 Poster: A snowHead
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Thinking of booking a week in Morzine 31st March-6th April next year fro two couples, a teen and three babies. Really it's me and the other mum who want to snowboard and care most about snow conditions. Anyone got any advice about what Morzine is like that time of year?
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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 don't think it is the best option. It is on the low side and depending where the accommodation is you would probably have to take ski buses to get to the lifts. Whilst the snow might be good higher up in Avoriaz it would take time to get back from there to whatever childcare you had arranged for the babies. Although it might be worth looking at going with Family Ski in Ardent if you want to ski in the Portes du soleil. I haven't stayed in their accommodation but the set up looks good and well placed and they offer childcare.
I would suggest looking at Val Cenis, Sainte Foy and Montgenevre for that week.
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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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Thanks @snowymum! We'll be leaving the babies with their dads while we ride and vice versa so childcare isn't a problem. It's more about finding reliable snow. We usually go to Morzine much earlier in the year and I'm clueless about snow conditions any other time! I'll look at the other three places you mentioned too - many thanks, again!
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Avoriaz will be fine - the Pleney/Les Gets side may be a bit slushy low down - but we skied down to Prodains on 16/4 this year and it was ok. You pretty much always need to get a bus in Morzine - either to the centre for Super M or Pleney, or up to Prodains for the lift up into Avoriaz, or Ardent for the gondola.
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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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@Goofybiscuit, I would go with @andy from embsay, s advice on the Portes du soleil as I have only been there in summer so was thinking in terms of Morzine's altitude and what snow conditions have been like in the nearby Grand Massif where we have often skied in early April.
I have been to the other three resorts I mentioned in the first week of April and they were good. Val Cenis slushy at the very bottom but it goes up to 2800m so one can normally find good snow higher up. Sainte Foy is a smaller ski area but very family orientated.
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With swapping baby care (which sounds like a very good arrangement) I would think it would be better to be somewhere up higher, more likely to have snow reasonably close.
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Pretty much endorse what everyone else says. While weather in April can go either way, Morzine's low altitude means there is a very high probability you won't find snow anywhere near the village.
And as @snowymum and@andy from embsay say, the ribbon nature of the village means you will be lucky to find accommodation close to the lifts which means 2 buses and a lift to make it to Avoriaz if snow is only reliable from 1600 or so metres.
(But to be fair, there is also the possibility that there is skiable snow - possibly soft - at the top of the Pleney and SuperMorzine lifts which puts you no worse than you would be under perfect conditions as long as you then don't drop too low).
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Id stay in Avoriaz at that time of year - much nicer up there in the sun and easy enough for non-skiers to go down to Morzine if they wanted to.
And my recommended option would be - just you and the other mum go and enjoy yourselves. No point carting everyone over if they’re not up for it.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Goofybiscuit, Normally Morzine is warm and Sunny in April.
The Pleney is nice and green (but as boarders who cares about the Pleney sector, its for beginner skiers), the lifts open late, the town has a relaxed end of term party feel about it.
In Morzine I normally go up from the skate park car park in the lift (10:30 ish, when the crust has melted), then up via SM, pretty mellow start then board around Lindarets (Stash) over Chauf to Plaine Dranse and Linga, the top end of Abricotine Valley (Mosettes) over to the free ride areas in the Fornet, back around via La Chapelle Park etc... Finish off with drink at the top of the Gondola overlooking the town. Have to say it's a pretty agreeable vibe.
Morzine has better childcare options that Avoriaz, and I've spent a few end of seasons in both, and prefer Morzine ( one not too commonly mentioned thing is that all of the horse-poo which gets covered in snow during the season begins to rise to the surface as the snow subsides, and this gives Avoriaz its own very special April aroma).
That being said, my friends who are "serious skiers" will go out at the crack of sparrows (when people on holiday should still be wearing pjs), and stop at 11 saying "The snow was rubbish".
What they mean is that their skis normally do all the work for them, and once a little technique is required to turn, they give up and take their football home.
Theres loads of higher, windswept, tree-free resorts with greater snow depths in April, but as a recreational boarder, I'm pretty happy with enjoying the sunshine, the lack of queues, the lack of serious skiers, the slush & sunny afternoon beers etc ... but to each ones own.
