 Poster: A snowHead
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I have never been skiing at Easter before, out to Verbier on Easter Saturday for a week, how busy would yo expect it to be on the slopes ??, Half term busy???
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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No, nothing like. Most Easter times I have been (Val D, Les Arcs) you ski more or less straight on to a lift. I also do half-terms (being a teacher) and would say Easter is quiet by comparison.
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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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Horribly busy last Sunday / Monday. 40 minute wait for the Jumbo. In fact it sparked my interest in getting some touring kit and heading away from the crowds of braying home counties accents with their whiny kids who for some reason are all called Olly or Alexandra. That said I've skiied in Verbier the last three years and it hasn't been that bad. Am heading back out on Thursday with my fingers crossed
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Going out to arc 1950 on Friday. Staying at Troyes overnight on Friday then onwards. Any advice regarding journey options etc for Saturday ?
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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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Val Thorens has always been pretty quiet that week - only queues we ever see are for the Cime de Caron cable car...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Easter's always been my favoured time for family ski holidays. It's never seemed crazily busy. Over the decades of either organising holidays at that time, or having them organised for me, I've skied Val d'Isere, Les Arcs, Zermatt, Lech, Verbier, Saas Fee etc..
In the mid to late 1960s Zermatt had queues of 1.5 hours to get on board the Furi cablecar to access the glacier ... everything since then has seemed very acceptable!
Verbier used to have really horrendous queues from the bottom of Tortin. At least an hour to get out, in the afternoon. It meant brilliant business for the restaurant down there.
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David Goldsmith, that was a real downer in those days...thankfully the upgraded lift has a lot more capacity.
BGA, I may be home counties but my kids have very non home county names...so I am not to blame!
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my kids have very non home county names
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Stan and Ethel?
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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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The comments on Verbier on this thread amaze me. I have never been there, but if those kind of lift queues were routine one wonders why anybody bothered, when there are so many other places to choose from. It's noticeably busier here than in previous weeks, partly because of Easter, partly because only Les Saisies has decent snow, so all the Arly valley visitors are coming up here, but there still aren't any significant queues. I'm afraid that the longer I ski, the less tolerant I am of lift queues. Just can't be doing with them. It was nice to see lots of kids out on the slopes yesterday, enjoying themselves.
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rungsp, I'll let you off then. Apologies to any home counties people, I'm sure it's none of you. I just find that during the school holidays the level of ignorance, bad manners and dreadful skiing etiquette goes up and I'm afraid it's largely due to the English (mainly from the South of course 'cos we poor Northerners can only afford a day out in Scarborough  ). A good example I witnessed last Sunday, terribly posh lady at the top of the Col de Gentianes, 2 kids in tow bellowing in her mobile about the 'lovely black' she was skiing on. Sets off in large snowplough, fell straight on her a*se. Felt like going up and pointing out that it's not a black, it's an itinerary route, enquiring if she had a transcevier and other kit and had she noticed that her kiddy was skiing towards a cliff?
pam w, under normal circumstances Verbier is fantastic. Three weeks prior to Easter have offered some of the best skiing I've ever had. Very few lift queues, great snow, untracked off piste and quiet piste. Unfortunately I suspect all the big name resorts suffer the same problem at peak times which is why I'm currently in the UK (and was at Feb half term). If I did choose to ski at peak times I would do what you suggest and go somewhere less well known
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Alun Williams, If you can get closer than Troyes on Friday, I think you'd be doing yourelf a favour! In mileage terms its about halfway, but the road gets progressively slower as you get towards the mountains. We've overnighted in Bourg-en-Bresse before which gives just 2.5hrs to go in the morning. Failing a change of overnight stop, leave as early as you can on Sat am. Have a great holiday
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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, well you got the first letter of each name correct!
My Dad was foreign, my kids have got "foreign" first names (as have I)
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You know it makes sense.
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geri, but unless you intend to ski on the Saturday afternoon what's the point of getting there so early? (Troyes is about as far as you can reasonably get from South Wales without getting up ridiculously early). Agree with the Bourg en Bresse route though.
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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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T Bar, I'll keep a close eye out. Agreed Gentianes is not the most difficult of runs but very easy to ski off a 20 foot cliff if you don't take care or hit rocks that are barely covered. Also there have been a couple of avalanches in there this year, just to skier's right as you go into the bowl, so although it's not like skiing Stairway/back side Mont Fort or similar without a transceiver I'd still be a bit wary. In this particular woman's case probably no loss anyway
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Poster: A snowHead
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BGA,
I'll look out for the problems, I don't know the area well and will be skiing mainly with the kids so anything challenging will be definately off limits but I think they can get down from Col de Gentianes with care.
With the weather forecast I suspect the morning avalanche risk will be pretty low.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Yoda wrote: |
| geri, but unless you intend to ski on the Saturday afternoon what's the point of getting there so early? (Troyes is about as far as you can reasonably get from South Wales without getting up ridiculously early). Agree with the Bourg en Bresse route though. |
Guess you're right - I'd not spotted the s. wales start!
We have season passes, so always aim to maximise time spent on slopes. Although you can now buy half day passes - at least in Paradiski, so maybe it is worth trying to ski Sat pm - usually a quiet time in the slopes 
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