by The ski season in Europe has begun as resorts celebrate abundant snowfall and welcome thousands of visitors to the slopes.
As the chairlifts sprang into action, locals and passionate skiers were among those getting a taste of the season’s first snow at the highest resorts in the Alps. Tourists will begin to arrive in the mountains in the coming weeks, as Christmas approaches and more resorts and slopes open.
Our experts were among those in line to kick off winter. Here they share their live reports from the slopes and what skiers and snowboarders can anticipate as winter progresses.
France
In vibrant Val Thorens the “world’s best ski resort” is said to have been blessed with “the best season opening conditions in 20 years”.
I felt great anticipation upon arriving at the highest resort in Europe, crowned for the eighth time as the best on the planet, for La Grande Première, the weekend that would officially inaugurate the winter season.
Heavy snow ensured the celebrations began in earnest as the first lift of the 2023/24 season brought fast-paced skiers and snowboarders onto the mountain. I was among the 10,385 who got what seemed like the golden ticket to Saturday’s first official day of skiing, with some abandoning their vehicles on the side of the road because the parking lots were full.
My opening morning guide, Stéphane, stated that it had been at least two decades since he had experienced season-opening conditions like these, in stark contrast to last year when La Grande Première was postponed due to lack of snow.
With 60 per cent of the lifts open and a DJ playing loud music under a clear blue sky – the atmosphere was festive on Sunday, with a test village offering thrill seekers the chance to try their hand at new skis and snowboards.
Vincent Lalanne, director of the Val Thorens tourist office, says: “The conditions we have allow our season to be guaranteed. We even had to call the regional government to clear the roads to get here, because they didn’t know we had so much snow.”
Snow report
There was 1 meter of white stuff at the top of the mountain on Sunday, after up to 10cm of snow fell on Saturday, providing fresh powder under my skis. More heavy snow is forecast for Monday night and later in the week.
What to keep in mind at the resort this winter
Head up a new panoramic walkway to a viewing point for spectacular 360-degree views of Cime Caron and neighboring peaks.
Reserve
Hotel Marielle (0033 458 24 00 80) has double rooms from £245 including breakfast. easyJet offers flights to Geneva from £115 return.
Pete Thompson
Austria
Anything less than a blackout would have been a huge disappointment. After two failed landings in Innsbruck, a detour to Munich and many hours in a hastily arranged minibus, our trip to Ischgl for the season opener was eventful. It’s fair to say that the Tyrol region had some bad weather this weekend, but locals were relieved.
Ischgl traditionally opens the last weekend in November. In 2022, everything was uncertain, and the snow only came heavily in the last three days. This year, and like much of the Swiss and French Alps, it has been falling for most of the last month. The tourist office estimated that 11,000 skiers were at the resort during the first weekend, and although the slopes were busy, it felt more like a happy buzz than a scone fight for the first lift.
With winds of more than 40 km/h, the upper stations remained closed: we reached the height of the Palinkopf at 2,864 m and it was easy to see why: the snow was good, but it was -18 ° C and it practically blew us away again. the mountain at one point. I have rarely been so grateful for a heated chairlift seat. We found fresh, powdered corduroy without much difficulty, although anywhere in the shade was dirty and a little freezing.
The tourist office promises that 100 percent of the slopes will be open starting December 15; The snow is already here and they are keeping the slopes until then.
Snow report
Rains in mid-November washed away some of the early-season snow, but conditions have improved since then. On November 25, there was 15 cm of fresh dust on top of a 1.5 meter base and an overnight storm added another 30-40 cm. More snow is forecast this week and sunshine is expected for the week beginning December 3.
What to keep in mind at the resort this winter
Recharge your weary limbs at the Silvretta Spa, a £65 million wellness center with indoor and outdoor pools and an adults-only bath and sauna complex. Day passes cost £63 and are a relaxing alternative to the raucous nightlife.
Reserve
The four-star Zalwonder (0043 5444 5191) has double rooms from £173 including breakfast. Flights from easyJet operators to Innsbruck from £44 return.
