Image ©Tristan Shu
We love Spring skiing and here's 5 reasons why you should too
Spring may see winter drawing to a close, but don’t write off the season yet. As ski resorts enjoy the sunnier, warmer weather, they also stage some of the most exciting festivals and celebrations in the mountains.
For those of you who have yet to hit the slopes this year, or those of you thinking about making a return trip, we’ve listed just a few possible reasons why spring skiing may be your highlight of the year.
Read on to discover 5 reasons why you should consider spring skiing.
1. Bluebird Days
How’s your ski vocabulary? Here’s one to add to your dictionary: le bluebird day – when the sky is clear, the weather is warm and skies are blue. The best kind of day for spring skiing!
Consistent snow conditions, bright sunshine, not a cloud in the sky—this is what you hope for when you head up to the mountains for a day on the slopes. But make sure you have sunglasses or goggles with dark lenses to cut the glare and protect your eyes.
Obviously we can never guarantee your holiday will be all bluebird days and sunbathing – but travelling at the end of season you increase your chances of a sunny holiday.
This means you can take your jacket off while you sit on the terrace of your favourite mountain restaurant. It even means you can ski in your t-shirt, if you’re that way inclined.
However, we would recommend packing sun cream. It’s open for debate whether a goggle tan looks good in a ski resort, but back home in your suit and tie you’re guaranteed to get weird looks on the way to work.
2. Easter Holiday Skiing
We’re all familiar with the concept of going skiing during the Christmas and New Year holidays. And yes - those are excellent times of the year to visit a winter paradise, but with more daylight hours and sunnier weather, we think Easter is an underrated time of the year to ski.
Alongside spending the day skiing, many celebrations and events are held especially in European resorts where there is a strong Catholic tradition. Easter egg hunts such as those hosted in Courchevel are a great way to spend time with the family. And, of course, with not one but two Bank Holidays you can minimize the time you take off work while maximizing the time you spend on the slopes.
3. Superb Snow
You might think that all this excellent sunshine and warmer temperatures will mean a succession of slushy and icy ski runs. But the high altitude resorts in particular, such as Tignes and Val d’Isere, are known for having an excellent snow record. And with glacier skiing and an army of snow-cannons these resorts have a snow-sure reputation even late into the season.
With the spring weather, you can enjoy the slopes into the afternoon, take full advantage of your morning ski time, and still see the last of the sun while you're on a ski break. You'll even enjoy a little sunshine in your lunch breaks.
4. Pond Skimming
Image courtesy of Vail Resorts
At this time of the year the much maligned and under-appreciated sport of pond skimming enters skier’s imaginations in the most garish and insane way possible. Pond skimming is almost exclusively a spring-time sport and early season visitors are unlikely to witness this unique form of entertainment.
Essentially the art of trying to downhill ski on water - a lot of water – this ‘sport’ frequently ends in a large splash, much to the amusement of the crowds of onlookers. Costumed participants are judged as much on their ability to entertain as their ability to ski and the whole spectacle provides endless joy to visitors in resort.
5. More time on the slopes
While there are plenty of reasons to choose spring skiing its still definitely the less popular option - but this can be to your advantage. With less tourists comes shorter lift queue times, no bar queues, no waiting for tables and best of all quieter pistes which you'll have more time to enjoy when you cut down time waiting in the queue. Quieter resorts give beginners more space to build up their technique and gain confidence to try some intermediate runs.
On the whole ski resorts tend to feel more laid back during the quieter seasons, giving guests a chance to enjoy the tranquil towns and quiet slopes.
This is just a tiny sample of the many reasons to take a ski holiday this spring. So why not check out our latest spring time deals and get yourself up into the mountains? An exciting springtime adventure awaits….
How to book your holiday
Travel, accommodation and transfers? We’ve got you covered. Book your holiday online or give us a call.
