 Poster: A snowHead
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I do enjoy the trip reports, as i often use them looking for ideas and places to go, so heres a TR on Gressoney within the ski area of Monterosa, Italy
Drove in the van:
Left Devon Friday 24th Feb at 6pm for the euro tunnel. Pain Au Chocalate in Courmayeur for breakfast (Saturday 0900) and then a bit of site seeing trip seeing us arrive at our accommodation at 2.00pm
I personally drive the motorways in france or germany / austria etc at night as theres never any traffic around and enjoy getting the most time out of my holiday (Tight Git!)
We stayed at the Villa Fridau in Gressoney St Jean , (Walking distance of The Weissmatten chair lift)
The villa (Private apartments with restaurant below) was very nice and the hosts excellent. There are plenty of buses in the morning and at the end of the day to take you up or down the valley
The busses before 8am you had to pay for, but to be honhest we did a mixture of driving up to staffal at the end of the valley (circa 15mins) or got the bus depending on conditions
This was the week the UK had freezing temperatures, and i was skiing in a base layer, light jumper, light (simond) down jacket and a 3layer goretex shell and was exactly the right temperature!
Have never needed to where that much clothing! Im normally skking in a base layer and light weight fleece even in Jan!
There wasnt any night life to speak of really, but did enjoy a good crack with the staff at th flying Brasserie (highly recommended) and also in the pizza place
 Monterosa Ski 2018 by Plymtree Adventure Club, on Flickr
 Monterosa Ski 2018 by Plymtree Adventure Club, on Flickr
The guy that owns it is a proper Harley Davidson fan, Never many people in there but excellent food at excellent prices.
We skiied for 3 days with Fillippo Livorno (Italian High Mountain Guide) whom i would thoroughly recommend. Very adept at reading people and judging what kind of terrain you enjoy etc.
Primary Off Piste Routes Skied
Vallone Des Bors - From the Indren lift at 3275m down to Alagna 1212m, Lovely route, pretty straightforward except the traverse around the abandoned village 'Alpe Bors' and some interesting sections in the trees
 Monterosa Ski 2018 by Plymtree Adventure Club, on Flickr
 Monterosa Ski 2018 by Plymtree Adventure Club, on Flickr
 Monterosa Ski 2018 by Plymtree Adventure Club, on Flickr
Canale Grande - From Indren
 Monterosa Ski 2018 by Plymtree Adventure Club, on Flickr
Canale Aquila - From Indren
 Monterosa Ski 2018 by Plymtree Adventure Club, on Flickr
 Monterosa Ski 2018 by Plymtree Adventure Club, on Flickr
Salza Valley - From Indren, and once from a skin up from the Orestes Hut
 Monterosa Ski 2018 by Plymtree Adventure Club, on Flickr
looking into the salza valley from bettaforca>
 Monterosa Ski 2018 by Plymtree Adventure Club, on Flickr
Some excellent nr off piste stuff from the Col d Olen down towards Pianalunga.
 Monterosa Ski 2018 by Plymtree Adventure Club, on Flickr
Bettolina Basa - Colle Bettaforca chair lift down to stafal
 Monterosa Ski 2018 by Plymtree Adventure Club, on Flickr
Bettolina Alta Piani Di Verra, Colle Bettaforca Chairlift and a skin up to the Bettalina Col for a ski down the otherside to Frachey and Champoluc
 Monterosa Ski 2018 by Plymtree Adventure Club, on Flickr
 Monterosa Ski 2018 by Plymtree Adventure Club, on Flickr
 Monterosa Ski 2018 by Plymtree Adventure Club, on Flickr
We also drove down (40mins?) to Pian Coumarial for a bad weather day ski tour in the trees of Mont Mars, lovely secluded spot and a fantastic cafe / bar for when youve finished!
 Monterosa Ski 2018 by Plymtree Adventure Club, on Flickr
 Monterosa Ski 2018 by Plymtree Adventure Club, on Flickr
 Monterosa Ski 2018 by Plymtree Adventure Club, on Flickr
At the bottom of the valley is a fantastic fort (Couldnt resist a trip there), highly recommended.
The monterosa ski area lends iteself to intermediate and up, For accessing the offpiste being based in the central valley really helped as it doesnt take long to get across to Champoluc or Alagna,
If you were on a 9am lift out of staffal you could be in alagna for 1000.
Champoluc looked like there was more happening if your after night life, but reckon the monterosa area is pretty quiet tbh and would be great in a catered chalet with a big group of friends
You certainly dont need a vehicle, if your happy using busses, i just like to get out and explore and dont feel the need to ski every day although i would do if i was only there for 6 / 7 nights, but thats why i book a longer trip as it allows me to chill out from work properly and enjoy my hols!!!
All the slope side pit stops looked good, we tried a few and there all the same really to me, Good enough food, pretty cheap from my travels elsewhere.
All in All yes i would go back, really ticks the boxes for lift accessed backcountry and freeride touring, having done cham for a season (over a decade ago!) in terms of terrain theres nothing in it, in fact here is better as less people, so shhh dont tell any one, luckily as its quiet its considered uncool so it shall remain so until the link to Cervina / Zermatt is built
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