Skiing in April!!!???

IIRC the high slopes at Crans are mostly XC skiing. Sierre below the station is the sunniest place in Switzerland and Crans is south facing, it was awful conditions for the whole season last year, strips of cannon snow in grass.

I'd actually be surprised if Crans expect to be open after April 6th really, Easter is back on 23rd March and I'd have expected them to be shut by April 6th. You might want to check with the tourist office.

Here's a photo from January 2006 showing one of the glacier slopes and a drag lift. The snow was good :D
http://picasaweb.google.com/bandit2106/SkiSwitzerland200602/photo#5129638788522816226

It can get very chilly up there, one day the lift company posted a notice in English advising temps of -30C.
Yes, I did go up....and it was cold :lol:

ise is making sensible points, as usual! You should check with the resort on their timings.

bandit wrote:Here's a photo from January 2006 showing one of the glacier slopes and a drag lift. The snow was good :D

It was a great snow year though 2006 everywhere.

http://snowslider.net/gallery/images/2007_-_ski/2007_01_28_-_saint_luc___chandolin/a95_2942.jpg



That's Jan 28th from St Luc, in fact you were there, and the snow line over at Crans is really high.

It's all moot anyway, I'm practically certain that Crans is closed April 6th.

ise wrote:
That's Jan 28th from St Luc, in fact you were there, and the snow line over at Crans is really high

I remember that day, excellent skiing in great company :D

It's all moot anyway, I'm practically certain that Crans is closed April 6th

alex odonnell I'm coming round to the idea that either Zermatt or Saas Fee may be better destinations for a post Easter ski in Valais.

http://bergbahnen.zermatt.ch/e/skigebiet/
http://www.saas-fee.ch/en/welcome.cfm

bandit wrote:
I'm coming round to the idea that either Zermatt or Saas Fee may be better destinations for a post Easter ski in Valais.

http://bergbahnen.zermatt.ch/e/skigebiet/
http://www.saas-fee.ch/en/welcome.cfm

definitely, if you had to make a prediction now it'd be Saas or Zermatt.

I went to the 3 valleys in April last year and there was more snow than there was in Deux alpes in january!!!! I would wait untill pratically last minute though so you can watch the snow forcast and choose the best resort!

Kymbillie wrote:I went to the 3 valleys in April last year and there was more snow than there was in Deux alpes in january!!!! I would wait untill pratically last minute though so you can watch the snow forcast and choose the best resort!

Closing dates for resorts in different countries do vary. For the Valais resorts, it will not matter how much snow is on the ground, or how much is forecast, if the resort is closed for skiing the lifts won't be running.
Of course, you could always use touring skis :D

well smarty pants I believe many of the resorts across europe were open untill may last year and I believe that included 3valleys. As I said its best to wait untill almost last minute to book at that time of year as the snow can become quite unpredictable. Its also if the tour companies are sending the tourists the resort is not going to be closed. I would recommend crystal, its very unlikely they are going to send you to a closed resort. (if the resorts closed they dont make any money, and no snow equals unhappy tourists)

Though as a general tip for the alpes Stay high and stay north. No point going to the southern alpes or a low lying resort as the sun will have killed the snow.