 Poster: A snowHead
|
A lot of ski resorts in Austria, Germany, Italy, Canada and the US seem to have ended their seasons very early this year.
For example, Tremblant, in east Canada, has wound down for the season in the past few days.
Was it because of an early Easter? Or other factors?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Early Easter. It becomes increasingly difficult to persuade people to go skiing after Easter. It's also the last chance for families to go, because their anklebiters are back in school again and have exams etc.
The good news is that Easter is on April 24 next year.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
| Lizzard wrote: |
| The good news is that Easter is on April 24 next year. |
Might not be such good news.
I understand that many of the tour operators are going to stop ski trips after the first week of April therfore Easter trips will not happen.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
It's a shame. I was actually quite surprised how many people were still around here this morning - especially loads of kids ski classes. I thought it would be quite a bit quieter this week. Everything except a few of the steep blacks and the red run which goes down to Hauteluce (which closed, with its chairlift, at the weekend) is still open and the snow cover is very good - and is being refreshed as I type. As a lot of the neighbouring resorts, which are rather lower, are now closed, I expect Les Saisies will do quite well for the last couple of weeks. We may not be here quite to the end, as we have some stuff to do at home, but I hope to be able to hang on till the chocolatier starts selling off its surplus stock at half price.  It will depend on the weather; if it starts raining - which might happen next week - we're off! But I love the spring weeks. I went for a walk yesterday afternoon, on a minor track which is not cleared of snow, and which has some real old chalets. In between trogging through some chunks of snow I came across an elderly couple digging something out of the earth, with small knives. I couldn't think what they were after, and couldn't resist asking. Turned out it was young dandelion shoots - for salads. I thought as I trudged through the next patch of snow that people had been doing that for hundreds of years at this time of year. Round the next bend a couple of chamois bounded into the woods - it was a lovely afternoon.
If the TOs stop running trips it should still be possible to organise DIY holidays, I suppose.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
stewart woodward, that sounds a tad unlikely to me.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Glenshee closed this weekend. Nevis, Glencoe, Lecht and Cairngorms are still going.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Lizzard wrote: |
| stewart woodward, that sounds a tad unlikely to me. |
The latest info i have from meetings between the ski school, lift company and TO's. It suprised me too
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ski Amadé / Super Salzburg areas have been pretty much unaffected.
The normal post-easter wind down has happened but as ususal; lack of punters rather than lack of snow!
Obertauern is open until May 2nd
Zauchensee and tghe larger areas are open until the end of this week (which is normal).
Infact, I think I might get some touring skis.....
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Saalbach Hinterglemm closed this weekend as planned.
But they only just made it: last week quite a few of the lower runs down to the valley were closed as there was *no* snow on them. Other valley runs were still skiable, but a real slush-fest after 11am.
I can see no way they will plan to be open until Easter next year: only the few highest resorts will still be open, and for the first time ever we're not planning on skiing at Easter.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I'd miss skiing at half term before Easter (or at least over the Easter school holidays). Next year my daughter finishes school on 8th April so I'll be in LDA from 9th until about 19th, returning before Easter.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| stewart woodward wrote: |
| Lizzard wrote: |
| stewart woodward, that sounds a tad unlikely to me. |
The latest info i have from meetings between the ski school, lift company and TO's. It suprised me too |
We have some of the 2011 brochures, and were also surprised by how early they stop. Our schools finish on 8th like ColinB's
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Well it sure 'aint happening in Scotland - the cover at Cairngorm from just below mid-mountain up is simply staggering and conditions great (so great Martin Bell was over from the USA skiing today and unsurprisingly beating me in the instructors GS race LOL). There's another half metre forecast at the weekend and skiing will be continuing daily until the May bank holiday weekend and thereafter at weekends if the demand is there - June skiing could be a possibility at this rate I kid ye not!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
^ dunno, this is the figure they're talking about - we'll have to wait and see if it's true but frankly this season nothing would surprise me!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
pam w, pissaladieres...my wife claims they're delicious.
Whitegold, I'm going to agree it's the Easter thing. Champoluc and Courmayeur (and I am sure many others) both closed this weekend, as usual the week after Easter and both with plenty of usable snow.
There may be a weird Italian Easter thing going on, or maybe the local priests just want some time off to harvest their choir boys.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
Still open here, Nendaz and the rest of the Printse area will shut Sunday as planned while the rest of the 4 Vallees (Verbier) will close the Sunday after.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
under a new name, ? I didn't think pissaladieres had anything to do with dandelions/pissenlits?
