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john elgy March 6th 09 03:33 PM

Skiing at the end of the season
 
I have had some good days skiing in the past at the very end of the
season and I am half planning to go out to Tignes for the May day
weekend. What experniences does the rest of the group have of skiing in May?

John

Ace[_3_] March 6th 09 03:53 PM

Skiing at the end of the season
 
On Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:33:26 +0000, john elgy
wrote:

I have had some good days skiing in the past at the very end of the
season and I am half planning to go out to Tignes for the May day
weekend. What experniences does the rest of the group have of skiing in May?


Tignes igenerally pretty reliable at that time. Other places I've
skied in May include Flaine (though that was a freak year, and it
wasn't properly open) and Engelberg, where the lifts run well into May
(planned finish of 24/5 this year).

Of course, it's all weather-dependant, so the most reliable will be
the higher ones, but in any case you can look forward to hard icy
pistes in the morning, with chopped-up off-piste almost unskiable and
virgin snow crusty. Through the morning it'll all tend to soften up,
and into the afternoon it may get slushy. These changes will, of
course, vary tremendously, but for best result make sure you're out
early enough and be prepared to call it a day from 2 o'clock onwards.


john elgy March 6th 09 10:55 PM

Skiing at the end of the season
 
Ace wrote:

On Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:33:26 +0000, john elgy
wrote:


I have had some good days skiing in the past at the very end of the
season and I am half planning to go out to Tignes for the May day
weekend. What experniences does the rest of the group have of skiing in May?



Tignes igenerally pretty reliable at that time. Other places I've
skied in May include Flaine (though that was a freak year, and it
wasn't properly open) and Engelberg, where the lifts run well into May
(planned finish of 24/5 this year).

Of course, it's all weather-dependant, so the most reliable will be
the higher ones, but in any case you can look forward to hard icy
pistes in the morning, with chopped-up off-piste almost unskiable and
virgin snow crusty. Through the morning it'll all tend to soften up,
and into the afternoon it may get slushy. These changes will, of
course, vary tremendously, but for best result make sure you're out
early enough and be prepared to call it a day from 2 o'clock onwards.

Thanks, Ace. I do not mind hard or very hard snow, but the blue stuff is
too hard for me. It sounds much like summer glacier skiing so I will
go a head and book it.

Ace[_3_] March 6th 09 11:59 PM

Skiing at the end of the season
 
On Fri, 06 Mar 2009 22:55:40 +0000, john elgy
wrote:

Ace wrote:

On Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:33:26 +0000, john elgy
wrote:


I have had some good days skiing in the past at the very end of the
season and I am half planning to go out to Tignes for the May day
weekend. What experniences does the rest of the group have of skiing in May?



Tignes igenerally pretty reliable at that time. Other places I've
skied in May include Flaine (though that was a freak year, and it
wasn't properly open) and Engelberg, where the lifts run well into May
(planned finish of 24/5 this year).

Of course, it's all weather-dependant, so the most reliable will be
the higher ones, but in any case you can look forward to hard icy
pistes in the morning, with chopped-up off-piste almost unskiable and
virgin snow crusty. Through the morning it'll all tend to soften up,
and into the afternoon it may get slushy. These changes will, of
course, vary tremendously, but for best result make sure you're out
early enough and be prepared to call it a day from 2 o'clock onwards.

Thanks, Ace. I do not mind hard or very hard snow, but the blue stuff is
too hard for me. It sounds much like summer glacier skiing so I will
go a head and book it.


It _shouldn't_ be as extreme as summer glacier skiing, but it's as
well to be prepared. FWIW I'm looking forward to skiing in May here[1]
very much this year, as the snow's just been excellent so far, and
hopefully the base should be enough to survie the early spring. And I
gather that conditions in the Tarentaise have been similar, so
hopefully should be good.

[1] Engelberg, where we came down after work this evening. Stopped
snowing now, but looks like a good 15cm of fresh has fallen today, on
top of good falls on Thursday and Friday, so I'm looking forward to
skiing the Laub in loadsa fresh powder in the morning.


Matt T March 9th 09 10:55 AM

Skiing at the end of the season
 
On 6 Mar, 15:33, john elgy wrote:
I have had some good days skiing in the past at the very end of the
season and I am half planning to go out to Tignes for the May day
weekend. What experniences does the rest of the group have of skiing in May?

John


Hi,

I find May skiing pretty good in Tignes. The biggest problem is that
by the last week of the season the STGM have a tendency to shut down
everything that isn't coming directly off the glacier, but for May-day
weekend I think you still have most of the Espace Killy. Getting to
Brevieres would probably be your only problem.

