Given the substantial snow cover in the alps this year, is there any chance that some resorts might extend their season? (Thinking of a post-Easter sneaky trip away)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@chomski, afaik, no.
My understanding from many seasons of frustration is no. Seasonal workers are on fixed date contracts.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
It is common for US resorts to extend their seasons in good snowfall years. Heavenly, for example, added an extra week last year.
Extensions are less common in Europe (Alps), which has a weaker economy and less dynamic workforce.
Head high, to Val Thorens or Tignes, for a post-Easter slide. Both are open, with plenty trails, until May 8th.
@Whitegold, nope. Wrong on pretty much all counts.
Really? I thought that was one of his more sensible musings...
VT and Tignes usually go into May. Verbier last weekend of April - Zermatt similar.
Verbier did open for a weekend in July a couple of years back but mainly for publicity reasons.
The midi stays open all year I think with skiing to the mid station and some athletic exits via the ladders!
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@BobinCH, just that extensions are pretty rare in Europe and nothing to do with economic strength or workforce dynamics.
Must confess, I don’t know why I ever bother reacting to his posts...
After all it is free
After all it is free
Grands montets (argentiere) is showing 1st May as closing date, so that would potentially cover “post Easter.
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@snowdave, no change there then, it always is open later than the resorts around it.
Very unlikely that any resorts in France will "extend their season due to good snow" for a host of reasons including; employment laws, land rental agreements, impact on farming.
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@chomski, I'm planning a trip to Espace Killy, mid April, the week after Easter school hols for most of Europe, although I notice some French regions will still be on holiday.
Usually Val D open until first Sunday in may. Tignes for a week longer.
No realistic chance of any season extension, for reasons others have highlighted. Also I doubt the number of visitors would make it economically viable.
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@chomski,
Tignes is open until late 8th May.
Currently loads of snow and great skiing.
Post easter should be quiet, relaxed and hopefully sunny.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Obertauern is open until 1st May. I think that's normal. There's plenty of snow but most ski areas here are shutting on 8th April, Reiteralm and Zauchensee on 15th April. After closing the snow will get mashed up so that the farmers can have their land back for grazing. The poor cows have been in sheds since November. It's all about economics. Dwindling visitor numbers after Easter do not provide a financial substitute for milk production.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@marcellus, yes, I'm aware of that, the point I was trying to make (badly!) was that post-Easter skiing doesn't require a season extension at some resorts, just the normal season. Pretty much every other date posted here is also the standard closing date.
@snowdave, no change there then, it always is open later than the resorts around it.
Very unlikely that any resorts in France will "extend their season due to good snow" for a host of reasons including; employment laws, land rental agreements, impact on farming.
our local resorts are beginning to shut down for the season, I'm surprised how few people are skiing this year around here (Grenoble), only the best weather gets the crowds out. I think the tax hikes over the last years have taken their toll on the French skier.
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Poster: A snowHead
I think maintenance is a big issue. For resorts with summer opening of their lifts they have to have a few weeks inter season to do all the repairs.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@jbob, but they don't open all their lifts but there are always lots of other projects going on over the summer too. What is mad is that no-one is around late in April but it is always a faff to find accommodation because so many hotels have also closed for the season too.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
davidof wrote:
@jbob, but they don't open all their lifts but there are always lots of other projects going on over the summer too. What is mad is that no-one is around late in April but it is always a faff to find accommodation because so many hotels have also closed for the season too.
We're not
One problem is that the Tourist Offices often won't promote that period. They are often heavily reliant on and influenced by the lift companies who don't much care if anyone comes or not when they're not running. To an extent, they're sticking their heads in the sand and will need to move to all year business and one that's not so reliant on the lifts. Some won't rise to that challenge and some lift companies will probably take out significant sections of the local economies.
More responsive and reactive stations will probably be successful, the local example given here is Moléson. They can fill their car parks in October or May, skiing is just one of the things you can do there for part of the year
We're expecting to be ski touring well into May down here in Serre Che
Though does depend on whether the required overnight freeze happens.
Mind you we're still waiting for classic Spring conditions to kick in.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I take the point about high altitude resorts like Tignes, Val D' Isere, Val Thorens being open late into April and even May. I have had several enjoyable Easter trips there with family in the past. My plan was to spend a few days at La Rosiere (new to me) in the week starting April 14th. But then I learned that the Italian side of the San Bernardo ski pass (ie La Thuile), closes on 15th April. I wondered, given the great season this has been for snow, whether these dates are fixed in stone. Hence the post.
From the replies I can see that skiing resorts are ponderous machines to get up and running and they won't respond well to Micky Rooney calls to action. Which is a shame.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
chomski wrote:
La Rosiere is not a big place. Would it be worth a visit on its own?
La Rosiere is south facing.
After all it is free
After all it is free
chomski wrote:
From the replies I can see that skiing resorts are ponderous machines to get up and running and they won't respond well to Micky Rooney calls to action. Which is a shame.
If that's the message you're taking away the I think you're missing the point. The point is that people stop going skiing. The local ski stores are clearing out the ski stock and putting the summer stuff in. The more specialised stores with touring business are doing good business of course.
