 Poster: A snowHead
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I'm planning a ski/board trip with a friend from 22 to 29 April this year, the dates are fixed because the person I am going with is not able to travel before then for good reasons.
I am looking at recommendations of where to go, with the following considerations:
Ski lifts open until 28 April
Good snow quality as likely as reasonably possible
Preferably within driving reach of the UK (an overnight stop to split the journey is ok), would consider short flights at a push
Preferably not France (I'm fine with France but my friend is keen to go somewhere else), also if we were going to France I wouldn't be asking and instead I'd plan to book somewhere last minute in Tignes, L2A or VT (depending on snow forecasts/conditions)
Preferably somewhere with more than just a glacier open
Preferably somewhere with a few resorts to choose from, ideally on a shared lift pass (not essential)
Preferably somewhere with cheap deals on good quality end of season accommodation (not essential but it's nice to get a bargain)
I'm happy with any out there suggestions although long hall is certainly not on the cards.
Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Henwc wrote: |
Preferably within driving reach of the UK (an overnight stop to split the journey is ok), would consider short flights at a push
Preferably not France (I'm fine with France but my friend is keen to go somewhere else), also if we were going to France I wouldn't be asking and instead I'd plan to book somewhere last minute in Tignes, L2A or VT (depending on snow forecasts/conditions)
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It would be helpful if you could be more specific about what compromises you're prepared to make in this regard, what you consider driving reach of the UK, what sort of flight time/distance from airport you'd consider, etc. Because otherwise the best available options are the ones you've listed. Is Zermatt/Cervinia easy enough for you to reach, for example?
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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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Well, no one is going to be surprised if I suggest Verbier in the Swiss Quatre Vallées. 8½ hours drive time from Calais with a half-way point by time somewhere between Troyes and Besançon if you want an overnight. You'd need to check the resort website to see what exactly is and isn't open closer to the time. There is cheaper accommodation available at Le Chable in the valley, which has the gondola up to Verbier from its car park/railway station. Verbier is at 1500m at the base of the ski area, and the sector summit is Mt.Fort at 3,330m
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Thanks Both
On driving reach we'd probably stop off in Kent and get a super early tunnel, so anything unto about 12h from Calais is possible.
Flight time is pretty flexible just not North America, I'd say 3/4 hours would be ok
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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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Sweden?
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I think most of Europe will be pretty bad by late April - the snow base is generally low and its getting too late in the year to significantly change this, granted the situation may change but you seldom make a base in March. I would not be booking anything until much closer to the time, it is dead low season and you will have the run of most resorts that are still open.
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We are very open to flying to Sweden or Norway or similar.
I originally discounted it because I thought the long days at the end of April might ruin the snow? but I am very happy to be wrong on that point
My friend would be super happy heading there
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| Henwc wrote: |
We are very open to flying to Sweden or Norway or similar.
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If you board and don’t like drags, these might not be the places for you.
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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.
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I'm a skier and my friend is the boarder. He doesn't like drags much but he'd also prefer not going to Tignes (purely to experience a different ski culture, it's pretty hard to make a case against the skiing/boarding in Tignes)
So I suspect he'd accept the drags happily
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@LaForet, Sadly it appears that the Verbier lifts close on the 23rd April (https://verbier4vallees.ch/V4V-Website/Documents/Horaires-installations/HORAIRES_HIVER_22-23_EN.pdf).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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ischgl
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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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That late you are likely to have to rely on a glacier to be sure of good conditions. It does quite often happen that there is plenty of snow lower down, but not that reliably.
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Below glacier level resorts will always hedge their "piste closure" dates and even before final closure, some lifts and pistes will be closing down, even if snow is good, to save cash.
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You know it makes sense.
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@pam w, or just cos lifties are on fixed contracts
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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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I agree about the point on Glaciers and closing runs, I know we can't avoid it, I'm just aiming to make the most of what we can get.
From the various comments (and further research) it sounds like the best options are Zermatt/Saas Fee, west Austria, resorts in Norway to the east of Bergen or possibly Sweden. I'll look into Sweden but I don't know it well enough to get a feel for the right Airport to aim for.
We have a rough plan to drive to western Austria but I think it's best to be as flexible as possible and keep an eye on the snow conditions. If anywhere else springs to mind please let me know.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Henwc, both Ischgl and Solden should still have a lot open by then. Most of their runs are over 2000 metres.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Zermatt is great in April with its height, weather and mountain restaurants. Not cheap though!
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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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You could do 3 days in andermatt amd 3 days in Engelberg
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@Henwc, we often do the last week of the season in Saas Fee and always have a blast. Some years we are skiing powder, sometimes it’s so warm that a long lunch/download on the lifts is in order. But it is always a glorious place in the spring.
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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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@Henwc,
Tignes or Hintertux (Tux).
For Hintertux you could stay down at Mayerhofen. Should be like spring down in Mayerhoffen but only 30 min drive to Tux gondola.
Mayerhoffen will have lots of accom but the town will be very quiet by then as it will just be Tux slopes open by those dates (Its part of the Zillertal area in the Winter)
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Thanks all, @zikomo do you know if the run down to the village in Saas Fee stays open if there is enough snow? I guess the mid station is a reasonably good bet for April either way?
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@Henwc,
Won't be much still open in the Alps that late, especially if you are discounting France.
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If you fly to the Alos, just watch out for transfers, all the buses etc will have finished so you’ll need a hire car or somewhere achievable by train. I’d drive to Tignes, quelle surprise!
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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.
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Trysil closes April 23rd - Are closes 1st May so prob your best bet
Skied Trysil this time last month and the snow was plentiful and silly good - haven't skied Are but according to the Swedes we met in Trysil its even better and the beer is cheaper!
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In the end we followed those that advised Ischgl and the trip was excellent, we lost the final Friday to rain up the mountain but plenty of excellent snow was available up to that point and so we were still happy.
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