 Poster: A snowHead
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I've been skiing in Austria for the last 5 years and next year I want to try france. I do like skiing powder so I am wondering if there is a place there that is known as getting more snow than other places. Terrain and size aren't as important but it can't be flat! Something like alta in the US.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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tbh you'd be better off going to Alta if you want powder and don't care about terrain.
you'll get powder days in France but if you compare seasonal totals, there are plenty of places in North America which will have an order of magnitude more.
the reason to go all the way to France would be the huge descents, spectacular mountains and big interlinked lift systems
(i know there are lots of funky little resorts in france but don't think you'd come all the way from Bozeman for them)
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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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You won't get as much snow as the snowiest US places, but with the huge off piste areas available it usually takes much longer to ski out.
Honestly don't know which is best for snow but Val d'Isere is worth considering. If you want to find untracked powder, try joining off-piste groups with Alpine Experience or TopSki (the top groups with the latter are a bit more expert but you may be skiing with all French group. A E are more English Language based and very friendly. Lots of steep gullies if you want them, but also big open fields. If you are just skiing the pistes, however, you might feel too many of them were flat.
La Grave is gnarly and spectacular and guides are essential (unless you just ski the obvious things which quickly get tracked out) or you could easily ski off a cliff. There are no proper pistes.
Have you been skiing St Anton area before?
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Sat 30-01-10 18:00; edited 7 times in total
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would have to agree with Arno. Anywhere in France, you can get weeks on end with nothing falling out of the sky if a big high pressure system gets established.
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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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j, in a way the question is like 'how long is a piece of string' but the Flaine area (which includes Morillon, Les Carroz and Samoens as well as Flaine) has what some refer to as the 'Mont Blanc effect' Don't ask me if there is anything in it but the historic snow records are pretty impressive. The Good SKi Guide resort review on http://www.skiclub.co.uk/skiclub/skiresorts/resortintro.aspx/Flaine talks about "the area being blessed with one of the best snowfalls in the Alps." Add to that the fact that it is so close to Geneva and it makes it as good a choice as any and better than most I'd say. Having said that, I ski in as many places as I can and when the snow is good, it is good!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Stick with Austria, go to St Anton and ski the Stuben area. It's a lighter, drier powder than any that I've skied elsewhere in the Alps, the closest to what I imagine Canadian champagne pow is like. Gets more snow than most places as well, I can't remember but I think it's something liek an average of 13 metres a season?(!!)
On the other hand, you don't need pow to enjoy offpiste, and Europe has some epic offpiste!
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Sun 31-01-10 14:57; edited 1 time in total
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j, If you base yourself in Bourg St Maurice, you would have access to over 1,600kms of pistes in the Haute Tarentasie, including Val d'Isere, Tignes, Les Arcs, Ste Foy and La Rosiere, all are amongst the most snow sure resorts in the Alps and you would certainly find more than enough steep skiing and some superb off-piste. As far as annual snowfall is concerned, La Rosiere typically gets around 12 metres a season but most of this arrives in early season storms in December and January, so timing is as important as location.
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