For those who can't wait for the main ski season to start in December, a few dozen glacier ski areas and resorts at northerly latitudes in Scandinavia open from mid-September onwards, joining the few resorts like Saas Fee and Zermatt in Switzerland and Hintertux in Austria that have been open all summer and continue to be so.
In France only Tignes is open all autumn but a second resort, Les 2 Alpes, has traditionally staged a big opening week for two weekends and the five days between that usually corresponds with the school holiday period and attracts thousands of enthusiastic young skiers and boarders for new season gear testing and festival vibe.
This year is no different with the resort opening its glacier slopes and snow park from 27th October to 4th November 2012 before closing again for nearly four weeks until the official 2012-13 season opening date, 1st December 2012.
Last autumn in 2011 Les 2 Alpes started a new event was launched called 'Enjoy the Glacier' and this was such a success it is taking place again this year, between the glacier at 3,200m and the resort at 1,600m.
"Enjoy the Glacier' is a real 'taster' of the 2012-2013 winter season and it will be sporty and fun! Snowboard and skateboard contests, gear tests, the chance to meet with pros, a giant BBQ, gigs, movies… wintersports addicts, this is the place to be!" said Héléna Hospital from the Les 2 Alpes press office.