 Poster: A snowHead
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OK so I'm old enought o remember 'before snowmaking' when the TO's brochure's season often started in January and finished in March, only very high resorts offered ski holidays in December and April and then no 'Snow Guarantee' was offered.
But clearly some expect to be able to ski in the Alps in December and April in any mainstream resort in The Alps.
To be it's best summed up by an old chap in Montalbert who says with a Gallic shrug, some years it snows heavily all winter some years it doesn't 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It's amazing that anyone thinks anything different to Uncle Montalbert.
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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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I'd see April as a safer bet than December in general
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laundryman that'll be the same people who expect fresh powder every night and sunshine every day 
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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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There'll always be some skiing available somewhere, and in a wider time range than that (my first skiing of the 'winter' was at the end of September my last will the end of May, although I also have 'summer' skiing planned for June). We have to change our expectations depending on the time of year: no good expecting a deep snow base and off-piste potential at the beginning of December, and no good hoping for perfect piste conditions all day long at the tail end of April. Snow-making and piste management can make a big difference, but ultimately we are in the hands of nature and some years, like this year for some resorts, it's not going to be very cooperative so we need to be even more flexible in what we expect conditions to be like.
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When dealing with mother nature I think it's wrong to "expect" . Best to be stoked, pi55ed off or just happy to be in the mountains.
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| Quote: |
some years it snows heavily all winter some years it doesn't
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Well there is a stock answer to a multiple of threads, and spot on.
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Boredsurfing, a bit of common sense and research helps guide expectations. We just had a fantastic time in Aprica with a third of the mountain open. The cannon only came on at the end of the week when temps dropped and it started to snow - that was a bonus in April. The pistes that were open were very well prepared. So to answer your question, yes you should expect to be able to put skis on and slide - but be realistic about what that could mean in April 
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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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You gotta experience the lows to really appreciate the highs.
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| Dot. wrote: |
| When dealing with mother nature I think it's wrong to "expect" . Best to be stoked, pi55ed off or just happy to be in the mountains. |
Absolutely.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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depends which TO you book with 
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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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I remember a discussion on here last summer about Easter being really late this year and that a lot of people may well be very disappointed with the snow cover at this time of year... how true! You can ski beautiful snow at this time of year, just not en-mass in Europe this time round. Those who have booked their Easter holiday in the US or Canada will be having a great time!
What you should have asked is: "Should the people who booked their Easter Ski Holiday 9 months ago expect to be able to ski in the Alps in the 3rd week of April?"
imo, it's too far in advance to be book this late in the season. If skiing this late, hold off on a last minute deal to see where the snow is. Next year, America may be short of snow, the Alps may have a massive season.. only time will tell.
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| Boredsurfing wrote: |
| To be it's best summed up by an old chap in Montalbert who says with a Gallic shrug, some years it snows heavily all winter some years it doesn't |
Can we sue him?
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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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Just gotta make the best of what mother nature gives you and manage expectations.
Have had suprise powder on a glacier in Aug and November and have had poor piste covering in Bannf in March tend to just get on with it and enjoy what is there.
Heading away for easter next week and will be happy to ski on Piste for a couple of hours in the morning and hit the park just after 12 for an hour and finish up.
Those that Expect conditions to be are the kind of people hat Expect to much 
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Poster: A snowHead
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I expect there to be skiing available in Dec and April, although not neccessarily to be great conditions. Actually, this season I had great skiing in November, but only skied (and that was skinning at a closed resort) once in the fortnight I was out end of March/start of April. Could have skied everyday, but frankly sunbathing and drinking was more appealing.
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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'm hoping for decent skiing from next November, maybe even October as has been the case in Schladming for a couple of seasons recently. Partly man made but with a large help from mother nature. I've had very good powder into May in past years in Val. I think April stretches the snow in my local area but man made has probably made a huge difference in recent years. So to answer question, from my experience, Yes.
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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 Golden Age of Western European skiing has passed.
The Alps have become too dry and too warm.
Japan and US are the new Alps.
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Whitegold, BS
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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 think with advances in snowmaking we should expect to be able to ski with good piste conditions in December/April. I was in the 3 Valleys in the last week of March and the difference between runs with snowmaking and runs without snowmaking was astounding (below ~2700m). In Austria I have found that they have snow cannons on nearly every run in the resorts I've been to, and I think the French will start to follow their lead.
Check out these pictures from Schladming from a couple of days ago - all under 2000m  The runs look amazing considering the warm season!
http://alpinforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=39187
I saw pistes looking a lot worse than that at 2700m in the 3 Valleys 3 weeks ago!
