Extra snow keeps ski resorts open

SKIERS can still take to slopes as May approaches - with Tignes reporting three metres of snow on the heights of the Grande Motte glacier and 1.2m at the centre in Tignes le Lac.

Most of the other French ski stations closed yesterday but Tignes and Val Thorens say they have enough snow to stay open until the end of the Zone C school holidays - May 12.

Val d'Isere (Savoie), Grands-Montets, at Argentiere (Haute-Savoie) and La Grave (Hautes Alpes) say they will still have off-piste ski-ing available until next Sunday.

Tignes resort boss Sebastien Merignargues said they had not seen anything similar "since the 1960s". They had had 8m of snow this year compared to 4.5m in the two previous years.

The resorts are offering special incentives for late-booking families, with children staying for free and special deals on ski passes at Tignes and Val Thorens offering accommodation deals.