 Poster: A snowHead
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For those planning to ski this January - are you already all booked or are you holding out to see how the snow conditions are and then jumping in?
Just curious on peoples thoughts - I'm leaving it till later / last minute to see where looks best - potentially!
And with a bit of luck (maybe a lot of luck) grabbing a last minute bargain
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I usually go in Jan with a TO. I almost always book early (June/July), to get cheaper prices, early booking discounts/offers etc and get the choice of where I want to go.
I will always choose somewhere high, with access to a Glacier.
If you can't score a good deal at this reasonably late stage, I'd be inclined to leave it and try for a last minute bargain, after you see where the snow has fallen.
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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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I always book in advance, but DIY (cheaper). It's nicer looking forward to a holiday when you know where you're going. Makes planning easier too. If you don't mind not knowing where you'll end up going until the last minute, I've no doubt there would be TO bargains available at short notice.
I go as late in January as possible, when conditions are (on average) more reliable.
Unlike @Old Fartbag, I will tend to choose somewhere with trees, therefore usually lower ski areas. In late January, I think there is a greater risk of wind / heavy snow closing lifts in higher resorts than lack of snow closing pistes in lower resorts.
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| denfinella wrote: |
Unlike @Old Fartbag, I will tend to choose somewhere with trees, therefore usually lower ski areas. In late January, I think there is a greater risk of wind / heavy snow closing lifts in higher resorts than lack of snow closing pistes in lower resorts. |
TBF. You can be reasonably high, have access to a Glacier and access to trees eg. Arc 1800
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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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For me it all depends on what your 'must haves' and 'nice to haves' are - and of the group you're going with. And how much of a difference it'll make to your holiday. Ski conditions are generally pretty good in Jan - so for me, I'd rather have a nice apartment, close to the slopes in a good snow sure resort, than go last minute and end up in a smaller apartment, maybe having to get a bus, for marginally better snow.
If you've got total flexibility then it puts you in a strong position i.e you don't care where you stay, and don't care if it's Austria, Italy, France.. Japan?!
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Thu 26-10-23 17:29; edited 1 time in total
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Off to the Selva in the Dolomites on January 13th. Booked it March this year DIY and got a great price. Great snowmaking makes it as snowsure as anywhere on piste.
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@Old Fartbag, yes, true (hence "usually"). Les Arcs / La Plagne / 3 Valleys probably the best French examples. There aren't a lot of places like that though.
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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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We’re a group of 19, so prebooking was the only option.
I guess it depends a lot on likely availability, there doesn’t tend to be a lot from Scotland & resorts seem to get cut from the options each year so we do tend to book ahead.
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Always DIY in advance in rather safe places.
Last Jan was Saalbach.
An year before in St. Anton once again
This time Avoriaz.
Next time Haute Maurienne or Schladming.
After all, if you can't trust January for skiing, what else is there to trust in life 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I’m booked DIY for end of Jan early Feb for Canazei, my only slight concern is a big dump of snow on the days we are driving to from Venice.
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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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| Old Fartbag wrote: |
| denfinella wrote: |
Unlike @Old Fartbag, I will tend to choose somewhere with trees, therefore usually lower ski areas. In late January, I think there is a greater risk of wind / heavy snow closing lifts in higher resorts than lack of snow closing pistes in lower resorts. |
TBF. You can be reasonably high, have access to a Glacier and access to trees eg. Arc 1800 |
Doesn't have to be high if you can leave it to the last minute - last year we bagged a late booking Jan trip to Naasfeld (translates to wet field: I wonder why) in S.Austria, as the weather gurus were predicting a big snowfall from a Slovenian low, when all the other parts of the Alps were suffering from a snow-drought.
They weren't wrong... 
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| geoffers wrote: |
Doesn't have to be high if you can leave it to the last minute - last year we bagged a late booking Jan trip to Naasfeld (translates to wet field: I wonder why) in S.Austria, as the weather gurus were predicting a big snowfall from a Slovenian low, when all the other parts of the Alps were suffering from a snow-drought.
They weren't wrong... |
My point, that I didn't make well, is that for me there are 2 options:
1. Book early and go high...to help mitigate the vagaries of snowfall.
2. Book last minute and go where the snow is, whether high or low.
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You know it makes sense.
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We have always skied in Jan. usually second or third week. We have never had bad snow but we do stick to larger French resorts. 3 valles, Paradiski, alpes D’huez, Val d’iseres/tignes.
We’ve had perfect conditions more than not, even weeks of blue sky skiing on empty slopes.
We also book in advance. But prefer train travel, so just confirmed last TGV today.
Eurostar booked as early as poss.
Total £237 each travel - transfers will be €18 return. Apartment- we went super nice this year @£1113 for 2 of us. But have paid from £600.
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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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I've skiied almost every January for the last 27 years and can honestly say not had a bad one yet (last January was one of the coldest tho).
I guess I'm lucky in that generally we can be flexible with dates and mostly we drive to Three Valleys or Paradiski where there tends to be a good choice of catered chalets to choose from. (Refuse to do self catering)
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Poster: A snowHead
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I've also skied almost every January (normally the middle week) for over 20 years. Unless it's been with a large group, we've booked last minute, i.e. less than a week before travelling, and normally a day or so before. Main rationale for waiting is to go where the snow conditions look best (and potentially not travel if it all looks awful, which has never happened).
