 Poster: A snowHead
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On piste, looking for blacks and high km if possible.
Cheers 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Oh OK, I was all set to say Alagna but that's off-piste.
Have to give this some thought.
2 very good, steep blacks at Cortina, and a couple of good blacks at Arabba (though the Sella Ronda is mostly easy skiing on piste - though challenging off piste) but perhaps Italy isn't really strong on steep pistes. Several other places with good off piste such as Courmayeur.
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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?
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LaThuile has several blacks with +70% gradient. They tend to be bashed so not moguled, but are still challenging as the are usually pretty icy.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks guys. I remember fondly the blacks in La Thuile, but the rest of the area was too flat.
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xyzpaul, ............... Try France instead of Italy. I'm sure the blacks there are more difficult! 
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skimastaaah, That's what we usually do, it's just this year the snow reports are so good in Italy thought it might be a good time to try something new.
I've probably been spoiled by the French and Swiss mega resorts, the Italian resorts just don't look as challenging.
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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.
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xyzpaul, Having skied Monte Rosa (Champoluc) a couple of weeks ago in perfect new snow, great pistes and half decent weather, there are really only 2/3 blacks worth mentioning....... the rest of the pistes are "nice" reds, nothing "nasty". BUT............... you'd have great snow, quiet resorts, bargain prices. The obvious black is into Alagna from Passo dei Salati, from the top of the chairs you can get the lift up to Punta Idren, (but that's OP, best done with a guide to get the best (plus OP rescue stuff required)), and there's the black into Gressoney from Champoluc side, short, only one steep pitch, otherwise an easy-peasy black. BOTH pistes well prepared for cruising, relatively no bumps. You'd be bored by day 3 or 4.
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Unless you are a world cup racer able to carve down any piste at full speed then surely the ammount of challenge is just in the way you ski it. If steep pistes are all you want then every resort is going to be limited to some extent. Try making your own fun... seek out some moguls and try to ski the fall line, try to carve down a red, try some off piste, jumps at the edge of the piste etc. Its not possible to be bored in a ski resort, no mater how small.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Flet©h, I agree with everything you have said.
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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.
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Cervinia when combined with Zermatt offers some good challenges both on and off piste. Haven't done a full week just long weekends but certainly didn't get bored.
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Fletch, I agree with you too, it is all about how you ski the slope. Unless a resort is completely flat I would manage to get a spin out a few blacks and reds. A well moguled steep black in flat light can be a good challenge. Do the same one next morning when it has been pisted, and is still frozen and it feels like skiing on a cheese grater, that is a separate challenge. See how fast you can get down, better yet, do a racing start with one of your friends and see who wins.
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You know it makes sense.
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Flet©h, I too agree with all of that - I can't even imagine being bored on a skiing holiday. But some resorts do offer more variety of terrain than others, and more km too.
morningglory, How long did it take to get over to the Zermatt side (and back)? Any decent apres? Thought about this destination before but never been confident enough to book it!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Are people aware of the amount of snowfall and warmer temps in Sud Tirol Italy ?
Sud tirol Italy has been dumping so much with warmer 0 degree temps the piste wont be hard in a hurry not at this point in time anyway.
Visability is often very bad too depending on height but with near 40 warmer days in powder since xmas its not a ideal black piste carving season. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I know what you mean xyz paul, in fairness I would ask the same myself, I love a good long run, or several of them if possible. I do hate crowded resorts though, and I am not very fond of france, I used to like it when we went, but once we got away from it I prefer anywhere else .
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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?
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Was in Cervinia last year and it doesn't take long to get in Zermatt - think about three lifts and probably about 45 minutes if no queues - it is a much cheaper option - après ski is best described as relaxed  - there are a few bars but not very lively, in Jan anyway.
It does has a reputation for shutting lifts in high wind which is pretty common - but on a plus point it is possibly one of the cheapest places for heli-skiing I think it was around 250 euros x 4 for one half day trip with guide
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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The Italians are not too keen on challenging. Anything which might make them look slightly less than elegant and stylish is not entirely desirable.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| queen bodecia wrote: |
| The Italians are not too keen on challenging. Anything which might make them look slightly less than elegant and stylish is not entirely desirable. |
what do you base that on? I love Italy.
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OP here. In time honoured fashion we considered Italy but have booked somewhere else: Tignes.
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| Quote: |
I do hate crowded resorts though, and I am not very fond of france
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I loved what I saw of the Dolomites/Sella Ronda on the Birthday Bash. But it was a lot more crowded than my corner of France - and the snow cover was good, so pretty well everything was open, outside Arabba. Super food, at great prices, excellent coffee everywhere, unbeatable scenery, loads of places to go (not that we were able to go to most of them in the two days we had) but uncrowded? Sadly not.
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I have been lucky enough for the last while to somehow avoid crowds, and it is just france as a ski area I am not fond of. Of course there are crowdes in Austria and Italy too, but it is just different.
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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.
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biddpyat, I have nothing to compare with my experience in the Dolomites, having never skied there before, but the pistes were certainly a lot busier than I am used to (we didn't find many troublesome lift queues once we headed away from the green "Sella Ronda" route on our first day but the pistes were pretty busy). I did do a couple of hours in Cortina one day, years ago - absolutely deserted because it was lunch time! I think that all the Alpine ski countries offer a big range of ski experiences, depending on what you are looking for. There are hundreds of ski resorts in France (though few British skiers know more than half a dozen). I can't think of a single generalisation which would be true of them all. The same is no doubt true of all the other countries. A resort like St Anton won't have much in common with a tiny family ski village with a couple of lifts. The latter - like the majority of French ski stations - probably won't have many Brits, always a good start.
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I have been to a few French resorts, quite a few actually even some of the smaller ones which I will say was very late in the season, and were not busy. I think it is true of all resorts where huge plane loads of tourists arrive every Saturday and sunday, you will have ques for lifts on Monday. So ergo if you avoid those type resorts, in any country you will have a quieter experience. However I am not in love with the way things are done in france, I haven't been in quite a few years, I just prefer the atmosphere in Italy, and Austria, I prefer the food, the lift systems, ( In most of the places I have been) and the towns and villages. I will say I prefer the lesser known resorts,.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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biddpyat, I wonder if there are some little Italian resorts with Dolomites scenery but not linked in to the main circus?
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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.
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pam w, Alleghe?!!
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Pedantica, Ah yes!!
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Pedantica
Kronplatz maybe too? Been a couple of years now though...memory fading so apologies in advance if I'm talking nonsense
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