Following a late season start, from 1500-3000m altitude in the French Northern Alps Ski Areas have seen the best Christmas snow for a decade, both in terms of quality and quantity. We are entering the New Year with above average snow cover over 1500 meters. The snow fall has been coupled with relatively mild weather and stable off piste conditions making for a ski bonanza for both piste and off piste skiers.
Discuss?
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Certainly the best I've experienced. Only downside is that some days have been a bit too warm, so lower slopes have seen rain and/or heavy off-piste.
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?
Avalanche warning is 5 again today, so perhaps the better start for the piste skiers.
For a lot of the holiday period the avalanche risk was 2/5.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Got to be said it's not been too shabby for the lower slopes (here at least and no doubt in other places)... there was one day of rain on the lower slopes (in the midst of the great storm) but that then got topped up by nice snow. Snow turned to sleet and then eventually rain this afternoon, but (so far) it has been lighter than feared and with a fair amount of snow predicted this week, again, it shouldn't be a problem in terms of quality or depth. So it's also been a great Christmas for areas with lower slopes round here, as they've also had the added advantage of having all of their lifts open all season.
Is it too early for the 'best Christmas skiing for a decade' debate ?
And anyway, it's not the best Christmas skiing for a decade, cos I haven;t had any yet
22 days..............
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
We were in St Gervais at Xmas. It was indeed very very good and we had a ball. But for my money it was not quite as good as Xmas 2008/2009 which was memorable for blue skies and that lovely satiny squeaky snow on piste everywhere, as opposed to slightly heavy/slightly hard conditions in some places this year. Still flipping good though!
After all it is free
After all it is free
Here is a go pro video (not mine, alas) of what it was like skiing in what would be deemed a lower resort by some in December 2011 (be kind all you supercool snowHeads and ignore the French cheesy dancing... look at the snow!)
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miranda, looks wonderful!
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
The few days we've been up since Christmas is probably the best skiing conditions I've ever known. On-piste that is.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Timberwolf wrote:
And anyway, it's not the best Christmas skiing for a decade, cos I haven;t had any yet
22 days..............
I'm sure it will be even better then, well I hope so.
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.
And all that palaver about people cancelling their holidays due to lack of snow!!!
I got back from Mayrhofen last night and it had been snowing non stop for 24 hours on top of a good base.
So there is snow snow and more SNOW.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Despite recent rain, Christmas conditions in the northern French Alps and western Austria are the best since the 1990s.
And with another 100cm+ about to pound western Austria next week, things will improve further in the near-term.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Quote:
another 100cm+ about to pound western Austria next week
and lots in much of the French Alps too.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
For a decade? I have no idea, in my limited experience (4 Christmas ski trips in last 4 years - and no off piste) we've had the best conditions this year. 2008/9 season I remember being nice to ski on, but it was my first ski trip so I was up and down the greens at ADH most of the week and didn't see what it was like elsewhere.
Agree with rob@rar, it was warm from Christmas day for a few days, meant a lot of the pistes in Cervinia were starting to scrape toward the end of the week.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
To my mind, in the Eastern Alps, 2005/2006 was the best Christmas snow for us. Started snowing on November 28th, and forgot to stop until sometime in the New Year. Cold crispy snow all winter. We were still shovelling in April but by then I had boogered my left knee well and truly and was in a residential rehab centre with Vroni Staber and Anne-Marie Gerg, all rehabbing snapped ACLs among other things. Still talked about here as the best season in the past 70 years or so.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
i think it ironic that just as the Daily Mail crow in their horrible way about the Alps and France being a washout and the smart money booking in the States, it doesn't stop snowing in the Alps and it stops snowing in the States.
Maybe the weather Gods hate the Mail.
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?
Been some of the best conditions I can remember in my lifetime at times, average at others, warmth. rain and high winds have hampered things to an extent.
Certainly the most snow at Christmas for a long time. The locals here say the most Christmas snow since 1977.
But best skiing conditions? I'm not so sure....
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
There have been some brilliant days in December although the days immediately around Christmas itself were enjoyable but not quite as spectacular as earlier in the month. 18 & 19 December were among the best days skiing I've ever had, and 15 December was also pretty good before it got too windy.
anyway this thread is a marker, wait till the other websites etc jump on the bandwagon
The warm temperatures have been good, it hasn't been too cold to go out skiing.
Last edited by After all it is free on Mon 2-01-12 14:34; edited 1 time in total
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stanton is suspiciously quite after his claims of the season being a write off
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Well I've been skiing in the French Alps the week before Christmas every year for the past 6 years, and I can say the week I've just had in La Plagne was the best for snow by MILES. I've never seen so much there.
The best day was skiing down to the Vanoise in 40cms of fresh snow. Lovely.
The only year I can remember there being more snow was in Alpe D'Huez 1994 when about 5 feet of it fell over Christmas.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
My god those videos look great! dream conditions... I really wish I was there..........
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