About to book a holiday in one of these four resorts for myself, an intermediate snowboarder and a beginner snowboarder. Myself and the intermediate snowboarder went to Sauze last year and had a fantastic time. All four areas seem to have very good conditions right now.
Which would you recommend/not recommend and why?
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
George 3G, can only comment on La Ros/La Thuile. My thoughts would be that maybe (and a snowboarder will confirm/deny I'm sure ) the long pomas over to La Thuile (which is where you might like to go if you were staying in La Rosiere) might be a PITA on snowboards.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
George 3G,
Livignio is friendly,lift pass quite good value ( or used to be anyway) decent food, cheap ish drink + not bad slopes. Apres pretty good too ; transfer can be a bit of a pain & make sure you doing the Innsbruck flight or it will be a lot longer transfer !! They have a well reviewed snowboard school there too.
Cervinia; Nice motorway cruiser type slopes ( if you like that sort of thing) although can be a little flat for the boarder. Weather permitting you can go over the top to Zermatt, which is pretty good although you wont have time to see it all before having to return . Can be a bit windy but thats the price for being so high I guess. Transfer not bad around 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Lift pass quite expensive but does give you a lot of miles. Apres pretty subdued but a few nice bars in the old high street .
Of the 2 would give Cervinia the thumbs up over Livignio. Haven't been to the other resorts so no comment.
Mitch
Thanks marmotte, this is the kind of input we need. The beginner snowboarder has never been on a drag lift either so it would be quite daunting for him. We'll take a better look at La Thuile
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Thanks for your input Mitch, I was suprised you concluded it by choosing Cervinia over Livigno though? We were aware of the risks of the Zermatt link being closed but not how much of the day we'd lose by travelling over there and back.
George 3G,
How much of a beginner is 'your ' beginner??
If they haven't done a drag what have they done
If a complete novice they will straggle at all the places you have mentioned & would be best doing some snow dome lessons before heading to the mountains.
Mitch
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Three hours at the snowdome! He'll be taking lessons
After all it is free
After all it is free
George 3G,
Cervina has around 150KM slopes on its own I thing whereas Livingnio posts around 115KM although think thats a bit overstating it tbh.
The journey over to Zermatt isnt to bad but you do have to keep an eye on your watch as if you miss the lift back I'm told the taxi fare is around 200 euros back!!
Mitch
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
George 3G,
Livignio probably better for beginner as little, or no, flat areas to worry about. Plus check out madness snowboard school.
Mitch
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Cervinia / Zermatt is one of the world's great ski areas and the Matterhorn makes the scenery unbeatable. The others are ordinary by comparison
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
George 3G wrote:
Thanks marmotte, this is the kind of input we need. The beginner snowboarder has never been on a drag lift either so it would be quite daunting for him. We'll take a better look at La Thuile
And they are x2 long drags. But if your friend is a beginner then he probably wouldn't be looking at day trips to Italy.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
I know all mentioned resorts.
Livigno is PITA regarding transfers - even from Innsbruck. Long waiting times and block traffic through the tunnel. Plus in bad weather the transfer can be problematic. The ski area itself is nice but smaller than La Thuile, the "smallest" of the other 3. Cervinia, La Thuile and Sauze have much shorter transfer times.
La Thuile is an authentic village and very nice. The lifts and slopes on the plateau are ideal for beginners and improvers. The slopes over to the side of the Petit Saint Bernard passway are phantastic reds - long and wide reds with good snow and fast lifts. The connection to La Rosiere is vulnerable to high winds, but the Italian side on its own is already very good. And there's the option of heliboarding on the glacier nearby. Italian side about 90% of Livigno, in total about 150% the size.
Cervinia was one of the first purpose-built resorts, in Mussolini's time (1940). Long long loooooooooooooong cruisers with a dark blue / light red dominating.
Still, if you have the possibilities, I would suggest to go to Gressoney or Champoluc:
-The ski area is bigger than La Thuile and Livigno;
-Long cruising reds with large height difference, fast lifts and perfect slope preparation
-Low lift-to-slope ratio (so much room left...)
-The scenery is dramatic (the Monte Rosa rises almost 3000 metres above valley bottom i.e. Himalayan proportions; this is about 3 times bigger than in other resorts)
-Heavenly food and very nice people (very unlike the professional tourism machines)
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Onnem,
Haven't looked in detail at these places ( Gressoney or Champoluc) but do recall being put off by some fundamental problems/issues that elude me at the moment .
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@Mitchell - In the NL we say "you can shoot a cannon without hitting anyone" - you don't go there because of the vibrant night life
If you want "Anton aus Tirol" then better go to Soelden http://youtube.com/v/RRe3gLoE0wU
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
We booked Sauze d'Oulx in the end, we had to take into consideration what accommodation was left as well as which operators had space on their flight for one of my friend's snowboard.
I think La Thuile or Livigno are on the cards for March, fingers crossed and conditions permitting
Thanks everyone for their input, much appreciated!
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
We have also just booked for Sauze in 10 days time, don't think you'll be disappointed, we went last about 3 years ago and loved it. Big ski area, wonderful runs over in Sansicario too. Also snow is great this year, which will make all the difference.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Yea, we went last year and had a fantastic time
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
George 3G, if you can put up with the long transfer, I'd take Livigno ahead of La Thuile (skied both) for the March trip. I think the conditions tend to be better (Livigno is higher for starters) and the town is way nicer with more varied apres/evening options.
As for learning, the beginner/teaching slopes immediately behind the town in Livigno are extremely accessible with plenty to progress to as one improves. Although the town sits in a valley with the skiing essentially on both sides, it is easy get from one to the other should one wish.
Bunch of us making our 2nd trip to Sauze on 25th Jan. Looking forward to it as when we were there in 2006 Sestriere was closed in preparation for the Olympics.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Skied the first 3 Italian places multi times but only once with Livigno.
I would put list them in order of preference as listed in the title. Livigno is close to Swiss St Moritz so the snow is always good. It is a pig to get to because at least one access is closed in winter while the remaining one from the Swiss side has a one-way long tunnel. I have not traveled to Livigno from the Italian side but the road looks torturous. Thus many SH's view of long transfer is something the visitors have to put up with.
For beginner the link between La Rosiere and La Thulie can be a testing time, especially for snowboarder because it is a long drag lift.
Cervinia and Suaze d'Oulx are big enough on its own without venturing to the Swiss side Zermatt and the rest of Milky Way respectively. Both are unbeatable places to visit. Cervinia has the edge of accessing Zermatt which is always a nice place to visit. Cervinia/Zermatt is the highest place one can ski/snowboard in the Alps. The magic of skiing/boarding at the top of world is priceless to some, especially in a sunny blue sky with little wind.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
) the long pomas over to La Thuile (which is where you might like to go if you were staying in La Rosiere) might be a PITA on snowboards.
