 Poster: A snowHead
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I'm recovering from an op and still having physio so Easter just a bit too soon  . Any idea where would likely to be best for May day long weekend as I am desperate to have one last fix for the season.
Have googled quite extensively but can't find anything obvious. Don't want to spend megabucks either so please bear that in mind. Very frustrated as I have seen quite a few Easter weeks for < £200 (flight and s/c accomodation)
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Wed 1-04-09 19:41; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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In a similar position myself - some of the areas in CHX still open in the slush assuming I am fit by then.
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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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Cairngorm
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Tignes... Joanne from MountainSun was doing some cracking deals last year for mayday bank hols....
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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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Thanks Kitenski but nothing that late on their website this year
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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a couple of years ago we skied Zermatt on the sat/sun and grand montets in Chamonix on the monday on the way back to geneva
we had a great weekend 
stay in Tasch, a short train ride from Zermatt, if you want to save some cash
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dsoutar, I have had a couple of craking May Day bank holidays at Nevis Range - although you would probably struggle this year, as snow melting big style. How about scandoland?
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boabski, fair point and I'll do a bit more research but again cost may be an issue
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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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Problem is a lot of glaciers shut for a while at that time - Hintertux might be open but there's no deals that I've seen and by then flights are difficult. If Mountainsun aren't doing anything then Tignes might be worth freelancing but accommodation might be short if most places are shut for a rest between the winter and summer season. There's Les Deux Alpes as well, again not sure what the opening times are but check on the web, probably not much in the way of cheap deals though and not sure if flights into Grenoble will still be available in the summer.
barry mentions Cairngorm above and although this might sound like a slightly crazy suggestion it's actually worth thinking about if they are still open. Cairngorm invariably shuts down sometime in mid to late April or early May, last year May day weekend was the last shout, the year before it was the second (or third) weekend in May. I was up last year and had a great long weekend with loads happening for the family, including rides in the pisting machines, tranceiver searches and some great beer tasting (for me) - really chilled atmosphere and a great end to the season. They usually discount tickets by that time too and local accommodation is easy to come by at the last minute, there's also loads of great stuff to do off the hill - far, far more than any alpine (or NA) resort I've ever been to.
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Skiied Chamonix last year May bank holiday - it was superb (company was questionable if Gsyfreerider is reading). Hired a guide - the infamous Franck Le Semi and skiied Grand Montets, Vallee Blanche and had a days heliskiing out of Courmayeur. Really good snow as long as you have an early start, and let's face it you can't beat fresh powder turns in May
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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dsoutar, and all the cheap hostels, etc still open.
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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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dsoutar, you don't say where you are based, but following up suggestions of CairnGorm above, if you were willing to take a gamble of a long weekend break doing whatever the weather allows for the Mayday period, then it's possible to get London to Aviemore return for around £60 on currently available NX East Coast advance tickets, travelling on Thur 30th April or Fri 1st May northwards and returning on Tuesday 5th May. Direct through service with no changes both ways.
Also worth considering the sleeper if you can't spend a day travelling or don't want to. Usually costs more than standard train tickets - but not always esp with the new ticket structure and it would potentially save 2 nights accommodation and/or you can go one way by day train and the other on the sleeper. Checkout www.scotrail.co.uk .
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You know it makes sense.
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This March has been a relatively bad one in Scotland (about half the average snow levels I think) so I would be rather surprised (though pleased) if there was much snow left in the highlands by then.
I'd guess that lifts still running rather than snow levels would be the problem, so long as you go high (Val Thorens is the highest of course). I'd guess cable cars would be the most likely to keep going, so I'd look at places where you could manage with them. And take touring skis if you have them, to walk up a few things which are closed (if recovery allows).
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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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| snowball wrote: |
| This March has been a relatively bad one in Scotland (about half the average snow levels I think) so I would be rather surprised (though pleased) if there was much snow left in the highlands by then. |
Sadly this is true, the latter part of this season has been poor for snowfall in comparison with recent years. Never say never though, there might be more to come but I wouldn't recommend booking well in advance, it'd have to be a last minute thing.
