 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi guys,
It has been a while since I frequented this forum but I am in need of a little bit of directing. It looks although my girlfriend and I might squeeze in a trip sometime after easter. So the first condition is obviously that we need there to be reliable snow middle to end of April. Next thing is that I have skied for years and my girlfriend has only ever done a snowdome so I suspect that hitting the slopes together might not be realistic. What I was thinking is that neither of us have ever tried snowboarding so perhaps the way around the problem would be to learn to board together and do a 'board school'. So condition number two - a decent place to learn snowboarding/decent school.
My favorite part of the world is Canada/North America so I had looked this direction but flights are a bit rough in price, better part of £700 each at present so that makes it rather an expensive trip when you consider hotels/passes/school. Can anyone recommend any alternatives that might hit the mark? I have never skied in Europe so have zero experience beyond being told that it is much much busier that Canada - I would prefer somewhere that doesn't have huge lift lines if possible.
Thanks for any thoughts!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Obergurgl Austria! High resort so conditions should be good late season. I've been 3 times and 95% off the time you just walk straight onto the lifts, at worst a minute or two wait.
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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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Going mid to late April is very much of a risk. You need to check what date the resorts actually close; each resort is different its often before the end of April. In Meribel (France, 3 Valleys) last year the resort shut on 27th April. And it was only some late snowfalls that kept the slopes going up to then, it had been a very warm March and April and without the extra snow I think it would have been unskiable well before the end.
The year before in France was really poor. In fact my working contract out in Les Arcs (and others working with me) were cut short as the conditions were so bad and it was so warm. Instead of working the season through to 21st April, I actually ended up going home on 14th (and only the upper slopes were skiable in my final week, the thaw was rapid and harsh).
Perhaps the best bet would be to leave it until last minute and book somewhere that actually has snow. But I'd see anything after 15th April as a bit of a gamble, and you'd probably want to head to one of the absolutely highest resorts such as Val Thorens.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I agree with Dav.
I suggest you decide on dates, book flights to Geneva (as it gives you access to Val Thorens, Tignes etc) and then wait last minute before you decide on resort, hotels etc. This is my approach year after year when booking our annual boys trip (even though our family hols are booked well in advance for obvious reasons).
I can resonate with your thinking re boarding - my wife has been skiing since she was 3, I come from Cyprus and hadn't even considered taking up snowsports until my late 20s. For our first trip together we decided to both learn how to snowboard - we went to Zell am See in Austria. I don’t want to put you off but it was a bit of a disaster for her, not so much for me. She felt constrained being on a nursery slope, learning how to adopt a completely different stance, balance etc. On the second day she fell, landed on her wrist and broke it. Spent the afternoon talking to our insurance company back in the UK and in hospital. She decided to give it another go the following morning (the local GP didn’t seem to bother). She fell, naturally put out her other wrist and fractured that too. Another afternoon spent talking to the insurance company back in the UK etc. She’s not been on a board since.
I, however, am hooked (I’m 40 and for the last 15 years have boarded for at least 2 weeks a season), she’s back on skis.
So, I really hope that it works for you and your girlfriend, in particular. Just put some time aside so that you can enjoy the mountain as a competent skier without being stuck at the bottom (and yours) all week!
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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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buns, Don't go out before about 11, give the overnight ice time to melt, nothing worse than trying to learn to snowboard on hardpack @09:00
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Tignes. There will be loads of snow and there are very good snowboard schools. Check out Alliance.
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Alliance snowboard team in Tignes are truly one of the best in the alps. Tignes is a very high resort and open till early may snow permitting.go on the alliance website and book, you won't be disappointed.Ive had group lessons and pvt lessons and done wonders for my riding.
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franga, ouch. A good advert for wristguards (and I'd also highly recommend kneepads and elbowpads). Terrible advice from the local GP; and how come she wasn't in plaster, anyhow? Don't muck around with wrists and ankles!
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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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Pyremaniac,
I know!
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