before this. It’s going to be as good as anywhere that time of year.
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?
I usually ski in USA, Canada, Argentina and Chile, so I don´t know if the conditions in the Alps are good enough to take a weeks camp with UCPA.
I know that last year there was tons of snow in December, but I want to hear from you guys historically how are the conditions mid december in Val D'isere/Tignes.
Pistes should be fine. Off piste likely to be a little rocky. Of course nobody can be sure.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
There isn't a better destination in Europe for that time of year. But there are no guarantees! UCPA instructors/guides will find the best of what snow is available.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@bar_shaker Wasn´t 15/16 and 16/17 very bad seasons at the beginning (Nov/Dec)?
After all it is free
After all it is free
@bar shaker, Wasn´t 15/16 and 16/17 very bad seasons at the beginning (Nov/Dec)?
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.
15/16 it snowed loads up to Christmas and then didn't snow again until March.
Espace Killy has the biggest snow making capacity of any resort in the world. Cannon snow isn't perfect, but it's better than grass.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
We've skied the two weeks before Christmas in Tignes/Val Diz for the past 8 years, and intend to do again this year. We've been able to ski all the way back to Tignes Le Lac every year so far. Only one of those years was the snow poor enough to stop us getting to Edelweiss or down to Les Brev. A couple of years there has been knee deep powder everywhere for a few days. Last year (2017)was better than average, the year before (2016) was below par.
The bigger problem with those weeks is they are often used for ski racing, and they are again this year. It's not just the proper FIS stuff, lots of local/national ski clubs and even the British army are there on other days to use the courses. The Slalom is usually on La Face, so closed, and once it reopens to us plebs it's sheet ice from half way down to the bottom - not great for early season legs. Stantons/Epaule is often closed anyway, and Orange/Ok gets closed for the Downhill. Whilst there are racers on/near the course they close the lifts over the pistes, so Marmottes is often closed.
All this more or less cuts the Espace Killy in half - to get to Solaise from Tignes you have to ski round to Fountain Froide, up to the top of Bellevarde and download in the Olympic gondola.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Thanks for the posts.
I guess this is not a good week to go to Val D'isere than. Half of the Espace Killy closed for a first visit.......Not good!
I guess I'll stick with the Core Camp in Whistler.
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.
@Koleoptero, It's nowhere near half the Espace Killy
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
I love sitting on the lift watch the racers come down
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Quote:
I guess this is not a good week to go to Val D'isere than. Half of the Espace Killy closed for a first visit.......Not good!
I didn't say that half the area is closed. I said that the area is cut in half. The Val Diz side is mostly open, and the Tignes side is mostly open, but crossing from one to t'other whilst the racing is in progress is problematic. And access to two of the resorts best known runs - Face and Ok/Orange - is time restricted at best, or just totally off limits.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Both "sides" of the EK have more piste skiing than most resorts in the world. If it's off-piste you're after there's no getting away from the fact that mid-December is not ideal though you can, as @bar shaker points out, get lucky.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@Koleoptero, pre-Xmas I'd look at Tignes or Val Thorens over Val D'Isere. Snow guaranteed in all three, but the access to guaranteed snow better from Tignes than VDI, and VT has got the most guaranteed snow UCPA can offer (being restricted to France)
There is a useful thread somewhere that I started on the UCPA centres and guide to size, age, other info, but in terms of snowsure good skiing you won't go wrong with Val D'Isere, Tignes or Val Thorens pre Xmas.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
