The weather in Europe seems to be getting crazier every year. Temperatures are soaring, snow is arriving earlier each year, then melting again, then us skier’s and boarder’s start panicking about if there’s going to be snow for our annual pilgrimage.
Good news! You don’t need to go through the panic stage anymore. Many French resorts can guarantee that you’ll have plenty of the white stuff to play around on, and it doesn’t always need to be glacier skiing either.
This guide will show you the top places to go for an early season ski holiday in France...
Resort height: 1860m Top lift height: 3320m Average December snow depth: 58cm
Alpe d’Huez boasts over 300 sunny days a year and last season it had 42 snowy days – sounds like the perfect weather ski resort! It sits on a high plateau in the Southern Alps with some of the most spectacular sunsets around.
The highest point of the resort is on the Pic Blanc Glacier which sits at 3320m and is easily accessed from the centre of town by a gondola and cable car ride. Even non-skiers should head up as the views are truly incredible. The ground seems to drop away from you and you really do feel like you’re on top of the world.
You can tell this is a good choice for early season snow as the resort actually opens in the first week of December, although our first holidays don’t go until a couple of weeks after that. The first few weeks of a season are always a fun time to be in Alpe d’Huez as you feel like you have the 238km of pistes all to yourself.
Resort height: 1850m Top lift height: 3230m Average December snow depth: 88cm
The annual snow stats for Les Menuires and the Three valleys in generalare the same as some other resorts have in three years! The 49 snowy days last season dumped nearly seven metres of snow on Les Menuires' neighbour, Val Thorens (only thehighest resort in Europe), and much of that hit Les Menuires too.And with an average of nearly a metre of snow in December, you can safely say this is one of the most snowsure resorts in Europe.
At 1850m, it’s a purpose-built town which doesn’t make it the prettiest of places, but it sure is convenient. Virtually everywhere you stay is an easywalk to the slopes, and a good chunk are ski-in ski-out too.
Take a trip to the top of the 3230m Cime Caron mountain in Val Thorens; it's breath taking, and not just because you’re so high up. The 360 panoramic views mean you can see more than 1000 mountain peaks in France, Switzerland and Italy as well as a spectacular, uninterrupted view of Mont Blanc. You’ll spend as much time admiring the incredible views as you will be skiing the 600km of Three Valleys pistes.
Resort height: 2050m Top lift height: 3250m Average December snow depth: 50cm
La Plagne forms one half of the 425km Paradiski ski area with the other half, Les Arcs, being on the other side of the valley. The ski area is home to not one but two glaciers so you can be pretty confident that finding runs to ski won’t be a problem at the start of the season.
The resort is made up of 10 individual villages with all of our accommodation being in Belle Plagne, the second highest village at 2050m. It sits just above the treeline so the views are uninterrupted and pretty impressive, particularly on a bluebird day. The Bellecôte Glacier dominates the scenery as it rises up to 3250m and from the top gives views of Mont Blanc on a clear day.
It’s a wonderful area to visit at the start of a season as the snow is just so good. 50cm average snow depth for December is impressive and makes for a very healthy base for the rest of the season. 2016/17 saw over six metres of snow throughout the whole season which very much qualifies it as a snow sure resort.
Resort height: 2100m Top lift height: 3456m Average December snow depth: 72cm
Tignes is another resort which is part of a larger area. In this case, it’s one of the world’s best, theTignes -Val d'Isère area. Its neighbour, Val d’Isére is just as well known, and just as snow sure too. Tignes is another purpose-built resort which provides superb easy access to the slopes and some outstanding views from above the treeline.
It’s the second highest resort in Europe sitting at 2100m under the imposing Grande Motte Glacier which towers over the area at 3456m. It’s not the only glacieras Val d’Isére has one too – the Glacier du Pisaillas. A challenge for many intermediates is to ski both glaciers in a day. It can be done, but there’s not much time for selfies at the top.
Over 60% of the slopes in the Tignes -Val d'Isère area are over 2200m and in 2016/17, there was a whopping eight metres of snowfall and an average of 72cm snow depth in December! You can see why so many people head here for some early season skiing and boarding.
With climate change and global warming very much a reality, snow conditions in ski resorts are becoming increasingly unpredictable.
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