Heading high for the perfect Christmas gift

AFTER a year of ski starvation, many of us want our winter fix as soon as possible, so aim high in December to capture low pre-Christmas prices in the snow.

WITH skiable glaciers at 10,000ft and more than 260 prepared pistes above 6,500ft, the vast French Paradiski area, linking La Plagne, Les Arcs and Peisey Vallandry, is a strong favourite to deliver early-season snow thrills. A week-long self-catering break for four guests in a two-bedroom flat from December 14 in the Edenarc complex above Arc 1800 costs from £763pp. The price includes flights from Gatwick to Chambery, transfers, access to the pool and sauna and the shuttle bus to the shops, bars and restaurants of

Arc 1800 (igluski.com). l USE professionals to get your ski legs back, brush up on technique and give your confidence a boost on a five-day course at the Warren Smith Ski Academy in Verbier, Switzerland.

The course, starting on December 12, costs £499pp and includes video analysis and exercises to enhance your skills. Seven nights’ B&B at three-star Hotel Rotunde, for academy pupils, costs from £550pp, from December 11 (warrensmith-skiacademy.com). Return flights to Geneva cost from £86 (easyjet.com) but transfers are extra. l JACKSON HOLE in Wyoming is worth a place on your bucket list, but factor in a day-trip to neighbouring Yellowstone National Park to see the Old Faithful geyser and wildlife such as bison, elk, wolves and eagles and it becomes a veritable holiday sensation. Seven nights’ B&B in a deluxe room at four-star hotel The Wort will help you soak up the culture of this cowboy town, with its boardwalks and saloon-bar doors. Departing on December 7, the £1,595pp price includes a Yellowstone snowcoach tour (skisafari.com).