Book for an early season trip and make the most of great value, empty slopes and untouched snow!
1. It's cheap
The very first week of the ski season is an absolute bargain - we open on 16th December this year and the prices are about half what you would pay for a mid season week. On top of that, the lift passes are cheaper too!
2.There will be snow
This is what everyone worries about - that you’ll arrive and they’ll be green grass everywhere! I was going to post some charts showing that, on average, the snow at the start of the season is pretty good, but I thought that some shots of what it is like at the moment, two weeks before we open, would be better.
This is the view down from Tougnette and you can see the pistes into the valley covered in snow. And there is more due later this week with another 40-50cm coming our way!
Also, it has been and continues to be really cold. So although early season weather and snow conditions in the Alps can be a bit unpredictable, resorts have become very adept at opening pistes with little or no natural snow and can offer very enjoyable piste skiing even in times of severe drought. Luckily we’ve had loads of natural snow this year!
3. There are no crowds
So there’ll be plenty of snow and best of all, there will be far fewer people there to enjoy it than you would imagine. That first week can be amazing. No queues, no skied out pistes, just the mountain to yourselves. It can make for some of the most memorable skiing you could have.
4. You can always squeeze in another week (you will want to!)
If you go that first week, you will spend a lot less than you would normally and with seasons being pretty long nowadays, this could allow you to sneak in another week!
If you come again at the end of the season, you can also take advantage of the great value offers and lift passes and get your two weeks skiing for not much more than a single week in mid season!
5. The sense of excitement
We have been in Meribel for a couple of weeks now and the excitement is tangible. There is so much hope and expectation and with excellent levels of snow having already fallen together with the low temperatures, everyone will be enthused for those opening few weeks. The lift staff, the ski hire team, the restaurant staff, everyone has a smile and that enthusiasm is so contagious it can only make your holiday even more special.
So come on down and join us at the start of the season – it’s going to be fabulous!
We’ve currently got some great deals on the first week of January (from the 6th January) so grab one whilst you can.