The first Alpine ski runs are expected to open in less than three weeks, although resorts are still waiting for more consistent winter conditions after a hot autumn. Val Thorens and Tignes are scheduled to begin their seasons on November 21, while Val d’Isère and Les 2 Alpes plan to follow on the last weekend of November.
At Bessans in Savoie, a 3.5-kilometre cross-country loop is already operating. The snow was preserved from last winter using snow farming: more than 28,000 cubic metres were compacted and covered with 50 centimetres of sawdust in April. Around 80% of the stock survived the summer, at a cost of approximately €120,000 for the resort.
The stored snow is being used by France’s cross-country ski teams in the morning and made available to recreational skiers from early afternoon. Bessans says the system also helps national teams train in France rather than flying to Scandinavia, although the resort stresses that snow farming is intended to supplement natural snowfall, not replace it.
Conditions in the higher resorts have changed quickly. A first snowfall reached the summits last week, but warmer weather followed. Temperatures are now falling below freezing at night at altitude, and further snow is expected before the end of the week. Resort operators remain cautious about how much terrain will actually be open, as that will depend on the weather in the coming days.
Val Thorens has already been operating its snow cannons at night and says it intends to open as much of the area as possible. At Val d’Isère, piste teams are waiting for another snowfall to build a suitable base, while Les 2 Alpes is also counting on new snow, snowmaking and stored reserves. The resort plans to extend skiing on its glacier, which reaches 3,600 metres, until early July.
The opening weekends are major events for the resorts, with equipment demonstrations, combined accommodation and lift-pass offers, and promotional activities. They attract skiers eager to make the first runs of the season, but demand traditionally drops between the end of November and the Christmas holidays.
To encourage early bookings, lift passes are generally 15% to 20% cheaper at the start of the season. At Les 2 Alpes, a day pass costs €54.50 before the Christmas holidays, compared with €68 during the holiday period. Tignes is charging €50 for a day pass, against €78 in high season, while access to the linked Tignes–Val d’Isère area costs €67 until December 11 instead of €78.
Reservations are mixed. Val Thorens says bookings are at the level of the previous year, which was considered strong, while Les 2 Alpes is slightly behind and hopes that images of fresh snow will stimulate demand. The resort also reports pressure on the purchasing power of French customers, who account for half of its skiers and are increasingly choosing smaller accommodation.
The season is also being watched against the backdrop of an unusually strong El Niño. The weather pattern could bring a mild and wet winter, potentially meaning more precipitation in the mountains, but resort officials expect sharper contrasts between cold spells and sudden warm periods. Even the highest resorts acknowledge that altitude does not fully protect them from the effects of climate change.
Sources: Le Figaro.