MonteRosa (Aosta, Italy)

A snowHead

@under a new name, here's a question to you. Considering that the pistes are in decent condition in St Anton, with a bit more snow to come from Saturday, do you think it's worth a major reshuffle of plans so I move my 9 days holiday starting this Saturday from St A to Champoluc?

(I was tempted by the Milky Way base but @sah is telling me that Monterosa is much better).

A snowHead

not that good off-piste anyway, but bring a brother first time to IT so was hoping that despite very very good pistes the scenary itself would also be X-masy/wintery.

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horizon, wasn't addressed at me but surely that depends on what you're looking for out of your holiday - milky way should offer more miles of piste (in nice condition) just because it's a bigger area and there's more to go at, i guess there may be some offpiste in monte rosa above 2000m but by the weekend it might be getting tracked or heavy or wind-loaded anyway...

mooney it looks pretty wintery to me! The snowline is all the way down at 1200m in Alagna from what I can see, although there's no base there.

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@horizon, There's a question! I don't know St Anton, and don't know what the "decent condition" pistes implies - sorry!

Likewise it has been a very, very long time since I skied the Milky Way and haven't been paying attention to snow evolution there.

Can't realistically advise I'm afraid.

@mooney058, the mountains (at least higher up) were quite wintery at the weekend. I think that would be the least of my worries! - and easily compensated for by the fine food and wine.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@under a new name, could you please tell me where the easiest place to buy our lift passes from we are staying at the Hotel de Champoluc thanks.

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Err, the lift pass desks? At the bubble?

You could be accused of over thinking the problem snowHead

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Haha I just wondered how far I would have go ...so that's 20 yards then Laughing

are you around next week?

After all it is free

We are arriving in Champoluc on Monday. Any updates on the conditions? It's our first time there - we can't wait. Also we are looking for a guide/instructor for a couple of mornings. Any suggestions on ski schools?

afaik there is only one ski school (technically Ski2 have their own but it's for their own clients only).

pistes will be in good shape. sun forecast.

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Pistes are great currently, over in Cervinia (where we were today) there is a bit of ice but not really found any in monterosa. It has been a bit windy at times but doesn't seem to be stripping the pistes. Good conditions all the way to the bottom Very Happy

snowHeads are a friendly bunch. · @meandrew, no our only window is 7.1-11.1 ...

@meandrew, no our only window is 7.1-11.1 ...

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Thanks for the update! I'm with Ski2 so will ask them Embarassed

Off to Gressoney on NY Day for a 4 day blast - never boarded in Italy other than Cervinia (always from Zermatt) so really looking forward to it.

You know it makes sense.

Off in the morning and to say im excited would be a understatement,really looking forward to our first ski of the year and some fantastic food aswell Very Happy

I have had to buy some extra warmth footwear for the wife to go to the at altitude firework display and the night race on NYE hopefully the weather is kind and gives us a crisp clear night sky.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Bergfex forecasting strong winds next week (Wednesday in particular) - still time for this to change of course ...

A snowHead

Everything still holding up well, getting a bit scraped towards the bottom in places but only in the afternoons and you can generally avoid it. Lovely sun, fantastic food at reasonable prices in mountain restaurants. Our faves were lo retsignon in champoluc for tartiflette and alpenstop in alagna for pizza Very Happy

Scored some lovely soft corn snow underneath the bettaforca lift this afternoon Very Happy

everyone coming out should have a lot of fun.

A snowHead

Be aware that the run down to Alagna from Pianalunga was shut this morning (lack of snow I presume) so the queue at bottom of the cable car back to the top was evil. I came over from Gressoney so won't be repeating that again.

Apart from that the conditions are good. Had three successive runs down from Punta Indren on different routes which were excellent.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Arriving in Alagna on Sunday for 6 days skiing, hope I can ski back to valley. Surely enough snow making lower down already done to keep one run open? Maybe was too icy?

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@Peter Ross, the run into Alagna - IME - I ski Monterosa a few times a year, my wife's father came from Champoluc and Italian roots run deep - the Alagna home run is really not open that often. To the extent that the rather excellent refuges below Pianalunga will snowmobile you back up after lunch (I say that but they know toh is a lical so maybe locals privilege),

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http://youtube.com/v/v4L2bhB30Os
NOT current snow conditions on monte rosa at the moment
Current lift situation in Alagna is pianalunga/salati gondi is running only one car so be prepared to share smoke in the scrum for at least half an hour. Although this situation results in Olan sking very well I'm not sure it is worth the wait. The lift is not stopping at Cimalagna due to the fact the car is packed tight from pianalunga. The home run is closed. Did venture down to Unioni for xmas eve lunch but not again before the 9th when Italian hols finish.
Although the pistes are probably amungst the best in Europe right now they are getting pretty well polished by lunch.
Off piste is wind blown boiler plate, stastruggi and breakable crust. Enjoy a early long lunch or two, get tanning and place hope in the storms to come.

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@Super Steezy,

We are spending a few days in Gressoney from tomorrow - we are bringing our 2 young boys too (they are confident on most reds), are we better off sticking around Champoluc / Gressoney then?

Thanks

After all it is free

@franga, there isn't that much to attract in Alagna anyway if you aren't off piste. Couple of nice lunch spots.

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Thanks all, Happy NY!

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@Super Steezy,

Whilst I agree that much of the off piste is pretty challenging, I did three different routes of Indren yesterday and the snow was surprisingly decent; and that was all the way down to the bottom of the Salati lift.

However do be aware that in Champoluc valley the lift up from the top of Frachey has been very busy but I guess post new year the crowds will diminish.

