Skiing in April - worried...

[Harry Flashman]

Chaps,

on a whim, three best friends & I have booked a cheap week in Val d'Isere, starting at the beginning of April. This is very late in the season.

Reasons for booking:

1) Recently single, boys' trip needed
2) Snowboarding and skiing are two of my favourite things
3) Val has great apres ski
4) Val has great women
5) Women in Val are frequently drunk
6) Which will match my state of being post 7pm perfectly.


Issues:

1) There will be no snow
2) There will be no women
3) I will get alcohol poisoning
4) I will get arrested.

I have never been anywhere so late in the season, and am worried that we won't actually be able to ski at all. I am also worried that there will be no-one there and all the bars will be closed. Perhaps most upsettingly, I am not sure which of these would be worse. I am also aware that I am single for the first time in 5 years, and thus may show behavioural problems that I have supressed for half a decade.

Set my mind at rest? Or prepare me for the worst so that I can get the disappointment out of the way now.

Anyone?

Cheers,

Harry.

[Incorrigible]

Go earlier

Go to Andorra

Or wait till next year when the snow in Val will be better

Or wait till may and go to Shagayouth or similar

[mechsympathy]

There's plenty of snow at the moment, and both Val and Tignes just up the valley have glacier skiing anyway.

(And if the snow's bad you can just stay in bed nursing a hangover...)

[AC79xxx]

Can you cancel the flight tickets and equipment hire to see if you can get a refund?

If so I'd drive there, the chances are that if there's no snow the roads should be nice a clear for a weeks hooning.

[andygo]

The long range weather forecast has predicted a heatwave for Val in april.

This is a bit unfortunate as it coincides with the Fat Ugly Girls convention and the now traditional alcohol abstinence week.

Police have been instructed to show no mercy for disapointed blokes arriving at Val expecting a skiing/alcohol/bonking binge and who are likely to create mayhem as a result.

The scenery is lovely though, so I am sure you will have a lovely time.

[Harry Flashman]

andygo said:

The long range weather forecast has predicted a heatwave for Val in april. This is a bit unfortunate as it coincides with the Fat Ugly Girls convention and the now traditional alcohol abstinence week. Police have been instructed to show no mercy for disapointed blokes arriving at Val expecting a skiing/alcohol/bonking binge and who are likely to create mayhem as a result.

Haha. Very funny

You actually had me going until the Fat Ugly Girls' Convention bit; going on experience, I know that happens in Hintertux, Austria, mid-December time. So nice try, fella.

True about the glacier skiing - but does anyone have any experience of Val in early April?

Yours concernedly,

Harry.

[Harry Flashman]

Incorrigible said:

Go earlier Go to Andorra Or wait till next year when the snow in Val will be better Or wait till may and go to Shagayouth or similar

1) Andorra eh? Hmm - decent apres ski? Why better than our Plan A?

2) Not an option. I need s boys' ski holiday and I need one this season

3) I'd rather cut my arm off and beat myself unconscious with the soggy end.

[Incorrigible]

Harry Flashman said:

1) Andorra eh? Hmm - decent apres ski? Why better than our Plan A?

Ludicrously good apres ski, and booze is as cheap as chips

Skiing is absolutely shite though, but then it might be shite in Val in April

I would definitely consider it if skiing isn't top of the list. If you definitely want some decent skiing I think you'll need something higher, I've done Saas Fee and the top run is something like 4,500 metres but it's in Switzerland so it's £4-5 for a pint

>>edited 'cause of spelling

>> Edited by Incorrigible on Monday 21st February 15:54

[Harry Flashman]

Good advice: It's a balance thing - the skiing IS important, but so is the apres ski; we can tolerate medium grade snow and medium grade apres ski, bit don't want either to be poor; hence medium ski-medium-apres-ski better than poor-ski-amazing-apres-ski...

