The first proper snowfall of the season has opened the door for those of us who can’t wait to get into the mountains.
It has also given us the perfect opportunity to ask our former junior racer and Activ4 School Tours sales manager, Aaron Jones, which resorts can expect to claim the first snow reports.
The traditional front-runners are once again chasing the headlines to claim the first significant snowfall of the season. Val Thorens, The Espace Killy and The Grandvalira in Andorra have all seen decent snowfalls this weekend. (In a strange quirk of fate, it was on exactly the same date as last year, November 5th).
So what does that mean for the mountains?
With resorts readying themselves for the Christmas rush, they will want as much natural snowfall as possible. This is because that gives them an excellent base to build on. The vast majority of ski resorts have invested in state of the art snow making facilities. Nothing captures the imagination quite like a proper dump of snow. And guess what… more snowfall equals more skiers, so everyone is happy.
We asked Aaron what he made of the ‘old skiers tale’ that a warm October means a cold winter.
Here at Activ4, we believe it completely, well at least this year we do. That is what we are telling ourselves and that is what we are sticking to. This year we have had a warm October! Joking aside, there is actually some statistical evidence over the last twenty years to suggest that the saying is true. A warm October can indeed be followed by a colder than average winter, when coupled with a wet September. So we remain hopeful.
Choosing the right ski resort is a science
The art of choosing the right resort for your school ski trip is actually becoming more of a science. There are so many people who rely on the decision of the party leader where they will ski. So it is important to stay informed and to take advice as to which resorts really fit the bill for the time of year that you will be travelling. The last thing that you really want to do is pick a resort for your Easter ski trip that finds itself short of snow at that time of year.
No one can realistically predict the weather patterns to fall in line with skiing fables. However you can make informed decisions based on a number of key factors. We’d advise you to look at the height of the resort, which direction it faces, what the snow canon coverage is like and also what is the snow record at various times of year.
If you want to chat to Aaron about any of these points or just skiing in general he would like nothing more… call him on 01743 467267 or email aaron@acitv4.com