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Poster: A snowHead
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dsoutar, don't do it... waste of time and money. Keep yout powder dry and your wallet closed. Next season will be here before you know it and you can really ski, not trudge through dirty porridge which is all you'll get in May.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I went to Tignes May Day w/e 2 or 3 years ago. The snow was excellent, much better than we'd had in La Clusaz at end of January in the same year.
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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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^^ methinks a few people here may have something to say about that! 
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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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| red 27 wrote: |
| dsoutar, don't do it... waste of time and money. Keep yout powder dry and your wallet closed. Next season will be here before you know it and you can really ski, not trudge through dirty porridge which is all you'll get in May. |
Actually, I want say it cause I might get banned!
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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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dsoutar, unlikely you will get cheap packaged ski holiday for May.
The Easter deals are Travel Companies off-loading unsold holidays
But most companies consider the season over after Easter
For May, you will probably have to go DIY
(except for kwakazx6r's Mountainsun deal).
Tignes is OK
But, if you can stand the ghastly architecture (  ), I would second Roger C's suggestion of Zermatt.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Jonpim, just to ski on the Glacier? (Correct me if I'm wrong) Not, frankly, my cup of tea. Grands Montets (Argentiere/Chamonix) seems like a better plan to me...
Anyway, what's wrong with slush? Especially slushy bumps? Delightful and just what you wait all winter for.
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Go to Chamonix. Do not go to Scotland. End of discussion.
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Wait until the end of May and come to Stryn in Norway...
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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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dsoutar, so, the choices are, Chamonix, Pitztal or Blackcomb 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Actually I'm considering doing a quick weekend 18th/19 April when Mrs snowball is attending a conference. Possibly Argentierre if I can find people to ski with or Val d'Isere to join a Topski or Alpine Experience group.
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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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under a new name, you are right: timetable.
How silly. Why don't they close after the Bank Holiday?
The snow is often fine on all the Zermatt areas in early May.
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snowball, Those are the dates for the non-glacier resorts (Pitztal has a smallish glacier and does not do much trade in summer, so they close)
The Hintertux, Stubai and Kitzsteinhorn glaciers will all be open. I will be skiing either Hintetux or Stubai, depending on the weather and traffic). I love Stubai because it is nice and open and relatively easy cruising country. Hintertux offers more challenges and variety of pistes which is why it is used for national team training by most of the major European teams. I've seen the Swiss and French national teams there mainly doing Downhill and Super-G training, so it must have something over the glaciers back in their own countries.
Does not surprise me that the French have the longest seasons, they want to squeeze every last cent out of the snow and bu##er the consequences to the ecosystem! Compare the slopes of an Austrian and a French resort in summer to see what I mean.
Sue 
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You know it makes sense.
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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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I've skied fresh powder at the beginning of May in Lake Louise/Sunshine and Mammoth. However lots of N American resorts shut because of diminishing returns as the only skiers tend to be season pass holders delivering very marginal revenue.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Jonpim, I haven't skied in Zermatt at that time of year but I'd have thought you could ski as far as the snow allowed as the lift from the village has intermediate stops. I'm sure someone with more knowledge or an email to the lift company would clarify matters.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Engelberg, Switzerland.
Had mid-thigh pow under bluebird skies on May 12th & 13th 2006.
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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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Mike Pow, were there many lifts/pistes open at that time of year?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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That time of year is usually touted as part of the high touring season (at least as far as I remember).
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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 skied Stubai last May Bank Holiday - there was still loads open, plenty for a long w/end.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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can someone please add a 'y' into the thread title? It's really starting to get on my ninnies
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Perhaps that's just a posh way of saying it? Though in that case there should really be an apostrophe.
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Also if we are being fussy it should be Bank Holida not Bank holida, maybe the forum moderators should be checking all posts for errors like this.
can we get back on topic 
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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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shouldnt it be Robbin Bast*rds' Holiday??
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Peter Ross, back in 1992 we were in Zermatt over the May Bank Holiday when kids were very young..
Day one we had a wonderful time: set up base at the Riffelberg Restaurant.
Adults skied. Kids mucked about in the snow.
Next day thought we would do the same, to discover the train wasn't running and the area closed.
At least the whole of Matterhorn/Schwarzsee was open, and not just the glacier.
Have summer skied in Zermatt, and we did ski down well below the glacier.
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