If travelling by train I might book the train (especially Eurostar) earlier.
I've never had problems finding decent accommodation at a reasonable price when booking last minute
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Please remember to clear your cookies/cache when looking for last minute bargains. Many sites put the price up as you browse repeatedly the same deals.
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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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In the many years we have been skiing the vast majority have been in early Jan, apart from last year when we went on the 21st Dec until the end of Jan we have never not had enough snow to, even last year we had the one huge dump France had and had the best powder to play in we have had for many many years, I would sooner ski on deserted pistes with a bit of hard pack than having crowds and slush from early afternoon and corrugated iron first thing. We go DIY and have for 20 years, this time I had a vbro ad come up on my phone in early March for places in the area we go, we are paying £1200 for 31 days in a three bed two full bath apartment with underground parking an easy walk from the town and main lift, in half term its that for a week .
If you dont mind where you go and before 2000 we always booked a few days before we went we had some real bargains but now various family come out for a week its nicer to get somewhere that suits our needs
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Not in January, but we've got Christmas booked. First time we've gone over Christmas.
As always, if you're concerned about snow conditions go a bit high. I think most places are fine in those dates.
If you're looking for a bargain I think Bosnia is the place to go at the moment. As always it depends on how many pistes you want and how many kilometres you want to cover.
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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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Some threads make me wonder if I live on a diffferent planet to everyone else. You're going in Jan...and you're worries about there being snow. Assuming you don't mean New Years week then Jan would generally be considered peak season and if a resort doesn't have snow you might want to check it's not a "water ski" resort.
Sure, if you're looking at early Dec trip such as the PSB or April trip you'd want to keep it higher/further East in the Alps as your outside peak season and you can get caught out by a warm autumn/spring but other than that - and subject to the random nature of weather - you can reasonably expect any proper resort (as opposed to the small, local ones that just open as/when they can) to have snow.
Oh and looking at last season it's not Jan. you want to worry about but Feb.! I was in the PdS late Jan. and skiing fresh powder...only to return a few weeks later for Feb. Half Term and looking at overnight lows of +6ºC 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I booked January, with Crystal, for the Dolomites last August ; The 'two for one' Ski pass offer was the clincher - £135 for a DolomitiSuperSki pass ! (age discount helps....)
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Fri 27-10-23 18:14; edited 1 time in total
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Book above 2000m for the western Alps.
It was nudging +20c and raining hard at 1500m in France in early Jan 2023.
There are no guarantees anymore.
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Been skiing the 3rd week of Jan in French Alps for 6 or years now and never had no snow. Got snowed in at Tignes for 5 days once and lost a couple of days in Courchevel one year to no vis but generally get blue skis and good on piste even if the off piste isn't quite up to scratch.
This year we are basing ourselves at our gaffe in the Massif Central for a fortnight and we will watch the weather and look for late availability bargains for 3 or 4 nights either Alps or Pyrenees - both are about a 5 hour drive from where we stay. If we get local snow we're only an hour from Lioran or Super Besse
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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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| Whitegold wrote: |
| It was nudging +20c and raining hard at 1500m in France in early Jan 2023. |
I couldn't find any evidence of that......8-10c tops. Not that it mattered much.
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I've usually booked last minute in Jan for best snow conditions. Though in recent years I haven't skied a lot in Jan because of firstly school age kids and thenone of the people I regularly ski with is a teacher so usually school holidays.
She has just retired so we are off at the end of Jan to the Dollies same place as we have been going in Feb but hopefully a bit quieter.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@albob, Am jealous of that 2 for 1 ski pass offer
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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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Booked when Crystal had their 2 for 1 offer on lift passes. Heading to the Dolomites.
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Booked the last week in January in 2024 for Austria, as soon as I could after coming back from this January's Austrian jaunt. Did the research for the coldest/snowiest week, and that was the one. Just so happens to also be one of only two weeks that hardly any countries have school holidays in their timetables (I think Belgium and Slovenia are the only two?). Didn't get two-for-one lift passes, did get a decent early-bird discount, and got to choose the hotel and resort I wanted. Now glued to the resort ten day weather forecast, resort webcams, 'how many sleeps till you go' on the phone app, etc., and just waiting for the first snow-alert emails.
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You know it makes sense.
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Exciting to have a holiday booked but this "wishing away your meantime life" is something else.
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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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Booked Sestriere for 7th Jan a couple of weeks ago. Going with Crystal as deal was really good and Sestriere is high with good snowmaking facilities. Have done DIY past couple of years and always book high and in advance. Early booking deals can be pretty good too. Also my birthday is 9th Jan and love skiing on my birthday
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Poster: A snowHead
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Been booked since August. We go second week of Jan every year and never had a bad time. One patchy year in Cham where there were stones on the piste but not many.
Val Thorens again this Jan which is snowsure.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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we usually go in January, this year we booked flights because they were so cheap and thought we would organise the resort later. We decided on Kitzbuhel for a few reasons so by last August we had our trip booked, lol,
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FAQ
Jan in the Dollies is the best. 
