 Poster: A snowHead
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Anybody visited Cervinia in late November/early December?
Specifically interested in likelihood of runs being open, and the crowd factor at a weekend.
Thanks.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Peter Leuzzi, we went in mid Dec last year. The snow was fantastic, but the wind was high enough that they refused to open most of the lifts...for one day we were limited to the nursary slope.
The only reason I mention this is that even when the wind did drop, they didn't seem too bothered about opening the lifts in a hurry...one morning they couldn't even be bothered to open the nursary chair before 10:45 (for no apparent reason, loads of punters hanging around not knowing what was going on). I didn't get the impression they were bothered about their reputation as a place for early season skiing, so weren't going to try to hard to open stuff up.
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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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ChrisWo, thanks for that. Out of interest were you there midweek or weekend? Also, what was the crowd factor like?
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We were there friday to sunday. The crowds weren't actually that bad (in that even with only the lowest slopes open it was possible to ski around without getting too frustrated), though I think the local race team turned up on Sunday (and used the steepest bit of the nursary slope!) which made things a bit worse. This may be because out-of-towners knew the mountain wasn't going to be open though.
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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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ChrisWo, thats what we had in mind exactly so thats good to know. I also figure from experience Italians are big on weekend skiing and even then until lunchtime. I also imagine that they wont be so bothered about it in the lead up to Xmas. Thats a wild generalisation but with some logic 
Would you do it again? Same time assumed.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Not sure - don't think it'd be top of my list. I'd be worried that we'd hit the same problem again, and if the lifties aren't overly bothered about opening lifts (on time or at all) then I think I'd probably take a punt on somewhere else. Thinking back to similar early season trips to Tignes and La Plagne, I think I'd rather go back to either of those.
That's just my personal (and not necessarily totally rational) view  The snow was good and the pistes looked pretty nice...
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Have skied over from Zermatt often at the end of November at the weekend and found it to be very quiet. Have never gone below plan maison so don't know what the snow was like low down, but plenty of it up high. I like to pop over for lunch in Chalet Etoile 
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Keep in mind that last year was a fabulous snow year and while we're all hoping, late Nov is a bit of a gamble. In your favour the link to Zermatt means guaranateed snow on the glacier but the link can be unreliable due to the high altitude which makes it susceptible to high winds.
I second Steve Sparks recommendation for Chalet Etoile. It's my favourite mountain restaurant in the Alps.
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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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Last season I skied creamy thigh-deep powder there on 11 November, but who can bet on that happening again?...
As always with early snow, the recommendation is to wait and see where the snow falls. Maybe get flights to an airport with options to drive to different weather-front areas.
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Visited Cervinia in November a few years ago, also found a combination of reasonable snow level & bad weather. It's one of my favorite resorts, but very prone to weather problems which almost always cancel the Zermatt link and quite often leave a tiny skiable domain.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks for your comments. Cervinia is also one of my faves but no matter what time of year its prone to winds. So whats the risk?
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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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So when the weather is bad and the link to Zermatt is shut and skiing is limited, are there any other options...like ski another Aosta resort?
Just wondered what was what as will be there in early Jan 2010 
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The risk in November is that there may be no snow at lower elevations so if the wind shuts the higher lifts and Zermatt links you have nowhere to ski. If there is no snow in Cervinia there won't be any at the other local resorts either.
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You know it makes sense.
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If last year was anything to go by I would buy a local pass and upgrade to cover Zermatt on a daily basis, you otherwise risk not getting over to Zermatt side because of wind. The local pass also bizarely covers the rest of the Aosta valley resorts but the more expensive Zermatt pass does not. Pila particularly has more runs open when Cervinia suffers from lift closures.
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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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Does it take much time to travel by bus to the other Aosta resorts?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Looks liek theres plenty of snow there already to start making a nice base even low down. The problem as mentioned earlier is wind shutting the lifts. Last year in mid december we were in zermat and firends in cerivinia and not one day was the link open and the guys in cervinia got one day decent sking and had to spend the rest down in val torneche. The year before it was glorious weather all ready..so can be hit and miss.
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