Beyond the usual suspects (Zermatt, Tignes etc...) here are a couple of openings, remember your rock skis,

Les 7 Laux opens a couple of lifts on the 8th November: http://www.les7laux.com/
Verbier has the Lac des Vaux open

hemsedal, Norway too: http://www.hemsedal.com/events/detail.jsp?product.skiinfo.DESTID=ENOHEMSE&ea_eventId=41312

Zinal will open from 14th November for the weekends, daily from 12th December.

A few photos from les 7 laux today:-

More dates for November, this time for the Pyrenees

21/11/2009:
Les Angles
Masella

22/11/2009:
Superbagnères for the weekend of 22/11/2009 (depending on the conditions).

28/11/2009:
La Pierre Saint Martin
Gourette
Cauterets
Le Tourmalet
Piau Engaly
Peyragudes
Goulier
Ax 3 domaines
Pas de la Casa
Soldeu-El Tarter

29/11/2009
Baqueira-Beret
Baqueira-Beret

les 7 laux will open gain this wednesday 11 November 2009. Note with the warm weather at the end of the week they will be closed this coming weekend.

Val Thorens is scheduled to open on the 21 November 2009 but the Tourist Office says the slopes will open this weekend 14-15th November.
Val d’Isere is scheduled to open on the 29 November 2009
they will host the Ski Force Winter Tour for their opening weekends

http://pistehors.com/news/ski/comments/0966-ski-test-tours-2009-10/

No news about early opening for Val Thorens, which is dissapointing.

Confirmation from Val tho. They open on the 14.11.2009.

12 slopes, 5 lifts with lift passes until the 22.11 at 21 € for adults and a whopping 17 € for kids less than 12.

Is it just me or do the big resorts seem to open later these days? I seem to recall that Tignes used to open 365 days per year (at least I once saw a advertising sign near Geneva airport saying that). Does anywhere do season round skiing in Europe these days? Just curious.

Bubb - 12 November 2009 04:27 PM

Is it just me or do the big resorts seem to open later these days? I seem to recall that Tignes used to open 365 days per year (at least I once saw a advertising sign near Geneva airport saying that). Does anywhere do season round skiing in Europe these days? Just curious.

It is a long time since Tignes was opened all year round but certainly Val Thorens would open at the start of November and I remember skiing a lot in November in l’alpe d’Huez. I think these big resorts are not that motivated to open early these days.

I think some of the Austrian and Swiss glacial resorts may do year round skiing.

ps

Queyras opened its cross country area today, snow looked good on the TV despite the very warm weather.

Another few for you:

Davos Jakobshorn - 13. November 2009

Grandvalira - Andorra 14-15 November 2009 (but closed this week)
http://www.grandvalira.com/noticies_ca.html

Obergurgl Austria

Opening on Saturday for the duration:

Chatel, Courchevel, les Arcs, les Contamines-Montjoie, Arèches-Beaufort, Avoriaz, L’Alpe d’Huez, Chamrousse, les 7 Laux, Auron, Isola 2000, Montgenèvre, les Orres, Praloup

Partial Openings: Chamonix Mont Blanc, Bessans Val d’Arc cross country, Le Grand Bornand, Méribel, les Saisies, Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, Megève, les Menuires, le Collet d’Allevard

In the Pyrenees

Opening Friday 4th December
Cauterets. Luz-Ardiden, Le Cirque du Lys (cross country)

Saturday
Pont-d’Espagne (cross country), Le Mourtis, Peyragudes,

Superbagnères, Piau, Le Tourmalet, Saint-Lary - (all depending on snow)

Jura:
Les Rousses (cross country area) 2/Dec.

if you know any more post them below.

Partial opening this weekend in Avoriaz, Morzine / Les Gets

Free skiing on the Chavannes slope at Les Gets, great for the kids..

http://www.lesgets.com/fr/moment/nc/index.html

and even La Grande Terche!

http://www.espacerocdenfer.com/ouverture-de-la-station.php

In the Pyrenees Saint-Lary and Hautacam, Peyragudes, Le Mourtis and Luchon-Superbagnères decided that the warm conditions and rain meant they couldn’t open.

Here is a list of French Pyrenees ski areas that did open today:-
Pierre Saint-Martin, Cauterets, Luz-Ardiden, Piau-Engaly, domaine du Tourmalet (Barèges- La Mongie), Font-Romeu Pyrénées 2000, Porté Puymorens, Puyvalador, Les Angles, Formiguères

A number of cross country ski areas opened too.

A few more from the Southern Alps

Les Orres, Praloup and Risoul for the weekend.

and in the Drôme Chaud d’Urle will have a part of the ski area open.