| If I had a penny for everyone that asks for a "high | | | | have sought public correction and recognition from |
| altitude chalet" for their annual skiing holidays | | | | the media as to the unfounded nature of their |
| nowadays then I would be a very rich man! | | | | premature remarks; remarks about the uncertain |
| But how can you blame them? The British press have | | | | future of European skiing holidays. |
| been bolstering their winter broad sheets with the | | | | I have heard many tales of skiers cancelling their |
| effects of "global warming" and the dreadful snow | | | | Christmas skiing holidays at the last minute with huge |
| conditions that we have been apparently experiencing | | | | losses in cancellation charges, simply because they |
| in the alps. This has of course been spurred on by | | | | choose to believe all they read in the papers! If they |
| doom mongers sat in a London press office, with all | | | | had taken their holiday as planned and paid for, they |
| but a poorly placed webcam to gain their daily insight | | | | would have found a ski resort skiing normally above |
| on the true snow conditions at a local level*. | | | | 1500 metres, and please remember that most |
| Nevertheless, they still feel qualified to paint a pretty | | | | premier French resorts have 95% of their skiing |
| dreary picture to the unassuming public as to the | | | | above this level anyway. |
| future of European skiing holidays. | | | | Indeed the resorts where skiing is placed below 1300 |
| Many webcams are inaccurately placed and only | | | | metres are experiencing the "wrong kind of |
| show snow at the Tourist Office altitude which is | | | | precipitation", as temperatures are rising. However if |
| often below the snowline and not where the real | | | | you pick a resort where the skiing is above 1300 |
| skiing is. Morzine in particular, (one example of a great | | | | metres, then you will be experiencing normal skiing |
| British ski destination), has suffered this over sight by | | | | conditions and full coverage of ski area, which |
| the Tourist Office who have chosen not to lodge | | | | nowadays is further enhanced by snow cannons; |
| their webcam at the skiing altitude, but rather at a | | | | snow cannons that are actually making the skiing |
| 900 metre resort level. | | | | better than ever before. |
| Coming from one who has spent every week of the | | | | Perhaps the snow that we have just experienced in |
| ski season touring the alps over the last 11 years, | | | | Chamonix, (July 1st 2007) is not a good omen that |
| then I feel qualified to have an opinion. Although I | | | | the snow is still prevalent, but acting as a harbinger |
| have seen a change in snow, it is not as dramatic as | | | | to climate change or a merging of the seasons? |
| one is led to believe. If anything the seasons are | | | | The fact is that last season was actually a better |
| simply shifting. We are getting the same seasonal | | | | season for snow above 1300 metres than the |
| levels of snow as we were a decade ago, but it now | | | | previous two years. Long term weather forecasts |
| chooses to come later and stay for longer. April skiing | | | | are suggesting a rise in precipitation over the alps in |
| is now bigger business than ever as it steals demand | | | | the next ten years, along with relatively low levels in |
| from the festive weeks; and rightly so because the | | | | temperature rise. Therefore although there may be |
| reality is that April is experiencing higher levels of | | | | rain at low levels there will be greater amounts of |
| snow than ever before. | | | | snow at higher altitudes, thus making resorts above |
| Thankfully, various ski associations with first hand | | | | 1500 metres all the more in demand for European |
| knowledge of the actual snow levels of last season | | | | skiing holidays. |