![](templates/subSilver/images/full_size.gif) Poster: A snowHead
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Hi, I am thinking of heading to Zermatt in the first week of December this year.
COVID restrictions aside, what are conditions normally like this early?
I am aware you can ski on the glacier year round, but what proportion of the wider pistes are likely to be open at this point?
Alternatively, any other ideas for a first week of December trip?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
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![](templates/subSilver/images/full_size.gif) Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@cav, even in Zermatt (glacier aside) early december can be tricky for natural snow. And, especially in Zermatt: dark and cold.
Most important advice: don’t book anything; early december you can easily wait last minute, and choose the best spot in the Alps.
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![](templates/subSilver/images/full_size.gif) 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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Most important advice: don’t book anything; early december you can easily wait last minute, and choose the best spot in the Alps.[/quote]
+1
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![](templates/subSilver/images/full_size.gif) Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Bob wrote: |
Most important advice: don’t book anything; early december you can easily wait last minute, and choose the best spot in the Alps. |
+1[/quote]
Thanks Langerzug and Bob for the tip.
I think I will book flights to Geneva for that weekend since they are currently round £50, then hopefully grab some accommodation nearer the time.
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I'm still 50/50 on whether France will be open this winter! Should be fine for UK citizens to travel, but whether they are in lockdown or not is another matter.
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Verbier gives you a free skipass for the day on the Weekend of the feast of St.Nicholas (Dec.6th) if you're dressed in a Father Christmas outfit. A SnowHead did this in 1919 and the discussion around the logistics etc. is here. He got the train from GVA to Le Chable and stayed at the hostel there. The railway station, hostel and lift up to Verbier are all in the same building complex. If your budget is more generous, you might prefer to stay in Verbier itself. There's also a hostel in the Ruinettes Station, on piste, but you'd obviously need to arrive while the lifts were running (the link is in the thread).
We usually go out to prep our apartment in early December and I would have to be honest and say that the snow conditions vary a lot pre-Christmas, so you need to be realistic. Also, Téléverbier don't open-up the whole area - usually around 25%-35% of the ski area is open. Even if the snow is great, the lift company will leave the majority of the area closed to preserve it for Christmas/New Year. But that will be true of most places.
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LaForet wrote: |
Verbier gives you a free skipass for the day on the Weekend of the feast of St.Nicholas (Dec.6th) if you're dressed in a Father Christmas outfit. A SnowHead did this in 1919 and the discussion around the logistics etc. is here. He got the train from GVA to Le Chable and stayed at the hostel there. The railway station, hostel and lift up to Verbier are all in the same building complex. If your budget is more generous, you might prefer to stay in Verbier itself. There's also a hostel in the Ruinettes Station, on piste, but you'd obviously need to arrive while the lifts were running (the link is in the thread).
We usually go out to prep our apartment in early December and I would have to be honest and say that the snow conditions vary a lot pre-Christmas, so you need to be realistic. Also, Téléverbier don't open-up the whole area - usually around 25%-35% of the ski area is open. Even if the snow is great, the lift company will leave the majority of the area closed to preserve it for Christmas/New Year. But that will be true of most places. |
Thanks, we normally stay in airbnbs – have done this in Verbier several times.
Thanks for the link! I will probably pass on the santa outfit though
I will take the advice from the posters above and wait until a bit closer to the time – going to book my Geneva flights now while they're cheap and then get accomodation wherever it looks like conditions are going to be best.
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Kronplatz is normally open by then.
It’s reliant on snowmaking but most years it is usually in the top 10 in terms of Kms of open piste and numbers of lifts running in early December.
It’ll only be partially open but the chance of getting decent weather and no lift closures is usually higher there than the much more exposed glacier resorts.
It’ll also be cheaper
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Peter S wrote: |
Kronplatz is normally open by then.
It’s reliant on snowmaking but most years it is usually in the top 10 in terms of Kms of open piste and numbers of lifts running in early December.
It’ll only be partially open but the chance of getting decent weather and no lift closures is usually higher there than the much more exposed glacier resorts.
It’ll also be cheaper ![Cool](images/smiles/icon_cool.gif) |
Thanks for the tip!
Could be wrong but am thinking Switzerland is the most likely to be open re travel restrictions, followed by France, and then Italy seems a bit less likely?
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![](templates/subSilver/images/full_size.gif) snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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![](templates/subSilver/images/full_size.gif) 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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