 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello. New to the site which is full of amazing advice and help!
We are heading to Geneva on 5th April . Hoping to book 5 nigts in a snow sure resort - Val Thorens appear to be the best bet but I'm keen on Flaine as it's just that bit closer to Geneva. Resort website says now is more or less assured in April - what do you reckon? Is VT our best bet to make sure we can ski for 4 days?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| nicolachacksfield@gmail.c wrote: |
Hello. New to the site which is full of amazing advice and help!
We are heading to Geneva on 5th April . Hoping to book 5 nigts in a snow sure resort - Val Thorens appear to be the best bet but I'm keen on Flaine as it's just that bit closer to Geneva. Resort website says now is more or less assured in April - what do you reckon? Is VT our best bet to make sure we can ski for 4 days? |
Val Thorens and Tignes are probably the two most obvious answers.
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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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| nicolachacksfield@gmail.c wrote: |
Hello. New to the site which is full of amazing advice and help!
We are heading to Geneva on 5th April . Hoping to book 5 nigts in a snow sure resort - Val Thorens appear to be the best bet but I'm keen on Flaine as it's just that bit closer to Geneva. Resort website says now is more or less assured in April - what do you reckon? Is VT our best bet to make sure we can ski for 4 days? |
For the extra 80mins of transfer time, VT will give you better conditions for spring skiing - the ridge of the Flaine bowl isn't much higher than VT town!
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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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If you're booking soon, then as above Tignes and Val Thorens are the most likely. If you're happy waiting till a lot later to book, then it's likely you'll have more options
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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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@nicolachacksfield@gmail.c, I can't speak for Flaine but we will be at VT for our 3rd easter running and the conditions have always been as good if not better than Feb HT (for us). Yes, bit slushy at times on certain slopes lower in altitude and south facing, but the lack of queues, warmer sun and longer sunlight never disappoints. Nowhere is snow sure, but I am betting on two weeks of loveliness 30 March to 13 April 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@nicolachacksfield@gmail.c, welcome to SH's.
"Snow sure" is ambiguous. Flaine is open until April 21st and there will be skiing. How much and how pleasant will deteriorate as time goes on.
VT has much more high altitude and a longer season.
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| Quote: |
| VT has much more high altitude and a longer season. |
As does the Tignes/Val D'Isere area, which is open into May.
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| Quote: |
If you're booking soon, then as above Tignes and Val Thorens are the most likely. If you're happy waiting till a lot later to book, then it's likely you'll have more options
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This.
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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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@nicolachacksfield@gmail.c, Welcome to Snowheads Nicola. You may want to change your username unless you want loads of unsolicited emails.
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| nicolachacksfield@gmail.c wrote: |
Hello. New to the site which is full of amazing advice and help!
We are heading to Geneva on 5th April . Hoping to book 5 nigts in a snow sure resort - Val Thorens appear to be the best bet but I'm keen on Flaine as it's just that bit closer to Geneva. Resort website says now is more or less assured in April - what do you reckon? Is VT our best bet to make sure we can ski for 4 days? |
Val Thorens any time. It's really high. I wouldn't bother with Flaine unless you know by 3rd week of March that's an absolutely cracking snow year.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Flaine is VERY snowsure, most years at the end of the season it is in the top-3 of deepest snowpack of France and the Alps.
This is mostly due to the massive amounts of precipitation compared to resorts more towards inner-alpine position, due to more exposed westerly position.
HOWEVER
Only the bowl around Flaine and Grandes Plattieres is high. Large part of the ski area is below 2000. So most probably snow will be slushy, and lower runs (towards Morillon 1100) will be closed.
When skiiing in France, I would by far prefer Tignes over Val Thorens. And I've been to both multiple times over 20 years.
Tignes is more inner-alpine, meaning further away from the hot french plains.
ValTho and 3V is more towards the outside of the Vanoise massif.
So 3V is MUCH more vulnerable to the pushes of hot spring air moving up from the lower plains around Lyon and Grenoble.
The cold air remains much longer, further east, so towards Tignes and Val d'Isere. Deep towards the inner valleys of Vanoise.
In addition, a larger proportion of Tignes and VdI is over 2000, compared to 3V. Normally, the valley descend towards Tignes Val Claret is skiable into early June.
A very good alternative is Cervinia in Aosta Valley. All slopes are over 2050. Valley descend open till end of may most years. And you can ski the Kleine Matterhorn, at 3900 meters, which should be on anyone's bucketlist. Plus the longest ski descend of the world, from Kleine Matterhorn to Valtournenche, 23 kilometers and 2300 vertical meters.
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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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Le Grand Massif has it's own micro-climate, and an unusually good snow record for it's altitude - much of the skiing is also done on North facing slopes.
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@nicolachacksfield@gmail.c,
Welcome to Snowheads .
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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks everyone. Not sure how to change my user name!
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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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Engleberg could be a good shout instead of the usual VT and EK answers
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Welcome.
There are 300 ski resorts within 3hrs of Geneva airport
Among the snowsurest and biggest and best are...
1. Val d'Isere
2. La Plagne
3. Zermatt
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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 for these tips, much appreciated.
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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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Worth pointing out that Flaine has about as much apres atmosphere as a wake. Le White Pub is pretty much the only place. If that's not a concern its a great place to ski otherwise
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FAQ
