Easter ski holidays 2011

Easter ski holidays are a lovely time to go skiing and visit the mountains, the days are longer, the temperatures warmer, and most resorts have a Springtime party atmosphere in the air.

Although prices are higher over Easter week, the rise is not usually as big as Christmas, the New Year or February holidays, and many resorts will have lower prices for ski holiday essentials such as lift tickets and tuition.

Of course the - usually - warmer weather will mean that the snowline is rising and snow consistency may not be so good as mid-winter, with an increasing freeze – thaw cycle making snow melt rapidly in the warm spring sunshine on lower slopes during the daytime, then freeze hard over night.

High altitude resorts

In a normal spring, the snow will have left most traditional valley ski resorts by Spring and only higher resorts – usually between 1500 and 2100m, will still have snow at resort level. This is not usually a problem as all the larger resorts will have chairlifts, gondolas or cable cars that will take you up to the snowfields over the green hillsides.

But if you are a beginner it means that it is quite likely that those village nursery slopes will now be full of grazing cows, and for everyone else there may be crowds waiting to get the lifts back down to resort at the end of the day now that you can no longer ski down.

Snowfalls

Of course snow conditions and snowlines are wholly unpredictable. If there has been any measurable trend for the end of the season it has been that snow has arrived later than it used to and resorts have had huge falls of snow in March and April after struggling in mid-winter.

Andorra, most parts of the Alps and Scandinavia have experienced this in recent seasons. Be wary if it's a late Easter and you're looking to North America however – many resorts there close down in early April even if there are huge snow depths on the slope.

They choose their closing date regardless of snow cover before the season begins, having done their maths to be sure they have enough income to cover operating costs. Once that figure tips against them, they close for the season.

Where to go

To be as sure as you can the best thing to hedge your bets, is to aim high. This can either be a low resort with high ski slopes nearby, such as Chamonix, which traditionally offers skiing in to May; or a high resort with ski slopes higher still, like Obergurgl.

Top 10 Easter ski resorts

• Val Thorens, France

• Obergurgl, Austria
• Tignes, France

France

In France; Val d'Isere, Tignes, Courchevel, Val Thorens, La Plagne, Alpe d'Huez and Les Deux Alpes all have high village bases and glacier ski slopes which are open in summer. Most are open to late April or early May.

• France Easter ski holidays

Switzerland

In Switzerland; Saas Fee, St. Moritz and Zermatt can claim likewise. Engelberg, Crans Montana, Gstaad, Les Diablerets and Verbier are not so high at resort level, but all have glacier skiing to guarantee snow cover thousands of metres above.

• Switzerland Easter ski holidays

Austria

Austria is known for its relatively low ski areas, but does have high resorts and glacier skiing. Finkenberg and Mayrhofen are low but they are next to the Tux glacier, the only ski area open 365 days a year in the country.

Obergurgl is one of the highest villages in Europe and its neighbour Solden has twin glaciers. Ischgl is open in to May and is one of the resorts that stage a major pop concert to help celebrate the winter, at both Easter and for the end of the season.

Ramsau is close to the Dachstein glacier. Innsbruck, Neustift and Fulpmes have a lift ticket with access to the Stubai glacier and Kuhtai and Galtur are two more high resorts.

• Austria Easter ski holidays

Italy

Italy's Bardonecchia and resorts in the Monte Rosa Valley including Algna, Champoluc and Gressoney all have access to glacier skiing. Cervinia's skiers have the mote Rosa glacier above Zermatt and at Passo Tonale to Presana glacier stays open in to June most years.

Sestriere is one of the country's few high altitude resort and Alagna is next to the Marmolada glacier. Courmayeur, on the other side of Mont Blanc from Chamonix, has the country's highest ski lifts.

• Italy Easter ski holidays

North America

In North America resorts staying open in to May include Lake Louise, Banff and Whistler in Canada and Mammoth Mountain, Squaw Valley (Lake Tahoe) and Snowbird in the USA.

• Canada Easter ski holidays

Scandinavia

Scandinavia's northerly latitude usually means its ski areas are secure well in to May, with Sweden's Are, Norway's Hemsedal and Finland's Ruka amongst those staying open well in to the fifth month of the year.

• Norway Easter ski holidays
• Sweden Easter ski holidays
• Finland Easter ski holidays

Elsewhere

Resorts in Andorra, Spain, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Romania may be good at Easter, but they lack the altitude to be snowsure.

• Andorra Easter ski holidays
• Spain Easter ski holidays
• Bulgaria Easter ski holidays
• Slovenia Easter ski holidays
• Romania Easter ski holidays