Chamonix delays opening due to lack of snow
The major French ski resort of Chamonix has not opened this weekend due to lack of snow.
The resort was hoping to partially open tomorrow (Saturday) but has now pushed this back until December 20.
But the Ski Club of Great Britain was quick to calm fears about the slow start to the season.
CEO Frank McCusker said: "The season starts when the snow arrives and that is when Mother Nature decides. Snow is forecast to fall and there will plenty for all those heading out to the mountains for pre-season training and the Christmas period.
"Generally speaking after this next cold spell the majority of resorts will open. The weekend of the 13/14 December is when resorts will swing into action and this is when most operators start."
A Ski Club spokeswoman said Chamonix’s Grand Motte is one of a few areas that remain closed.
"It’s probably due to the varse area of off piste that needs good snow to make it safe. A small covering will mean rocks below the surface," she said.
"In many resorts where it is showing 0cm at the bottom it is easy enough to get the lift up the mid-station and ski from there."
Dan Fox, MD of Skiweekends.com, said: "At the start of this week I was over in the 3 valleys for our staff training and I can personally report that there is snow and people are skiing. As I remember it some of the best seasons started a little late.
"Temperatures are dropping with freezing levels below 1000m and snow is forecast for the next week. Of course at theses temperatures resorts will be blasting out artificial snow as fast as they can make it. We have guests off to Val d’Isere this weekend and more going to the Alps next week. There’ll be enough skiing to have a great time."
Warren Smith, director of the Warren Smith Ski Academy and Verbier local of 20 years, added: "I’ve heard a few people comment and seen the look of panic in peoples eyes as they look up the webcams in the ski resorts but it’s only the first week of December, they need to chill out."
"The texture of the snow isn’t the kind of snow people tend to associate with early season or summer skiing, it’s not at all icy. In fact it’s really good and really grippy and so we have a good piste on which to start the season. The snow will come, it always does."
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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