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to topThe latest conditions and suggestions for skiing around the world. Click on the links for more details. This page was last updated on 25-Feb-2005.
| Latest snow and resort news | Many European resorts had a slow start for Christmas and new year, but have had great snow build up since mid January. Some resorts have over 3m on top runs and conditions are great at the moment almost everywhere. |
| Airlines in trouble? | So much choice on the flights front these days, especially from regional airlports. Get the latest listings |
| London Ski & Snowboard Show | Great deals on holidays, skiing and boarding equipment, live fashion shows and boarding displays, test out your boarding and skiing skills - from Friday 26th October for 10 days |
| Glacier Skiing and Boarding | Really keen? Well head high in the Alps and you'll find snow on the glaciers. |
| Warming up for the season | So, while you are thinking about all that skiing you hope to do this season - how are your muscles doing? I know it's not the real thing, but a few hours at the dry slope might refresh the memories and dust off the cobwebs. |
It's late October, and many of us are getting our ski kit out again (if it ever got put away) and waiting for the snow to fall. The question is, where will it fall first. Traditionally the North American ski season starts earlier than that in the Alps, with a good chance that the higher resorts will be opening for business this coming weekend (27th October). The most promising early resorts this year are Crested Butte, Breckenridge and Keystone, and Vail has been making snow since September.
Back over in the Alps, little usually happens before December, apart from those resorts with high glaciers. If you're thinking of a sneaky early December trip, it's always best to think high. So, the usual suspects are Tignes, Val Thorens and Alpe d'Huez in France, Saas-Fee and Zermatt in Switzerland, and St. Anton and Obergurgl in Austria.
Latest reports from France: There's little snow in evidence in the southern French Alps - our reporter said of Serre Chevalier and Alpe d'Huez in mid October, "glorious sunshine, 25 degrees, excellent mountain-biking weather". However, further north, Chamonix has been reporting occasional snow during late September /early October. If this continues expect les Grands Montets to open the steep red terrain off the Bochard Glacier for weekends in November. Chamonix /Argentiere is about 1 hour drive from Geneva.
For a gentler pre-season weekend, scroll down for a list of glacier ski-ing options (more greens and blues).
September was a bad month for any of us with friends of family in New York, and the shock reverberated around the airline industry. For Swissair the weeks of turmoil were obviously the last straw, will all flights grounded, and for the time being no-one knows who will be operating their routes. Crossair (the other major Swiss airline) however are doing OK and do fly from London City as well as Heathrow.
Will there be fewer flights or more, and to which resorts? We have overhauled our Travel flights pages again, so check out what options you have on our Who flies where page for Europe.
The budget airlines claim to be riding out the storm just fine, and it does seem that European travel is, well, almost booming. However American passenger demand is much lower. In Europe it does seem that business class travel is the sector showing the biggest dip. But as to how long for and whether it will recover probably depends on the international situation.
What does that mean to potential skiers? Well, the Sunday Times is suggesting that if you haven't booked your white Christmas in Europe yet then you won't be getting one... But there are still plenty of independent options available, even if there are fewer last minute packages.
Finally we have been pooling our knowledge of the budget airlines, and how to get those mysterious "best deals". Check out our cheap flight secrets
Or, how to blow the cobwebs off your ski and/or snowboarding gear, without the expense of intercontinental flights. Think of a high glacier in the Alps - a ridiculously large lump of ice above 3000m is going to retain a covering of snow throughout summer, whatever the sun might chuck at it. Some such glaciers can be found at Tignes, Saas Fee, Zermatt, Les Diablerets, Zell am See and Hintertux.
Glacier resorts are always the best bet if you are determined to fit in a really early ski holiday. Even if it does not snow much before you get there - the height of the resorts will give you the best chances, and the glacier runs, although not seriously steep, can give you a good start. Glacier skiing is less suited to advanced skiers as most glaciers have a relatively gentle gradient (mostly green to blue slopes, with a bit of red), and steeper glaciers tend to have big scary holes called crevasses in them (off piste is definitely not on the cards!). But these slopes can be ideal for beginners, and most areas have realised the benefits of creating half-pipes and snowparks for snowboarders and freestyle skiers.
Here are the glacier resort and high resort opening dates for Winter skiing in 2001:
| Hintertux - open all year | Tignes - June 19th |
| Saas-Fee - open all year | Flims - June 12th |
| Zermatt - open all year | Laax - July 3rd |
| Cervinia (Italy) - opened 13th October | Alpe d'Huez- opens 27th October |
| look up resorts and flights | Chamonix, Les Grand Montets - opens weekend in November |
So where is you nearest Dry Ski Slope then? Check out the dry slope listings courtesy of FallLine magazine
Or after a few hours on "Real Snow"? You could get a taste of the cold stuff before you go! Lessons, ski and snowboard hire, a shop and a bar at Tamworth Snowdome or at the new Milton Keynes venue.
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