Ski Season 2011
New snow arrived in time to save half term from disaster, but from late February onwards everywhere has been struggling. It’s been unseasonably warm in a lot of places and we’ve seen early closing of a lot of lifts and even a couple of the lower resorts have brought forward the closing dates for their entire lift systems. Normally most resorts and tour operators would plough on regardless of snow conditions, relying on cannons to keep the main runs pisted and the demand of the school holidays to ensure the beds are filled despite the soaring temperatures. This year though, a lot of operators have been caught out by the lateness of the school holidays. The first weekend in April normally signals the busiest week of the late season, but in 2011 most schools were breaking up either this week (9th April) or will not go until next week (16th), much later than normal. As a result of this a lot of operators have decided to cut their losses, start closing down their chalets and begin sending their staff home earlier than planned.
Spring Skiing in Val d’Isere
Chalet Cherrier in Val d'Isere - An Old Favourite!
However, as usual there are some resorts that just keep on going and Val d’Isere is one of them. Last year we all piled off to Val Thorens for our end of season trip which marked a break with tradition as we had always previously gone to Val d’Isere. We had a blast at the Bonhomme de Neige but the decision was made to return to our usual stomping ground this season. This year we’ll be spread over two weeks, with the first being based in Chalet Lores and the crew heading out for the second week staying in the slightly more upmarket Chalet Cherrier. We’ve been to the Cherrier before and everyone rated it highly, so no doubt a few will be glad to be back!
There will be all the usual banter, including the themed ski day for which various fancy dress items have been arriving at the office for a few days now. Given the current weather conditions it looks likely that a lot of the afternoons will be spent soaking up the sun at the infamous Folie Douce, although according to the latest 6-day forecast, we might be in for a late drop in the freezing level and some fresh snow! It’s still actually possible to pick up a bargain for a last-minute ski deal leaving this Saturday so if you are still thinking about going away, give our sales team a buzz and we’ll see if we can get you out to Val d’Isere with us!
If you’d like more information on any of the chalets or resorts featured above then please give our knowledgeable sales team a ring at our London office.