I've been surprised this week how busy it is here - this morning I thought the lifts were as busy as they've been at any time since the main February holidays. That's not to say they were terribly busy - but I thought it would be much quieter this week. Maybe it's because everywhere else around is closed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
I think a number of eastern US and Canada resorts, such as Stowe, have closed weeks early this year. They have been battered by very high temps and moderate snowfall.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Just had a look at Inghams for next season, their last week appears to be the one commencing 16th April.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Helen Beaumont, they stopped here on Easter Saturday (last departure for the UK) this year although I think it was their 1st year operating here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Swirly, appears to be only to VDI, Tignes, Courchevel and VT though. Tempted to keep Easter for ourselves next year.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ski resorts are not charities.
There are only 3 full on financially economic months (Jan to March).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
So what is going to happen for the E0SB 2011? I can't imagine we're going to get a good deal at Easter in Val T (being school holidays 'n' all. And the dutch totally take over in the first week of May..... any suggestions anyone?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
I've just looked it up - it won't be school holidays but the double bank holiday weekend could make travel plans very expensive 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
under a new name,
That's a tomato/onion/anchovy/olive tart. 'Pissenlits' - 'cos they are allegedly diuretic - are indeed delicious.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
sarep, Easter next year *is* school holidays for some: around here the last day of spring term is 13th April, and they go back on the 27th (for 3 days - which id**t decided that?).
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
pam w, have I got the wrong word? I don't eat salad (other than the "Salade du Chef" at the Sapin in Champoluc) so I don't pay a great deal of attention. I just know that TOH and siblings used to get sent out collecting dandelion parts for salad by both French and Italian grandmothers.
Hurtle, hilarious. I (other than being confused and making a faux-ami-like assumption) wondered whether there might be a connection.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Quote: |
That's a tomato/onion/anchovy/olive tart
|
that's what I thought too - a Nice speciality? In my young days we used to call dandelions "pee in the bed" - exact translation of the French name! I remember well the thrill of picking them off the front garden walls near our school and being told by big boys that the outcome was inevitable. But they were big old coarse things - the ones being collected by the man I spoke to were very small, basically the shoots from underground (he showed me - they looked like they'd need a lot of washing, and they'd been using a knife to dig them out. An Opinel, maybe?
Right - it's spring - I'm off to the Lac du Bourget for a walk and picnic lunch. No dandelions.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
pam w,
| Quote: |
the Lac du Bourget
|
O-o-ohhhh, how lovely that lake is! Have fun.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
stewart woodward, a trawl round the web reveals that the last arrival date for Crystal seems to be the ninth, but other ops are carying on for a further week, so final departures would be on the Easter weekend. That's more like what I'd expect when Easter is that late.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
I know Esprit are running last departure fro Selva on 17th April. Whether there will be snow is a separate issue.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Thu 22-04-10 11:24; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Well any resort where the TOs have stopped going will presumably be rather pleasant for the final weeks of the season?
Hurtle, a very nice day, thanks. Came back off the autoroute, along the D120, a very minor road running along the north side of the Chambery/Albertville valley - the heart of the Savoie "vignoble". Really very attractive, especially now full of apple blossom, even if the wine is nothing much to write home about. In one tiny village, came across a lot of well dressed people milling round in the road. Turned out that a mourner had collapsed in a doorway - it was a funeral procession, and a young man (presumably a doctor) was sprinting back. They all looked at us very accusing as we drove slowly and respectfully past the minibus "hearse" - and we felt very much like outsiders. But it seemed likely to be a very long job to wait behind them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Certainly been busy in La Plagne this week, not threats of closing early.
Rather slushy in the afternoon, but a great suntan today. But I'm a bit concerend about next year's Easter being so late even though I have a vested interest in extending the renal period..
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Ski Olympic from preview brochure are 24th April next year.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
2 years ago when Easter weekend was 22nd March, the tour operators stopped the week after on the 29th
we were in Livigno, which is high altitude snow sure and the snow was good for at least another 4 weeks.
Looking at Montgenevre where we went this year, again tour ops pulled out the week after easter despite most of UK still on 1 more week school hols, the snow there is still 2, deep at top and 1.5m in resort, they have closed about 60% of the lifts leaving just the major ones open, and Claviere down the valley has completely shut.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| Quote: |
I have a vested interest in extending the renal period
|
Barratschamonix, what exactly do you do during the 'renal' period?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Quote: |
what exactly do you do during the 'renal' period
|
Pee a lot? It's those dandelions again. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