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| Whitegold wrote: |
The Golden Age of Western European skiing has passed.
The Alps have become too dry and too warm.
Japan and US are the new Alps. |
AAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaa
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| Quote: |
Could have skied everyday, but frankly sunbathing and drinking was more appealing.
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A good point. I suspect that some European families think in terms of a "holiday in the mountains" rather than a ski holiday whereas many Brits are pretty single track minded. At the extremes of the season, especially, we need to think about a range of possible activities. My son and grand-daughter had a short trip out to the Alps from 11 - 15 April. In every recent year there has still been good snow at that time, and we'd booked ski lessons for her. But the resort was closed, so we did other stuff. We went cycling, we did a very exciting few hours climbing and crossing a ravine on rope wires etc, we had a few goes on the "all year luge run" and we even went shopping. There were other things she wanted to do that we didn't have time for, on a short visit, including a walk through the woods to see a waterfall.
What's more, all our activities were paid for by the refund we had for 4.5 hours of private ski lessons!
For some people who have commented here the idea of going for a walk in the mountains is an absolute last resort. But if you love mountains, you love mountains. French families seem much more inclined to get out and walk - we often see families with quite small kids all kitted out with proper walking boots and tiny backpacks. It's nice to see.
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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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| pam w wrote: |
| Quote: |
Could have skied everyday, but frankly sunbathing and drinking was more appealing.
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A good point. I suspect that some European families think in terms of a "holiday in the mountains" rather than a ski holiday whereas many Brits are pretty single track minded. At the extremes of the season, especially, we need to think about a range of possible activities.
For some people who have commented here the idea of going for a walk in the mountains is an absolute last resort. But if you love mountains, you love mountains. French families seem much more inclined to get out and walk - we often see families with quite small kids all kitted out with proper walking boots and tiny backpacks. It's nice to see. |
Yep, definitely - and that's how I tend to look at things these days too, but when I only had one week of skiing a year, I was very single minded about skiing every hour possible, and would have been pretty gutted to miss a few days of it 'cos of conditions. OTOH, I would still have been enjoying skiing even the worst conditions in those days.
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Those darn smug posters on that other forum. Hmm, I wonder if they are observing the conditions correctly 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| clarky999 wrote: |
| but only skied (and that was skinning at a closed resort) once in the fortnight I was out end of March/start of April. Could have skied everyday, but frankly sunbathing and drinking was more appealing. |
Yet at the same time you tell people to not ski in Scotland because its not worth it / not real skiing etc, based on what was it? One day at Glenshee? But maybe with one day skiing on a drinking holiday that's not so surprising. It's so true when people say there are skiers and those who go on 'skiing' holidays. Even funnier are those who go on 'skiing' holidays who think not skiing in Scotland proves their real skiers, of which there are rather a few on here who can't help but give their expert opinion on something they know f**K all about!!
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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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I had a great week last week at Zell am See. While the rest of Austria was skiing on the Kitzsteinhorn, I was with a group of beginners on the Schmitten. 3 lifts running, but I've skied far worse.....in fact I believe I've paid more to ski in a snowdome!! It did remind me of a bad day on Cairngorm when we had to be evacuated off in Pistebashers due to storm force winds 
There were a couple of "advanced" skiers moaning that they couldn't possibly ski that stuff......I reckon that really they were intermediates who thought it was beneath them!! After all, skiing is skiing.
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You need to go back and read what I said on that thread, because you seem to have misunderstood completely. I've never once said don't ski in Scotland, in fact I even said there's some brilliant terrain here. I just said I find the lift served stuff at glen shee disappointing and overpriced, and made it pretty clear that was based on very little experience.
As to the rest of your post, LOL!!! You sound like one of those people who keep their harness on in the bar to show how gnarly they are. Yep I preferred lying in the sun in the garden with a book and a few beers. My gf had too much work to ski, avi conditions were too sketchy to do anything adventurous on my own, only the park was open in the resort up the road and I couldn't be bothered with a bus ride just to ski dodgey pistes elsewhere. Luckily for me id already had 7 weeks skiing this season, so was happy to just chill out with a nice view.
Last edited by So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much  on Tue 19-04-11 20:51; edited 3 times in total
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You know it makes sense.
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I have skied mid to late April for the last 6 years , and have not once been disappointed by the conditions , and whatever tinges has to offer next weekend will be gratefully received can't really comment about December , but I think those expecting to ski early and late in the season should have realistic expectations and be prepared for some Level of compromise.
