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Where to go mid april 08
Help folks please,
I'm going to be away out the country in a very hot and sandy place for a few months, namely between dec and april. I'm will be back in the UK by april 11th all being well. I don't want to be missing the ski season at all, but I also don't want to pay for somewhere that will be snowless by then. I know I'm going to be having to check snow conditions a lot closer to the time, but can someone give me any ideas for starters at places that could provide my desperately needed fix for the white stuff around that time of the year. Europe the most likely, but Canada and USA on a budget would also be a outside option. Thanks for your time Onion |
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#2
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Where to go mid april 08
On Oct 4, 5:09 pm, "JP" wrote:
Help folks please, I'm going to be away out the country in a very hot and sandy place for a few months, namely between dec and april. I'm will be back in the UK by april 11th all being well. I don't want to be missing the ski season at all, but I also don't want to pay for somewhere that will be snowless by then. I know I'm going to be having to check snow conditions a lot closer to the time, but can someone give me any ideas for starters at places that could provide my desperately needed fix for the white stuff around that time of the year. Europe the most likely, but Canada and USA on a budget would also be a outside option. Thanks for your time Onion Most resorts in France are still open until the end of April and if the last 10 seasons are anything to go by (last year was the odd one in 50 years I am told) you should still get enough snow in most resorts with a ski range above 1500 after mid-April. Ok it may be slush in the afternoon at the bottom but you should get some glorious sunshine as well. If you want a complete snow guarantee in late April then I would recommend a few of the glacier resorts: Les Deux Alpes has Europe's largest skiable glacier where you still ski in August http://www.peakretreats.co.uk/ski/les-deux-alpes.htm Tignes also has a summer ski glacier http://www.peakretreats.co.uk/ski/tignes.htm http://www.skicollection.co.uk/defau.../loadindex.135 Val Thorens - part of the largest ski area in the world is also a very safe bet http://www.skicollection.co.uk/defau.../loadindex.137 Other high altitude resorts like Alpe d'Huez also have top snowsure ski areas a massive 700 of snowcannons (or one of the satellite villages like Vaujany or Oz-en-Oisans) http://www.peakretreats.co.uk/ski/oisans.htm No need to burn all that carbon to travel to the states! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ XS Peak Retreats http://www.peakretreats.co.uk Ski Collection http://www.skicollection.co.uk |
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Where to go mid april 08
On Thu, 04 Oct 2007 16:09:57 GMT, "JP" wrote:
I'm will be back in the UK by april 11th all being well. I know I'm going to be having to check snow conditions a lot closer to the time, but can someone give me any ideas for starters at places that could provide my desperately needed fix for the white stuff around that time of the year. In no particular order, here's my short-list for reliable late-season skiing: Saas Fee, Zermatt, Flaine/Grand Massif, Tignes/Val d'Isere, Val Thorens/3V. There are plenty of others, but these offer, IMO, the best chance of good late snow. As regulars will know, I'd tend to put Flaine at the top of this list, as I've had very good experiences of fresh powder into the 2nd and 3rd weeks of April over the last few years. -- Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom) Ski Club of Great Britain - http://www.skiclub.co.uk All opinions expressed are personal and in no way represent those of the Ski Club. |
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Where to go mid april 08
Ace wrote:
: In no particular order, here's my short-list for reliable late-season : skiing: : Val Thorens/3V. From some time after mid-April Val Thorens drops out of the 3V (which closes!) and goes on its own until about 1st/2nd week of May (AFAIR) |
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Where to go mid april 08
On 5 Oct, 10:52, Brian McIlwrath wrote:
Ace wrote: : In no particular order, here's my short-list for reliable late-season : skiing: : Val Thorens/3V. From some time after mid-April Val Thorens drops out of the 3V (which closes!) and goes on its own until about 1st/2nd week of May (AFAIR) Yeah - I think the rest of the three valleys were pretty much out of snow early April last year. I seem to remember a lot of the Meribel slopes are south facing, so they can take a pounding. last April in Tignes was excellent. Glorious sun and still good snow depth. Sharpen your edges for the mornings though! Matt |
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Where to go mid april 08
"Matt T" wrote in message ps.com... On 5 Oct, 10:52, Brian McIlwrath wrote: Ace wrote: : In no particular order, here's my short-list for reliable late-season : skiing: : Val Thorens/3V. From some time after mid-April Val Thorens drops out of the 3V (which closes!) and goes on its own until about 1st/2nd week of May (AFAIR) Yeah - I think the rest of the three valleys were pretty much out of snow early April last year. I seem to remember a lot of the Meribel slopes are south facing, so they can take a pounding. last April in Tignes was excellent. Glorious sun and still good snow depth. Sharpen your edges for the mornings though! Matt And, by way of a wildcard, the Hautes-Pyrenees still had masses of snow when they were closing last season - Luz Ardiden having probably the best cover of all. It happens... RM www.mountainpassions.com - an Online Magazine with Altitude. |
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Where to go mid april 08
"Roger Moss" wrote in message
