FACTORS
TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A SKI RESORT
There
is no doubt climate change is effecting ski resorts and every skier
hunts for a high altitude ski resort hoping that it will guarantee
skiing. High altitude resorts generally charge premium prices but
altitude is not the only factor that one should consider when choosing
a reliable ski resort.
- Having north facing
slopes are just as critical for a ski resort. In the snowy, pre talked
about global warming days, many resorts in the northern hemisphere were
built facing south into the sun as that meant you could stay alive
while skiing and not end up with frost bite. Nowadays cold north facing
slopes are where the snow stays best.
- Probably the most
important factor is geographical position in relation to the topography
of the mountains. Resorts that are built only on one side of a high
main mountain chain may only get snow if it comes from a certain
direction - north, south east etc. A resort that extends to both sides
of the main mountain range means that it will always get snow from
whatever direction it comes from.
Resorts built on both sides of a mountain range also means that the surrounding
mountain range is not too high to restrict the weather from passing
over to both sides of the resort.
- Nearby surrounding
glaciers also play an important part as they wick away the moisture in
the atmosphere. Humidity
in the atmosphere melts snow very quickly when the temperatures warm
up. Low humidity also keeps the snow in better condition as it gets
less icy and lasts longer. An open valley, rather than a valley that is
closed in with high surrounding mountains, also has a drier atmosphere.
- Wind plays an
important role as well. Windy resorts tend to have a drier and colder
climate as well and wind tends to shift the snow into bowls creating
unbelievable depths of snow sometimes. Look for resorts with wide open
bowls especially on the leeward side of the predominant wind direction.
- The other fallacy that
skiers tend to believe is that it snows more the higher up the mountain
you go. Unless temperatures are well above zero in the village it
actually snows less per square meter on a steeper slope than a more
gentle slope and the volume of snow is less the colder the temperatures
are when snow is falling. It snows less on a steeper slope because the
same square meter of snow falling out of the sky covers a larger area
on the ground the steeper the slope gets, so more gentle slopes have
far more snow coverage than steep slopes
This
all means that you can find resorts that are reliable for snow but that
are not generally high in altitude and of course with high prices to
match. It takes a bit of research to suss them out but it’s
well worth it as not only do you save money but you’ll find
these resorts are generally less known and usually totally un crowded
WHY CHOOSE LA THUILE
One such lucky resort is La Thuile. It
fits all the aspects mentioned above. Situated on a major alpine divide
between France and Italy it manages to get snow coming from any
direction. Surrounded by some large glaciers it has a dry, cold climate
and the pistes are mainly north facing. Snow reports over the past 10
years have shown that it has far better snow right down to 1500 meters
than most other resorts in the Alps. It’s ski runs are
usually open until the end of April right down to the town which is at
1500 meters. Prices are half the price of other resorts. It’s
totally un crowded as the lift capacity serves 50,000 skiers per hour
and it’s bed capacity is only 3000. It’s in Italy
so the food’s good and the people are friendly.
There is no
doubt about it Italy offers the best value for quality skiing in the
Alps. Hotels are great, food is the best and Italians are the most
caring people on earth. There is no doubt about it though the French
pistes (not off piste) are more challenging. La Thuile fortunately is one of those hidden gems that offers you the
value and quality of Italy plus the challenge of French
skiing.
Why should a border line make such a difference you ask when mountains
are mountains ?
3 million years ago who cared or even noticed whether you were skiing
in France, Switzerland or Italy.
There are however some reasons for this. Italian resorts fear injury
claims. If you've ever been involved in an Italian court case you'll
understand why. They take forever to resolve. Italians also want to
enjoy their skiing as part of an all round experience - the fresh air,
the good food and the sunshine. Piste making in Italy is geared towards
this. Wide open perfectly groomed runs with the first runs of the
morning facing the sun and the last ones following the setting sun.
That's not to say all ski runs in Italy are easy and some of the black
runs in La Thuile will even give the good skier a run for their money
but when you are looking for some big mogul runs and some snow board
fun parks all you have to do is pop over the border on your ski's and
you're in France skiing "a la liberte " in the resort of La Rosier. La
Rosier linked to the resort of La Thuile in a ski area with 150KM of
pistes offers you that opportunity to experience French freedom, French
patisseries and unfortunately a small taste of French prices. It's
worth skiing over to La Rosier though so don't let the slightly higher
prices put you off. It only takes half an hour to ski to the La Rosier
lift system from the main gondola station in La Thuile and the views
down the Val d'Isere with Bourge St. Maurice in the valley are
majestic. Don't delay though while delighting in that little French
tart smothered in cream or you'll miss the last ski lift back and have
to spend the night wining and dining in the cute little village of La
Rosier.......so !!!!
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