 Poster: A snowHead
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Now that we have done a black run Xscape is losing its appeal !
I'm hoping for a few days on the slopes in in the week before Easter, 8th to 15th April. Probably not the whole week because I will get earache from my non-skiing wife. But my 19 yr old son and I would love a few more days before this season closes.
Its the snow that is most important to us, nightlife, shops & scenery are unimportant (as proof of this we loved Bansko).
We are near Gatwick but could fly from City, Stanstead, Heathrow or Luton if we have to.
Has anyone got any suggestions? Perhaps a low cost airline to Geneva, Chambery, Lyons, etc, then a regular bus service to a resort likley to have snow that week ? Any type of accomodation will do so long as it is good value.
What about driving, how many miles from Calais to the nearest resort likely to have snow ? But I suppose it'll be 12 hours driving so maybe not.
All suggestions/ recommendations/ offers, welcome.
Mike
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I am planning a short getaway just before easter w/end: BA to Geneva, staying somewhere (anywhere!) in Valais, using the hire car to get to where the snow is. Staying down in the valley much cheaper than up in one particular resort where snow may be iffy anyway. If you've got the car then you can ski a different resort each day. Easy enough to check snow conditions on the internet, then a 45 min drive to any number of places: Champery, Verbier, Crans-Montana, even hop across the border to Chamonix.
If nightlife not important then you won't be getting hammered in the evening anyway, which is the main obstacle to a hire car sno-fari as you need to be up early!
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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?
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the ice perv, Excuse my ignorance but are the resorts you mention fairly snow sure ? And I can't find Valais on Multimap, is it a large town, do you mean Port-Valais ?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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The Valais is a canton of Switzerland 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Valais is a big chunk of south-west Switzerland, roughly the bit which borders the french and italian frontiers. (Canton is swiss for chunk apparently.)
Champery connects into Avoriaz across the border in France, which is pretty snowsure. Verbier and C-M have glaciers. There is also the glacier at Les Diablerets. And there are loads of lower areas which "should" have some terrain open, enough for a day anyway. Across the border in Chamonix Argentiere should be open.
So long as you don't mind driving up to resort in the morning, I guess this is as good an area as any for a late season cheeky one. Check conditions just before you go (or while you're there if poss) and away you go. myswitzerland.com is good for snow reports.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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mike.healy, before Easter isn't late season it's high season. Pretty much every resort in France will still a good depth of snow by then. There's over 3 metres in La Rosiere at the moment, which doesn't close until the 23rd April and I know there'll still be lots of snow left but no lifts running. It's really strange at the moment we have the best conditions all season and no-one seems to be interested in skiing in March. One of my contacts at Iglu was telling me they're really quiet at the moment, just doesn't make sense.
Ryanair were offering flights to Grenoble from Stanstead for £0.79p out and £9.99 back this week, with taxes it totals around £40.00. Shuttle bus form the airport to the Gare and a train to Bourg St Maurice, take about 3 hrs and cost about 30 Euros and the Tarentaise is your oyster. We've got space in Le Mouflon for w/c 26th March and we'd be happy to work out a rate for a few nights.
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mike.healy, We'll have loads of snow still, and fit your requirements. It will be fairly busy though.
I actually think the ice perv, has a good idea. You could stay in Sion or Sierre for Verbier, Crans-Montana and sundry other spots int he vicinity. Don't know about Val d'Anniviers that late, but another one to add to the list perhaps. If you stayed down in the towns your non-skiing wife might be less bored, and could choose whether to come up to resort with you. From Sierre you could also ski Zermatt for the day if you got up early.
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If we go in April, Mrs H won't want to come.
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