 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi everyone 
New to this so hope this works!
Easyjet flights should be out soon so I need to be organized. I was looking for snow sure, biggish intermediate ski area, alpine charm and fairly easy public transport transfers from the airport.
If anyone also knows of cheap self accommodation in the resort; that would be an added bonus!
I was currently thinking of Laax but would there be snow at that time?
Thanks for your help
Pishposhpeshy
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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pishposhpeshy, welcome to Snowheads.  In mid April you're safest going somewhere high like the Espace Killy (Tignes/Val D'isere) or Val Thorens (though very often many other resorts are still skiable, albeit with spring conditions). Neither has the slightest alpine charm. Les Deux Alpes also has snowsure high skiing though much of it is lower. and that doesn't have much alpine charm either.
There are places where you could stay somewhere low down, proper village, more charm, and travel to the snow. But you'll need to trade ski convenience for charm.
chamonix has easy airport access. It's hardly "charming" but it's lively and interesting. The Grand Montets will still have good skiing but it's on the challenging side - people who know Chamonix better will be able to say whether Brevent/Flegere would still be OK in mid April - I've not skied there then. The area is a bit broken up, need to get around by bus or car.
Because it's Easter, the wheeze of waiting till the last minute might be a bit more risky than years when Easter is earlier. But if conditions are still good somewhere like Flaine (very easy from Geneva) could be OK. Though still spring conditions, usually (hard and icy first thing, then softening, very pleasant indeed for a couple of hours and possibly mega slush by mid afternoon). Masses of cheap self catering in Flaine, and very convenient. Ugly as sin, but you can't have everything.
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pishposhpeshy, have a look at La Rosiere, it's high-1850 metres with a long ski season, the resort has never closed before the last week of April and I've always been able to ski back to the village although you do usually lose the runs below the village. It's still a village, not a mega ski-station so it does have (IMO) considerable charm, the ski area - Espace San Bernardo is shared with La Thuile in Italy so there's a variety of terrain with over 150kms of pistes. The scenary is spectacular, some great views of Mont Blanc, Mont Pourri and the Tarentaise valley. I am biased as we have a chalet in the village but there are lots of reviews on snowheads, the Tourist Office www.larosiere.net has details of most of the accomodation in the village, you could have a look at www.morealps.com for some of the best chalets, you'll also find lots of infromation there about the skiing and the village.
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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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ding ding!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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 I don't know how keen I'd be to go somewhere South facing mid April so keep that in mind when considering La Ros.
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scotia, have you ever been to La Rosiere? I suspect not, but nice to have an opinion.
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davidl, yes I have but how nice of you to surmise 
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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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Zermatt would fit the bill - highest bits are snowsure, big area with the bonus of skiing into Italy, charming village and a very easy albeit not particularly short train transfers from GVA or ZRH. The one thing it's not is cheap with the Swiss Franc down to 1.46 to the £ (ouch) but I imagine self catering wouldn't be prohibitive.
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pishposhpeshy,
Of course I would never advise anyone to do this but some people have (I'm told) set up a small DLL to ping airl;ine websites to check for changes since the last ping. I'm also told that these people set the DLL to action outlook to send a text message with something like:
"hey me, easyjet flights are out"
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| pishposhpeshy wrote: |
Hi everyone
New to this so hope this works!
Easyjet flights should be out soon so I need to be organized. I was looking for snow sure, biggish intermediate ski area, alpine charm and fairly easy public transport transfers from the airport.
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How about Obergurgl? Snow sure and plenty of alpine charm. If nightlife isn't massively important, Obergurgl should fit the bill. Reasonable sized ski area and you can head to Solden easily (should have a day free on the lift pass, with a free bus between the resorts as well). Easy to get to from Innsbruck.
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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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pishposhpeshy, I went to Laax in February, it's a great place but I'm not sure how good it would be in mid April. The resorts Laax/Flims are only 1100m and were getting slushy at times in February. It tops out at 3000m with a small glacier. I always go to Les Deux Alpes myself then. It ticks most of your boxes except alpine charm.
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Mid April could be pushing it a little, if you can't wait and book the week before to chase the snow, go somewhere with a glacier.
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You know it makes sense.
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scotia, well if you'd been there in April you'd know how much snow we have and how much skiing is available but in meantime just keep generalising.
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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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davidl, common sense dictates to me that I wouldn't go somewhere South facing in April irrespective of the resorts reputation.
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Poster: A snowHead
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At that time of year my primary consideration would be altitude. We managed a cheeky week in Morzine at a similar time of year and got lucky with the snow, but it could very easily have been raining on muddy strips underneath the lifts if it had been a bit warmer for a couple of weeks.