Matt Hampton
Swiss
“It’s the best November snow we’ve seen in years.” “It’s epic, sick.” “It’s winter now, so the snow should stay…” The excited buzz this weekend on the Les Ruinettes gondola nicely summed up my first ski experience this season. Verbier doesn’t officially open for another fortnight, but the resort’s pre-opening was filled with ski fever.
“I’m really excited to start with a good, healthy snow base,” Verbier mountain guide Cherries von Maur told me. “Everyone is full of energy because it snowed so early!” Certainly the only accommodation to be found all weekend was down the mountain at Mont-Fort Swiss Lodge in Le Châble, where 17 great-value rooms inside the valley cable car station mean you’re basically You get out of bed and get on the elevator.
The Saturday after the swooshing, the Mont Fort Pub, Verbier’s après ski icon, was packed to the brim and a huge heated dome at the top of the mountain pulsed with 2,500 electronic music fans on the closing night of the Polaris Festival .
For the 15,000 skiers who attended the opening in Verbier, Sunday was a dazzling day, with knee-deep powder bordering groomed slopes around Lac des Vaux and Attelas-Ruinettes (the two open sectors). In the afternoon, the atmosphere at the sun-drenched Icebox bar, with paragliders floating above the pink views of the Massif des Combins, was snow heaven on earth.
Snow report
The conditions are incomparable for November. It snowed all day and much of the night on Saturday, meaning a snow cover of 37 cm on the summits and 8 cm in the town of Verbier. Heavy snowfall (another 35cm) and sub-zero temperatures are forecast this week.
What to keep in mind at the resort this winter
Getting to Verbier by train has never been so modern (the Verbier Express connects Geneva airport with Le Châble in just over two hours) and the cable car to Verbier has longer hours (from 5:15 a.m. to 11:50 p.m.) to encourage more Skiers arrive by public transportation.
Reserve
Hôtel de Verbier (00 41 27 564 40 00) has double rooms from £251 including breakfast. SWISS operates flights to Geneva from £91 return.
Nicholas Williams
And the rest
Our snow forecaster Patrick Thorne shares the latest conditions for the rest of Europe.
Italy
Italian ski areas enjoyed heavy snowfall in the first half of November, with Livigno opening early after more than 1 meter fell there. The weather warmed up for a while, but lately it has been colder and snowier and there are now more areas with open terrain. They include Cervinia, Cortina and San Martino, most with only a few kilometers open so far. Madonna di Campiglio has the most skiing available, with 20 km. Temperatures will be cold (-10ºC to 5ºC) for the next few days, with snowfall returning later this week.
Scandinavia
Scandinavian ski areas have excellent conditions in November. Most large resorts such as Åre and Sälen in Sweden and Hemsedal and Trysil in Norway are now open, reporting up to 40 cm of fresh snowfall in recent days. Dress warmly, as Finland’s Ruka and Levi have recently recorded temperatures of -25ºC in the mornings. Most of the time skiing is done under artificial light, as daylight hours decrease rapidly, but there is more time to see the aurora.
Eastern Europe
We’re still a week or two away from opening in Eastern Europe’s major ski resorts, but there have already been some promising snowfalls. Slovakia’s largest resort, Jasna, reports that it already has 10 to 30cm of higher slopes, sub-zero temperatures and more snow in the forecast before the season starts on Saturday. Bulgarian ski areas have reported several pre-season snowfalls and this past weekend saw continued sub-zero temperatures and more snow. This is forecast to ease by midweek, but temperatures will remain low.
Andorra
The ski season in Andorra starts next weekend. Temperatures have dropped and up to 35cm of snowfall was recorded last week, greatly improving conditions. Grandvalira staff, who now tour all the major ski areas including Arinsal, Soldeu and Pas de la Casa, have filmed themselves doing pre-season turns in the fresh snow to generate buzz. In the rest of the Pyrenees, the Spanish Baqueira Beret has already opened its doors with 25 kilometers of slopes initially available. Temperatures will range between -9ºC and 9ºC with snow showers this week.