... "Matt T" wrote in message ps.com... On 5 Oct, 10:52, Brian McIlwrath wrote: Ace wrote: : In no particular order, here's my short-list for reliable late-season : skiing: : Val Thorens/3V. From some time after mid-April Val Thorens drops out of the 3V (which closes!) and goes on its own until about 1st/2nd week of May (AFAIR) Yeah - I think the rest of the three valleys were pretty much out of snow early April last year. I seem to remember a lot of the Meribel slopes are south facing, so they can take a pounding. last April in Tignes was excellent. Glorious sun and still good snow depth. Sharpen your edges for the mornings though! Matt And, by way of a wildcard, the Hautes-Pyrenees still had masses of snow when they were closing last season - Luz Ardiden having probably the best cover of all. It happens... RM www.mountainpassions.com - an Online Magazine with Altitude. Done Espace Killy twice post-Easter (once in the penultimate week) and had better snow than mid-season. Breaks your legs after 3 pm though (I can particularly recommend doing the Sache top to bottom!). Went to Zermatt this April (straight after Easter mid-week). Below is my trip report (or the snow conditions bit of it) produced on return: The weather was warm, clear and sunny all day every day bar one when we had some cloud and fog. In consequence, the snow line was retreating up the hill at a rate of, I guess, lots of vertical metres per day. I know that we skiied down a black from Furg to Furi on Wednesday and, by Friday it was closed. The runs were rock hard until about 11 and wet sugar by 3. A red down from Hothaali to Gant was a high speed involuntary slide slip for the top two thirds and several others made you wonder where your edges had gone! We enjoyed the little group of runs off the Rothorn down to the Kumme lift. We ended up on the Kleine Matterhorn or over the Cervinia side quite often just because the snow was in better condition. There was little to do on the Gornergrat because you couldn't really ski below the Riffelberg. In general, I was surprised that most of the pisted stuff was fast, wide and pretty unchallenging - but this might have been because that is generally true of glacier skiing and all the more interesting stuff was lower on the mountain and, therefore, closed or just slush. We had one interesting afternoon up around the Trockener Steg because half the mountain was closed for a competition. To get down, we had to take to the bumps off either side of the piste. That was entertaining enough to go back and do a couple of times. Generally, though hors piste was indistinguishable from piste though we didn't try any genuine back country stuff Another consequence of the weather/snow conditions was that the better mountain restaurants were difficult to reach and by the weekend were closing (either because of season end or because skiiers couldn't get to them). Most of the eateries higher up the mountain were a bit ordinary - though we didn't feel the same about the places on the Italian side! YMMV Paul |
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Where to go mid april 08
JP wrote:
Help folks please, I'm going to be away out the country in a very hot and sandy place for a few months, namely between dec and april. I'm will be back in the UK by april 11th all being well. I don't want to be missing the ski season at all, but I also don't want to pay for somewhere that will be snowless by then. I know I'm going to be having to check snow conditions a lot closer to the time, but can someone give me any ideas for starters at places that could provide my desperately needed fix for the white stuff around that time of the year. Europe the most likely, but Canada and USA on a budget would also be a outside option. Thanks for your time Onion For about the last 20 years I have gone skiing at Easter, which has on occaisions beeen very late in April and we have always had acceptable snow, which is more than can be said for early January. Coming back from Zermat one year we even had to drive very slowly at one point due to heavy snow in the valley - it was, IIRC, 22 or 23 of April. For the last 3 Easters we have been in Les Arcs and the conditions have been good,and you have always been able to ski back to the resort, even Vallandry. Two years ago the snow depth was fantastic over easter and it seemed odd that they were closing the resort as we left. However, I do recall being there in April about 20 years ago when we had to take the lift down for the first day or so, then a blizzard hit us and the resort was closed for a morning while they blasted. Any way we have had excellent April skiing in: Tigne/Val d'Isere Les Arcs La Plagne Courchevel Les Menuires And in Zermat Verbier Whistler Banff Chamonix where the skiing was very good high up but you had to take a lift down Morzine and Avoriaz were the only area were the snow was very poor and, even there, above 1800m it was acceptable. Strangely we were able to ski to Val Thorens from Courchevel and over the rest of the 3V from Les Menuires- it was a bit messy in Meribel (when isn't it?) but the rest of the route was OK. When does Meribel close for the season? My suggestions for April a shrapen your edges, wear lots of sun block and relax enjoying what you get. By April snow base is fairly well established and IMHO you don't have to wait to the last minute to decide. Either the snow is there in March, or it isn't going to come. The storms that are common at that time of year are not predicable a week in advance and even the day before you do not know the altitude of the rain snow boundary. So a choice of resort in March is likle to be as good as one the day before you leave. With a good snow depth it is amazing how well the snow last. IF there is no wind and if the skies remain clear overnight, daytime temperatures of over 15 degrees barely dent the snow mass. The snow killing conditions such as the foen affect massive regions so there is no real difference at the same altitude between lots of resorts. Just look at resorts with plenty of high altitude skiing. Where are you actally going? I have a colleague who, when we were working together in Ghana, would regularly use airmiles to go home for the weekend using overnight flights in both directions! John |
#9
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Where to go mid april 08
In message , JP
writes I'm going to be away out the country in a very hot and sandy place for a few months, namely between dec and april. I'm will be back in the UK by april 11th all being well. I don't want to be missing the ski season at all, but I also don't want to pay for somewhere that will be snowless by then. I have done exactly the same thing in the past. Espace killy always has snow at that time. Just one tip. Don't think that a desert tan protects you from the UV levels found at that time of year. I found this out the hard way. Stay safe and try to enjoy it. -- Devs "Punchdown Pete the old Kroner" |
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