 Poster: A snowHead
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I am trying to sort a trip for the week beginning 4th april.We are all early intermediates two adults and one child we fancy Austria but any suggestions as to where might be best at the end of the season would be most helpful.also with it being school holidays is it best to book early or wait to see where the best snow is.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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doghead, I hope you're early risers... have you skied in Spring before? An aquired taste IMV. Austria probably not a top choice, high and cold... Davos maybe? or the usual ghastly french resorts
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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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doghead, Spring is the best time to ski. can't help you with were to go in Austria but I prefer March and April to any other month- spring snow- sunny skies -happy days 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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doghead, just about anywhere in France, apart from the really low resorts, is fine for the first week of April so you've lots of choice.
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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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never been later than january but the kid started secondary school this week and the wife is not happy about taking him out of school and feb half term is a rip off in my opinion
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doghead,
April is a great time to ski with the family. I've not been to Austria in April but would definately consider resorts like:
Pitztal
Heligenblut
Solden
Hintertux
Nauders
Stubaital
Galtur/Ischgl
Obertauern
Lech /Zurs/Stuben
Obergurgl
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Don't forget Zell Am See/Kaprun!
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doghead, I went to Obertauern that week 2 years ago and it was great. We did it DIY and it worked out a good price, staying in the ski in/ski out hotel Schneider with transfers off the resort website.
As that week you want is Easter, I would expect it to be busy in the more popular resorts so I would book it now. If you are doing DIY, flights will only increase in price.
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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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No problem in St Anton at that time
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doghead, 4 April is not late..
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Meribel was great this year in Mid April, 3 powder days out of 4 and they had the Altitude Festival which was great and i believe is on next year too.
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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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yeh spring skiing is a acquired taste, you have to really like longer days, greater snow depth, warmer sun, powder, spring snow, and less people to really get the best out of it.....
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doghead, OK, it seems to be 10-1 in favour, and there is a lot to like about Spring skiing, but even the afficiandos, if they're honest, will admit that the same hot April sun that builds that tan and warms those old bones also melts the snow a little from about 2.00pm and then when that slaush freezes overnight the piste is mighty icy first thing next morning... Am I wrong guys? 
April is great for a late one - but don't make it your only one
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You know it makes sense.
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| red 27 wrote: |
| Austria probably not a top choice, high and cold... Davos maybe? or the usual ghastly french resorts |
Is the ski area at Davos higher than Kaprun, Sölden, Hintertux and Obertauern?
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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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red 27,
Yeah you need to watch where you ski in April at different times of the day to get the best conditions. Although recently I have been lucky enough to get two holidays a year with the family, if as I may have to, go back to one trip April is the one I would keep. Usually get great snow, quieter slopes and cheaper prices.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
the usual ghastly french resorts
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a bit provocative - probably not worth an argument.....
whether early april is "spring skiing" or not depends on lots of things; the weather, altitude, aspect of slopes etc. It's by no means necessarily the case that it's rock hard in the morning and slushy from 2 pm. Like every other generalisation about ski resorts "it all depends".
However, there is, in my (not exhaustive) experience often better snow cover then than in early January, and normally nicer weather. Picnic lunches in the snow are fantastic, and better in early April than in January. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Ghastly French resort, late April 2008. Note hideous architecture and horribly crowded slopes. Les Contamines.
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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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The week you are enquiring about.....
This year I was in Zell am See, last year I was in Wagrain (Ski Amade), the year before I was in Saalbach, Kitzbuhel and Davos, and the one before that Zell am See. All of them were better weeks snow wise than the Feb 1/2 term week of that year, and I got good skiing in. The best was probably the year I did Saalbach, Kitz & Davos.....but I'd put that down to the year rather than the resort.
Saas Fee might be a good option. It's high, cold and not France
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Doghead,
We've taken our kids to austria for on a number of ocassions in early April, The atmospher is brilliant, and friendly. See my comments on resorts I've taken mine to, below:
Hinterglemm 2007/8 very good!