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That sounds v pleasant, @WindOfChange, but maybe not so good if you're looking to swap child care at mid-day. I wasn't clear from the OP whether the dads were skiers/boarders or just happy to potter around in the nice spring weather.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Goofybiscuit wrote: |
| Thanks @snowymum! We'll be leaving the babies with their dads while we ride and vice versa so childcare isn't a problem. It's more about finding reliable snow. We usually go to Morzine much earlier in the year and I'm clueless about snow conditions any other time! I'll look at the other three places you mentioned too - many thanks, again! |
There are much better options than Morzine in April if your priority is reliable snow! From Geneva What about Val Thorens or Tignes? Or alternatively Les Arcs/La Plagne? Resorts up and over 2000m with most of the skiing between 2000 and 3000m. You’ll typically find much better snow conditions 1000m higher in April.
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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.
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@pam w, My bad. Morzine famously has lots of nannies (I am pretty sure that the Dutch staff in our resto had some kind of nanny related league table) and in April there ought to be plenty available.
It seems strange to do the whole baby swap thing when the opportunity exists to all go out boarding together and leave the childcare to the professionals.
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| Quote: |
It seems strange to do the whole baby swap thing when the opportunity exists to all go out boarding together and leave the childcare to the professionals.
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Not strange to me. Apart from any weird stuff about actually wanting to spend holiday time with your kids (important for working parents!) we could never have afforded to pay professionals, whether at home or on holiday.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Goofybiscuit,
That late in the season I'd go for a high resort.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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Please put me down as a bad parent
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Of course I don't "put you down as a bad parent" but please don't put me and others down as "strange".
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| WindOfChange wrote: |
| [qAnecdotally, one of the kids was at uni in Geneva for a semester so we scrimped and saved to pay for accommodation for him, and in 4 months he only spent 5 nights there, choosing instead do come back up the valley every night instead. |
Classic abandonment response due to early childhood trauma of being left alone, probably in a ski resort
Creche 
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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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I respect @Goofybiscuit's group's concerns. Our first ski trip with our daughter (age about 6 months) looked after by a chalet nanny was really quite stressful - but it gave us the confidence to go on skiing every year. I can see why an in-house arrangement might be preferable.
For the babies, it is clear that late season is good for playing outdoorsa, and they will probably sleep better at lower altitude. But April is risky for ski (or snowboard) conditions. There isn't a perfect solution but (if you are still not yet booked) the closest would be somewhere low altitude but with a single lift to access 1600m+ slopes. My first thought from places we have been was Le Praz (Courcheval) but that is 1300m, higher than Morzine. Anyone with better ideas?
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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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| Quote: |
Classic abandonment response due to early childhood trauma of being left alone, probably in a ski resort creche
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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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@Goofybiscuit,
If you can afford it, Go and stay at Chilly powder in Prodains.
Disclaimer that I used to work for them. they have catered and self catered options and could prob do 'flexicatered' too.
They have their own in house creche ran by their own professional and fully qualified nannies.
You pay for the pleasure, location, child care etc but would mean all of you including the babies have a fab holiday.
Short transfer so easy with the babies/kids etc.
Options to so half day or full day nannies.
Chilly powder can sort your holiday and have all the cots, bottle warmers, High chairs and Chefs to blend food etc etc etc.
They have been providing family friendly holidays for a couple of decades.
Good food, good wine, good staff, hot tubs and ski/board all the way more or less back to teh Chalet from Avoriaz on the 'Crot' piste.
At the start of the day, Prodains is great for easy and quick access to the higher part of the Portes du Soleil (Avoriaz, Pre la joux part of Chatel and Les Crossets in Switzerland). So no faffing about on buses/navettes.
Other option could be 'Family ski' at Ardent. Again, good loctaion like prodains for accessing the higher slopes of Avoriaz etc with a decent company set up for 1st family ski holiday with wee one's.
https://www.chillypowder.com/
info@chillypowder.com
https://familyski.co.uk/chalets/chalets-in-ardent/
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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In April you can have everything from 1m of snow in Morzine to there not being any snow at all on the home runs, with the average being no snow in town but enough slush to just about keep the home runs open. Up in Avoriaz you shouldn't have any concerns about having snow, though like everywhere it's condition will depend on the vagaries of the weather.
Which is the best base for you will depend what you mean by "babies" and also how you mean to swap between skiing and babysitting dutues with the dads.
First up if you're planning to meet up and swap roles at lunch time then you'd waste too much time just getting between Morzine and Avoriaz for Morzine to be a sensible place to be based, so stay up in Avoriaz. If you're doing one day on/one day off instead then Morzine should still be on the table and it comes down to the 'babies' question. If they really are babies then I'd stay in Morzine - there's just so much more to do to entertain both baby and carer, it's easier to get around, and you'll still be able to get to snow for the couple of minutes it will entertain the little ones. But if we're actually talking about 'young children' then I'd probably go for Avoriaz - nothing like being able to step out the apartment, drop them in the snow, and watch them amuse themselves for hours.
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FAQ