Still excellent on piste conditions generally considering

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Just back from 4 awesome days in Alagna. Pistes are holding up very well and as above still some nice off piste off Indren. For lunches Punta Jolanda above Gressoney is excellent. Enjoy!!

Darn, I want to ski home. At least there is more snow than most other places in Europe. Left my fatter skis at home, probably good decision. Hopefully queues ok next week.

You know it makes sense.

The run back down to Alanga is doable at the moment, although officially closed its complete and they have been pisting it nightly (apart from the last 2-300m). Awesome way to finish the day, 1700m vertical and 8km.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@alasdair.graham@hotmail.c, yes can confirm 'open' today (well no closed sign anyway!) although tricky in places I'd understand why it might be closed! Some steep narrow pitches not designed for my off-piste skis, combat skiing and sliding many times. Need to try sharpen edges tonight. Canons blowing snow on it this afternoon. Home runs are often a challenge, lucky only a handful of people on it.

Arrived on mountain at 1pm, by the time I got 'parking' and walked back up hill got gondolo etc 2pm b4 got on snow. Surprising with how many cars about no lift queues on Alagna side. Only bought half day Alagna pass today so had to stay that side. Some steep pitches in the black off the top cable car. Offpiste variable. Will venture into other valleys tomorrow.

A snowHead

Yes, yesterday there were virtually no queues anywhere. Managed to get on the next cable car at the bottom of the black in Alagna every time and similarly with the Salati lift being able to just get on next bubble once through gate. Only nuisance was having to wait for the Indren lift the three times I used it. I've never quite worked out if it runs to some sort of timetable or just waits until it's more than half full but certainly yesterday one trip up had only about 10 people on it.

A snowHead

Conditions still good in Champoluc today. Beautiful sunny weather but very cold. It's my first time here and it seems quite crowded. Hoping some of those crowds are late stayers from New Years and will head home tomorrow.

Looks like snow is forecast for tomorrow...

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

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Spent day on-piste in the Champoluc valley. Pistes are pretty hard but we've found some soft snow on some runs. Our 6 year old who is normally confident on reds had a bad fall on the top part of the Sarezza red down from the Alpe Ostafa chair - thankfully he managed to recover pretty quickly after that. Lift queues long ... delighted I didn't bring my brand new board given the amount of bashing our rental gear sustained on most lift lines. We don't normally ski / board in Italy (other than Cervinia when we stay in Zermatt) ... I've been pretty impressed by how far you can travel in this part of the Alps if you put your mind to it. Only negative has been how recklessly some people ski / board here (I know this can happen anywhere but it's been quite stark today). I'd love to come back here when it's quieter ...

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@dsoutar, what's the snow like on runs off Punta Indren, seems to be in sun most of day. Haven't seen anyone coming down towards Gabiet direction last few days.

Got over to Champuluc area today, well as far as bar de soleil at bottom of lift 15. Looked at huge queue and decided to stop for lunch. Less of a queue on that run after we finished our early lunch but didn't go further into terrain for fear of more queues as staying in Alagna and didn't want to be stuck a few hundred km away from hotel. Cold today, and forgot my neck warmer. Don't remember being in mountains that often when it's been this cold, bar one trip a few years ago to Cervinia when wind chill brought it down to -40C! Although did lunch outside today, might bring an extra layer tomorrow. Some nice packed powder to be found on slopes with right orientation, like on skiers right of lift 16 on skiers right off top of Colle Bettaforca, no lift queue their either!

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@Peter Ross, Back in the UK now but on the last day (1st) the snow was fine. I don't think it quite has the same thaw / freeze cycle as lower down despite getting a lot of sun. The initial bowl after the lift was lovely to ski as was the second bowl. I found the narrower exit to the bowl above the refuge on the skiers left hand side better although it was starting to get a lot of moguls when I skied it last. Oddly I did find the right hand side route which is wider and less steep had much nastier snow; more crystalline and crusty in nature. You'll need to get a bit of a lick on once through these otherwise you'll be poling quite a bit to get over the hump by the refuge. After that it's fairly OK. Nowhere did I find it icy and in fact the most awkward obstacle were the snow-shoeing folk below the refuge who didn't all appreciate the fact that they were sharing the track and that they should be more single file (like the touring skiers on skins) as once or twice I had to almost come to a complete stop thus losing momentum as they were spread out across the rather narrow track.

A little tip is to get out and away from the cable car quickly. Almost every time I went down from Indren I made sure I was virtually first as in some stretches you can encounter people who are at the fringes of their ability. In fact one time in the narrow exit I encountered two people almost stuck who had clearly come down from the previous lift

I'm surprised the queues have picked up as NYD was empty and hardly queued anywhere all day.

Have a great time.

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@dsoutar, the Italians don't like to ski NY day...

After all it is free

Frachey and most of Champoluc closed today because of high winds. Not looking good for tomorrow as well...

We drove down to Gressoney (Trinite) together with everyone else and their dog. Very long queues for the 2 person chair that gave you access to 1 red and 1 black. We did 4-5 laps and gave up - wind pretty fierce at the top, the 2 runs offered a cocktail of boiler plate, hard pack and some soft snow stashed on the edges. Italians being Italians like their speed irrespective of conditions and crowd levels which when you are with 2 young (albeit very competent) kids makes it a bit unnerving - not sure we'll be coming back even though I'm sure it will get much better from next week (from a crowd perspective at least).

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I was in Champoluc last year and had a few scary rides on a chairlift in high winds. Funny enough no forecast websites are showing high winds - is there a reliable source for this (other than locals looking up to the peaks and checking if there is snow being blown from it, which is basically on the spot check rather than a forecast for the next day)?. Will be travelling again to the area this coming Saturday hope the winds will have subsided by then

Help!!

MonteRosa (Aosta, Italy)

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