 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously the doability of the PdS circuit is dependent upon snow cover, but I'm wondering when it's officially supposed to be open until?
I'm thinking of going out at the end of March, and it would be a pain (as I've found in previous years) to discover that some of the links have closed for the season - despite a late dump of snow.
Does anyone know the official period for the PdS circuit this year? Or if not, which of the vital links are usually the first to officially close irrespective of snow?
I've tried the portesdusoleil and avoriaz websites, but they don't make this sort of information easy to find.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I don't think the circuit is an officially designated tour in either direction, and in any case, there's numerous variations. So you just have to check the lifts/pistes at each sector. Saying that, on the French side, you just follow the white rabbit signs and you're doing the circuit.
Would have thought March would be OK (I've been in early march), although I'm not sure of the status of the Pointe de l'Au section at the moment. Someone more local should know.
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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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crosbie, the circuit as such doesn't have official open close dates. If the links are open, it's open, if they're not, it's not. I don't think there's any sort of inter-station coordination.
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| under a new name wrote: |
| crosbie, the circuit as such doesn't have official open close dates. If the links are open, it's open, if they're not, it's not. I don't think there's any sort of inter-station coordination. |
Exactly it is bad enough getting the French communes to agree with each other. Add in the Swiss and any idea of inter station coordination goes completely out of the window.
Andy
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Last season the Chatel website detailed the shutdown of the lift system towards the end of the season but you couldnt see any info for the PdS as a whole except by looking at each individual station website. It will all depend on the snow cover so cant be predicted this far out (doh....)
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THe PDS closes around the 24th April and all links were open till that date last year. As you said it is all dependent on snow conditions.
Andy
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crosbie, What years were you not able to do the circuit in March? In the last 10 years I have done it every year in April!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Roy Hockley, I don't know of any official closure of a link in the circuit in March (hence my query). However, it certainly wasn't possible in the week 11th April 08 (despite what I considered good snow conditions), hence my enquiry as to when vital services plan to shut for the season. I've also done it in April and it's been relatively poor snow (having to get chairs down in some places).
I appreciate some services will play it by ear, but I get the feeling that some PdS resorts/services may already have a "We will definitely close by X" date that may be late March irrespective of snow. And that's aside from those who only come up with these dates mid-season depending on early season conditions.
It's all this 'economic conditions' combined with 'heightened risk of poor snow due to climate change' that makes me worry that the circuit will end up being closed despite good snow, simply because one vital service didn't want to leave their options open. I'm just wondering if anyone has an inside track on any risk of the circuit closing prior to April (irrespective of snow).
Look at it another way, if this is a bumper season that by mid-Feb looks set to go onto May, can I guarantee to my ski buddies that the circuit will not be closed simply because a vital link had already decided by Nov '09 to close on the 19th March?
Maybe I'm asking too much? 
Alternatively has anyone any records/memory of a late March official closure that broke the circuit well in advance of all the others despite good conditions lasting into April/May?
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crosbie, not sure if it helps, but I went for an end-of-season trip to Avoriaz on 16th - 21st April last season:
Morzine had just closed when we arrived, and Les Gets looked pretty deserted/closed when we drove through. However, Avoriaz was fully open, as was Chatel and Les Crosets (if my memory serves me correctly).
I also stayed in Morzine the year before, in Mid-March, and the whole area seemed to be open.
I would have thought that barring some pretty dire weather the bulk PdS would have been open and connected through most of March (?). There was certainly more than enough skiable terrain in mid-April to keep most happy.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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crosbie, Only once did I ever have to get a lift down on the PdS circuit! That was "le Corbeau" into Morgins, but only that one on only one occaision in April! You may have been unlucky the week you were there and sods law it probably bucketed down the week you left! 
You should not have a problem in March however! Set your friends mind at ease, you should be ok! If any of the links are closed there wont be much skiing anywhere in the area and I doubt that will happen! Have fun and keep us posted!
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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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You wont have a problem in March (weather conditions obviously) the chatel website states the end of April. More money has been spent this year on snow cannons so fingers crossed to another good season
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been 4 times, never had a problem. only time that was a slight issue was in april 2007 when on the last day of the holiday the temp in the car read +21C!!! abd it was boiling. the snow just turned into sloppy slush. im sure you will be fine in march
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You know it makes sense.
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crosbie, there are certain links that are much more vulnerable than others. And as snow is a capricious marvel, sometimes you can go everywhere all season, sometimes the "circuit" never "opens". Although the idea of touring the area has a certain charm, a week is far from ruined by not bothering with it.
Wouldn't worry too much.
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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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under a new name, having done the circuit a few times in varying conditions I appreciate it's highly dependent on snow, however I just wondered if any of the links already had definite closing dates that would effectively put a definite termination date on the circuit's opening, i.e. irrespective of snow.
I am not asking the newbie question "Will there be enough snow to do the circuit at the end of March?"
I am asking a different one "What's the earliest official/planned closing date of any link that will close the circuit, and is this prior to April?"
