I know you're gonna hate this question but I want the answer so I'll ask! I'm curious if it's typically still ski season around Chamonix in April? I.e., should I expect total snow cover and hotels to still be full with skiers by the last half of April or is the ski season usually starting to taper off by then? I just read Rick's Chamonix article in ETBD. I'd like to do a day trip to ride the cable cars up to the top and maybe stop half way down and walk the rest of the way down, in late April. Is this even remotely feasible in late April? Go ahead; flame me! I can hear you all now, saying "How the **** would we know what the weather will be like four months from now, you jerk?"
Posted by
Arctophilia, Northamptonshire, England
34887 posts
We don't use the expression, "flame", on this board Tom. I was reading an article just last week that basically said that because there had been virtually no snow in the French, Swiss and Austrian resorts, the resorts were looking very precarious this year - there had to be some snow by Christmas or some would not survive the winter. If that was true, I don't know - it was in the Telegraph - and if Chamonix was included in that I don't know either, but it said it had been so warm that even the snow making machines were of no use. April? dunno
Posted by
Tilburg, Netherlands
2829 posts
Mid-April to Mid-May are a particularly unstable time at slopes. It is the peak of seasonal meltdown, but it all depends on how much snow felt on the area that winter. Mid-April is at most shoulder season for skiing. Crowds will be thinning - fast -. Cable cars are open year round. Walk down half-way? Might be too dangerous because of avalanche risks at that time. Impossible to predict as for now.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17612 posts
Most European ski resorts end their season with Easter. By mid to late April, it should be pretty quiet and the hotels not crowded with skiers at all. (Some smaller ones my close for a month or so at this time, at least in the Dolomites and Swiss Alps they do). You would have to check to be sure Aguilles du Midi lift is still running at this time. As for walking down, we have hiked around Chamonix but not on any paths in the area of that lift. I cannot recall if there are hiking trails there. There will likely still be patches of snow around at the higher elevations, but that may or may not prevent hiking.
Posted by
Stockholm
14 posts
In my experience, Alpine hiking can be iffy in April. On one hand, there aren't so many people but on the other hand they trails haven't always been maintained or fixed after the winter months. You'll be walking along fine, then come to the cold side of a mountain and find yourself in knee-deep snow. Or find yourself on trails that need to be re-marked. Also, like the others have said, the ski season was really awful last year and not looking so good this year.