 Poster: A snowHead
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Resort: Champoluc
Country: Italy
Domain: Monterosa
Author: Womble
Date: 29th March - 5th April 2015
Our holiday: 2 families, 3 youngish children total (2nd week for the children)
Website : Ski2.com
Basics : Italy, Valle d'Aosta
Lift system : Bubbles & chairs, no T-bars or drags. 1 chair old and needs replacing and also vulnerable to wind.
The terrain : Smaller resort, with single pistes linking into each other, linked to the resorts of Gressoney/ Stafal & then to Alagna. A good variety of reds, not many blues for the children to progress to after finishing on the nursery slopes. Linked to some blacks, more blues & reds in the next valley over. Not many options at each point so you tended to go forward or backward on a route.
The snow : Every type of snow over the week: Powder, Boilerplate, ice, slush, powder, groomed piste. Lots available, 3 more inches fell as we left!
Off-piste : Late season, so not much, but still some available- lots available earlier.
The resort : Small, high mountain village at the head of a hanging valley. Full of character and old style, very charming. Small and we had a good location (7 minute walk with children to lifts). Skis and boots left at lifts. Ice creams and beer opposite the lift exit at the foot for happy children & adults.
Food : Didn't eat out in the village (sleepy/ tired children, very few places available); mountain restaurants, good food, good value (Ski2 operate a voucher system as well). Some restaurants off the runs above Champoluc were reported as very good.
Accommodation : La Rouja. Small, family hotel (13 rooms), each room taking 2-4 people. Refurbed in 2006/7 in wood throughout, very good atmosphere and place. Staff friendly and attentive at the right level, very good, plentiful food. Bedrooms larger than most, spacious, decent shower. Good wines served by keen wine waiter, 4 food courses (3 with 3 or 4 choices) per evening, children could be fed separately earlier (always needed). Very enjoyable stay, only downside was that the radiators didn't dry our gloves overnight- hotel basically very warm. Solved by putting them near the stove thingy in the bar/ communal area (very comfy!).
Costs: circa £1k/adult, £500/ child, excluding flights (but covering ski hire, half board + basic lunch, lift pass, transfers by taxi)
Conclusion: Fantastic holiday, marred by the weather a little, but we skiied every day when resorts around didn't. Champlouc has a variety of directions to face and when the weather got too windy for the main area, we got bussed for free to another area (20 mins each way) that was sheltered. It was small with 2 chairs and only 5 runs, but kept us entertained for 3 hours. This was their disaster plan- implemented 2 days this season and none last season so we were unlucky. But it worked well enough. The skiing wasn't quite enough overall (we were also kept out of the links into the valleys further over for that windy day and another) and the lack of blues immediately in the resort hurt the quality of the skiing for the children later on in the week, though the reds were achievable for them. We had a great holiday in lovely surroundings with a very family friendly resort and Ski 2 (who seem to manage most of the resort operations) were an almost perfect tour operator- they gave the needed information about skiing/ ski school/ timings/ skis and were highly organised when called upon (they got the whole ski school off the mountain when it shut down mid lessons and then gave the children free ice creams as a reward!). Other than that, they ignored you (no trying to sell junk). If you asked a question, it was answered immediately by Ski 2. I was very impressed with them and wished they went to other resorts.
Haven't mentioned that the slopes are almost empty mid week (even approaching Easter) and slightly more busy at weekends when the Italians come up from Milan/ Turin, but still quieter than 3V in a very quiet week.
I probably won't go back for a week, but could do a long weekend (1h 40m from Milan, less from Turin). Would not recommend to teenagers/ 20s but for families past tots, great! Skiing slightly limited/ lack of blues a factor for just past beginners, although reds not insurmountable (2nd week 5 & 7 year olds were relatively easy to get down them). Ski 2 were great, very practical and down to earth- a lot of them had learnt to ski in Scotland.
Womble (the lurker)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Do you remember the area you got bussed to? I am going to Champoluc next half term...
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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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@kitenski, that would be Antagnod. Which is also a surprisingly good choice on a big powder day when avalanche safety rules out the main area. 
@womble, nice report! Ski2 never fail to impress when we see them around. My only comment is that although there aren't so many blues, the reds (other than on notable crux) are pretty straightforward.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@under a new name, cheers, different lift pass or same one??
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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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@kitenski, same one. Great for kids but very limited. However, directly under chair is mostly slightly sub 30 (or even 25) degrees so on a truly light powder day it's safe and also good introduction for new powder skiers.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@under a new name, ta! Is there still skiing at the other Gressoney village, that isn't linked into the main area? I get me Jean and Trinite areas mixed up!
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@kitenski, believe so, but we never go there so can't be sure
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