Latest ski resort reviews

Few resorts can rival Val Thorens for reliably good snow-cover, thanks to its altitude and generally north-facing slopes. Snowmaking covers a lot of the key pistes, including the crowded south- and west-facing runs on the way back from the MA

Axamer Lizum is one of the most reliable of the many little resorts around Innsbruck. Don be put off by its 830m starting height (which refers to the valley runs). The resort is actually at 1580m and most of the slopes are higher still. Coupled with extensive snow-making, snow reliability is therefore considered good.

Flaine has a microclimate and is blessed with exceptional natural snowfall. The summit of the 2450m Grandes Platières averages 15m of snow a year and is probably the snowiest skiable mountain in France. But whilst you can normally count on good snow in the main Flaine bowl, outlying areas such as Morillon and Les Carroz are lower and more exposed. Conditions in the Grand Massif as a whole are therefore much more variable.