The French skiing thread
 

Winter is slowly coming over French mountains. I sincerely hope we will have a 2009/2010 season as great as 2008/2009 was (a milestone regarding quantities of snow).

Let's start with the opening dates known as of today, at least for the Alps :

Isère
Les 2 Alpes : 28 november 2009
Alpe d'Huez : 6 december 2009
Chamrousse : 5 december 2009

Savoie
Tignes : 27 november 2009
Val d'Isère : 28 november 2009
Val Thorens : 14 november 2009
Bressans Val d'Arc : 21 december 2009
Courchevel : 5 december 2009
Le Corbier : 19 december 2009
Saint Sorlin d'Arves : 19 december 2009
Champagny en Vanoise : 12 december 2009
La Norma : 13 december 2009
La Plagne : 12 december 2009
La Rosière : 12 december 2009
La Tania : 12 december 2009
Les Arcs Bourg Saint Maurice : 29 november 2009
Les Menuires : 5 december 2009
Les Saisies : 12 december 2009
Méribel : ...
Peisey Vallandry : 12 december 2009
Saint Martin de Belleville : 12 december 2009
Valloire : 12 december 2009
Val Cenis : 19 december 2009
Valmorel : 18 december 2009
Arèches Beaufort : 12 december 2009
Aussois : 19 december 2009
Bonneval sur Arc : …
Brides Les Bains : 19 december 2009
Sainte Foy Tarentaise : …
Valfréjus : 19 december 2009
Valmeinier : 19 december 2009

Haute-Savoie
Le Grand Bornand : 5 december 2009
Megève : 5 december 2009
Avoriaz : 12 december 2009
Chatel : 12 december 2009
Flaine : 18 december 2009
Chamonix Mont Blanc : 20 december 2009
Les Contamines Montjoie : 18 december 2009
Combloux : 19 december 2009
La Clusaz : …
Les Gets : 19 december 2009
Morzine : 19 december 2009
Praz de Lys Sommand : 19 december 2009
Praz sur Arly : …
Saint Gervais Mont- Blanc : …
Samoëns : 19 december 2009

Alpes du Sud
Auron : …
Isola 2000 : 5 december 2009
Montgenèvre : 5 december 2009
Val d'Allos : 12 december 2009
Les Orres : 05 december 2009
Orcières 1850 : 12 december 2009
Praloup : 12 december 2009
Puy St Vincent : 12 december 2009
Risoul : 12 december 2009
Serre Chevalier : 12 december 2009
Sauze Supersauze : 13 december 2009
Devoluy : 19 december 2009

ski resort calendar
 

I see the date for Praloup is missing - They are planning to open on December 12.

Thanks. I'll edit the OP.

Thanks for putting this together.

Isola 2000 is supposed to open on 5 December

Edited, thanks.

First week of season lift openings announced for 3 Valleys
 

Courchevel, Meribel, Val Thorens, Les Menuires and Orelle resorts have announced the map of open lifts and slopes for the first week (5 to 11 December 2009).

Info is available here : http://www.meribel-alpina.com/data/d...but_saison.pdf

Lift pass prices are reduced for the 2 first weeks :
- 35 % off for 5 to 11 December
- 25% off for 12 to 18 December

New this year : http://www.les3vallees.com/en/live/n...s-2009-10.226/, somewhat limited in scope :(

in short:
- going back from Courchevel 1850 (actually Les Creux) to Courchevel 1650, a new detachable chairlift replaces the old Prameruel & Roc Mugnier chairlifts
- below the Courchevel Altiport, the beginners Cospillot draglift is extended downwards to accomodate additional lodging
- upgrade to the Rosael chairlift from Orelle, specially designed to operate with stronger winds than in the past
- if you miss the last connection of the day between Meribel & Courchevel ;), there is now a free shuttle service between La Tania and Meribel, in addition to the existing shuttles within the Courchevel valley.

You could add the new "Golf" detachable chairlift in Meribel, above the "Lapin" piste.

Right :). I missed that one. It means less time wasted when doing a long, easy and pleasant downhill stroll from the Col de la Loze with my nephew and nieces :). Still wondering when they will finally upgrade the capacity of the Chenus gondolalift in Courchevel 1850, though.

Anyone subscribed this ?
http://www.skialacarte.fr/en

For this, they of course need to increase the ski pass fares :D

My favorite downhill is from the top of La Saulire to Meribel !!! ^

You experienced it didn't you?

A pleasant alternative is to stay for dinner at "Le Plantin" restaurant and ask them to drive you back home :)

Come on, you can now pay with your Gold FB Amex ;)

La Mauduit?

My favourite one in Meribel is the "Venturon" piste.
In Courchevel it is "Jockeys", down to the Praz.

Jockeys is great. There is usually not enough snow (at least for my taste) on La Mauduit, so I've never taken the bottom part of it. I have never taken the itinerary down to Brides, either, but I would like to try one day, provided there is enough snow and not too much walking involved.

And no, I have never been stranded in Meribel on my way back to Courchevel. I've done worse ;), being stranded in Les Menuires many years ago, so it meant a taxi ride down to Moutiers and back up to Courchevel ...

The itinerary to Brides cannot be done every year. Last year it was ok for one day or two. Usually, it happens 1 day in January and/or 1 day by the end of March.

March is usually the month with the highest quantity of fresh snow ; nevertheless, that fresh snow melts quicker than in January.