 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi there,
Our whole family has been bitten by the skiing bug; we've done about two weeks of lessons at Hemel Hempstead and a total of three weeks in Chamrousse, near Grenoble. The trips to Chamrousse have been as a family, but now I'm looking for somewhere to go for a quick trip, just me and the wife.
It's our 15th Wedding Anniversary in April, and we're already going away for ten days to Curacao. We're flying from Dusseldorf (avoiding Heathrow Airport Taxes and BA Fuel Surcharges), and my sneaky plan is on the return instead of flying straight back from Dusseldorf to London, we divert to somewhere for a few days skiing. We land in Dusseldorf at 7am on the 9th of April, and I'm looking for somewhere that would be relatively easy to get to from there, either by plane or by train, so that we can arrive at resort in time to sort out ski hire etc and be ready to hit the slopes on the 10th. We would probably stay three days, four maximum, and would like somewhere with direct BA flights back to London Heathrow.
We are both more or less what Inside Out Skiing would call Level 6 Early Intermediates (going by the descriptions and the video). My wife has better technique than I do, but gets scared when things get too steep and too fast. I on the other hand enjoy the steep and fast, but don't have the skill to get myself out of some of the messes I get myself into because of this! So we're looking for somewhere that has some nice long meandering blues and some interesting reds, but it doesn't have to be the ultimate skiers paradise of black runs and off-piste (we stay firmly on the piste).
We do like the idea of being close to the Piste (ski in/out is ideal). We're not fixed on catered, happy to eat out in restaurants, but since this is an anniversary thing I'd prefer to stay somewhere "nice" (not too drastically expensive though, the trip is already more than we "should" be spending!). Quieter and romantic is better than fun loud boisterous apres-ski (bear in mind that we're probably older than most of you, we started skiing late in life). This being mid April, I know that we want somewhere higher up...but there seems to be such a huge choice of resorts!
So, what resorts do you suggest? Or even specific places to stay?
Many thanks,
-simon
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Not sure how easy it is to get to from Dusseldorf but Lech springs to mind from what you have said.
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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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Thanks, Lech doesn't look too far from Zurich which is an easy flight from Dusseldorf. In fact Zurich seems to be the best connection in general at that time.
Any other suggestions near Zurich? (Or elsewhere with thoughts about how to get there?)
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Mid April will be really pushing it to plan ahead for a lot of Austrian resorts, they might be great still, but there might be no snow at all at some depending on how this winter pans out.
Lech/St Anton might be fine as they're higher than most. Glacier skiing available at Hintertux. If you're thinking of looking at flying into Zurich, what about a high Swiss resort? Zermatt?
Or if you're going to get a connecting flight Geneva opens up a lot of options.
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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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Hmmm...so planning ahead for Lech isn't a good idea then? How high should we really be looking for?
Geneva is certainly possible, but flights DUS-GVA seem to be very expensive (€750 one way in economy). We could probably fly to Zurich and take the excellent Swiss trains to Geneva, or possibly as you say a connection.
Still need suggestions as to where though! Any trusted snowheads actually run high chalets somewhere worth going to? Or places from personal experience?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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and it's not just about altitude, but also aspect. eastern/northern slopes here topping out below 2000m have always been good well into April.
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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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Thanks Hammerite, it looks like a glacier might be a good idea "just in case".
We've decided to expand our options somewhat - we are now going to:
- Fly from Dusseldorf to Zurich (€39 per person flight with Air Berlin)
- Rent a car for six days (£250 with EasyCar seems pretty reasonable, includes all insurances, winter tyres and one way rental cost)
- Return the car in Geneva (flights back home with BA using Avios)
This means we can basically go anywhere in Switzerland/France!
So -- which resort with a glacier that meets our requirements above is best? 
-simon
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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That'll be an interesting luggage combo....packing for Curaçao and combining with Sk wear !
I would say Tignes for sure
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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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damobloke1, the theory is to leave a bag at Dusseldorf airport . One bag with our ski boots (which we don't have yet but plan to buy) and warm weather gear stays in the lock-up for the princely sum of €30.
Funny, you say Tignes while pam w above says that it doesn't have much else to commend it other than late season snow...
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Szymon, fly to Innsbruck or Salzburg (Munich at a pinch - peanuts from Düsseldorf as it is a commuter link) and get the train to Zillertal. Loads of relatively cheap accommodation and a whopping BIG glacier just in case everything else in the valley has melted. Try Zell am Ziller or Finkenberg and there are regular buses (if you need them) up to the glacier as well as to all the other resorts in the valley that are still open. Leonard Stock has a superb 5* hotel in Finkenberg, just the ticket for an anniversary trip!
You are landing back in Düsselfdorf on April 9th or flying on to Curacao on that day and coming back on the 29th? If the latter, the Tux will have way more skiing than Tignes - just compare the summer glacier skiing areas!  If you are renting a car, then the cheapest flights will be to Munich, then come straight over the Achen Pass route and drop into the Inntal right opposite the entrance to the Zillertal at Jenbach.
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You know it makes sense.
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Landing back in Düsselfdorf of the 9th of April, so hoping to "catch the end of the season" as it were . Hadn't actually considered Austria yet...but that certainly does look interesting.
Another option I noticed is that easiski.com seem to be based on or near a glacier - perhaps we should try to get some tuition while we're there...
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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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Funny, you say Tignes while pam w above says that it doesn't have much else to commend it other than late season snow...
