Easter skiing: Hop to west Scotland or the Pyrenees

The Pyrenees had some great new snow last week, with regular top-ups providing excellent powder

Monday 30 March 2015 11:21 BST
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Avoriaz in the French Alps, where more snow is expected
Avoriaz in the French Alps, where more snow is expected

The west coast of Scotland continues to offer fantastic skiing, with Glencoe (100/195cm, lower/upper pistes) and Nevis Range (65/125cm) reporting 13cm and 10cm of fresh overnight fall respectively in the week. Powder conditions are to be found both on and off piste. More snow is forecast; great news for Easter.

The Pyrenees had some great new snow last week, with regular top-ups providing excellent powder. The sun shone on Thursday in Andorra following 30cm of fresh snow. The base depths across the country remain excellent, with Arcalis (165/275cm) topping the charts. Sunshine is expected this week.

Bulgarian resorts retain a very good base for the time of year. Bansko (50/335cm) has extended its season by a week until 12 April following huge snowfalls at the start of March. The best skiing is currently on the upper slopes. More unsettled weather is forecast; the freezing level is around mid-mountain, so expect some rain lower down.

In the Swiss Alps, snow fell on the upper slopes of most resorts last week, leading to powder high up but heavier conditions lower down. Zermatt (5/270cm) and Saas Fee (70/340cm) had the heaviest snow, the former had 30cm and the latter 40cm on Thursday. Verbier (1/215cm) caught 5cm of snow to go with 40cm in the past week, with great powder up high and on slopes such as Tortin, Mont Gele and Mont Fort.

In France, 15-40cm of snow is expected with a freezing level of around 1,800m. Resorts such as Isola 2000 (125/175cm) and Foux d'Allos (46/157cm) are the best bet, with new snow and sunshine on the higher slopes. But there is slush lower down.

Western Italy had snow last week, but it is fairly warm. Cervinia (45/270cm) and Pila (35/140cm) reported 10-15cm of snow on Thursday, followed by sun. Cortina (10/90cm) has profited from fresh snow. Expect excellent pistes higher up. However, the avalanche risk has been increased to dangerous.

The Ski Club of Great Britain (020 8410 2015; skiclub.co.uk) is a not-for-profit snowsports club which offers benefits to more than 30,000 members who receive discounts on travel, kit and holidays; access to industry-leading snow reports; information and advice; and access to the in-resort Ski Club Leader service. Individual membership costs £62, or £23 for beginners and those aged under 24.

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