Fantastic Winter Snowfalls for the Southern Alps
Global warming and the global downturn, these dual apocalypse have passed by the Southern Alps, at least for this Christmas. However it could have been so altogether different. Before the holidays villages in the Portes du Soleil locale were cut off as snow came down. Motorway passes such as the busy Col du La Clusaz were cut. There was no power or telephone lines, locals had to be moved out to pro tem dwellings, it appeared like a repetition of 1998.
It looks that all promotion is good promotion. Brevent appeared every evening on national French news. Immediately mains was fixed reservations started to pour in, attracted by the first class skiing conditions.
La Clusaz and neigboring Le Tour lay claim to nearly three feet snow on the upper pistes at 2200 metres altitude and 2.5 m at the end of the resorts. Currently a record for the Alps. Araches-la-Frasse says there is 6 meters at the top of the resort. Unfortunately a snow drift has demolished a support of the ski lift which serves the area. It will be broken until the end of Mar.
In other resorts in the Alps bookings are up 20% in Bessans, Les Contamines-Montjoie and Les Orres. Isola 2000 has 99.5% occupancy and traded a record breaking number of ski passes on Tuesday. This is welcoming for luxury ski chalets and main skiing companies.