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Well, it has one of the biggest linked ski areas in the world. But - it's high, bleak, no trees, ugly buildings, etc etc etc. And in a brief break you won't be able to ski even a fraction of it. However, the Tignes summer ski area is a bit of a red herring because in mid April it's probable that the entire resort will be open - the bottom of Tignes is higher than the top of the resort I ski in, which normally has more than enough skiing in mid April for a couple of days. I doubt if anywhere in Europe has a greater linked ski area of high quality snow in mid April than the Espace Killy (Val D'Isere and Tignes). Doesn't mean I have to like it though.
If you go to Les Deux Alpes which also has a glacier, you could indeed get some tuition with the excellent Charlotte Swift (easiski).
I wouldn't get hung up on glaciers though. In the unfortunate event that it's a very poor end of season and many places which would normally be open are just grass and slush, glacier areas could be too busy to be much fun.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Ok, that makes sense, thanks pam w. Our experience to date in real mountains has been only in Chamrousse, which is quite "small" by the standards of many resorts, so we'll probably get lost wherever we end up
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Szymon, For L2A where Charlotte is you'd probably end up having to transfer to Lyon, Grenoble or Turin. Flights to Lyon/Turin are probably possible from Dusseldorf, but you might struggle for Grenoble. I think Samerberg Sue's suggestion seems the most practical.
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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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Any thoughts on Wengen in April? Looks like an ideal place to visit (and also to scout out as a possible future family destination)...
(By the way I got the date wrong, we'll be arriving on the 10th of April not the 9th, forgot about the timezone change!).
-simon
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Do you want some romance and luxury (it is an anniversary)?
Sport Hotel in Neustift, ski at the Stubai Glacier (they run a shuttle up to the glacier and back, just book when you want to go the night before).
Oetztaler Aquadome, luxury spa, combine it with skiing at Kuhtai (Hoch)Oetz and the glacier at Soelden, pretty sure they also run shuttles to each of the ski areas (and packages with ski pass/spa stuff/room/shuttle) as and when you want them.
Both within very easy reach of Innsbruck.
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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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Right, we're now deciding between Saas Fee and Zermatt. Both aren't too bad from Zurich (a 2 hour train ride to Visp, then either a bus to Saas Fee or a train to Zermatt). Both have Glaciers and look to be pretty snow-sure on the 10th of April (as much as anywhere can be). Both seem to have similar prices for accommodation etc. So, any thoughts on one vs the other?
In particular, Zermatt seems to have many red runs and less blues - you need to go to Cervinia for Blue runs. If it turns out the reds scare my wife too much, is it feasible to stay in Zermatt but ski in Cervinia most of the day?
Thanks,
-simon
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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When we went (early January) we found that quite a number of the days the main lift taking you over wasn't running due to
High winds. I don't know if time of year makes a difference to that?
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It's easier to stay in Zermatt and ski Cervinia than vice versa. The slopes in Cervinia are lovely long and wide. Perfect if your OH is nervous.
If the wind has shut down the main lift you can get across to Cervinia using the long t-bars on the glacier.
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If the wind has shut down the main lift you can get across to Cervinia using the long t-bars on the glacier.
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Hmm. Long T bars on a glacier in winds high enough to close chairlifts don't sound as though they'd thrill Szymon's nervous wife. Wouldn't thrill me, for sure and I'm not particularly nervous.
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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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But on a day like that a few hours in a nice Zermatt coffee shop would be most pleasant....
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We will have a total of three days skiing, I'm not wasting one minute in a coffee shop that could otherwise be on the slopes!
I'm definitely tending towards Zermatt over Saas Fee. I'm thinking:
Wed 10/04
- Land in Dusseldorf 7 am
- Fly 8:40am to Zurich, landing at 10am
- 10:40 train from Zurich Flughafen, arriving Visp 1:02pm
- 1:10pm train from Visp, arriving Zermatt 2:13pm
- Spend the day checking into hotel, sorting out Ski Hire, etc
Thu 11/04
- Ski for the day with the local Ski Club GB rep, hoping he'll point us at "easier" places when asked. Will consider joining if we like the rep service.
Fri 11/04
- Private 2-3 hour lesson in the morning (having "got our ski legs" on Thursday) see what we can improve on
- Afternoon general skiing on the Zermatt side
Sat 12/04
- Up to the Glacier in the morning, ski down to Cervina
- Making sure we get back before the lifts close
Sun 13/04
- Train to Visp, then an airport and home 
Not enough skiing time, but that's all we can carve out -- and it's the only real time we can fit it in this season. We're very time-poor unfortunately. We'll have to spend some more time in the Hemel fridge to feed the addiction for the rest of the year (already booked in with Inside Out for the end of Feburary...)
-simon
(By the way, there should be a Health Warning formally issued when starting to ski: "This hobby is addictive and will leave you destitute")
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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By the way, there should be a Health Warning formally issued when starting to ski: "This hobby is addictive and will leave you destitute
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that warning is very frequently seen on this forum. 
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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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| Szymon wrote: |
(By the way, there should be a Health Warning formally issued when starting to ski: "This hobby is addictive and will leave you destitute") |
Hence the acronym, SKI : Spending the Kids Inheritance.
I like to think snowHeads provides a useful support network for people in your position.
I've seen people, 'destitute' in their position, thinking that they can only ski once each season. A few choice hints and tips from the snowHeads community and they've shaved 10% off their travel, 20% off their accom and 50% off their ski hire leaving enough for a sneaky one at the end of the season
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Every day they closed the cable car they also closed the T-bar For the same reason. We could have just been unlucky.
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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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I saw that Pam, and thanked the poster, it's a superb report, really helpful how he goes through and describes the various runs. It's really whetting my appetite! I want to be there NOW!
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