 Poster: A snowHead
|
Picking up a couple of threads below and in 'Resorts' there have been one or two suggestions that week 3 and 4 of March are risky for booking ahead. Surely the season has been ok even in France to allow decent cover to last well into April.
La Clusaz and Samoens are on my list, but I am getting worried now!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
lisach, check out the historical snow records for the resorts you're interested in. Whilst they can't help predict what could happen they will give a historical perspective of what you could reasonably expect on the week you go.
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Fri 24-02-06 11:37; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Late March is my favourite time to ski Whistler, but I guess that doesn't really help you as you want to ski France 
I would have guessed that you'd have nice spring-skiing conditions at the worst, and full-on winter powder conditions at the best, but I could definitely be wrong, as I've never skied in Europe.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
lisach, I wouldn't worry about it. Even in a bad year, there's still been some snow at the end of March.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
lisach, Samoens is linked to Flaine, and I'd be gobsmacked if they didn't have snow there through to the end of March and probably the end of April for that matter.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
As a relative newcomer I share Lisacha's concerns. There appears only one month that all agree offers the best snow, and then we get too much causing dangerous conditions, moreover its school holiday time and to be 'avoided' so my basic summary based on my ski 'guide' book:
November - too early, go high although it will be rocky or go the US/Canada
December - likely too early, again go high glacier resorts or US/Canada
January - better but very cold and icy, very short days, or go to the US/Canada
February - best conditions, however likely heavy snow and hence closed resorts, high avalanche risks, school holidays, busy, expensive
March - starting to warm up, concerns for lower resorts, soft in the afternoon and icy in the morning, or go to the US/Canada!
April - no idea!!!
So without the option of crossing the atlantic it could be argued there is a window of just 4-6 weeks when Europe is perfect, based on some posts on this site and the opinions of various guide books.
Of course I know this is wrong as I have found great conditions at every time I have been, after all you don't actually need 300cm of snow to ski on! But for a novice I can see this subject being confusing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
micksup, there's miserymongers wherever you look. have been at all times of the season. I've had the worst conditions at February half term. My preferred time is mid-January, but that wouldn't have held up this year. Taking Serre Chevalier and La Plagne as examples, as that's where I've skied most.
La Plagne - March-warm, sunny, icy in the morning, slushy in the afternoon.
Early January-bare slopes, limited skiing, cold
Late January-good snow, cold
New Year-limited snow cover, good when it did snow though, couldn't ski down to village.
Serre Chevalier-Easter-loads of snow, warm weather, slushy low down in the afternoon, good snow high up.(2001)
February-little snow, bars slopes, crowds, (2002)
January-fantastic snow, loads of it, cold but sunny. (2003)
Easter-reasonable snow, but not as good as last time, still plenty to keep us occupied (2004)
January-although a bad season, it had snowed 40cm the night before we arrived, and we got the best snow of the Winter (2005)
Xmas/New Year -snow not brilliant at first,hard and icy most days, loads of snow on NY eve, great skiing until we left. (2006)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Quote: |
| lisach, I wouldn't worry about it. Even in a bad year, there's still been some snow at the end of March. |
Ha! Unless, of course, you choose a resort having it's worst snow in 30-ish years...
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
micksup, The way I look at it, you aren't guranteed good snow at any time, it's all down to luck. Of course, you can hedge your bets by picking the historically best times which would give you mid-Jan to end of Feb. However, looking at the historical records you usually get late snow due to chaging weather conditions approaching Spring. From memory there has always been a dump of snow of significant size between mid-march and the beginning of April in may places in the alps.
If you go to France in European holiday times, you're asking for trouble in my book. Hyper-inflated prices, huge queues unless you know how to avoid them and crowded slopes. Weather is often indifferent too. I'm a self-confessed late season addict, even though it occasionally almost costs me my sanity. Weather is better, light lasts longer, slopes less crowded, prices lower... even a chance of late powder (which we had last year on a couple of days even though it didn't last long)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
carled, I don't think there was much snow anywhere else either.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
There was looooooads in Austria, as my group kept reminding me all week... 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
micksup, the season typically lasts for 20 weeks in La Rosiere, which means it opens by the 2nd or 3rd week of Dec and closes in the last week of April, that wouldn't happen if the resort wasn't confident it could run the lifts and have everything that guests expect in place, it just costs too much. Usually there's still snow through May and the pass to Italy doesn't open until mid June! There's snow from Nov but what's the point of opening or staying open if there are no visitors. There are some photos on our gallery of RobW in thigh deep powder on the 18th Dec and not another skier in sight, whilst snow cannot be guaranteed and it can be variable, the ski club records show that we usually have over 2metres of snow at altitude through most of the season. In fact we often have have snow when nearby resorts are struggling, you can always tell what conditions are like in other resorts by the number of ski-instructors from those resorts that you see on the slopes, last season we were seeing instructors from as far away as Courchevel and Meribel.
