 Poster: A snowHead
|
Plenty of posts seem to warn against organising a skiing trip for Christmas or New Year as going "early season" you risk spending the holiday looking at grassy pistes.
I've visited a few resorts in mid-December and the only one where this was an issue was Risoul in, I think, December 2000 when the only snow was man-made. The start of that season was bad all over Europe.
Down in the southern French Alps, where I have a chalet, there's always plenty of snow by the 2nd/3rd week of December.
Surely, any resort at a decent altitude (we're at 1500 - 2600m so not particularly high) will have resort level snow at that time of year.
Why the negative vibe about December skiing?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Things have gone quite smoothly in recent years, but go back in history (the worst period was the late 80s) and there were some desperately bad early seasons.
With respect, the phrase "there's always plenty of snow by the 2nd/3rd week of December" should have the word "always" replaced by "usually" or "most usually".
|
|
|
|
|
|
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 think "usually" understates it - it implies that, although the norm, you shouldn't be surprised if reality deviates from this.
Something tempering my original post, such as "almost always", would have been more accurate.
Were the late 80's so bad in the high-altitude resorts? I've seen posts advising against going anywhere in December. Surely somewhere like Les Arcs or 2 Alpes will be chock-full of snow?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
1987/8 was particularly bad. In early Jan '88, only 20 out of 160 French ski areas had lifts operating.
January 1990 was equally desperate, with huge financial losses for French and Austrian resorts.
These problems led to a big increase in snowmaking investment at that time, and all the big tour ops introducing snow guarantees.
There's no place for doom and gloom, but it's as well for any skier to look at past history when booking early season.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
I know you're counselling against doom and gloom but this sounds like Mr Blair's justification for war! "We know that Iraq had WMDs because they used them on their own people".
He merrily ignored the fact that it (along with the snow-droughts which, as far as I'm aware, he hasn't commented on) happened more than a decade ago and that, in both cases, successful measures were taken to ensure it didn't happen again!
I always liked holidays in December because:
(a) there's hardly anyone skiing then
(b) they're dirt cheap
(c) they're a break from the tedium of the build-up to Christmas
OK, so half the places in the resort are closed, the staff haven't got a clue what they're doing and, as happened to us once, the hotel doesn't have any hot water for the first 36 hours.
Only 8 and a bit weeks until the lifts open/I'm staring out of the window at a grassy piste!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Couldn't agree more. When there are heavy snows in November, and there's a good base in place for the first weeks of December, it can be a brilliant time to ski.
I've enjoyed exceptional conditions in La Plagne and Zermatt in the first week of Dec in specific winters in the past 12 years. As you say, the Christmas 'build up' etc. makes it difficult for almost everyone to zip away to take advantage of it, except maybe at weekends.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I have to confess I am one of those people who tend to recommend caution when booking skiing holidays in advance early in the season.
It is not that I think that people are likely to suffer no snow. I have been skiing approx 20 years and have never suffered this fate (fingers crossed) though I know others who have. The main risk at this time of the year is that you will be skiing on very hard, icy pistes with plenty of stones showing through which can damage your skis.
It is also uncommon for these conditions to be consistent throughout the alps, what I usually suggest is that if going early in the season you wait untill last minute and book where the snow is good and therefore enjoy great snow conditions on generally very uncrowded slopes.
Incidentally the southern French alps are not immune from these conditions, speaking to residents it is not unusual to have good snow in early December and then a shortage till later in the season
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
David Goldsmith has once again nailed the point, whilst previous year's records do not provide certainty, they do at least indicate what is likely. Excluding the 'freak' years these typically show that the high resorts close to Mont Blanc and the other major alpine peaks enjoy the best (predictable) snow.
In effect this means you are more likely to find good skiable conditions in the Haute Tarentaise where most resorts are at or above 1700 metres than you are in the Portes de Soleil, for example, where most resorts are at around 1200 metres. Entirely predictable IMO, check out the Ski Club snow records if anyone disagrees.
Last edited by After all it is free  on Thu 7-10-04 22:17; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| Quote: |
Excluding the 'freak' years these typically show that the high resorts close to Mont Blanc and the other major alpine peaks enjoy the best (predictable) snow.
In effect this means you are more likely to find good skiable conditions in the Haute Tarentaise where most resorts are at or above 1700 metres than you are in the Portes de Soleil, for example whre most resorts are at around 1200 metres. Entirely predictable IMO, check out the Ski Club snow records if anyone disagrees.
|
Yes and No I believe, There is so much annual variation that if you can book a holiday late low season this gives you a better chance of finding good snow than booking a 'snow sure' resort. I do not doubt that on average higher resorts get better snow but it is not at all uncommon for resorts in Austria for example to have better snow than those in France. I have been to Tignes in January when the main piste from the glacier to Val Claret was closed because of poor snow and there were icy patches on the main glacier runs.
Incidentally I don't dispute that La Rosiere is snowier than most  I have heard it is because it is on the col and a lot of weather is therefore forced over it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I have been to Cervinia last winter for the weekend of the 29 Nov.
Great conditions !! but there is no such thing as a guarantee.
Hopefully this year will be a bumper 
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| T Bar wrote: |
Incidentally the southern French alps are not immune from these conditions, speaking to residents it is not unusual to have good snow in early December and then a shortage till later in the season |
Yes, my impression of recent years has been early snow, then nothing through later December and most or all of January (and a lack for most of the season), followed by good snow very late.
I expect this has been discussed before but I'd be interested to see comparative figures.
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Fri 8-10-04 11:52; edited 2 times in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Snowball, IMO most snow seems to arrive in about 4 major storms. Last year was odd, I had to dig a path to the door of our chalet in early Nov. Then the weather got very warm and all the snow had melted by the 11th Dec, resort opening date, we finally had a huge dump on Xmas eve and then 3 weeks of storms through January. Then nothing much, just the odd snowfall to keep everything topped up until the last week of the season when we had a couple of days of fresh snow. All in all, a very odd season but the snow depths were pretty much in line with previous years.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
ben wright, 3 years ago it didn't snow at all in the autumn, although it was cold and we could make lots of snow. So we opened with the glacier, the nursery slopes in the village, and the Combe Valentin black run down the face. It was fine, but we didn't allow anyone to come from Alpe d'Huez or Serre Chevalier though. So yes - why do people warn against early ski-ing? Perhaps because they have a vested interest in a low resort???
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
. Every day was blue sky! I don't think it then snowed in the resort for a while so it suffered after we were there.
