What are the advantages of skiing in Isère in April?
Beautiful sunny days and longer lift opening times are a key advantage of skiing in April. And while April snow quality may not be quite as good as January, big snowfalls in April in Isère are actually very common. On top of this, guests have a whole winter’s worth of snowfall as a good base.
The warm, sunny weather makes for ideal apres-ski conditions on the mountain terraces in Isère. Plus, it’s the opportunity to supplement skiing in April with alternative outdoor winter activities, such as swimming, hiking, climbing and snowshoeing in the afternoons.
Altitude of the slopes is key because that’s where you’ll find the late-season snow. Attitude is important during the warm, sunny ski days of April. Adjust it by knowing skiing will not ne all day as the snow changes its structure as the day progresses. Count on a good morning on the slopes with plenty of fun in the villages after that as apres-ski fun kicks in early in the spring. Focus on the full experience and don’t try to compare it to January.
Alpe d’Huez in Isère is open until 22 April 2022. The internationally renowned resort of Alpe d’Huez is excellent for families and ski nuts. The ski area is one of the largest in Europe linking five resorts with 250kms of pistes. Situated on a plateau with a full south facing position at 1860m altitude, the summit is the Pic Blanc at 3330m which boasts the most magnificent panoramic view in the Alps towards the Parc National des Ecrins and the Mont Blanc. Spring activities include BBQ parties, tandem paragliding ride or a flight across the mountains to Les 2 Alpes for a change of resort.
A seven-night stay in a twin room at the delightful three-star Hotel Petit Prince hotel, on a half board basis, arriving 02 April 2022, is priced from £1,181 pp based on two sharing, and includes return flights from Bristol to Chambery and coach transfers (was £1250pp) Crystal (020 3451 2821, www.crystal.co.uk )
Isere www.alpes-isere.com
Les 2 Alpes in Isère is open until 01 May 2022. Another internationally renowned resort in Isère, Les 2 Alpes is one of the highest resorts in the world with an altitude from 1,600 m to 3,600 m. It boasts an excellent snow record, well above average sunshine conditions and an amazing 223km of snow-sure ski slopes. Spring activities include a glacier walk or chill at a music festival. For a truly unique experience, clamp on your crampons and go hiking on Les Deux Alpes’ Glacier 3200 or on one of the many glaciers in the Ecrins National Park. Or just sit under the Umbrella bar and watch the world go by.
A seven-night stay at the delightful centrally located four-star Hotel Les Melezes, on a half board basis, arriving 09 April 2022, is priced from £1,368 pp based on two sharing, and includes return flights from London Gatwick to Lyon and coach transfers).
Inghams (01483 698099, www.inghams.co.uk)
Isere www.alpes-isere.com
The authentic and modern village of Vaujany in Isère is open until 22 April 2022. The family friendly village is located at 1,250m on a sunny plateau, facing the Grandes Rousses massif. In the heart of Oisans, connected to the Alpe d’Huez domain ski area is on the outskirts of the Ecrins National Park. Vaujany enjoys a very privileged location because it is connected to the Alpe d’Huez Large Ski Area. Family friendly is the key here. The natural village environment provides an ideal spring platform to discover and enjoy the mountains whether via snowshoeing, hiking or skiing, while the sports and leisure centre offers a range of additional activities. For an original activity, why not enjoy skiing in the last rays of sun? Two dedicated routes, reserved for experienced skiers, will take on magical aspects with the glow of the setting sun.
A seven-night stay at the south facing centrally located four-star Les Edelweiss Residence, on self-catering basis, arriving 02 April 2022, is priced from £1,156 per apartment and includes return Eurotunnel FlexiPlus.
Peak Retreats (023 9283 9310, www.peakretreats.co.uk)
Isere www.alpes-isere.com
Les 7 Laux in Isère is open until 26 March 2022 All three pretty villages of Les 7 Laux at 1,350 meters are lift-linked for easy domain access. Perched in the Belledonne mountains, it offers treelined skiing below 2000m. The rest of the mountain is unsheltered by trees and reaches a top height of 2400m. The resort invested to have 90% of their ski lifts updated in the last 10 years. There is a decent cross-country area and lots of off-piste to be found.
A seven-night stay at the south facing centrally located four-star Les Granges des 7 Laux Residence, on self-catering basis, arriving 02 April 2022, is priced from £900 per apartment and includes return Eurotunnel FlexiPlus.
Peak Retreats (023 9283 9310, www.peakretreats.co.uk)
Isere www.alpes-isere.com
Other resorts open in the Isère worth noting that are also open are: Villard de Lans open until 10 April 2022 and Chamrousse open until 18 April 2022
About: Isère is a department in the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It extends from the banks of the River Rhône to the summits of the French Alps. The region is easily accessible from Grenoble Alpes Isère airport, including numerous flights from London and other major cities in the UK. In winter, the resorts in the Vercors region, the major ski areas of Alpe d’Huez and Les 2 Alpes in Oisans or the resorts in Belledonne will delight mountain holiday fans. The resorts are home to Nordic skiing, Alpine skiing on the major summits and glaciers, snowboarding, freeriding, snow shoeing and dogsledding. The second mountain range, the massif of Belledonne, offers 250 km of slopes with an altitude difference up to 1200 m. With state-of-the-art lifts, skiers are quickly transported up the mountain where incredible panoramic views await. Les 7 Laux offers easily accessible off-piste areas, as well as a large network of marked pistes, including the famous ‘Casserousse’ in Chamrousse, where French sport legend, Jean-Claude Killy, won the Olympic gold medal in 1968.
Although Vercors is mainly known for cross country skiing, the landscape is different to Oisans or Belledonne: skiers can go through forests with much steeper and craggier terrain available. The slopes are less challenging than in Oisans, yet good skiers can still find some serious black slopes, such as the ‘Carole Montillet’ piste (former ski champion) in Villard-de-Lans / Corrençon-en-Vercors, which is the main Alpine resort in Vercors with 125 km of runs. www.alpes-isere.com