No charm, but I'd be looking at Tignes, Val D'Isere or similar. Snow first, pretty resort second. Of course your priorities might be different.
FWIW, I wouldn't do Rosiere at that time of year. Too much of a gamble.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hi,
If you want alpine charm but comined with high altitude skiing it might be worth checking out La Plagne.
Most of the lower resorts have chocolate box type chalets and alpine charm. The ski area is huge and linked to Les Arcs, and there's a glacier so it's snowsure too - only issue is that the snow to ski back to your village might be a bit icy on the way down if you pick one of the lower villages.
Have a look at Plagne 1800, Le Roches, Les Coches and Montchavin all of which are lower down and alpine, but have good lift access to the higher, less pretty areas. For cheap self catered apartments, try Maeva for Plagne 1800 or Pierre Vaccances for Les Coches.
Best of luck!
Heather
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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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| davidl wrote: |
| scotia, well if you'd been there in April you'd know how much snow we have and how much skiing is available but in meantime just keep generalising. |
I've been there in early April and yes, davidl is quite right - there is plenty of skiing available after 10.30hs, in La Thuile.
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Just book for Val Thorens then you wont have to worry about the snow. I know it hasn't exactly got the alpine charm but it's a great resort. Tignes or Les Deux Alpes will also both have guaranteed snow.
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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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Another vote for Tignes. I've been there mid April a couple of times and there was loads of snow - definitely down to Le Lac and even down to Brevieres although that did get a bit slushy in the afternoons.
I was in Zermatt this year in April and there was zero snow at village level. True enough that there was plenty higher up, but higher up in this case means an interminable train ride.
Zermatt is undoubtedly a nicer town but I would definitely prioritise skiing over apres.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Depends what you mean by "alpine charm". I've not been to Obergurgl but looking at pictures of it, it is no more "charming" than other high resorts such as Val D'Isere which comes closer to fitting the wish list for a "biggish area". Obergurgl claims 110 kms of piste which isn't very big (it would do me, I'm sure, but I'm not a high mileage freak). Even the Obergurgl hotel's own promotional websites can't produce any very "charming" photos. Big, multi-storey, purpose built buildings?
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| Lou wrote: |
| davidl wrote: |
| scotia, well if you'd been there in April you'd know how much snow we have and how much skiing is available but in meantime just keep generalising. |
I've been there in early April and yes, davidl is quite right - there is plenty of skiing available after 10.30hs, in La Thuile. |
La Thuile is the best thing about La Rosiere IMO.
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we did zermatt last year at Easter. Couldn't be bothered to ski down from the mid stations (though you could if you are the type who really HAS to). Have never been anywhere with such an enormous area of high altitude, high quality skiing. If you can get your head around the idea of taking a lift up and a lift down there really isn't anywhere to match it for scenery and late season snow imho. So re. the comment above about skiing over apres, I would say don't prioritise ski-to-apartment over ski quality.
It's also a fantastic town without snow in (how many resorts can you say that about).
For something a bit more non-standard, the resorts at the top of the val d'anniviers in Switz (Grimentz and Zinal) have very snowsure skiing and are lovely villages. Skiing is a lot more limited than Zermatt though, and again it's normally best to lift down.
With much high altitude skiing, you have to look at not only how much there is, what aspect it is etc, but also how varied and interesting it is. The two above are much better than a big high flat glacier (eg Le D A) for difficulty and intestest high up.
d
ps. I would suggest that irrespective of snow depth, any south-ish facing resorts with skiing beneath 2500m are likely to get just a touch sticky after 10.00am........
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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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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Tignes seems like a safe bet, can any one comment on what Les Arcs or la Plagne is like?
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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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| Quote: |
can any one comment on what Les Arcs or la Plagne is like?
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neither has quite so much high altitude territory.
I'm surprised how very high some of the easyjet airfares coming out for Easter are, given that Easter is so very late this year. Normally it's best to wait till really late before booking for mid april but this year things might be quite full. If it's a warmish April I imagine that skiable areas could get quite crowded, though Easter is usually fine. Our apartment is at 1550m and so far we've always been able to ski back to it, down a south-facing run (without cannons until recently) at Easter. It has sometimes been horribly sticky though - just a way to get home.
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hi there, my wife and i were in valdisere last april,in fact celebrated her birthday on the 11th with cham and standing outside whilst it was snowing!!!!, conditions were awesome, and when the sun was out,amazing, valdisere/tignes is a no brainer, "book it dano"
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