Panorama 2006/7 disappointing, very poor dining, not much variety (double, black diamond or v easy greens, nothing inbetween).
Zauchensee 2005/6 pretty good but not perfect snow,
Obertauern 2004/5 verygood, good intermediate resort.
Zauchensee 2003/4 kids first ski, perfect snow. great for beginers & early intermediates.
look for somewhere high and convient:, the following are good choices.
Obertauern
Ischgl/Galtur
Zauchensee
Obergurgl
Lech/Zurs
My kids (10 &13) are insisting that we go back to Hinterglemm this year!
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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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I know you said Austria, but....If cost is an issue, you might want to DIY to somewhere like Les Contamines (See photo above). It is French, but pretty rather than concrete jungle. We drove with young kids, rented an apartment (surprising choice of good value multi-bedroom apartments on the village website), free parking at the lifts, one of the lower price lift passes for 120kms of piste, great late season snow record (with lots of graphs on the website to illustrate this). The creche is next to the nursery slopes in town, although they usually shut the nursery slopes at the end of March. We were impressed with the creche, they speak English, although a working knowledge of French is handy!
You may find activities away from the slope are limited, but we didn't get bored!
If cost is not that much of an issue, then I would endorse the Ski Beat reccommendation, we did La Rosiere, the creche were great and the service made it feel good value for money.
Tour operators will get their pound of flesh this year with virtually all schools on the same holidays, just look at the half term prices!!
Good luck
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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kitenski, It's 'you're', not 'your' in this case... as you are saying 'you are' wrong to me - which is noted and of course refuted, but hey ho, we can't all agree, even about the most obvious things
doghead, Come on, tell us, have you made a decision?
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If we all agreed life would be mightily boring
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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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first thing in the morning the snow is so scrapy icy, when started to get good - like 11am, you get bit of skiing - think time for lunch. after you get back from lunch snow has turned to stodge.
get yourself the on internet like the inghams site or get the ski brochure and hunt down a high up ski place with majority of north, north west and west facing slopes then they will not melt.
went to chamonix couple years back - wasn't any good, snow melted by 11am - and very sunny (burnt my nose, thought i was gonna be scarred for life)
went to tignes - was overcast - snowed quite a bit and was best snow underfoot ever - beautiful
good luck
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Maybe I am easily pleased - but spring is a great time of year for a ski trip. Aim high (as in altitude) and you will have no problems and have a great time.
We have skiied the last 3 years on May Day weekend in Val D'Isere and Chamonix (Grand Montets) and on two of the trips had fresh powder. Yes, you can encounter every type of snow imaginable at that time of the year but the more conditions you are happy skiing the more you'll improve.
Whilst you may encounter some slushy, spring conditions on some slopes, if you go with an open mind (expecting it not to be mid-winter) and treat whatever you come across as just another type of snow (that's more than suitable for sliding on) you should have a great trip.
Soelden in Austria is great for an April trip (with 2 glaciers) and St. Anton has very reliable snow for that time of year so is also worth considering.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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innerspaceservices, err, that'll be the same Chamonix that I skied on May 11 this year?
Wear sun screen, fool.
Have you been to Chamonix more than once or are you forming a strong (and unwarranted) opinion on the basis of rather a small sample? Yes, I'm biased, but I'm not hiding it.
doghead, I have no opnion on Austria but had one of my favourite ever ski days on April 26th, 200x in Morzine...
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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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David Murdoch, CHX sux and you know it
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| Jo66 wrote: |
| If we all agreed life would be mightily boring |
Hey Jo - got anything sorted yet? Not in spring obviously - spring is the climbing season right?
I've got another one booked, I won a competition - first prize a week in Les Deux Alpes....
Second prize a fortnight in Les Deux Alpes....
Hey ho - ping me with your news (and don't ski the Tyrol in May!)
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FAQ
I've had worse ice in Jan/Feb over the same time period.
