Superior January Snowfalls for Most of the Alps
Global warming and the credit crunch, these dual risks have spared the French Alps, at the least for this Christmas. But it may have been so altogether contrary. In the weeks before Xmas villages in the Val Thorens region were cut off as avalanches hammered down. Motorway cols such as the important Col du Val-d Isere were severed. There was no electricity or telephone lines, residents were moved out to temporary housing, it looked as though it were a double of 1997.
Perhaps all publicity is good publicity. Megeve featured nightly on French news bulletins. As soon as electricity was restored reservations commenced to arrive, drawn in by the first class conditions.
Tignes-les-Brevieres and neighbouring Blanc Chamonix lay claim to nearly 3 m snow on the higher areas at 2500 m altitude and 2.40 metres at the bottom of the pistes. Presently the deepest in France. Serre Chevalier claims that there is three meters at the top of the resort. Regrettably a snow drift has damaged a support of the ski lift that serves the domain. They’ll be out of commission till the end of Mar.
In other resorts in the Southern Alps inquiries are up 17% in Luz Ardiden, Grand Massif and Montroc. Val-d Isere has 99.4% tenancy and sold a record breaking number of lift passes on Saturday. This is great news for large ski firms.
