GREAT EARLY SEASON SKIING
30th November 2019
Last modified on September 6th, 2021
The weather’s fine for many this week after the big early-season snowfalls. Conditions are good as more resorts get ready to open at the weekend.
Wednesday 4th December
The sun’s out and there’s some fabulous skiing to be had across many parts of the Alps.
Today’s snow report live from the mountains comes from the PlanetSKI editor James Cove in Soelden in the Austrian Tirol.
Further west in the Tirol is St Anton.
And here’s a reminder that it’s not just Europe that’s been enjoying some big dumps of early season snow.
Mammoth has had at least 1.5 metres of snow in the past week.
With more snow in the extended forecast, the resort is opening Canyon Lodge, Eagle Lodge and the Village Gondola on Saturday.
Mammoth is on the IKON Pass.
See this early PlanetSKI story on a discount available through UK operators that runs out on December 12th
Tuesday 3rd December
It’s one of the best starts to winter in years in many places.
After a snowy November, December has started off well with more snow and now clear skies across much of the Alps.
This coming weekend several more resorts open their slopes for the season.
The Grands Montets area if Chamonix/Argentiere opens on Friday 6th December.
In the Isere region of France, Vaujany and Chamrousse open on Saturday 7th.
PlanetSKI is heading to Les Menuires which also opens on Saturday 7th.
It’s part of the world’s largest ski area, Les3Vallees, which also includes Courchevel and Meribel.
They too open this weekend.
The highest resort in Les3Vallees, Val Thorens, is already open.
Our editor James Cove was in town for the opening weekend.
He is now in the Austrian Tirol.
Innsbruck, Austria. Image © PlanetSKI
Some of the best early season conditions can be found in Italy.
Antagnod, Brusson and Gressoney-Saint-Jean in Monterosa will open this coming weekend (7th and 8th) and the following weekend (14th and 15th) and then every day from 21st December.
The lifts in Champorcher and Alpe di Mera will operate over the next two weekends with those in Alpe di Mera also open this Friday, 6th December.
“The weather in the Alps has now calmed down and will remain settled for most of the week,” Fraser Wilkin of WeatherToSki said on Tuesday.
“However, by the weekend new storms will be starting to push in from the Atlantic and next week promises to be very unsettled with significant widespread snow likely across the Alps.”
Monday 2nd December
The weekend saw a raft of resorts opening and others firing up new lifts giving access to yet more skiing and snowboarding.
In France Val d’Isere has opened along with its links to neighbouring Tignes.
Avoriaz too now has some skiing on offer.
As does Les2Alpes and Alpes d’Huez in the southern Alps.
In Austria St Anton, Lech and Saalbach have opened some slopes.
And so too has Kuhtai.
Here’s what it looks like in Kuhtai.
And why are we pleased to see the snow in this part of the Tirol?
Well PlanetSKI is heading out to the Tirol this week.
We’re going to Innsbruck to stay in the city for a few days, sample its Christmas markets and of course ski in some of the fabulous resorts that surround the city.
We are using its new city and ski pass.
We are skiing in Kuhtai plus also Stubai and Solden.
Stubai was where our editor, James Cove, finished his season last winter in the middle of May.
It seems appropriate it will be the first resort he skis in Austria this winter.
It was pretty good last May with 5m of snow remaining:
And don’t forget to check back later this week as we base ourselves in the city of Innsbruck and hit some of its surrounding ski areas.
We’ll also be doing some of the tests in the Tirol Ski Challenge:
Let’s hope this season produces something similar.
It certainly looks like it elsewhere round the Alps.
Here’s Ischgl that also opened this weekend.
Also opening some slopes is Bardonecchia and Alta Badia in Italy.
Plus Wengen in Switzerland.
Zermatt has opened more slopes and now offers 261km of piste skiing.
And it remains good in Val Thorens that is also opening more slopes.
We’ll be bringing you reports from around the Alps so do check back as we update this article across the week…
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