Alps in April?

[Island Bay]

Ms Island Bay and I are looking at doing two weeks of spring skiing as part of our 2017 Euro trip. It would most likely be the first two weeks of April, and we'd be doing spring touring and hopefully a bit of resort skiing.

My first thought was the Dolomites, but it looks like most of the lifts will be shut for the season, meaning much more difficult access to higher altitude goods. Still haven't written this off, though.

Another idea would be to fly to Milan and head to Briancon in a rental car. We'd have Serre Che, La Grave, Montgenevre, the rest of Via Lattea , and hopefully lost of car access touring options in the Queyras, off Col de Lautaret etc.

This off course would go down in flames if there isn't a decent supply of southerly storms this season, in which case we'd have to head for the Mont Blanc tunnel and northern exposures.

Euro mags, Buster H, et al - who's got some good advice?

Thank you, grazie, merci beaucoup, vielen dank, tak(k)

[rod9301]

Fly to Toulouse, drive 2 1/2 h to the French pyrenees.

Resorts close apr 1, but within 30-60 minutes skin, you have tens of couloirs. Bareges la mongie.

[Buster Highmen]

Late season options should include CH: Engleberg and Andermatt/Disentis should still have decent snow and running lifts (both will be open until April 23 and have some fantastic tours off the top, Disentis an easy 1 hour train from Am@.

Andermatt hotels:
Dan Loutrel's (BIrdo) new venture : www.gasthaus-goescheneralp.ch
Gasthaus Sternen: http://gasthaussternen.com/
Aurora Hotel: http://www.aurora-andermatt.ch/Home.6.0.html?&L=1

There's other cheaper options in Hospental, a 20 minute train ride from Am@ . There's a shuttle that will take your from the train station to all main hotels and the cable car base.


The bigger resorts out of Innsbruck like Kaunertal, Rifflsee / Pitztal, Solden, Stubaital or Hintertux. Another good late season bet is St. Moritz (we did find a place for 70 E /night) where the skiing is really good.

Late season Italy should include Bormio and Livigno as well as the Ortler areas. Maybe the Dolomites proper might be largely shut, but there's a lot of other IT ski areas that should be open.

Famille Highmen is also considering the first week in April for La Grave where the bottom will likely have melted, but skiing off P2 should be good. Also the Derby de La Meije is around then.

I think Alpes d'Huez will still be running too, and if you have a car, there's that option. I think the Queyras will be shut down by then. I'd check which of the Via Lattea areas are still open as well.

[subtle plague]

Valais. most of the big resorts are open until the 17th and you can do amazing tours in the high valais around arolla.

[Mike Pow]

That's British school Easter holidays. Avoid Brit centric resorts. Expensive.

[Island Bay]

That's British school Easter holidays. Avoid Brit centric resorts. Expensive.

Speaking of Brit centric; which are the Brit centric resorts? :-)

[Island Bay]

Late season options should include CH: Engleberg and Andermatt/Disentis should still have decent snow and running lifts (both will be open until April 23 and have some fantastic tours off the top, Disentis an easy 1 hour train from Am@.

Andermatt hotels:
Dan Loutrel's (BIrdo) new venture : www.gasthaus-goescheneralp.ch
Gasthaus Sternen: http://gasthaussternen.com/
Aurora Hotel: http://www.aurora-andermatt.ch/Home.6.0.html?&L=1

There's other cheaper options in Hospental, a 20 minute train ride from Am@ . There's a shuttle that will take your from the train station to all main hotels and the cable car base.


The bigger resorts out of Innsbruck like Kaunertal, Rifflsee / Pitztal, Solden, Stubaital or Hintertux. Another good late season bet is St. Moritz (we did find a place for 70 E /night) where the skiing is really good.

Late season Italy should include Bormio and Livigno as well as the Ortler areas. Maybe the Dolomites proper might be largely shut, but there's a lot of other IT ski areas that should be open.

Famille Highmen is also considering the first week in April for La Grave where the bottom will likely have melted, but skiing off P2 should be good. Also the Derby de La Meije is around then.

