Snow 13-20/12 Tignes vs Avoriaz

I know it's impossible to say but I'd be grateful for any opinions on the
usual snow conditions in mid-December. It seems from what I've read that
Tignes should be a fairly safe bet but what's a lower resort like Avoriaz
likely to look like at this time? What percentage of slopes are normally
open?

Cheers,
Erik

Check out the Ski Club of Great Britain website at
http://www.skiclub.co.uk/skiclub/home.asp . Choose "snow reports" then look
for the link for "historical snow reports". They have 8 years worth of data
to look at. Not sure about Avoriaz but the snow in Tignes is looking good
at the moment!

If you decide on Tignes please check out www.snowstarholidays.com as we have
rooms available that week.

Cheers,
Richard.


"Erik Jälevik" wrote in message
...
I know it's impossible to say but I'd be grateful for any opinions on the
usual snow conditions in mid-December. It seems from what I've read that
Tignes should be a fairly safe bet but what's a lower resort like Avoriaz
likely to look like at this time? What percentage of slopes are normally
open?

Cheers,
Erik

"Erik Jälevik" wrote in message ...
I know it's impossible to say but I'd be grateful for any opinions on the
usual snow conditions in mid-December. It seems from what I've read that
Tignes should be a fairly safe bet but what's a lower resort like Avoriaz
likely to look like at this time? What percentage of slopes are normally
open?

Cheers,
Erik

Hi Erik,

We were last week next to Avoriaz, and there was snow everywhere above
1300m. We even found people skiing (although lifts were closed) in
Avoriaz itself. But also other resorts (such as Flaine who will open
on 13/12) had plenty of snow (in Flaine the langlauf tracks were open
and we did langlauf w/o tracks in Joux-Plane, 1700m high, midpoint
between Samoens and Les Gets, with more than 50cm of snow).

This year promises to be good, since the cold has already taken place.
It can obviously change in the meantime, but if a resort claim it will
open on these dates, I would be confident about the chances to have
enough ski opportunities.

Dominique Foucart
"Samoens que j'aime" - skiing and hiking in Haute Savoie
http://www.samoens.int.ms

info and booking: +32 (0)499 32 74 15

On Sat, 8 Nov 2003 11:41:17 -0000, "Erik Jälevik"
wrote:

I know it's impossible to say but I'd be grateful for any opinions on the
usual snow conditions in mid-December. It seems from what I've read that
Tignes should be a fairly safe bet but what's a lower resort like Avoriaz
likely to look like at this time? What percentage of slopes are normally
open?

My own prejudice would expect a high resort like Tignes to have better snow
coverage. I can not really comment on Avoriaz (my only experience being
insufficient snow in the first week of February). However that is not the only
issues in low snow conditions typical at this time of year. Pistes of high
resorts like Tignes are laid on rock and scree. Lower resorts such as Megeve
are built on pasture land. You need considerably more snow to cover over rocky
surfaces than grass.

I have skied the week before Christmas on a number of occasions.

The first time at Les Arcs only about 10% of the resort was open. This was due
to low staffing that week. One of the best holidays I have ever had. Apart
from Sunday there were very few people in the resort. Absolutely no lift
queues and the available pistes were virtually empty.

The second time was to Val Thorens. This was another good week. The Three
Valley links were opened on Monday and I was able to ski across to Courcheval
1550 and 1650 although the Piste down to St Bon 1100 was closed. I did not try
to go to La Tania in the Bozel valley, below Motteret in the Allures valley
or Les Menuires in the Belleville valley.

The third time was to Tignes. First Saturday bad weather closed the Glacier.
The only open lifts in Tignes Val Claret were the beginners drag Claret and the
free lift Bollin. Queues were appalling. On Sunday they opened the funicular
but the conditions up there were horrid queues for Bollin were even worse.
Monday they opened Tichot, which promptly brakes down while I am on it, but
conditions up on the Glacier were much better. It snowed heavily overnight
with a clear Tuesday morning, This was great. They open Tufs around 10am. I
spot this and I am one of the first people over the top of Toviere. I had
great fun skiing down Creux in thigh deep powder. I ride up Tommeuse again
but Creux is already compressed. Now Mont Blanc opens for the first time as I
arrive and I find another untouched piste. By the time I get to the centre of
the Bellevarde (Val D'isere) everything has been flattened by skiers or piste
bashers but this was a good day . Except I broke my sun glasses. On Wednesday
after another light nighttime snowfall supplied heavy snow conditions. my
brothers bindings break on the wrong side of Toviere so I spent the rest of the
morning getting back to Val Claret and buying new bindings. A good afternoon.
On Wednesday night I ate something bad and missed Thursday due to an urgent
need to stay near the toilet. Friday was OK. The weather on Saturday was
horrible. So I had two good days in eight. Going high does not guarentee a
perfect holiday at this time of year.

Thanks a lot to all for the info. Looks like Avoriaz could be quite good
this year then.

Erik

"Ian Blake" wrote
Pistes of high
resorts like Tignes are laid on rock and scree. Lower resorts such as
Megeve
are built on pasture land. You need considerably more snow to cover over
rocky
surfaces than grass.

Good point.

Tignes is a bit barren and has little tree line skiing. Snow sure certainly,
but not the most pleasant of places. I'd prefer Val d'Isere and risk the
slightly lower altitude.

Even so, having been to Val d'Isere and Avoriaz twice each in the last
couple of years, I'd say Avoriaz should be just as snow sure as Val d'Isere
and well worthwhile. In fact I think I prefer Avoriaz. The only risk, is
that Avoriaz overall really only excels with plenty of snow, because then it
becomes a superb hub for the Portes du Soleil. Without much snow, I expect
it's not so much fun being restricted in Avoriaz (because you then also have
everyone else crowding it out - because it'll have the best snow for miles).

And for god's sake will someone speed up the chairs in Super-Morzine! But,
then, I guess this great, deserted area would then not be so great...

On Tue, 11 Nov 2003 01:24:22 +0000 (UTC), "Crosbie Fitch"
wrote:

"Ian Blake" wrote
Pistes of high
resorts like Tignes are laid on rock and scree. Lower resorts such as
Megeve
are built on pasture land. You need considerably more snow to cover over
rocky
surfaces than grass.

Good point.

Tignes is a bit barren and has little tree line skiing. Snow sure certainly,
but not the most pleasant of places. I'd prefer Val d'Isere and risk the
slightly lower altitude.

To get from Tignes to the tree-line skiing involves just a single lift
(depending on where you are in Tignes) and one nice run down
Tommeuses. Getting back is now also a doddle, since they put the big
new chair back up that same slope. Tignes does offer the additional
security of the glacier, plus some marvelous off-piste possibilities.
And don't forget the tree-line skiing down to les Brevières.

So personally I prefer to stay in Tignes, avoiding the bright lights
(and suffocating brit-ness) of Val d'Isère for the more villagey feel
of le Lac.

Even so, having been to Val d'Isere and Avoriaz twice each in the last
couple of years, I'd say Avoriaz should be just as snow sure as Val d'Isere
and well worthwhile.

But nowhere near as snow-sure as Tignes. I've skiied there several
times before xmas, incl;uding last year, where we had some absolutely
superb conditions, including a couple of 'best-ever' powder days.

I'd certainly not hesitate in recommending it over Avoriaz (or just
about anywhere) for better ealry-season skiing.

--
Ace (bruce dot rogers at roche dot com)
Ski Club of Great Britain - http://www.skiclub.co.uk
All opinions expressed are personal and in no way represent those of the Ski Club.