School ski trip to Risoul 10th Dec...arghhh!

A snowHead

The local high school kids are off to Risoul on Dec 10th, for skiing on the 12th for a week. There is very little snow forecast between now and then, just a measley amount mid-week. Sad

I feel really sorry for them, for most of the kids it's their first ski-experience.

Here's hoping it's all nice and powdery for our family ski trip to Morzine 1st week in Feb!

A snowHead

Caddy, it can snow quite a lot before Dec 10th, before you write off their trip completely.

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

They will remember their brown-snow skitrip for decades to come.

Cool out.

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We've been chilling about it for a few weeks now...but with just one week to go it's becoming a bit worrying! Lots of resorts forecast snow this week..but Risoul isn't one of them Sad

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Caddy, I do hope they get some snow - what a disappointment, otherwise. However, whoever is responsible for booking a school ski trip on December 10 - obviously a trip which needs to be booked up well in advance - is, frankly, a bit daft. It's a huge gamble - and unfair on kids and parents who might not be in a position to realise that, when they have to part with their hard-earned. The majority of French resorts will not normally even have scheduled full opening till the end of that week; it's really pre-season. Sad

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Caddy, I really do hope it comes good for them.I think that area tops out at around 2700mtr,which is plenty high enough however,as first timers,they are unlikely to get up that high?
Lizzard is right on....still time to come good.We are at a time of year when a storm can come in at any time(and everyone is currently praying for just that).Its of no help to them now,but you really have to question the wisdom of a ski trip this early? I'm guessing that many of the parents would not have been aware of this? Would like to think it was well priced...but knowing school ski trips,I doubt it Sad

Be optimistic....it will come good snowHead

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Caddy, I arrived in Braunwald, Switzerland in 2007, it is not a high altitude resort. On arrival we observed a muddy streak which ran down the centre of the nursery slope, more mud than snow. Kids were skiing down it, just. The forecast was for maybe a bit more snow over the next couple of days but not much. Depressed.

Went to bed (bit drunk) awoke in the morning to 6 inch's of snow on the balcony handrail, still dumping and it snowed for two more days. One of the best trips we've had in the end.

Don't lose hope and we'll all be keeping our fingers crossed it turns out ok. Might be worth asking if lift passes have been prepaid yet though and asking the school not to go ahead and purchase in case it turns out to be a ski half week instead of a ski week.

good luck

After all it is free

Who in the right mind would organise a school trip to one of France's southern most, and lowest in height ski resorts, in early DECEMBER??? Some people really are just thick. It's like booking a fortnight in Marbella in March then complaining it was rainy and didn't get above 18c! Really stupid idea to organise it, and also a bit optimistic on the parents behalf. Didn't any parents think that it was a bit of a risk when booking? Let's hope for some snowfalls but like you said, it's not looking good!

I do think the booking was rather foolhardy, but looking at the SkiClubGB history on, for example, http://www.igluski.com/france/risoul-snow-history_3904 would suggest there has been plenty of snow in December for the last four years.

Although the clue could be in the fact there was none in November for three for these.

I'm still not sure exactly what this SkiClubGB data shows, but you obviously shouldn't read it as "A minimum of 50cm on the 1st December"!

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You know it makes sense.

seems like a strange place to book so early, but looking at the cams, they are doing there best to make some skiing available. IIRC there is a green run at the highest point so i imagine that has has a fair bit of attention too. only takes a bit, a couple of snow falls. Now, if i was going away with my school mates for a week, snow or no snow, i would have a blast at any age. Kids cope with this a lot better than adults.

As for blaming the parents for not questioning, thats mental, most would not have a clue if they are not into skiing much (i know lots of ppl who go skking each year without ANY knowledge of where they are going of what the snow history is. In fact, my last boss was convinced his family trip was to L2A but when he came back and I asked about it... he'd been to les arcs.....!) the average snowhead would prob not pay for school trips as they are soo expensive. I would though as its the experience away that you are really paying for, not amazing powder days in the back country.

I love Risoul and I hope it works out... snow or no snow.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

pam w, I agree, far, far from being the lowest resort and as Libertine says they seem to be making decent efforts with their snowmaking. Shame the current forecasts are favouring the more northern resorts. Still a week to go, I am sure the kids will have a good time regardless.