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@ise, do the Swiss have the perceived French malaise as well ?
It's a conversation that often crops up, once we're in inter season all the restaurants, hotels, bars etc close and no-one chooses to open, even English run businesses.
The fact that May and June can be superb as well as Autumn and yet for visitors be they ski tourers / cyclists / ramblers / climbers there's nothing for them.
You only have to look at the likes of Cornwall and a whole host of other regions and they stay open throughout the year, helped by the "nearly dead's" as a friend who lives down there calls them
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Quote:
The point is that people stop going skiing.
this is true. It always used to be the case that St.Anton would stay open until the first weekend in May. I used to really enjoy skiing there on the last weekend where you basically had the place to yourself. That, of course, being the reason why they stopped doing it! Still, they are open till 22 April this year which is not so bad.
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Steilhang wrote:
It always used to be the case that St.Anton would stay open until the first weekend in May.
It's the same at the start of the season as well, a lot of stations have dialled that back. You find midweek that it's a bunch of locals eating their sandwiches on the lift
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
@chomski, I’ve skied La Rosiere and personally wouldn’t bother.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
chomski wrote:
My plan was to spend a few days at La Rosiere (new to me) in the week starting April 14th.
I've cycled through la Ros in mid May and there have been walls of snow either side of the road. It is a good ride from Bsm over to la Thuile than back up the back road.
Our biggest local resort, les 7 Laux, used to open to the first weekend of May, back in the day, and every year you can ski tour from the bottom of the runs in mid May thanks to the remains of the snow-making. This lets you access the high Belledonne valleys which keep their snow to July.
But not any more, they got the acountants in a few years ago who said that the second the number of LP sold per day went below a certain number they should lay everyone off and shut up shop, so they can close in the first week of April with 6 weeks skiing left but hardly any punters. Chamrousse normally goes to the second half of April due to contracts with TOs, again I've ski toured from the resort base in June - and it's south facing.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@ise, @weathercam. The Micky Rooney clip was not meant to cast aspersions but merely to advertise my own naivety in assuming that ski lifts could be turned on and off at will, and for failing to understand that the skiing business involves a lot of people, with different interests.
Quote:
If that's the message you're taking away the I think you're missing the point. The point is that people stop going skiing
Well.. a very good way to stop people going skiing is to close the lifts. My original post was based on the innocent speculation that late season good snow might attract sufficient skiers to keep the lifts open a bit longer. But I guess it doesn't.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
davidof wrote:
@jbob, but they don't open all their lifts but there are always lots of other projects going on over the summer too. What is mad is that no-one is around late in April but it is always a faff to find accommodation because so many hotels have also closed for the season too.
I noticed that in Switzerland, Saas Fee maybe, that most hotels seem to close mid/late March despite the fact that the ski resort that they serve is open for another 3/4 weeks
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
chomski wrote:
Well.. a very good way to stop people going skiing is to close the lifts. My original post was based on the innocent speculation that late season good snow might attract sufficient skiers to keep the lifts open a bit longer. But I guess it doesn't.
That's still the wrong way around, people stop skiing by March not because the lifts aren't running, just that they get onto doing different things.
People are already stopping going skiing, the mainstream stores are already removing all the ski gear (in a skip for some rental gear at a place I passed yesterday). Easter is a little late this year, it makes a long season but it drags for most ski stations. The later Easter is, the fewer people visit and the empty weeks stretch out.
Really skiing outside of February is something of a minority interest as it always has been.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Penry wrote:
davidof wrote:
@jbob, but they don't open all their lifts but there are always lots of other projects going on over the summer too. What is mad is that no-one is around late in April but it is always a faff to find accommodation because so many hotels have also closed for the season too.
I noticed that in Switzerland, Saas Fee maybe, that most hotels seem to close mid/late March despite the fact that the ski resort that they serve is open for another 3/4 weeks
Some of them close for a couple of weeks in January as well. Not much demand.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
@ise, It seems weird to have the two so out of synch. If there are no punters, why does the resort stay open for a further month?
We've finally found our hotel for the last week-end in Val d'Isere. Hotel Altitude. Hoping the weather will be good.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@davidof, take the bike as insurance
After all it is free
After all it is free
Penry wrote:
But the hotels aren't open for Easter, so are all the skiers day trippers?
I'm not too surprised. If you have to pay staff etc then it's hardly worth it.
We're only talking about the 90% of mountain stations of course, the other 10% of stations that 90% of Germans and Brit's go to do a bit better.
On a similar note, I was booking some accommodation for some me & clients in August in the Dolomites in the peak week, the prices are astronomic. Made my eyes water until I recalled I wasn't paying. Normally in the same area a couple of weeks earlier or later I'd pay about 25-30% of the same price.
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@ise, The reason I'm asking is that I can get away first week in April next year and Switzerland has the altitude and the ski areas but not the accommodation. Apart from a few big name resorts, as you mention.
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Easter is very late next year. Should be fine. I'd not bother booking for a year though.
A lot of property doesn't list more than a year ahead. Somewhere like Zermatt or Verbier sell so far in advance they might list.
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