Hi all

Until we have a dedicated reader section for snow reports, feedback etc, I thought I’d start a new forum. We had quite a good thread going last season, as folk added comments after or during their trips.

So, if you are in resort, paying a quick early season trip, want to discuss the weather (how British is that!) ... tag it on here or start a new thread in this section.

And there’s the serious stuff too: avalanche awareness, etc. Is anyone going to the UK talks at Snow n Rock?

Wendy

HI Wendy, I’m in Montgenevre next Thursday (yipee!) for 3 days and for the last month I’ve been worried about not having enough snow, we got quite a lot end of October and then 3 weeks ago it was back to green grass at village height.  Now its gone totally the other way with a forecast that looks like we could be confined to our room for the majority of the time due to continuous snowing.  Just cant please some people hey?  Nothing more frustrating than being in the alps and not being able to ski though.

Hi,

I’m planning a family skiing holiday but this year the only time we can go is over Christmas.  Never having been so early before, I’m anxious about getting good snow so early in the season, so I’m wondering where might be best.

As our daughters are 8 and 4 (the latter being a complete beginner) we need somewhere where the accommodation is very convenient for the slopes, and hopefully not too long a transfer from the airport.  Our shortlist so far:

Montgenevre
La Plagne
Les Arcs
Flaine

Maybe Alpe d’Huez or Les Deux Alpes

Any idea which of these (or any others) might be good for early season snow?

Thanks

Hi Tarquinius

(Wendy, forgive me for butting in before you. On the statistics you may have, are Montgenevre, Alpe d’Huez and Les Deux Alpes dangerously far south?)

In Austria, Obergurgl is about the first to start its season (certainly in terms of UK tour-ops) with pre-Xmas “white week”. It’s at the same altitude as your French selection with perhaps the advantage of a more continental climate. It’s the one place I’ve been to in December (3rd week of the month, in fact) and almost the whole area was skiable - the exception being at the top not the bottom - with a lovely “white Christmas” scene in the village itself. Much of the accommodation is close to being ski-in if not ski-out. Relatively short transfer from Innsbruck (far smaller, less overwhelming airport than Geneva is for Flaine, La Plagne and Les Arcs).

People who cannot get away in January, February nor March seldom think about Are (Sweden) in April, when it is still reliable for village-level snow (I say that on the basis of two visits only mid-1990s). The outlying villages in particular are good for young children to play out in the snow apres-ski. Neilson are about the only major tour-op to go there; I believe they expect to offer a short transfer from Ostersund this coming season. Admittedly April is a long time to wait. Are may also be good for an XMas snow holiday with skiing - I’m wording it that way deliberately - but I’ve no personal experience. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that the topmost part of the area was closed for being too cold (possibly until mid-late Feb). Not that that would be likely to bother your daughters - plenty of good beginner and early intermediate skiing in the rest of the area.

Flaine I’ve been to twice with good snow both times, but at the end of January. Almost too good the first time: an 80-100cm fall non-stop from 23:30 Sunday to midday Thursday. Beginner slopes stayed open the whole time.

Les Arcs had two days of rain one New Year (making life miserable enough to drive some people home early) but onto enough old snow for most to survive even before the day-and-a-half of new that followed to repair the damage just in time for my Saturday-after arrival. So Christmas there would have been good but you see what can happen.

regards, Richard

Hi all

No worries Richard ... been a bit distracted with the book recently!

It’s always difficult to predict which resorts are best for early season snow, as it can vary so widely. I’ve had brilliant December days in low Austrian resorts, when high French ones have suffered very poor conditions. Best bet really is to aim for somewhere with a good proportion of slopes above 1800m. Your choice here generally fit that, so that’s a good start.

I don’t think the southern French resorts are any necessarily worse off - look at Isola 2000 a couple of years back. Alpe d’Huez is high and Les Deux Alpes has an extensive glacier. But I wouldn’t recommend the latter for your family choice here Tarquinius. In skiing terms, I’d say it’s the least suitable.

Alpe d’Huez has the convenience and off-slope leisure facilities to entertain - it’s pretty good for a purpose-built resort, where most of the area is above the treeline.

Montgenevre is good for families and novices, but this early in the season may be too much of a risk - given there are no glacier resorts nearby to retreat to if conditions are poor.

Flaine, La Plagne and Les Arcs are good bets for convenience and height. Flaine is quite family oriented, though has little off-slope entertainment. It is very close for transfers though. Of the other two, Arc 1950 is a fun place - most apartments have pools too.

Thank you both; this is very helpful and good food for thought.  I ought to have mentioned that we’ve been to both Flaine (once) and Alpe d’Huez (twice) before.  We like both, but weren’t sure about how either one faired for snow at Christmas, never having been at that time.

On the other hand, we do fancy trying somewhere new and Arc 1950 looks appealing.  I’ll definitely have a look at Obergurgl too - sounds promising.  I may be wrong but I suspect Sweden might be just too cold for us at Christmas time.

I need to do some research into particular apartments.  I’ve picked some of the big brochures (Crystal, First Choice, Thomson) etc., but I’m not convinced they necessarily always give the best choice.  Any thoughts on other companies or sites where I can research or book accommodation (maybe specialists who know the resorts?) as being close to ski school is a must for our 5 year old’s first time.  I may book our flights and accommodation independently - did this last year on our last trip to Alpe d’Huez.

Thanks again

I skied in Val Thorens in December last year. The resort is at 2,300 m and so snow sure even in mid December. The route to Courchavel was dodgy but at Christmas it could be OK. The resort was great and ski in ski out hotel excellent. I suppose you need to go high. Les Deux Alps is high at glacier but skiing is quite limited. Glaciers are generally quite flat and so not so exciting to ski. Care is needed when going at Christmas - unless the USA with high resorts in the Rockies.

Good luck.