Sierra Nevada ski season begins on 29 November

The hotly anticipated start of the Sierra Nevada winter ski season for 2012-13 has been announced as this Thursday, 29 November.

The date – which has been brought forward slightly to make the most of the early snowfall – is the traditional marker for the onset of winter, with the Sierra Nevada ski season typically lasting until late April.

Renowned as the most southerly and sunny ski resort in Europe, this year the slopes promise to be even more competitive thanks to the new, twice-weekly flight link between Granada and London Gatwick, commencing on 7 December.

The resort’s 100km of track, varying levels of difficulty, stunning views and close proximity to the historic heart of Granada make the Sierra Nevada a favourite among locals and hardcore skiers and snowboarders alike…

Despite playing second fiddle to Europe’s more central resorts in recent years, Sierra Nevada is enjoying a glowing and growing reputation for offering something different on the slopes and, in the resort, a thriving après ski scene that plays on the best Spanish stereotypes of good food, fine wine and thumping fun enjoyed late into the night.

To mark the beginning of the season, early birds can enjoy discounted day passes priced at just €30 per day for the first two days (29 & 30 November), with prices for the remainder of the season becoming fixed from Saturday, 1 December.

However, local minister for Sport and Culture, Luciano Alonso, has stressed that the resort will do all it can to make the slopes accessible for as many people as possible during these straitened economic times.

The forthcoming season will boast a new ski lift and dedicated family initiation areas, designed to make a day out on the slopes with the family more accessible and enjoyable than ever.

Sierra Nevada’s ski resort has benefited from a number of improvements in recent years, and in March 2013 will host the Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Cup Super Final, with attention falling on the resort’s excellent Sulayr Terrain Park, which boasts the largest permanent half-pipe in Spain and will test the mettle of 550 of the world’s best skiers and snowboarders.

But if you’re after something a little less hair-raising, fear not – the resort boasts a number of slopes designed to cater for all ages and abilities, and the pre- and après ski scene is as brilliant and welcoming as ever.

So what are you waiting for? Strap the snow tyres to your car and head north this weekend to enjoy those magical early-season thrills of Spain’s premier ski resort.