[Incorrigible]

I've just come back from Les Arcs (still carrying the injuries )

1800 is high enough for snow, quite a few lively bars (live music etc) only one (shit) club, dunno if that floats you boat

[rebelstar]

I went there in early April a couple of years ago. If there hasn't been much snow, it can be a bit icy in places but it gets better the higher up you go. In a couple of weeks time I can give you a first-hand report of what to expect

[Harry Flashman]

rebelstar said:

I went there in early April a couple of years ago. If there hasn't been much snow, it can be a bit icy in places but it gets better the higher up you go. In a couple of weeks time I can give you a first-hand report of what to expect

Genius! The voice of experience - so the skiing at least can be acceptable early April time. Apres ski?

[moosepig]

Historically there's more snow on the ground at the beginning of April in Val D than there is at Christmas, so I shouldn't worry too much.

Over on the snowHeads forum there's a group organising an end-of-season bash at the end of April in Bourg St Maurice/Les Arcs, so I guess the snow is expected still to be okay by then!

[Harry Flashman]

moosepig said:

Historically there's more snow on the ground at the beginning of April in Val D than there is at Christmas, so I shouldn't worry too much. Over on the snowHeads forum there's a group organising an end-of-season bash at the end of April in Bourg St Maurice/Les Arcs, so I guess the snow is expected still to be okay by then!

WOOHOOOOOOOO!!

That's what I was looking for - reassurance that we're not being utterly fick, like.

Great name, by the way. Hoping not to meet too many of your kind in the bars after a hard day off piste

[d-man]

Been several times in the first / second week of April, never to Val though.

Snow tends to be crisp and fast in the morning, slushy in the afternoon, there has always been some though Don't be too concerned if its 20C+, it often is and the snow doesn't disappear as fast as you'd think.

[Harry Flashman]

Thanks chaps - have done some googling too, and am slowly being reassured that early April in Val d'Isere is actually an OK time to go, generally. Here's hoping for some March snow...

So, that's the skiing sorted. How good will the Apres Ski be? I've only been once before, at 18 (9 years ago) - any more recent experiences?

[rebelstar]

Just got back. Sunny weather in the first half of last week but the slopes were starting to get a bit icy. That should have all changed now as they just had a good dump of snow as we were leaving.

Apres-ski also good but because of the excellent weather, too tired to take full advantage.

[MimiB]

Harry Flashman said:

Thanks chaps - have done some googling too, and am slowly being reassured that early April in Val d'Isere is actually an OK time to go, generally. Here's hoping for some March snow... So, that's the skiing sorted. How good will the Apres Ski be? I've only been once before, at 18 (9 years ago) - any more recent experiences?

What's the Apres-ski like in Val Dizzy?

AMAZING!

Dicks T-Bar and Banana Bar are home to very attractive (coming from a woman!) women and some very attractive men. There are other bars which are great too, I've been twice this season, would love to go again!

[Harry Flashman]

MimiB said:

Harry Flashman said: Thanks chaps - have done some googling too, and am slowly being reassured that early April in Val d'Isere is actually an OK time to go, generally. Here's hoping for some March snow... So, that's the skiing sorted. How good will the Apres Ski be? I've only been once before, at 18 (9 years ago) - any more recent experiences? What's the Apres-ski like in Val Dizzy? AMAZING! Dicks T-Bar and Banana Bar are home to very attractive (coming from a woman!) women and some very attractive men. There are other bars which are great too, I've been twice this season, would love to go again!

Excellent news Mimi. Shall be enjoying lots of going out with the boys, I think. Chances of any actual pulling are low though, due to an intention to get mind-alteringly drunk when I should be chatting people up.

Bought new clothes, had my board & skis serviced etc this weekend, in preparation. Still almost a month away though

[Zod]

There is loads of snow in most places at the moment. I've been twice this year and only had about one hour's skiing in conditions other than thick falling snow. I'm going for five days over Easter and have no worries whatsoever about snow.