 Poster: A snowHead
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Has anybody got any advice for this confused skiier?
I want to go to France in the first week of December this year because its cheap and need to ski as much as poss. Will there be any snow in the higher resorts like Val D'Isere. It seems such a good deal can it be true?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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mjr, welcome to snowHeads! 
I'm trying to remember whether Val D and Val Thorens opened 16th December of 16th November this season. I'd be worried about the amount / quality of snow.
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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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They struggled last year. I remember tourists complaining about the lack of pistes open in Val d'Isère, and there were rumours that enormous resources over a very dry, but cold Autumn and early December were dedicated to snowmaking for the World Cup Criterium at the expense of facilities for other visitors - snow cannons moved from elsewhere, etc.
Still there are few places where you can ski that early, it's not that busy, and competitively priced. But for a reason! - in the end it's down to luck - you take a chance, and pray to the snow gods.
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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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mjr, welcome to snowHeads.
Those resorts with glaciers should offer at least some skiing, but if the snow is late arriving to lower altitudes it could be a limited amount of terrain on offer. Last season I skied in Tignes in the third week of November (glacier skiing only) then in Val d'Isere from the 8th December for a few days. IIRC the previous week in Val there was some skking available, but not a huge amount.
That early in the season you will have no trouble in finding accommodation no matter where you go, so why not wait until closer to the date then head to which ever part of the Alps has the best snow?
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I went to Tignes early December, year before last. Skied some of Val D. Very rocky - like much of Tignes  . Ski shops did a roaring trade in repairs. Only time I've had my skis serviced twice in the week (that's not counting before and after the holiday!). Another year, though, could be completely different.
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Last season most of the early snow went to Austria. It snowed almost continuously for the last two weeks in November.
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mjr, The best plan (if you can manage it) is to wait and see where the snow is. I've been in Tignes Nov/early Dec time several times. In the last few years the snow has been getting thinner...... As everyone else has said, Austria has had the better cover early, but next year may be different.
If you do want to go to France, the Tignes, Val T or LDA are a better bet than Val D', as they are all much higher....
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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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Ditto - wait and see. You don't necessarily want to go high in case the weather is bad.
Also consider ski areas reasonably close to cities as they often open earlier owing to local demand. e.g. Davos or Laax in this neck of the woods.
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mjr, Why France? I go with a bunch of friends for a long weekend early season ski every December (either around the 7th or the 14th depending on the calendar and our diaries). We've done Val d'Isere, Davos, Ischgl, and Zermatt. We book flights to either Zurich or Geneva and decide on the resort close to the time depending on where the snow is. We've done it for the past seven years and consistently the snow has been better in Switzerland and Austria than the French Alps. Not only that but the apres ski in places like Ischgl and Zermatt is miles better than Val T and Tignes.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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mjr, I was in Val d'Isere 9th-16th Dec 2005. Pretty much the whole domain was open then. The pistes were mostly OK, a bit stony in places but pretty skiable throughout, but the off-piste was appalling - I had the Ptex out filling holes in the bottom of my skis every single night! Looking at the web-site over the previous week had only shown about 4 blue/green runs open, and I think the first reds (on the Solaise sector) only opened on that Thursday/Fri (6/7th Dec), although I heard reports that this was at least in part due to some dispute/strike on the part of the pisteurs. Despite the dodginess of the snow that year, it was apparently way better than the previous year (when it looks like maggi went). I understand that these two years have been on the poor side of usual, but I would still look elsewhere - although if you're looking to ski pistes only then it may be fine.
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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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You know it makes sense.
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easiski, no idea, never even though of going to the place. I think that Chalet Girls programme put me off.
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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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Helen Beaumont, It's even worse than you imagine - full of Brits and hugely expensive!!!
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Poster: A snowHead
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easiski, I think I'll stick to the better end of the Alps.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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