 Poster: A snowHead
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Just come back from a great week in St Anton and our skiing came on loads. Really want to get back out there this year!
What do folks reckon conditions will be like in April considering the sheer amount of snow around? Would love to get out sooner but March is pretty busy.
I've never been this late before, is it best to wait and see and try a last minute booking?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Early April should be fine in most places, if you can hang on 'til nearer the time you may as well do so though.
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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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Should be fine. Since the kids have been at school we're regulars in April. Last year was the worst but we still had enough to ski. Clearly if you leave it late you will have a better idea. And clearly you don't want to be too low. For me in France that means 1300m+
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Frosty ............... I've skied St Anton 2nd week in April (work commitments) 3 or 4 times in recent years and the only really crappy snow was the valley runs late afternoon. Below mid station the snow was variable, however Valluga, Schindler stayed pretty good. Best skiing though was Zurs and some parts of Lech, so it's worth catching the bus (yellow costs, blue is free ...... Alpe Ruez to Zurs/Lech is free) Trittkopf has height and north orientation to hold fresher longer, so do Madloch and Muggengrat, and combined these give some decent late/spring skiing.
Best AVOID the south facing slopes going into St Anton and Lech particularly ........ like skiing in 2 foot of slush puppy!
I'm intending to go out there for a few days 10th to 14th April, prolly stay at St Christoph or Lech, and take the car.
Booking.com is a good guide for availability, or try AlpineAnswers' website for some pretty good bargains.
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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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What about Tignes or Val D? Its good and high and there is a massive area to ski.
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| Markoncarp wrote: |
| What about Tignes or Val D? Its good and high and there is a massive area to ski. |
Yup, Espace Killy is grreat for late season skiing, only really Brevieres that gets slushed out, especially lower section of Sashe.
HOWEVER ........... prices in resort are getting silly! The French are back to their old tricks of the 1980's and don't really give a damn, charge top Euro for not a great deal, and generally (based on my 2 latest trips there 2009 and 2010) look to a numbers game to make indecent profit. Some great skiing yes, but now at an ever increasing cost. Also quite busy at holiday times. Expect queues! Especially if you mistime the uplifts and catch the ski schools going up.
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Thanks for the advice. I think it would be a long weekend, and annoyingly the only free one is looking like Easter so might need to get on the case with booking.
Probably won't do St Anton again this season. The wife really likes Courmayeur for the old-town charm so might try there. Tignes would work well for me and is good and high but she didn't like the place. Another option might be Avoriaz as we know PdS quite well.
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frosty75, Book flights now if they're still cheap. Geneva possibly your best bet.
Sort out accommodation just when you need to...
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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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| Quote: |
prices in resort are getting silly! The French are back to their old tricks of the 1980's and don't really give a damn, charge top Euro for not a great deal, and generally (based on my 2 latest trips there 2009 and 2010) look to a numbers game to make indecent profit. Some great skiing yes, but now at an ever increasing cost. Also quite busy at holiday times. Expect queues! Especially if you mistime the uplifts and catch the ski schools going up.
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I don't think Easter will be too busy. Just don't pay those silly prices. Rent an apartment, buy cheap supermarket beer and gin, and cook for yourselves. At Easter, with any luck, you can picnic in the sun on top of a mountain, with ham and cheese baguettes and a bottle of cold beer in the backpack.
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Ischgl. Been there 3 years in a row.Snow has always been good, all the way to 1st May.Went for 3 nights last year but it ended up as 10 nights due to the dust cloud.Gutted.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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frosty75, As always best advice is if you cna hold on then do, even if you just get flights sorted now to an airport that will put you where you want to be. Chamonix makes allot of sense for a long weekend trip. Short transfer to Geneva which is served by many low cost airline options, and plenty of weekend/non weekend to weekend accomdation.
It's hard to say how things will be this far in advance most lower Austrian resorts close around the 18th they sometimes extend if it's worth it and can. I'd say try Ischgl too if you liked St Anton, less of piste but more variety on piste some may say....
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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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Although ischgl gets less snow than st Anton, a lot of the slopes face north = ))
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frosty75, I am in the process of booking skiing for Avoriaz on 9th April. Have been to the PDS loads, including April last year which was an exceptionally poor snow year, and we still had great fun and plenty of skiing. Hope you get somthing sorted.
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You know it makes sense.
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| frosty75 wrote: |
Thanks for the advice. I think it would be a long weekend, and annoyingly the only free one is looking like Easter so might need to get on the case with booking.
Probably won't do St Anton again this season. The wife really likes Courmayeur for the old-town charm so might try there. Tignes would work well for me and is good and high but she didn't like the place. Another option might be Avoriaz as we know PdS quite well. |
Courmayeur is great for a couple of days. BUT ........... prolly 2nd week April is just a tad too late. Plus side on that is the accommodation gets better value. As regards Avoriaz, ............ check out the Portes du Soleil on www.snoweye.com even in a very good year of decent snow there's far too much greenery around!
Easter skiing in Valle d'Aoste................... Cervinia.
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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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Hi frosty75,
Paradiski (La PLagne and Les Arcs) is usually a good bet in April.
There are two glaciers and a large part of the domain is about 2000m which keeps the snow nice. Even last year when there were a lot of snow problems, La Plagne stayed open until it's advertised dates and most of the area was still pretty good skiing.
If you are ever going to go in April this year is a good time to choose - we had masses and masses of snow at the start of the season so the base is really thick.
Happy planning . . .
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Poster: A snowHead
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Hmmmm, glacier skiing, hmmmm
Gradient anyone?, no? Oh well, mine's a Campari thanks. Got a Luton flight to catch.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Les Arcs would be fine, we were there last Easter which was v late and there was more than enough snow, bit sparse down the bottom, but what do you expect? We also had a day in Val'D'isere where the snow was even better and this year Easter is earlier and the snow is 5x as deep.
Why not book to stay in Bourg St Maurice, it's cheaper! Get a hire car, and then you can choose where you fancy - Paradiski/La Rosiere & La Thuile (Rosi is south facing but the food's good on the Italian side) or drive on (3/4 hour) to Tignes/Val D'Isere which is even more snowsure, but more expensive. Also round there are a few smaller towns e.g.- Sainte Foy.
Take sun cream and use it! Have fun!
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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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| Quote: |
we were there last Easter which was v late and there was more than enough snow, bit sparse down the bottom, but what do you expect?
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It's reasonable to expect a good deal more snow than was around in Easter last year - every other year we've skied to our apartment at 1550m till the end of the season - which is around 26 April in Les Saisies. Last year was exceptionally poor. Normally, early April is most pleasant.
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frosty75, With more snow due tonight and tomorrow. Avoriaz is going to have plenty for a long time.
Always been able to ski the last day. Some years more than others, but have always had skii's on.
Looks like they are going to close on 22nd April.
My guess is so they can crack on with all the building work that is going on in Avoriaz. To try and ensure everything is done before next winter.
Come and have a slide around here.
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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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Will 3V be OK a similar time? I am looking at going out April 1st, staying in La Tania or Meribel.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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t40ora, Yes.
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Layne, thanks. I don't need too much convincing to go out again.
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