I think Alpes d'Huez will still be running too, and if you have a car, there's that option. I think the Queyras will be shut down by then. I'd check which of the Via Lattea areas are still open as well.

Thanks, Buster.
Would be a pleasure to buy you a beer if both familles end up in La Grave at that time.

[Buster Highmen]

Speaking of Brit centric; which are the Brit centric resorts? :-)

Verbier.
But the sagacious subtle plaque may be on to something with Grimetz/Zinal and the Val D'Anniviers.

[Buster Highmen]

Thanks, Buster.
Would be a pleasure to buy you a beer if both familles end up in La Grave at that time.

I'd be honored but the plan is gated by an income stream which is at the moment somewhat flimsy.

[Toadman]

Brits love Val D', Alp D' Huez, and most French Alps resorts in general.

[Island Bay]

Valais. most of the big resorts are open until the 17th and you can do amazing tours in the high valais around arolla.

Thank you SP. I was considering this, but Ms IB would prefer Italy or France. This area was one of my 'escape to northern exposures' spots.

[Buster Highmen]

Thank you SP. I was considering this, but Ms IB would prefer Italy or France. This area was one of my 'escape to northern exposures' spots.

FWIW the Valais is French speaking for the most part.

[AmmergauerTele]

I'd go with Innsbruck area. Maybe fly into Munich and go from there. You will have: Hintertux, Zillertal Arena, Solden & Obergurgl/Hochgurgl, Pitztal, Ischgl, Kuhtai, pretty much all of St. Anton Arlberg should still be open, Ischgl. So many options right there. Season will be slowing down - booking.com and you can base out of Zillertal for a few days, move to Solden, then to St. Anton all the first week. You are within way easy striking distance of the Dolomites - about 2 hrs from Innsbruck. Checkout the snow - will probably be able to ski down there then as long as a decent winter. Arabba, Cortina, Sella Ronda....Day trip with lots of wine drinking (google Amarone wine) and hit Verona / Venice / Vicenza for two days. I guarantee you will not regret doing this. Such a cool area!!!

[AmmergauerTele]

St. Anton and Lech/Zurs mid-April 2013

[Island Bay]

Sau geil!

[sharcsplean]

World Freeride tour will be in Verbier - April 8th - it is a really fun weekend. All the Swiss (and brits) stop skiing in April. At that time of year - the higher you go, the better. The last 3 Aprils have had great conditions.

[subtle plague]

Thank you SP. I was considering this, but Ms IB would prefer Italy or France. This area was one of my 'escape to northern exposures' spots.

well that makes it slightly more difficult. if she does not count the french valais as french, then Passo tonale could be recommended or alagna gressoney, but this is very fickle. like one in three to five years is good... and the exposure is not very powderfriendly, but you'll have tons of steep stuff in the "Polvere Rosa" guidebook.

Passo Tonale is one of the most reliable resorts in the south. snowwise. I haven't been, but friends and friends of friends say the lift assisted touring is pretty great. the lift served off piste is supposedly nicish, but not mind blowing (by European standards, which might still be quite amazig by US standards )
Gressoney and especially alagna are really nice villages and pretty remote. Tonale is mre like a modern ski station.

[Hicks]

Besides what Subtle said if Northern Italy then consider the resort of Madesimo straight north of Milan (2 hrs by car, 4.5 hrs by train and 7.5 hrs by public bus). Sufficiently elevated for decent conditions until April and off most people's radar.

https://www.rome2rio.com/de/s/Mailand/Madesimo

With regards to France: if you base yourselves around beautiful Annecy you'll have access to most of the prime French resorts within a 2-4 hrs drive. It's a good place if your lady likes to mix it up.

I'd stay away from Verbier during the peak holiday season - it's often a frikkin' zoo.

[Pav]

This was in April ...

[Island Bay]

That looks yummy, Pav. Where?

[Pav]

A little-known resort in the Haute Maurienne Valley in France. This was in 2009 and yeah, it was a pretty special day.

At around the same time this year we had 10 consecutive days of rain up to high altitude, putting the final nail in the coffin of a very average season.

[Ripzalot]

April 28 last season...

https://youtu.be/d59SgiszCoA

[twat]

more april footage