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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 the last 3 years in December (Tignes) and the last 5 years in April (L2A) and had a perfectly satisfactory trip each time. I'll do the same again in 2011/12.
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Poster: A snowHead
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December can, in my opinion, be pretty miserable....freezing cold, icy pistes and iffy snow cover. At least if the snow is bad in April it probably means the weather is lovely.
With a couple of notable exceptions there's a lot of sensible comment here. If you ski enough (are fortunate enough to do so) you'll get good weeks and bad weeks snow wise, I've never had a ski trip I haven't enjoyed though. That said a great lunch with a decent bottle of wine keeps me pretty happy when the snow's ropey....
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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clarky999, I def recall you making absurd statements about Scottish lifts and pistes being for beginners. I also remember someone based in Scotland making similar comments repeatedly last year and stating that anyone who can ski doesn't ski in Scotland. To be honest I can't remember if it was you or not. Did a quick search with your username in the search thing to see and it returned this  .
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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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Winterhighland, lol good one.
Wasn't me last year (hadn't skied anything here by then). I said that from the little I've seen at Glen Shee the main attractions of scottish skiing weren't lift served (but that a short skin can be rewarded with great terrain), and that from the little I've seen at Glen Shee the pistes were best suited to learners. I stand by this, the Tiger for one was way overhyped.
I've also said quite a few times how much I love Scotland, how beautiful it is, and that the West Coast looks to have some potentially great skiing.
I don't know why you getting so offended and taking it so personally, I haven't insulted you (or anything for that matter).
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Well I've skied the first or second week of the season in December in Val D, La Plagne (twice), Courchevel and Meribel Mottaret for the past five years, and not had a bad week's snow yet - in fact that week was often better than most of January.
Of course you can expect to ski in April in high resorts and on glaciers. Last year La Plagne was excellent right at the end of March into April, and this year the skiing was superb in Tignes/Val D at the beginning of April. You just need to book last-minute, and go high if needs be!
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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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clarky999, look man, if you didn't concede that Scottish skiing is the best in the world, the you're effectively inventing a time machine, going to Culloden in 1746, and joining in.
Also: Andy Murray isn't really all that great at tennis, square sausage isn't as good as round sausage, kilts were invented by Rawlinson, and ginger people are so ugly that they make me feel sick.
There, I think that covers it.
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paulio, well we sure as hell don't need any more novices trying the likes of the Tiger because it can't be that difficult because Scotland doesn't have real mountains!! This is a serious problem here!
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Winterhighland, How many times, I've tried to make it clear I am/was talking ONLY about Glen Shee and NOT about the other resorts - how could I comment on them when I've never skied them??!!. Yeah OK, obviously the Tiger isn't the place for a complete beginner - but it would be a good run for a red run aspiring to black skier. It's not all that steep and the pitch is very short - and I can't see many 'advanced' skiers being truly challenged/satisfied by skiing it. Maybe different if/when it's sheet ice, but you could say that for any red run anywhere. I still honestly believe that and advanced skier will have a much better day at Glen Shee if they touring equipment with them.
Some people will always be idiots, and let some illusion of being close to home make them feel safe, but a few comments on the internet about pistes are unlikely to make much difference on that count (I hope!!). I think it's quite well documented that the weather in Scotland is often harsher than most people are likely to experience in the Alps, although I reckon it's this that gets most people into trouble - but I would hope that anyone heading into the backcountry would be prepared for that.
Perhaps I could have posted a little more responsibly, but anyone stupid enough to go out into plainly wild terrain like the Scottish backcountry (I actually find it wilder and more intimidating than much of the Alps, Scotland feels much more remote and 'out there' to me) based purely on some randoms comments on the internet is likely stupid enough to get themselves into trouble anyway. I wasn't aware of those past issues, that father sounds like the biggest retard of the lot.
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^^ Quick edit there, if that's your problem it'd be as well to leave the rest of your post in for others reading it.
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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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clarky999, too late now! I buggered up an edit to respond also to Paulio.
The gist of the story was this guy and his teenage son went ice climbing in Coire an t-Sneachda on CairnGorm and ended up being rescued by Mountain Rescue after getting into difficulty in a blizzard. The father subsequently tried to lay the blame for his predicament at the door of CML (operating company of the ski area) stating that he had only gone out because the Ski Area was open, and that therefor it was the Ski Areas fault because it shouldn't have been open in that weather!
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Winterhighland, I've been to Nevis Range, and it kicked my arse all round the place relative to my meagre technique. So please don't get me wrong, I certainly regard Scotland as 'serious' skiing. I consider it as basically lift-served off-piste, even the pistes.
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