A snowHead

It wouldn't surprise me if a lot of the parents sending their children on this trip have never even been skiing before and just want to give their children a chance to experience something new.
I bet that they never even thought to question the wisdom of the teachers who they trust to be more knowledgeable than them in matters of organising skiing trips (whilst parting with their hard earned cash!). I hope that luck is with them.

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

Caddy, which tour operator are they using, SKIPLAN Pgl?

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gary, what question would you wish these parents to be asking. Will there be any snow? Not quite sure if the teachers will be able to answer that one. (serious question rather than sarcasm)

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Hi, Im off to risoul over xmas. Although it has no glacier much of the slopes are at reasonable altitude and it has a good snow record. The 10th does seem a bit early to take a gamble but in most years, this would have been fine.

I am guessing that the school trip will mostly be beginners, so they are likely to be on the nursary slope for a day or two. The resort looks like it is working hard to get these areas up and running, so there will be something to ski on. A little more snow is due during the next week or so, dustings really but it will all help. As long as the temps stay low, then a reasonable amount of the ski area is covered by cannons, so I cant imagine it being a total disaster. School trips are just as much about the social side, skiing with friends, the evening activities, so Im sure they will have a good time anyway.

My xmas hol was a bargain, and if the full area is not open then Im not going to have a fit about it. If there are a few slopes open and some snow (real or man made) to ski on then Ill have a good holiday.

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Have any of the superior brains pouring scorn on the leaders of this trip stopped to think that they may only be able to organise this trip at this time. Not all ski leaders who are also teachers are automatically numpties, despite all the prejudices displayed here.

Some of the comments so far verge on pure arrogance, borne of little else to do other than peruse skiing web sites and to become internet experts!

I've skied in Risoul in the early pre-Christmas season and had fabulous conditions and amazingly low prices. I took school groups there three times in the 80s (i.e before the mass use of snow cannons). Each time (early December, mid January and late March we were able to ski and that included my junior racers (some GB Children 1 and II as well as a couple of Juniors) had plenty of skiing. Sometimes it was a wee bit dodgy (late January one year), but the company concerned made provisions in case we had to be bussed elsewhere and the ESF school were brilliant. They also kept me and my colleagues closely informed of the situation. On the journey down we got stuck on one of the passes and had an interesting time while the drivers put the chains on.

I hope the children have as good a time as my students always did! It is always a calculated gamble when you book very early or very late in the season.

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It was most likely booked for the price

risuol and vars lift pass if very cheap for its size compared to many other french resorts and at the time accommodation will also be cheap

After all it is free

Samerberg Sue, Only one person has been really dismissive of the idea. We former teachers must try not to get too carried away with the negativity of the anti-teacher lobby. There really are not that many of them! It looks to me as if a very generous Head has allowed the last week of term to be given to a ski trip (we used to do exams). With Easter having been dangerously late in the last couple of years, they might just have been lucky this time. Good luck to all early season skiers. The last few days will have gladdened many a heart.

snowHead

Samerberg Sue, I am not even remotely anti-teacher - half my family are teachers and my son in law has run school ski trips for many a year. Still think Risoul on 10 December is a gamble, though. Just hope that was explained to the kids/parents. And that Risoul gets lots of snow in the next week for them.

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pam w, You may not be anti teacher, but you are very arrogant with your assumptions!

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Does RIsoul rhyme with anything !!

Infact use some of the title the arghh bit then add soul ,

You know it makes sense.

Thanks for all your comments - it does look as though they are working hard at snow-making at the moment, judging by some of the webcams.

I am not actually going on the trip, nor are any of my kids - but we are a small community and several of my friends are teachers who are going on the trip. Panicking is not the word!

I think it's been a mixture of reasons for booking so early...trying to get the trip in before the exams in January and of course price. I believe the price to be the same as last year, (c.£700 per child Confused

) but we all know that costs have risen over the last 12 months esp in fuel (it's a coach trip from Mid-Wales to Risoul so there will be a LOT of fuel being used!). It's getting to the point where parents just won't be able to afford to send their kids on these trips anymore - which will be a huge shame as our two learned to ski on the school ski trip (and then us parents got the bug again!).

It's fair to say that none of us here would pre-book a trip this early in the season for this very reason, but It's a real shame for them considering what it's been like the last few years. It was a gamble for sure, and sadly doesn't look like it will pay off - but there is still a little time yet!

On a personal note - the snow looks to be falling quite nicely in Morzine and the rest of the PDS. Yay!

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School ski trip to Risoul 10th Dec...arghhh!

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