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Am I being silly...Claviere next April

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
We've started searching for next years holiday and been offered something in Claviere that seems too good to pass on, but any ideas what conditions might be like in Claviere first week of April?
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
We were in Sauze D'Oulx this year at the beginning of March and we got about the last proper weeks skiing. I believe Claviere is in the Milky way at about the same hight as Sauze.

I think this year was a little out the ordinary because they had a real snow drought followed by really high temps the week we were there. Because there was no real base, that was it!

Sorry to be negative, but from my experience this year, it would be a bit risky booking that late in advance.
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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?
DAVID F, Paul's right, unfortunately. In Italy, the higher resorts of the Val d'Aosta are a better bet into April.
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DAVID F, that late in the season is probably always going to be a little risky in the southern resorts. I worked a few minutes down the road in Montgenevre and we had OK snow at that time of year but we may have been lucky. Some friends of mine were over the mountain in Sestriere last month and the snow was pretty poor. Even in a good season the snow can melt very fast in April - it can be more like sun-bathing weather than skiing.

To be honest, if I was only going to have 1 week next year, I wouldn't take the chance.
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Thanks, you could be right. It's just that we could get a week for 4 for around £2300 including hire , passes and ski school for the kids.
The other one we're thinking about is courchevel 1550 which is a better bet with the link to 1850, bit more pricey though.
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We spent a day in the Milky Way a couple of years ago (about 10th April I think), it had been a record snow year, Sestriere was very hard-packed in the morning and temps were about 15C by lunchtime. We had a nice day out but wouldn't have enjoyed a week of it. We were staying in Serre Chevalier at the time, and although warm there too (but much less so), there was much better snow cover.


Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Sun 15-05-05 16:18; edited 1 time in total
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DAVID F, why not try Les Deux Alpes ? I'd suggest Serre Che myself, but we'll be using our apartment then . Easiski will tell you all about LDA, glacier too so more snow-sure.
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After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
We were thinking of Les Deux Alpes, but the couple of places that we were looking at have gone. We have however booked Cervinia, the Petit Palais with Crystal. Any opinions on Cervinia, I have heard that it can be a bit windy early on (but having learnt to ski at Glenshee I'm not about to let a bit of wind bother me).
Might look at LDA for the following year though.
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alan empty,

Alan empty, when did u work in Montgenevre?
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DAVID F, We were in Cervinia with Crystal at the end of March. The Petit Palais is well located for the main lifts. The main problem we had with the weather on the slopes was visibility. Banks of clouds would roll up the valley and it could be clear at the top, dense "fog" on the way down and clear at Plan Maison. Otherwise the skiing was good and the lunches/drinks were a lot cheaper than the 3V prices we've endured.
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This site gives the historic conditions for some Italian resorts for the first week of April. I don't know if any are near Claviere.

Claviere weather
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
I would have been a little less pessimistic about your chances of snow in Claviere. For the last five years I have stayed in Briancon mainly skiing serre che but usually taking a day trip up to Montgenevre and there has always been some decent snow there. I believe that montgenevre Claviere usually has the best snow going inthe Voie Latee
Having said that this year I cancelled Briancon with two days to go because of the lack of reported snow and went elsewhere. Puzzled
Coming back through the Frejus tunnel there was fresh snow falling to resort level at Sauze don't know how much though rolling eyes
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MagSeven, erm, around 12 years ago. I think it was the 92/93 season. Why, have you worked there as well?
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
alan empty, Yeah, did 4 seasons there 99/00 thru to 02/03. Good times!
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
MagSeven, where did you work? I was the barman in the SkiBound hotel but my mind's gone blank and I can't remember the name of it. It was owned by a mad French lady - I believe her name was Madame Mad Smile

I had a great season there - it was by far the best group of staff that I worked with. Not sure that I could have coped with 4 seasons though!

I see you're in Brighton - do you still work for a travel company?
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
alan empty, Isn't this quaint, sorry to the others for hogging the thread.

I worked in the Rois Mages, and then one of the Crystal chalets. Also bummed a couple of seasons.

Do you mean Rafale? That woman was scary man (was her name Simone?), she owns the town. Did u hear the stories about her toyboy and the porche? Probably total urban myth, but pretty funny.

I work at a ski shop in brighton, in between skiing really. yet to lose the season bug!
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Rois Mages - excellent pub.

Yeah, the Rafale was the one I worked in and, you're right, her name was Simone (Fourrat I think). We were told that she owned half of Serre Che and a street in Paris as well. Yeah, the story about the toyboy was doing the rounds back then as well - although I think we were told that it was a Ferrari! One of the plongeurs used to be really nice and helpful all the time hoping she'd treat him similarly. Of course, he didn't get a penny.

A mad woman with a mad dog.
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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?
Oh, and MagSeven, keep going as long as you can. I managed 4 seasons but it took me years to overcome the depression of no longer doing them!
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jtr, What was the Petit Palais like, as thats where we've booked for next year? Is it as close to the lift as the brchure suggests?
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DAVID F, Apart from the Hotel Astoria (where we had lunch a couple of times and found the staff to be a miserable crew), I would say that the Petit Palais is about as close to the lifts as you can get. Other posts have mentioned the steps in Cervinia and there is no doubt it's a fair climb from the main town area up to the lift station. With the Petit Palais, it is a short walk down (there is a short cut into the lift station that is sometimes worth taking) and for some reason, we didn't find the short walk uphill at the end of the day to be too much of a problem.

As for the Petit Palais itself, it's pretty much your usual Crystal Club Hotel. The rooms were good enough and we could actually fit into the baths. We thought that the hotel bar prices were high and went into town most nights. The food was pretty dire but I think this is down to the luck of the draw with the chef. Crystal seem to be using a standard menu in Italy and, by contrast, the standard of the meals in our Crystal Club hotel in Sestriere earlier in the season was much higher. Hopefully, you'll be lucky.

In any event, I think you'll be happy that you're in the Petit Palais when you see the long walk and steps to negotiate in skiing gear that is involved if you stay in some of the other hotels (some of which run mini busses but that's not always convenient).
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jtr, Thanks for the info, I much prefer the idea of a short walk down as opposed to a long walk up (done that plenty of times). we'll just have to wait and see with the grub, but fingers crossed.
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
jtr, Which hotel did you stay at in Sestriere? I'm planning a holiday for a lot of families with children and Sestriere is on our shortlist with Crystal. What was your experience?
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Quote:

A mad woman with a mad dog.

Dog now dead, Simone madder than ever and still living in that horrible apartment.
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Lizzard wrote:
Quote:

A mad woman with a mad dog.

Dog now dead, Simone madder than ever and still living in that horrible apartment.

Cheers for the update. I think I was in the apartment once to move some furniture. I'm trying to avoid remembering any more. Shocked
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DAVID F

The first week of April was fab here in la Clusaz last year and they hold the Candide international on the 1st and 2nd so some top riders and skiers around.

Can do you £350pp for a week if 4 share a room! Fab catered chalet with transfers to and from Geneva. The low cost airlines haven't released their April flights yet so if you get in quick when they do you might be able to get a bargain. Flights from Bristol still reasonable at the moment.

If you're interested www.gravite.co.uk
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