We already know there's a lack of coordination between PdS resorts and services, so it's quite likely that despite many resorts being open until the end of April, a vital link will have already planned to close much sooner due to economic downturn, the 'climate change' bogeyman, and risk averse business decisions. I hazarded a guess that someone on Snowheads may be aware of what link always tended to close first, or whether there was an extraordinarily early planned closure date by one link, etc.
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Poster: A snowHead
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crosbie, I don't think they plan to close any link or village early, but obviously mother nature gets the last say. Most villages state opening/closing dates, which are pretty much all the same AFAIK, with Avoriaz probably getting a week or so extra at the end of the season. If or when the snow is getting a bit thin, I expect they try to keep the key links open, even to the extent of scraping snow to keep a thin ribbon of brown slush down to places like Les Crosets.
It would be nice if the PdS circuit was as well defined as say the Sella Ronda green and orange routes, but sadly it's not.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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crosbie, didn't think you were asking that question, thought you were asking the one you were. But it did sound as though you were worrying.
Anyway, I don't think there is a link that has any rule applied to it. I don't think the stations apply economic rules to their opening and closings either, they do have contractual requirements which can come into play if the season doesn't pan out as expected. I.e. once something closes, it very rarely (IME) re-opens.
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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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I'm beginning to deduce my own answer...
"Dear Crosbie, 9 times out of 10 the circuit is broken due to lack of snow, so that 1 in 10 occasion that despite ample snow, it's due to one village/service having planned in advance to end its seasonal operations earlier than others, has never really concerned anyone enough to monitor planned service terminations in order to document the circuit's 'Definitely not doable beyond Nth April' closure date (separately from each PdS resort's closure date). We simply recommend viewing the PdS website or enquiring at the ticket office prior to embarking upon any PdS tour."
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crosbie,  sounds about right.
It's actually a miracle that the PDS exists at all, given the frequent lack of co-operation between the various stations.
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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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under a new name, yes. 
Anyway, don't worry. I've convinced my group to join me in Avoriaz. At least the economic climate helped swing it (from Zermatt, Verbier, Ischgl, etc.). I just hope that they won't push me off the edge of the Falaise when they realise that 'One of the largest ski areas in the world' isn't quite the same as Trois Vallees or Espace Killy in terms of connectedness. I did the 4 corners of the 3 Vallees piste map in April this year - surprisingly easily in a day. I think one would have to dedicate a day per corner to doing the same for the PdS map (if all corners were accessible and open).
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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crosbie,
From my experience, if there is sufficient snow it stays open until Easter. After that they start releasing employees so the links close.
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crosbie, your posts are starting to sound like a troll from Sella Ronda or 3V. Not saying they are, just that it's really a non-issue.
Providing you're not trying to take in some little outpost of the PdS (linked by bus, for example), it's mostly open, most of the time, and you would have to be significantly unlucky not to be able to ski all of it at any time in March, bad weather permitting. I've had great days out around Avoriaz, Chatel, Crosets, etc in mid-April and of course it's slushy in the sun in the afternoon but still entirely skiable. Just get on with it and stop worrying.
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Sorry andyph, but it just seemed like a FAQ to which I couldn't find the answer. I've done the Sella Ronda and it's shite in comparison to the PdS. How's that? 
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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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| crosbie wrote: |
| I've done the Sella Ronda and it's shite in comparison to the PdS. |
Ooh, now you've you got me interested as Sella Ronda is on my list of places I want to ski. What was your experience of it?
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andyph, pedestrian. The equivalent of a sea front promenade for skiers. Lovely views and scenery. Plenty of distance covered. But, the sort of skiing you'd do if you never progressed beyond intermediate and you're worried about taking a tumble on your aged and brittle bones. There may have been alternative, red/black piste options, but our guide didn't take us via them (given the large group's mixed ability), so I'm only giving my impression of the blue/green route.
NB That's the circuit, not a description of any particular resort (which may well have thrilling and extreme skiing). I stayed in Cortina d'Ampezzo (a bit like Chamonix with the Brevent ski area a bus journey away).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Having done both the PdS circuit three times (all clockwise) and Sella Ronda once (anticlockwise), I'd say Sella Ronda is prettier but shorter and lots more queues because everyone is going the same way. PdS has lots of options and variations and deviations (eg Torgon, Planachaux areas), and is longer (maybe 30% further unless you do the shortest combination?). Sella Ronda we managed to do 75% before stopping for refreshments and got back with time spare for some blatting about. PdS we've usually ended up skiing down thru the trees to Ardent when the light is beginning to fail (although that's with the aforementioned deviations).
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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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I should add that the Sella Ronda seemed to involve much less in the way of drastic ascent/descent. It wasn't a case of valley floors to ridges with roller coaster variations and switch backs, but a grand circle of chair up/ski down/chair up/ski down/chair up/ski down/chair up/ski down/chair up/ski down/chair up/ski down.... with a few flat bits to break the monotony...
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What a shame, the pink mountains look so pretty. Ah well, perhaps I'll save it for retirement.
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FAQ
