12 of our favourite late-season ski resorts
Fancy one more sneaky ski trip? These resorts stay open well into spring
FRANCE
Tignes and Val d’Isère: open until 1 May 2017
On the doorstep of the vast and high-altitude Espace Killy, with two glaciers and plenty of spring touring. Top station: 3455m
Val Thorens: 1 May
Europe’s highest resort at 2300m, with ski in-ski out lodgings and a lively vibe. Top station: 3230m
Chamonix (Grands Montets): open until 1 May
Numerous day and overnight tours, tons of local guides, attractive valley town, fabulous glacial scenery and short transfer from Geneva. PS: The Aiguille du Midi cable car is open until 31 May; see Martin Chester’s late-spring tours for more on why this might be useful. Top stations: 3275m (Grands Montets); 3840m (Aiguille du Midi)
Ski lines like this all through April| Chamonix Tourist Office / Christophe HenryLes Deux-Alpes: open until 29 April
South-west of the usual suspects (see above), with vast backcountry scope and lively après. Top station: 3570m
AUSTRIA
Obergurgl/Hochgurgl: open until 1 May
At the head of the Oetz valley with no through-traffic, this family favourite has excellent day and overnight touring.
See our Local’s Guide for why it rocks. Top station: 3080m
Sölden: open until 7 May
The town, at 1380m, feels decidedly summery from March, but the skiing, with two glaciers, goes almost 2000m higher. Top station: 3250m
Obertauern: open until 1 May
This is Salzburger Land’s answer to Obergurgl, with great intermediate terrain and an incredible snow record given that
it isn’t exactly high-altitude. Top station: 2315m
ITALY
Passo Tonale: open until 1 May
What this petite place lacks in challenging pistes it makes up for with easy cruising and low prices, plus an epic off-piste route from the glacier. Top station: 3100m
Monterosa region: freeride openings until early May
Though the main season ends at Champoluc, Gressoney and Alagna on 18 April, the resort is organising later openings for freeriders and tourers until 5 May, with the Stafal-Gabiet-Salati-Indren lifts (from Gressoney) open on certain days,
and the Alagna-Punta Indren lifts on some days too.
Top station: 3275m
Cervinia: open until 1 May
Close to the Swiss border, this Aosta valley resort also gives access to Zermatt’s runs (also open late: below) – with a considerably cheaper lift pass price. Top station: 3480m
SWITZERLAND
Zermatt: open until 1 May
The streets of this famous Valais town become busier with visitors in touring apparel than fur from mid-March onwards. Zermatt has superlative day tours as well as well-kept late-season pistes – and you can start a tour really high by using the lifts. Top station: 3820m
Upper Engadine: open until 7 & 21 May
Corvatsch and Diavolezza in the Graubunden canton have long seasons and great access to spring day tours or hut-to-hut routes. No need to stay in ritzy St Moritz – the likes of Celerina and Pontresina are way cheaper – or bed down in Berghaus Diavolezza on the mountaintop, hot showers included.
Top stations: 3305m (Corvatsch); 2978m (Diavolezza)