I wouldn't worry too much but I wouldn't take the ski reports issued by the various Tourist Offices too seriously. carled, is quite right late season is invariably better and you can often get fresh snowfalls quite late into April.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
micksup,
| Quote: |
November - too early, go high although it will be rocky or go the US/Canada
December - likely too early, again go high glacier resorts or US/Canada
January - better but very cold and icy, very short days, or go to the US/Canada
February - best conditions, however likely heavy snow and hence closed resorts, high avalanche risks, school holidays, busy, expensive
March - starting to warm up, concerns for lower resorts, soft in the afternoon and icy in the morning, or go to the US/Canada!
April - no idea!!!
|
November - Glaciers only (EU or US). COLD
Dec- Go high. US COLD
Jan - Anywhere -
Feb - Anywhere - US not so cold
Mar - Anywhere
Apr - Depends - probably need to go a little higher
May - Go high - but I've skied down to Val D' the first week of May - down OK - and yes it was open.
The ski season does NOT finish on Mar 30.....you'll have great conditions throughout April. Spring snow late morning, slushy bumps in the afternoon - does it get any better ? 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
April is a great time to go skiing (although I probably shouldn't advertise this too much). Long days, lots of sunshine and I've had some of my best days off-piste in that month. One April week in Chamonix we had two dumps which left a**e deep snow at the top of Grands Montets. I recently had a great powder day in Alpe d'Huez in mid-April too.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
As a rule, Ive rarely skiied in the Alps earlier than March. Our annual trip has usually been around the 10th/12th March, generally to Tignes, and we've seen powder on the Sache and always had fresh snowfall whilst we're there. Also had a week in La Plagne in 2004 when it snowed (significantly) every day bar our last one. I think we arrived around 18th/19th March. Plenty of fun to be had in March
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
I think that ski has mentioned the main issue in his post. The season does NOT end at the end of March... neither does it end simply when the UK tour ops decide it does. If you are prepared to break away from the milling flock and do independent travel then the ski season only ends when the lift companies hit the big red "off" button!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
carled, you shsould tell your group to organise the trip if they didn't like it. A tough job pleaseing everyone innit?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
We have gone skiing in March in France or Switzerland nearly every year in the last twenty and have only had really poor snow once, at Morgins in PDS (which I am never going to bother to go back to). Even then it was still possible to ski if you hopped in the car and went elsewhere.
A few years it has not been great and we have not seen a lot of fresh powder in mid-March, nevertheless we have never had a bad skiing holiday in March. Off to Meribel on 5th March for a fortnight (Hurrah!!!) and expecting another good one this year.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
| Quote: |
My preferred time is mid-January, but that wouldn't have held up this year.
|
Depends where - the snow was good all through January in the Espace Diamant (Val D'Arly) with everything open, everything covered, no rocks (because it's mostly pasture). I was there all January and did spot one small patch of ice from a chairlift one day - clearly marked with warning posts. It's very localised, and as David@traxvax has pointed out, some resorts have good snow records despite lack of high altitude ski-ing. I think the last half of March is probably the absolute best bet for likelihood of both good snow and enjoyable weather. But if you can wait and book at the last minute, do. The "go high" advice in December may be correct, most years, but not this year. My son is in Val D'Isere for the season and high ski-ing there wasn't anything like as good as low ski-ing in lots of other places. There are no guarantees but you'll be extremely unlucky not to find some good things in late March, especially as the forecast at present is continuing cold. Last year it took several weeks of baking hot temperatures to really mess up a good base on-piste. Off-piste suffered earlier, obviously, but the deckchairs were bliss.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
This year so far I have had the week before Christmas at Val D (very little off-piste, but the pistes were ok thanks to the artificial snow) and a week at Alpe d'huez at half term (poor snow to begin with but then almost too much (I did say almost!). Of the two weeks I enjoyed Val much more, but that has more to do with the numbers of people than the conditions.
I was told (on here I think) that it's a common misunderstanding to expect 'high' resorts to offer better conditions early on. In fact the higher resorts need more snow (as they tend to be stone and rock) than the lower 'meadows' so for a given snow fall the lower resorts will be skiable sooner. The higher ones do tend to hold the snow longer of course which makes them a better bet for late season - with the glacier resorts offering (limited) summer skiing.
At alpe'dhuez last week the higher pistes had all been scraped clear by the wind so the best skiing was initially lower down, then when the dumps did arrive it was too windy/foggy and the risk of avalanche was such that they closed most of the upper runs anway!
