French ski resorts race to open
With fresh snow covering the Vosges, Jura and Northern Alpes, French ski resorts are racing to get their ski areas opened. Here is round-up of the current situation. The greatest quantities of snow, around 40cm fell in the pre-alpes and at mid altitudes – around 1500 to 2000m.
Early season snow is a bonus for ski tourers
At the summit of the slopes of la Plagne the situation is similar but with temperatures around -20C overnight a strong temperature gradient will be forming a dangerous layer of depth hoar (gobelet), something to watch out for later in the season unless there is a good bridging layer.
Val Thorens has 30-40cm of snow at 2300 meters. The resort is hoping to open a week earlier than planned on the 17th November. They had delayed the opening by a week due to poor early season conditions in the last few season. The Peclet funitel, the Cascades and Portette chair as well as the Retours drag will be in service.
Tignes has 30cm of fresh snow at 2100 meters and 40cm on the Grand Motte. The resort will open the Double M today which returns to the resort giving 1400 meters of vertical.
At Val d’Isère snowfall started on Tuesday at 9pm with temperatures around0 -10° there was around 30cm on Wednesday morning on the streets. The road from Bourg was icy and cars and delivery vans had to use chains.
In the Val d’Arly there was 20cm at Flumet and the Crest-Voland. Arêches has 18 cm at the bottom of the slopes at 1000 meters. Les Saisies had 30cm at 1650m Cross country skiing will open this weekend.
In the Maurienne Valloire also had 30cm of snow and there was 40 cm at la Toussuire. Bessans has 18cm which hopefully will provide a base for the opening of cross-country skiing on the 1st December. At le Grand Revard 15cm fell and they will open some cross country skiing this weekend see their website: http://www.savoiegrandrevard.com/
The 7 Laux has 35 cm of snow and the snow making is going full speed. They will decide how much downhill skiing to open this weekend on Friday at lunchtime. Out of the glacier domains they will be amongst the first French resort to open this season. http://www.les7laux.com/
Flaine has 40-60cm of snow but not a soul was moving – you’d think they would have the piste bashers out preparing the base.
It is not all good news, the zero isotherm is expected to be at 3000 meters from Monday.
Posted by
davidof on Thursday, 15 November, 2007 at 09:53 AM
I just saw impressive pictures from Chamonix. Lots of snow in there at this time of the year. It is really strange because here n Finland is no snow at all. Winters used to be much colder 20 years ago in my youth.
Posted by
Marko Pyhajarvi on Tuesday, 20 November, 2007 at 03:40 PM
Chamonix will open a small part of the Grands Montets domain next weekend (24/25th). They’ve used 40,000 m3 of water to make 80,000 m3 of snow on the Marmottons runs. The ski pass will be 12 euros. The resort will be opening its lifts at 8h30 throughout the season instead of 9h00 in order to reduce queuing.
Posted by
davidof on Wednesday, 21 November, 2007 at 07:15 PM
Montgenèvre will be the first ski resort in the Southern Alps to open for the weekend of the 24th-25th November and les Contamines-Montjoie, in the Haute-Savoie has also announced that some of its slopes will open for the week-end.
source: Kairn
Posted by
davidof on Thursday, 22 November, 2007 at 12:46 AM
Luz and Bareges have cancelled their weekend opening. Fingers crossed for next week.....
Posted by on Thursday, 22 November, 2007 at 06:42 PM
Peyragudes will open Saturday 1st December. Avoriaz, Tignes, Val Thorens, Chamonix Grands Montets and Montgenevre are already open, at least at the weekend.
Posted by
davidof on Wednesday, 28 November, 2007 at 06:35 PM
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