France Opens For The Ski Season
First thing on Saturday morning it is looking pretty darn good in Val Thorens.
One of those ‘great to be alive’ moments.
Locals told me it is one of the best starts to a season in recent memory.
25,000 tickets have been sold for the weekend and it is set to be the most popular ever opening of the resort.
“Amazing conditions out here right now so hoping it’s gonna be one of the great opening weekends,” said reader, Chris Moran, to PlanetSKI.
Here’s what it looked like as the sun rose over the surrounding peaks in this stunning part of the French Alps on Saturday morning.
Opening day in Val Thorens, Saturday 22nd November. Image © PlanetSKI
Opening day in Val Thorens, Saturday 22nd November. Image © PlanetSKI
The resort has seen plentiful snow with the ploughs out in town and the piste bashers up on the slopes early preparing for ‘La Grand Premiere’.
Opening day in Val Thorens, Saturday 22nd November. Image © PlanetSKI
And the snow conditions up on the slopes?
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Here are details of the lifts and runs that are open:
First stop the Ski Test Centre.
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It is mainly piste skiing at the moment as Val Thorens is rocky and it needs much snow for a good covering, but there is a little bit of the soft stuff to dabble in.
The slopes were pisted to perfection first thing, but with the number of people our enjoying this first day of the season they have become chopped up in places.
No matter.
Soon enough I was at the top of the resort at 3,200m at the newly re-open lift Cime Caron that was out of action all last season due to an accident ahead of the season opening.
PlanetSKI exclusively revealed it’s season closure this time last year as our reporter Simon Wilson was at La Grand Premiere last year.
Val Thorens, France. Image © PlanetSKI
Now it is great to see it back up and running.
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One of the brand new lifts in the resort – Face Nord – is also up and running.
Face Nord, Val Thorens. Image © PlanetSKI
See here for an earlier PlanetSKI article about other things that are new in Val Thorens for the season:
The Face Nord will prove to be a bit of a game changer here. Essentially it cuts out the requirement to ride the slow lifts.
Not only will it improve access to the wonderfully scenic piste down to Les Orelles.
Plus it’s also much faster to gain access to the Val slopes across the north face.
I can see a lot of lapping going on here this winter.
The amount of people on the slopes is actually quite overwhelming today.
It’s like being here in February.
Michel, our ESF guide, who has been here for the last 25 years, explained “many, many people come for the opening weekend now, it’s a big party weekend.
“It will be quieter for the next couple of weeks until the whole of the Three Valleys opens”.
Since it’s launched just over 10 years ago, the Grande Premiere has grown and grown, both in terms of skier numbers and general awareness.
All in all – what an opening day.
Time for a bit of apres.
Back at base the DJ was spinning tunes from a converted caravan and the local craft beers were flowing, at a very reasonable €4 per bottle.
Strong foundations for a very ValTho Saturday night.
Opening day in Val Thorens, Saturday 22nd November. Image © PlanetSKI
With whoever you happen to meet.
Opening day in Val Thorens, Saturday 22nd November. Image © PlanetSKI
Then it was on for some more serious early season apres.
Opening night in Val Thorens, Saturday 22nd November. Image © PlanetSKI
Opening night in Val Thorens, Saturday 22nd November. Image © PlanetSKI
Do check back for more on Sunday as I update this rolling article on one of the resorts with the best Opening Days.
Perhaps, make that THE best.
As I said earlier, today is most certainly a ‘great to be alive’ moment.
The ski season beckons and what a way to kick it off…
For full round up of conditions round the Alps and the rest of Europe see the latest PlanetSKI snow report:
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