 Poster: A snowHead
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After a few years of not skiing, for various reasons, I’m now beginning to plan for next season, probably two trips. The first will be a simple late booking, early to mid-January and I’m not too concerned about finding somewhere with good snow. The main trip has to be w/c 23/3 or later. I haven’t skied in March for many, many years and am trying to narrow down resorts (with all the usual caveats) likely to have decent conditions so that I can start researching. We’d be a group of 4, maybe 6, like a nice hotel, with good food, maybe a pool, not a schlep to lifts or piste, apres of the FD variety not needed but a decent bar or two, table dancing welcome  . Skiing-wise, we’re all good intermediates (or I was last time I did it!), like cruisy runs, no need for gnarl, if a bigger linked area, easy to get around. I’m particularly interested in Austria or Italy. Ideas welcome, TIA.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Montan, I would suggest, unless it's a disastrous season, pretty much anywhere will have good snow cover.
I'd use table dancing as my main criterion.
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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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@under a new name,  I was thinking of Canezai and did a search here; late March seemed iffy by some posters; slush, too warm to use snowmaking etc., but happy to hear the opposite experience.
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@Montan, I ski Selva in January and also tried March last year and the year before. Not good. Too warm. The area tends to have good early season conditions. Not so good late season.
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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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@Montan, Saalbach, even some table dancing at Why Not!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Mollerski, thanks, that was the impression I was getting. @ElzP, Saalbach is definitely on the radar
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@Montan, I'm not saying it won't be spring like!! (Almost?) Anywhere will be like that and (almost?) nowhere (I don't think) will be running cannons anyway at that time of year (no point, no need, no water) ...
The whole point of late season skiing is corn snow, slushy bumps, late starts and lunches and aperos on sunny terraces! 
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For “reliable conditions in Italy”, late March I’d go for the Dolomites. Sadly, they are absolutely, reliably, warm, sticky slush so best avoided 
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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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Not adverse to any of this ^ but after so long a wait to ski, would prefer at least a fighting chance of good snow. We won’t be booking until we see how it’s panning out 
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@Montan, what's your definition of "good" snow?
By that point I can't think of any resort in France or Italy (I have absolutely no Austrian experience, my bad  ) that at least the lower runs won't get slushy by mid afternoon on a sunny day.
And I can't imagine any management is going to run cannons - if the cover isn't good by then, it isn't going to be (and see my thoughts above).
But I would book flights (or your chosen transport medium) ... as they're the constraint (normally).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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How about 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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As others have said, in late March in a normal year most ski areas will still have adequate snow coverage. However there is an increasing chance of some ice / slush at that time of year.
If you're not a fan of the latter, I'd look for somewhere with plenty of highish or northish facing slopes.
Have a look at Ischgl, Obergurgl, Solden, Lech / Zurs, Obertauern for Austria.
In Italy I'd suggest the obvious choices are Livigno, Cervinia, La Thuile or Passo Tonale (none are perfect candidates, but all should be OK at that time of year).
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Obergurgl should be fine - the village is at 1900 metres. Hotel Edelweiss & Gurgl sounds like it ticks all your boxes, and it’s right next to the main lift. We've had some good holidays here.
https://www.edelweiss-gurgl.com/en
As mentioned above, no resort will be running snow cannons at the end of March, but the spring skiing should be very enjoyable.
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You know it makes sense.
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‘Good snow’ for me, is just decent cover, even if only at altitude (I’m not hung up in being able to ski to base, downloading is fine) - not a fan of wall to wall slush or ice, but can negotiate it if necessary. My lack of experience in late March skiing comes from a couple of consecutive years of it, many years ago, with rubbish conditions and have always skied in mid to late January since then. After being unable to ski for the past few years, would just like to mitigate as much as possible. Thanks for the suggestions so far, keep them coming
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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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@telford_mike, thank you - looks lovely and is a possible but two other people travelling were there 2 seasons ago and although they liked it, would prefer somewhere new if possible. However, as the travel dates have been set by their existing commitments, they may need to compromise
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Jagerbull wrote: |
| How about Ischgl? |
Was going to be my suggestion too. In town plenty of noisy table dancing apres - but only till 19:30 at which while you can keep partying in a number of places you can also go to bed and get to sleep early if you want. As for snow, excellent snow making coverage - and the resort's open until May 1st, so late March isn't exactly 'late season'.