Next trip for us is April 8th to Heavenly, Lake Tahoe, I just hope the 3mtrs they have already lasts out!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| pam w wrote: |
| The "go high" advice in December may be correct, most years, but not this year |
Nor the season before. If it's cold enough (and it often is) it will snow everywhere, but before there's any great accumulation it can be scoured from high, exposed faces. In the trees is the place to be when it's actually snowing anyway. I guess a place with a large vertical range is the most fail-safe but, even then, local factors come into play.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| AxsMan wrote: |
| I was told (on here I think) that it's a common misunderstanding to expect 'high' resorts to offer better conditions early on. In fact the higher resorts need more snow (as they tend to be stone and rock) than the lower 'meadows' so for a given snow fall the lower resorts will be skiable sooner. |
Isn't it related to why there are poor snow conditions, rather than hard and fast rules. If the problem is one of unseasonably warm temperatures, high resorts will be better (other things being equal) because they will have colder average temperartures at the top of their ski areas. If it is a problem of lower than average precipitation, resorts with lots of pastureland skiing will probably offer better skiing in thin snow conditions than high altitude resorts who have more rocky terrain to cover.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
rob@rar.org.uk, Absolutely. I was just trying to dispel the myth that high always = better snow, early or late.
Going forward our plan is not to book at any resort until at most two weeks before we leave. That way we can stand a chance of going where the snow is, and if we can avoid school holidays there will always be a good choice of rooms available (and we get to leave the kids with the in-laws!) - result 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
|
I was over in LesArc at school half term (staying in Vallandry). It was remarkably quite - hardly any long lift queues at all. Even late on in the week when it was snowing a lot and windy so most of the higher lifts were closed the queues were even shorter. Why is it that people who have probably paid a fortune for their one week a years skiing can't be bothered when the weather turns a little poor? I was expecting it to be busier and to meet big queues at some of the obvious choke points - we never did.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dave Horsley, from my jaunts to Megève this year, I have the impression that things are quieter than usual, even in fine weather with plenty of snow. Absolutely agree about taking the weather as it comes - even found a Frenchman (from Paris) who agreed, on the Christommet chairlift in a blizzard (bemoaning his family staying snug in a chalet).
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
sounds like late booking is the key... which isnt good if your thinking of booking someones apartment who needs to know well in advance!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Royal, late booking is all part of the business. Some weeks will book well in advance others will stay vacant until the last minute. For example, I've just had a request for Christmas already, we haven't even thought ahead what our own plans will be yet. Half-term weeks were booked by October, even though the apartment wasn't finished!!! (and yes they all knew). As for January, most of it was empty (and I couldn't use it). March is booking up fast.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
sounds like a good investment ?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
Royal, seems like it so far, ideally i would like some Summer bookings before I can answer that one. I just want to cover the costs and have some nice holidays. I have spent quite a lot of time making sure you can google it, and putting it on some listing sites, as well as the website.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
Helen Beaumont, what listing sites have you stuck it on? Just English or French ones too? For reference, I tend to go for the French search engines when looking as I believe they will be more complete, therefore Abritel.fr, Chalet-Montagne.com and Mediavacances.com are my usual reference points. If anyone knows of any other good gite/chalet/apartment search engines... let me know please!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
carled, currently listed on www.homelidays.com (I have had 3 French bookings from there), www.chaletsdirect.com (lots of enquiries, and 1 booking) and internet-cottages.com (this was f.o.c. as the guy uses the same online booking system as I do). I tried holidaylets on a free trial but not successful. Also some free advertising on www.j2ski.com as well as my snowShops entry. Some of the sites were just too expensive.
|
|
|
|
|
|
brian
brian
Guest
|
|
|
|
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?
|
lisach, I really don't understand why you're getting worried - it can, and frequently does, snow anywhere at any time, and as a resort that's always open until the end of April we find it faintly ridiculous that people wonder if they can ski in March! Last several easters (I have good kids then) we've skied powder most days and actually got sick of snow - we wanted some sun!!! skied La Grave on 8 May 2005 and back down this side (we were closed at the time). I've skied a number of places in the alps very late (May), and never had a problem.
Don't let the TOs con you. You can have good or bad snow anywhere at any time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Tour Operators stop running ski trips as soon as they can divert their charter flights to beach resorts instead. Somehow they reckon this makes them more money.
Has absolutely no relationship to the amount of skiing still available.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
There should still be enough snow, I've been to La Clusaz in April and there was enough then.,
It's an awesome resort!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
There will be no snow in Haute Savoie after the 6th of April. This is to coincide with the delivery of my new bike. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RobW, Thats the way it is, sorry mate, it's all you skiers or me and my new bike, i'm the Daddy, so you lot lose. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
RobW, don't worry, the SMALLZOOKEEPER is a figment of his own imagination. I've been in his shop several times, no-one knows who he is and there isn't a woolly mammoth in sight. Nor any other animals beyond a rather cute snowbunny. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
lisach, Samoens shoulf be fine - resort is open until 3rd week in April and I'm sure last year they had their biggest dump of the season at the beginning of April. If you need an apartment in Samoens let me know
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
or 