early season val thorens for first time skier/snowboarder?

A snowHead

Hi,

First time post people so go easy on me! Been looking around on different websites/forums and it sounds as if the SnowHeads crowd know what they're talking about so thought best post here!

Just started having snowboard lessons in uk and would like to book a snowboarding trip this december. Cant really go jan-april time due to work constraints so im stuck with december.

Does anyone have any advice of where to go for someone who is a beginner in early season? (but I am aiming to just about competent by the time ago - under no illusions that im going to be good!)

The place I keep reading about is Val Thorens as its high and often has a long season. However, I have heard of reports that weather can be really severe early season making it sometimes unski-able with poor visibility. Does anyone know if this is the case? Is this made worse by the fact that i'd be completely unexperienced when i got there? Or anyone who's had first hand experience of mid december in VT fancy giving me some tips at all?

Thanks in advance!

A snowHead

powellshire, Welcome to Snowheads

Shame that you can't go early Jan as there's some cracking deals around as part of 'learn to ski' promotions run by some of the English Tour Operators in certain Resorts to include subsidised accommodation, lift passes etc - for example http://www.neilson.co.uk/Freshersskiweek10.aspx and http://www.crystalski.co.uk/freshersSkiWeek/freshersSkiWeek.shtml

I would suggest for a first-time that you book with a Tour Operator as it makes the process of getting there, getting lift passes, kit hire and lessons all a little more straightforward as it can seem a little intimidating the 1st time you do it, and if you take a catered chalet then there's people to chat to over the dinner table and to share those experiences. You really want to stay in a place that's got easy access to slopes as getting on buses etc is a bit of a pfaff as a first timer and you're bound to leave something back in the chalet at some point.

Resorts I've been to that are good for learning to board (IMHO) include Avoriaz, Alpe D'huez (near the DMC lift), Courchevel (expensive), Arc 1800, Belle Plagne, Peisey-Vallandry and possibly Lech in Austria. Last season come 1st Dec, pretty much all those places you could tell were going to be setup to open with good snowcover on day 1 of their season. This season it's still to early to tell but signs are promising. Val Thorens, Tignes and other 'high' resorts will possibly have better snow cover but they can be cold and bleak places when you've fallen on your ass for the 10th time (been there done that!).

On that basis and assuming you're looking to travel on your own or with a buddy - rather than with a big group? If so then I'd hold fire until the beginning of December by which time we'll (a) know where the snow is likely to be and (b) they'll still be some deals around for the week before xmas (12th Dec).

Good Luck and Enjoy your trip

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

ValTho will be fine.

The slopes are right next to the accommodation. Even in bad weather there are always one or two pistes open.

Its height means plenty of snow. But it will be cold.

Do it.

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early season val thorens for first time skier/snowboarder?

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