Spring can be a special time to go skiing. The long days, dazzling sunlight and the promise that summer is right around the corner. All of these give the dying days of the season a happy-go-lucky atmosphere. Skiing in spring can really be the best way to wave goodbye to winter.
However, you do need to be careful where you go. It’s not just the time old question of the altitude. Resorts have different things to offer, if you’re looking for a classic week-long skiing holiday with a somewhat mixed-ability group of friends – and in this sense it’s hard to fault skiing holidays Val Thorens.
It’s high – and not just in one place
Altitude may not be your only consideration when planning a spring skiing trip, but it is the most important. In the Alps, spring can turn from frigid to super toasty with a change in the wind direction; and you really don’t want to find yourself trying to ski in slush each day.
To avoid the worst of the daytime freeze/thaw cycle you need to be high up the slopes. Val Thorens’ slopes score brilliantly here, not only is the resort the highest in the Alps at 2300m, the lift system also rises up to 3000m at five completely separate points in the ski area. Most other high-altitude resorts only hit 3000m in a couple of places.
Many of the pistes are also north-facing which means that in the middle of that glorious spring afternoon they’ll be a cool 10C colder than the south-facing slopes at the same altitude. Of course, this doesn’t mean that Val Thorens is going to be completely slush free, but it won’t be as drastic as at some of the other resorts. As a result, you’ll be able to spend more time skiing rather than sitting around waiting for a freeze.
Skiers of any level can have fun in Val Thorens
The resort of Val Thorens is set in a flat-bottomed mountain bowl, and the gentle baby slopes at the bottom are full to the brim of broad and ego-boosting pistes. In terms of quantity and convenience, it’s hard to beat Val Thorens late-season intermediate skiing. The beautiful Val Thorens bowl offers a little bit of everything, from easy first-time powder, to heart in your mouth steeps.
Empty slopes
So this isn’t a guarantee of empty slopes, just an observation that even at Easter time people aren’t thinking about snow anymore. They’re planning ahead for the sunny summer holidays instead – this works brilliantly for spring skiers, as the slopes aren’t overcrowded and you can ski to your heart’s content on the quiet pistes.
A little friendly reminder to buy a lot of sun cream at the airport (not in the resort) and maybe bring a good book to enjoy when the skiing perhaps isn’t quite up to snuff or the visibility drops to zero. Whilst Val Thorens isn’t perfect, on a beautiful sunny day in March or April, few other resorts can match it.
