 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello, i am trying to narrow down resort options for a weeks skiing over xmas. We are veering towards Cervinia as we usually do France and keen for a change, but also because it appears to be very snow sure. Any major drawbacks anyone might envisage with this option?
We are a family of 4 - Intermediate skier's (although i tend to prefer the easier pistes!) - and want to go somewhere snowsure, ideally ski in/out or very close to lifts, nice selection of restaurants but dont need big party town (kids only 12 and 14 and we will all likely to be asleep by 10pm most nights!!). Thank you
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Cervinia guaranteed to be windy. Try saalbach, everything you've said above it ticks the box. Cervinia isn't a patch on it
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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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Whilst high winds can & do close the link to Zermatt from Cervinia not sure that is guaranteed, you might be unlucky you might not be. Also you might not be bothered about the link to Zermatt anyway? You could look at the Sella Ronda / Dolomites, beautiful scenery, plentiful straight forward skiing, charming small towns. Neither there or Saalbach can be called snow sure but both have excellent snow making so you can be as sure as anywhere that there will be skiing when you go. The sort of ski in /out common in France is not common in the eastern Alps, accommodation at the bottom of the pistes is possible though tends to be expensive. If you have the budget then perhaps look at Verbier or Lech.
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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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“Neither there or Saalbach can be called snow sure but both have excellent snow making so you can be as sure as anywhere that there will be skiing when you go. The sort of ski in /out common in France is not common in the eastern Alps, accommodation at the bottom of the pistes is possible though tends to be expensive.”
Next Christmas will be my 19th consecutive Christmas in Saalbach. I have always skied on Christmas Day, and 90% of those Christmases have seen ample snow, with the whole 270km (408km including Zell am See and Kaprun, which share the same pass) area open. Normally I ski over to Hinterglemm or Leogang for my Christmas Day lunch.
In the remaining 10% of seasons, there has still been enough snow, especially on higher pistes to provide ample skiing. In those couple of seasons, there has been a snow drought (cold temperatures, but weeks of fine weather and no snow clouds) throughout December that has affected ski resorts throughout the Alps, or much of the Alps, generally. But in Saalbach virtually all the main pistes are covered by snow cannons, which are switched on in November, and it’s impressive what can be achieved in terms of snow coverage.
And, if accommodation is researched and chosen wisely, there is plenty of slopeside accommodation - ski-in ski-out, or virtually so.
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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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We've opted for Cervinia at Christmas. We've not been there before, but we're aiming for high and snow sure. My kids are a similar age to yours (11 and 13). We went to Austria at Christmas 2022 and that was one of the 10% years tatman mentioned above, so coverage wasn't great and what was there was very icy. We are keen not to repeat that.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Owlette, for the benefit of anyone else who may be interested in this thread, it’s perhaps worth mentioning that there are some 440 ski resorts in Austria, some low, some medium height, and some high; and some have extensive snowmaking capability, which pays dividends in seasons when natural snowfall is lacking or late to arrive.
I can really only speak for the resort where I live, which, at a village height of 1,000 meters, is average height for Austria (where, it bears emphasising, the snowline is considerably lower than the generally warmer western Alps). And where the investment in snowmaking technology has been considerable.
I have known fairly isolated poor starts to the season, when pre-Christmas skiers were being bussed into my village from other resorts, which had little snow - presumably because they are lower or hadn’t invested in snowmaking infrastructure to the same extent. I also remember a season several years ago, when there had been a snow drought throughout November and early December, and which had affected ski areas throughout the Alps, and I was frankly amazed to arrive in my village on 10th December to find that the snowmaking had enabled fairly normal skiing, with all links and homeward pistes open, and around 200 km of piste available. (I used to arrive just before Christmas but grew tired of being told that I’d missed a couple of weeks of idyllic conditions, so I started to time my arrival for early December.)
The season always starts in Saalbach at the end of November, by which time there is generally enough snow to enable the area to be gradually opened, and by the middle of December it is usual for the whole area to be fully running. The snow cannons are switched on in early November. The natural snow also generally arrives during November.
The historical snow records (see snow-forecast.com) indicate that the month of December has been generally as snowy as February. This website is also a useful guide to historical snow depths: https://skiweather.eu/snowdata/saalbach/993
The bottom line is to do one’s research into historical snow conditions.
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We were in Rauris which has a village height of 948m. The nursery slopes at village height were open during to cannons, though there was no snow anywhere else at that altitude. There was much more coverage up at 1400m and above, but as I said, it was very icy. We were just unlucky, historically Christmas has been excellent there.
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I’ve just booked les meniures.. hoping it’s not an issue. I have been to la plagne/via lattea at Xmas before and had reasonable skiing.
I went to l2A this year first week of Feb and it was a bit 
Though we still did get to ski, queues were terrible. I imagine if it had snowed it would have been a completely different holiday!
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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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@v1cky24, yes, the first week of February is NOT French school hols, and is normally not a very crowded week. Christmas would be worse, in terms just of crowds in most resorts. But snow has been so varied, and mostly so bad, the last couple of seasons, that all bets about "what's normal" are off. Normally the first week of Feb would have been expected to have really good snow, but the last couple of years the first week of April has been better in some places!
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I was properly wounded @origen
Was really looking forward to going there and it was a really disappointing experience. The queues were horrendous. It was like everyone had decided to come to L2A , which granted because the conditions were poor and no snow in other places they probably did!
I shall be doing my snow dance this year and saying prayers. I had been to chamonix 19-23rd December and it was reasonable. Opening day skiing at le tour was a pure joy! Feb - skiing =crap 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I have had wonderful conditions on the very last day of the season in the Arly Valley (which is quite low). Hardly anybody around (and some inessential lifts closed for that reason) but gorgeous fresh snow and perfect cover everywhere. But that was a few years ago. Things have gone a bit haywire the last few years and the old certainties are melting away.
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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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@v1cky24, we've been skiing at Christmas for years, you'll be fine. Especially up at Les Men.
Christmas tends to be busy but not horrendous.
Last Christmas conditions were good. One before not so. But always plenty to ski in places like Paradiski/3V/Tignes
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@Origen, No pun intended I'm sure.
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You know it makes sense.
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Hopefully @layne!
Haven’t been to 3V before.. excited!!
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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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We have been to Cervinia at Christmas with kids and had brilliant time, link with Zermatt was open the whole time, so we used it quite a bit. A few points to keep in mind- if kids go to ski school lessons are very short-2 hours only so really nit much time to ski around before you need to pick up the kids. And if you go to Zermatt, don’t make the mistake we made and miss the last lift back to Cervinia- staying overnight in Zermatt with only your ski boots & clothes on is not very comfortable and also expensive
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