Heavy snowfall in the Pyrenees over the past few weeks has allowed resorts on the French and Spanish sides of the mountain range, as well as in Andorra, to report some of the best opening conditions for years.
The snow is lying up to six feet (1.8m) deep on the upper slopes of the region and generally at least two feet (60cm) deep at the base.
Many of the 60 or so ski areas in the south-western European mountain range open this Saturday, 30th November, a lot with all of their terrain open from day one, including at Baqueira Beret, with 120km of runs one of the largest in Spain and the Pyrenees.
It opened a week early last weekend, as did Pic du Midi on the French side.
The excellent start to the season in the Pyrenees, mirrored in the Alps and the Dolomites, comes after record breaking snowfall in 2012-13 which saw ski areas in the Pyrenees re-opening in the summer for the first time in recent memory.