Ace is correct - (very) hard pack at 9am, softens up nicely by 11am,
slush moguls pm. I switch to a board for that 'surfing' feel, but some
fat skis would be equally at home in the afternoon I imagine - I just
worry about my ACLs in that stuff. I also agree with Ace that it's
"better" than summer glacier skiing basically because the depth is
still usually so good so you're less likely to find the rocks,pudles
and ice. Snow, when it falls, can result in some pretty awesome,
light, fluffly powder especially on the Motte and around Grand Pre
where the runs are a little more protected. And the crowds and lift
queues, or lack of them... even most of the tour operator staff have
left. I've gone the length of double-M at 2 in the afternoon and seen
one other person. Bliss.

Weather is often lovely - all vents open and t-shirt can be the order
of the day. Long afternoons spent sun-bathing on the terraces in Le
Lac are also to be expected. You may be unlucky and get some heavy
rain, but I've only ever seen it at night, and then only rarely.

Oh, one downside - the smell in Lac. As the snow eventually gives way
to mud and nature takes a hold the rotting grass that's been hidden
for 6 months makes itself known. You only notice it on the "snow"front
by the Maison du Lac, but it's pretty off-putting! Some people suggest
it's actually the chemicals they use to encourage the grass to come
back in time for whichever French national team is about to arrive for
altitude training, others says it's all the dog turds defrosting, but
I'm pretty sure it's rotting vegetation. Don't let it put you off
though!

Cheers,

--
Matt Thomas - www.tignes-lavachet.co.uk






Dymphna[_3_] March 9th 09 03:44 PM

Skiing at the end of the season
 

I don't know about you, but we are suffering from a lack of global
warming here. Dumped another few inches in the low lands and is supposed
to dump another couple, hence there is lots of powder up on the mountain
right now.


--
Dymphna
Message Origin: TRAVEL.com


Ace[_3_] March 9th 09 06:20 PM

Skiing at the end of the season
 
On Mon, 9 Mar 2009 10:44:56 -0500, Dymphna
wrote:


I don't know about you, but we are suffering from a lack of global
warming here. Dumped another few inches in the low lands and is supposed
to dump another couple, hence there is lots of powder up on the mountain
right now.


Sounds like you're somewhere in the Alps then. We've got so much here
we don't know what to do with it.


Pip Luscher[_3_] March 9th 09 09:31 PM

Skiing at the end of the season
 
On Mon, 09 Mar 2009 19:20:53 +0100, Ace wrote:

On Mon, 9 Mar 2009 10:44:56 -0500, Dymphna
wrote:


I don't know about you, but we are suffering from a lack of global
warming here. Dumped another few inches in the low lands and is supposed
to dump another couple, hence there is lots of powder up on the mountain
right now.


Sounds like you're somewhere in the Alps then. We've got so much here
we don't know what to do with it.


Will you stop banging on about how much snow there is?

Some of us have used up our winter holiday allowance.

--
-Pip

john elgy March 9th 09 11:39 PM

Skiing at the end of the season
 
Ace wrote:
On Mon, 9 Mar 2009 10:44:56 -0500, Dymphna
wrote:


I don't know about you, but we are suffering from a lack of global
warming here. Dumped another few inches in the low lands and is supposed
to dump another couple, hence there is lots of powder up on the mountain
right now.



Sounds like you're somewhere in the Alps then. We've got so much here
we don't know what to do with it.

I hope you are not following the thread about dog turds!

Thanks for all the information. It sounds good.

John

Mike Clark March 10th 09 12:06 PM

Skiing at the end of the season
 
In message
Pip Luscher wrote:

On Mon, 09 Mar 2009 19:20:53 +0100, Ace wrote:

On Mon, 9 Mar 2009 10:44:56 -0500, Dymphna
wrote:


I don't know about you, but we are suffering from a lack of global
warming here. Dumped another few inches in the low lands and is supposed
to dump another couple, hence there is lots of powder up on the mountain
right now.


Sounds like you're somewhere in the Alps then. We've got so much here
we don't know what to do with it.


Will you stop banging on about how much snow there is?

Some of us have used up our winter holiday allowance.


Well I'm looking forward to two weeks of touring at the end of this
month.

Mike
--
o/ \\ // |\ ,_ o Mike Clark
\__,\\ // __o | \ / /\, "A mountain climbing, cycling, skiing,
" || _`\,_ |__\ \ | caving, antibody engineer and
` || (_)/ (_) | \corn computer user"


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