 Poster: A snowHead
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Just having a quick browse of SCGB website during butty hour at work and it looks as though most European resorts are now open. However, in most instances resorts only have a fraction of their runs/lifts open. Why is this? Is the snow not yet sufficient to open the whole resort or have the pisteurs not yet had time to prepare the pistes? Everywhere keeps saying we are having a bumper early snow season, but resort stats seems to say otherwise...
I'm not going until later in the season, but if I was going now I'd be a bit peeved that the skiing is so limited. Do early birds have to pay the same for their lift passes when less than half of the lifts are open...?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| queen bodecia wrote: |
Just having a quick browse of SCGB website during butty hour at work and it looks as though most European resorts are now open. However, in most instances resorts only have a fraction of their runs/lifts open. Why is this? Is the snow not yet sufficient to open the whole resort or have the pisteurs not yet had time to prepare the pistes? Everywhere keeps saying we are having a bumper early snow season, but resort stats seems to say otherwise...
I'm not going until later in the season, but if I was going now I'd be a bit peeved that the skiing is so limited. Do early birds have to pay the same for their lift passes when less than half of the lifts are open...? |
How long's a piste 
I guess it depends totally from resort to resort. In Paradiski for example they have a 1st week rate i.e. 13-20th Dec. Tignes has a pre-season rate which was upto 29/11. I think that once the resorts are 'formally open' then you'd be likely to be paying full price even if there's not 100% of runs open - no different from xmas week if they have to shut the upper slopes due to avvy risk. Of course the upside is that the pistes are empty and their are no lift queuses.
As to why only bits are open then it could depend on whether they've built the pistes yet, have they got enough snow so that rock dodging isn't a massive issue, or a whole range of other local factors. As discussed previously then resorts might not open their 'linking lifts' to other valleys if they want to hold on to 'their' snow for their customers at peak weeks.
If I could I would be out there now regardless of how much is open or not, but I still have to wait a few days...
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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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Quite often it''s a commercial decision. Last year in Austria for example, there was enough snow to open virtually everywhere in mid November, but the problem is that there would be no punters, so it would cost the lift companies a fortune to operate all the lifts in a small-ish resort when there might literally be only a dozen users in a day during the week.
They therefore open a few lifts when they think they can get people to use them, and more and more as the resort gets busy. There are usually cheaper rates when only half the lifts are open.
Plus as bertie bassett says there may be other operational reason, e.g. improvements often in autumn need testing etc. and if there have been storms (not so much this year but previously), this can get behind schedule.
The full complement of staff might not be in resort until the main start of the season.
Plus snow of course, but that's by no means the only or even the main reason.
Quite often people bemoan the fact that lifts close on closing day in the spring even when there's still loads of snow. Again, this is usually because there are just not enough punters for it to be worth staying open, or because staff are all leaving for summer jobs etc.
D
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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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Fair enough. I just wondered that's all. Don't think I'll ever be going right at the start of the season myself anyway...
I have already bookmarked the webcams and I'm not going until March. How sad am I? 
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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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It can be really frustrating though to see all the white fluff but know you either can't get out to use it, or there are no lifts open anyway!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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queen bodecia, certainly over here in my neck of the woods at Ski Amade its because there are no skiiers! Zauchensee opened last weekend but only 2 lifts which did one bit of the mountain. I went up there on Friday and there were about 20 cars in the car park. Its only the locals skiing at the mo so its pure bliss. Our local mountain opens this weekend - again - lack of skiiers to use it before then. Early season is a great time to ski.
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| queen bodecia wrote: |
Do early birds have to pay the same for their lift passes when less than half of the lifts are open...? |
some of the lifts in Chatel are open now, passes are only about 15 euros per adult for a day because it isn't fully open. It's not worth them opening all the lifts as there simply aren't enough people here at the moment to make it worth their while. It's more important for them to pack the snow down and create a really good base which will help them draw the season out longer in the spring. They open a little more each week until the whole Portes Du Soleil is open on the 20th Dec.
It's actually 'ladies weekend' in Chatel this weekend, passes for all us ladies and girls are free for the whole weekend - can't wait
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Related question - If an area opens the lifts early and you have a season pass, does the season pass extend to cover the early days or do you have to buy additional day passes? I suspect the latter, but I'm willing to be pleasantly surprised.
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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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| Annie wrote: |
| Related question - If an area opens the lifts early and you have a season pass, does the season pass extend to cover the early days or do you have to buy additional day passes? I suspect the latter, but I'm willing to be pleasantly surprised. |
Hmm - no idea actualy, but I'd be pretty disappointed if you had bought a season pass and it didn't let you up. At the end of the day these 'early openings' are really for people in the town/village to ski before the horders (workers / chalet owners etc) plus to attract people in from the environs. My gut feel would say you should be ok, but I have nothing at all to base that gut feel on!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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This weekend it looks as though most major European resorts are 75% or more open. My sanity is restored...
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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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easiski, Thanks. Chaos reigns chez Annie ......and I knew we should have got an Easiskimobile, aaaaargh!!!
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