"Past performance is no indication...", etc but done the last week of March in Ischgl a few times and never had any issues with snow 'up the hill'. Home runs can either be slushy or icy, depending if it's+ve temps all day or day thaw/overnight freeze - but not always enjoyable runs anyway so lots of people gondola down.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Mjit, thank you, on the radar now
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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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1. Lech
2. Livigno
3. Cervinia
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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All the major resorts in Austria will be open to the end of March. Easter 2024 is 31 March, so even early closers will try their best to stay open.
A frequent skier at that time of year, resorts do amazingly well to keep slopes open, even in warm years. Most years - even valley runs are kept open.
Lower runs are going to get slushy, some by mid morning. In warmer spells, even higher runs will get soft pm.
Anywhere high is going to have better conditions, but North facing slopes helps even more. And you can sometimes plan your day for south or east facing slopes in the morning to avoid icier slopes, and move round as the slopes soften.
Kühtai, Obertauern, Sölden, and the Gurgls are good shouts.
Conditions on the Kitzsteinhorn (Kaprun) are going to be amongst the best, with trips to Zell on bad weather days. But, it will get rammed from Friday for easter.
The Zillertal valley (Mayrhofen etc.) is a good choice, with some nice high slopes and the Fantastic Hintertux a bus ride away (Get up early if you're heading for the Tux!) You also have Zell am Ziller with a network of high slopes. At the other end of the Zillertal arena is Hochkrimml and Konigsleiten - Konnigsleiten has high slopes, but the slightly lower Hochkrimml hill can have amazingly good conditions, it traps and holds snow at the end of the Salzach valley.
Bizarrely, given it's altitude Kitzbühel retains good snow, and they normally keep the valley runs to both Kitzbühel (the family Streif) and Kirchberg open until the last day of the season well into April. At the other end of Kitzski, Paß Thurn (accessed from Hollersbach) keeps good conditions on the highest slopes in the Kitzski.
If you have a car (doable by bus too) then a stay in Hollersbach or Mittersill, and the Superski lift pass, means you can ski Kitzski, Hochkrimml, Zell am See, Kaprun (for The Glacier) all within about a 30 minute drive or so. Plus the smaller Wildkogel (Bramberg), with a high bowl, and the super high Weißsee, small but quiet and great on a warm day or as an alternative to Kaprun on a busy weekend (with off piste skiing routes into April as well as a handful of pistes).
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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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If you'd really rather ski firm snow than glorious spring corn and slush, Ischgl is one of the better options in Austria (plenty of shady N-facing slopes). You'll find plenty of good hotels with pools and good food and bars, but be prepared that it's one of Austria's pricier resorts.
If you're ok with glorious spring snow and slush in the afternoons, Saalbach or St Anton would be top of the list for me.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Montan wrote: |
| After a few years of not skiing, for various reasons, I’m now beginning to plan for next season, probably two trips. The first will be a simple late booking, early to mid-January and I’m not too concerned about finding somewhere with good snow. The main trip has to be w/c 23/3 or later. I haven’t skied in March for many, many years and am trying to narrow down resorts (with all the usual caveats) likely to have decent conditions so that I can start researching. We’d be a group of 4, maybe 6, like a nice hotel, with good food, maybe a pool, not a schlep to lifts or piste, apres of the FD variety not needed but a decent bar or two, table dancing welcome . Skiing-wise, we’re all good intermediates (or I was last time I did it!), like cruisy runs, no need for gnarl, if a bigger linked area, easy to get around. I’m particularly interested in Austria or Italy. Ideas welcome, TIA. |
Sounds like Obergurgl/Solden - choice of which depends on whether you want somewhere mostly quiet or somewhere quite vulgar. Near enough one resort as bus is frequent and about 15/20 mins between. Have stayed in Obergurgl and skied both in March and early April - all good to excellent apart from Solden soft below mid station
Or Ischgl - which is both classy and vulgar all at once.
All the above have multiple entry points and lots of hotels with easy access - for skiing back to hotels, Obergurgl by far the best. Solden home runs face the wrong way and can be horrid in late March (though I'm judging them by April.., but there's always the gondolas and plenty of skiing above mid station)
Downside is that these are not cheap resorts, but is anywhere with good snow in late March?
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| Mollerski wrote: |
| @Montan, I ski Selva in January and also tried March last year and the year before. Not good. Too warm. The area tends to have good early season conditions. Not so good late season. |
Skied Sella Ronda in 2nd week of March last year - was great for 4 days, but two warm nights meant the snow hadn't even frozen overnight and pistes mogulled up by 10am. Still managed to do combined clockwise/anticlockwise circuits to/from/to Selva, and there was still some good skiing if you know where to go. But i guess fairly typical spring skiing. Great ski area overall, not busy, good lifts, stunning scenery
And especially good for cruisy runs...there's nothing much that is that difficult
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