 Poster: A snowHead
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Advice please about where to go for a week's snowboarding early May. Doesn't have to be fashionable or sophisticated, just snow-sure (if such a thing exists so late).
Thanks in anticipation.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Phil Chris, welcome to snowheads.  I'd suggest Tignes.
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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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Agred with pam w.
1. Tignes;
2. Val d'Isere;
3. Zermatt;
4. Hintertux.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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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Sources say :-
They must bust in early May
Orders from the D. A.
Look out kid
Don't matter what you did
Walk on your tip toes
Don't try "No Dose"
Better stay away from those
That carry around a fire hose
Keep a clean nose
Watch the plain clothes
You don't need a weather man
To know which way the wind blows
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Sun 31-01-10 20:49; edited 1 time in total
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Phil Chris, your biggest problem is going to be whether the lift system is open or not. Here's a list of closing dates last year: http://www.igluski.com/ski-resort-closing-dates . As you see the only places that stayed open beyond the first weekend were Argentiere and Pitztal. Argentiere they probably had only 1 or 2 lifts open, and I think that date was probably a week long extension due to the good snow. If places are open into May they may also be open weekends only. I've been in Chamonix Mayday bank holiday weekend and they've had that Sunday as the last day (i.e. closed on Monday), even though there was plenty of snow around - although they do sometimes run one bin early in the morning for ski tourers. The SCGB run regular holidays tha first weekend (including the Monday) to Tignes and Zermatt, so the lifts should be open there.
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Oh and La Grave might be open then too although it'll depend on snow cover, pretty ad hoc wrt lift opening there for obvious reasons.
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Phil Chris, Add Kaprun - Kitzsteinhorn
Sölden (2 glaciers with extensive lift systems).
Stubai - staying either in Innsbruck or Neustift, depending on how much you want to pay and what variety on non-skiing activities you want.
All good options in early Spring and have some good boarder parks
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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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| Whitegold wrote: |
Agred with pam w.
1. Tignes;
2. Val d'Isere;
3. Zermatt;
4. Hintertux. |
Got your list upside down there. And you forgot Cairngorm.
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Val Thorens will be open for the first week in Matm but it's Dutch week so the place will be ram=packed with people wearing orange
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Hintertux is probably the safest bet snow wise, I beleive it was open 365 days last year? Is Saas Fe open during the summers?
Scandinavia would be worth a look, some of their resorts seem to open pretty late. Also maybe check out that ski touring by boat thing in Norwya, that looks amazing!
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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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Phil Chris,
Another vote for Val Thorens. You need to be as high as possible and VT seems to keep pretty much all the lifts open until the end. In Chamonix Grands Montets (Argentiere) and Aiguille du Midi will be open. GM keeps the snow better than just about anywhere. Although last year they shut Retour Pendant which was a bit annoying.
Some info and pics at the bottom of this thread http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=43838&start=240
If Tignes/Val d'Isere keep most of their lifts open that would also be a great destination.
Zermatt shut a lot of stuff at the end of April last year despite having superb snow. There are a few pics at the bottom of this thread.
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=43531&start=40
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I'd say forget it, unless you can go at the last minute and conditions are really good. Even in late April, Val Thorens is almost not worth considering. Hard frozen in the morning, an hour or so of rather nice, then heavy slush - especially as you drop down to the resort. And I suspect VT is as good as it gets.
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You know it makes sense.
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Looking at the tignes information, it seems the regular season ends 2 May, but there is a cheap week "Happy End" 3 - 9 May, with reduced lift pass prices (presumably because snow cover over lower areas is dodgy). http://www.tignes.net/fr/ski-a-tignes/tarifs-hiver-2009-2010-188.html I think Val Thorens closes on 9th may too - and again, the lower areas might not be skiable.
I think Tignes has more high altitude skiing available than Val Thorens?
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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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Another vote here for Val Thorens 
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Poster: A snowHead
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We do our spring special offer in Tignes and from 2nd May it's £59 per person including Geneva transfers and three nights catered accommodation at Les Melezes. email me for more details as it's not on our website yet : joanne.mountainsunltd@talktalk.net (early May only)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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What about the southern Hemisphere???
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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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| Liveezy wrote: |
| What about the southern Hemisphere??? |
Not much chance of that. NZ is often first to open in the Southern Hemisphere, and that's the first week of June usually for one or two mountains, first week of July for most. Even in early June the conditions will likely be not too good - it usually starts to get good mid-July.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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hang11, i see. I know nothing of SH shred.
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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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Phil Chris, welcome to
Another vote for Hintertux from me. 365 days a year skiing so no good reason why it should not be open. I went at the end of May one year and had fresh snow and about 65km of piste open. But of course, what happened in one year is no guarantee of what will happen in future years...
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Riksgransen, Sweden, Very much off piste, No resort, Awesome snow - Will need to book now as there is only 1 hotel, and May is peak season..
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Phil Chris, the mountainsun breaks come highly recommended by many people on SHs. Excellent value.
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If this will be the first week of May - I would do a small road trip - starting in Ischgl - 1st and 2nd of May while they have the closing weekend with Top Of The Mountain concert - normally quiet busy with apres ski etc. Then move to Hintertux glacier which still got a winter season until 7th of May this year (after that date it will be the summer season which might have less lifts open).
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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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Mammoth?
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