April in Deux Alpes: What's on and weather

As the winter draws to a close for another year the temperatures rarely dip below freezing, usually falling between a low of 0°C and a high of 7°C, plus there's still the chance of snow as April averages six days snowfall, and therefore a mini powder day isn't out of the question.

Faster than You
Faster than You, in association with Andorran bike company Commencal, is coming to Les 2 Alpes to kick off a weekend of riding, open to all, with pro-mountain-bikers Anne Caroline Cahusson and Pierre-Edouard Ferry in attendance. There will be competitions each day for the fastest men’s and women’s runs, as well as for the slowest run and the most runs completed, and a BBQ party at the end of day one, plus contests for the biggest drift, the high jump and the most beautiful "postcard" turn. Be sure to check it out for an event full of thrills and spills.

Black Garden Party
For all mountain bike lovers this is the unique opportunity to take your first run down the legendary red run, Venosc, and test out the brand new double black elite track named Black Garden. Head to Les 2 Alpes this 13th April for an awesome ride.

For a look at what else is going on in the area during the month of April take a look at our Events calendar from the link below.

April is a popular month for families so the slopes are noticeably busier as soon as the Easter holidays begin. Here are our insider's top tips for the school holidays:

1. It will be almost impossible to book private lessons over this period, group lessons are the best option. Make sure to get your ski and snowboard lessons booked well in advance to avoid disappointment.
2. If you're not in ski school, be an early bird. Arrive at the lifts before they open so that you get up and away before the ski school classes set out around 09:15.
3. Ski over lunchtime. The slopes are calmer between 12:00 and 14:00 while the French take a leisurely lunch break.
4. Pre-book your lunch and avoid the queues. Some restaurants offer a Click & Collect service. It's the best way to avoid the queues and make the most of your time in the mountains.
5. Seek out the peripheral areas - The Jandri Express and Diable chairlift can have big queues at times. Instead, use the White Eggs, Belle Etoile or Village lifts to access Les Crêtes where a new eight-man chairlift should reduce the queuing time. From here, the Bellecombes and Super Diable chairlifts give access to the central part of the ski area. To access the spectacular high-altitude runs on the glacier, ski past the queue for the Jandri Express 2 and follow the Pierre Grosse 1 blue piste towards the La Fée sector. From here, the brand-new Pierre Grosse gondola offers an alternate fast route to the top of the mountain. Finally - the smaller, lower Vallée Blanche sector is often overlooked. However, it holds some very pleasant blue runs, a challenging black, good off-piste with the right snow conditions and some unique views of the Romanche valley and the Bourg d’Oisans plain. It also tends to be a lot quieter than the main ski area.
6. Get off-piste. Competent off-piste skiers can book a local mountain guide and explore the vast off-piste areas in the valley or even go touring to find complete solitude in the backcountry.

Closing parties
Over the last few weeks of the winter, many of the bars and venues will be hosting end of season parties. Keep an eye out for the publicity around the town, as these will mostly be advertised last minute.

Night skiing
If a day on the mountain hasn't tired you or the kids out, head for the Lutins and Vikings blue runs to ride these two floodlit pistes for some night riding.

The first mountain bike runs of the year
The mountain bike run to Venosc is usually scheduled to open from mid-month until the end of the winter season. With bike racks installed on the Venosc gondola to come back up, you will be able to get some of the first lift-served downhill runs of the year on 700 vertical metres of red graded trail. The ski area will still be open, so you can mix skiing and downhill biking on the same trip.