 Poster: A snowHead
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Flying to Milan in February for the winter family ski holiday next year. My wife and I and the four kids (17, 15, 13, 11) are all good skiers, they can all ski any pisted slope well (the 11 and 15 year old race quite a bit). I ski off-piste quite a lot including day tours (several times a season normally), and my daughter (15) sometimes joins me for a day or two during the holidays if it is not too extreme. We normally ski in the Valais, last few years have been Val D'Anniviers in the winter and Sass Fee at Easter which give us a good mix of high pistes and good chance of decent off-piste for a day or two. Also allows us some variety with day trips to nearby resorts. My wife likes Italy and is keen to ski there hence the decision on Milan flights. We always self-cater, it just works better for us and also we tend to have a proper lunch on mountain so most nights only want a light supper. I always DIY our holidays.
I have narrowed the choice down to Madonna di Campiglio or Monterosa Ski, based on drive time from airport (I have hired a 9 seater to fit us and skis) and the fact I have managed to find suitable accommodation in both. It seems hard to find apartments in Italy with 3 or 4 proper bedrooms and that is a minimum requirement for us. Cervinia is also a potential option not least as we know it a bit from skiing over from Zermatt. Having never skied in Italy I am open to any other suggestions!
I would appreciate any opinions and/or advice on this. Important aspects for us are:
1. Accommodation in Monterosa is in Champoluc next to the chair. Is this a reasonable access point or massive queues?
2. Lunch is important on family trips! we generally ski very hard in the mornings and have a proper sit down lunch. So recommendations and opinions on which area is best for this (and which restaurants) would be great.
3. Madonna di Campiglio is low compared to our normal skiing. What is the risk of high temps/poor quality snow?
4. Off-piste for the family trip is always opportunistic so it's ok if we don't get any (seems unlikely in Campiglio). That said, is there access to relatively benign/easy off-piste in Monterosa? I don't take my daughter into the steeps, not least as she is still building her mountain and rescue skills and knowledge.
5. Monterosa seems limited in extent compared to Campiglio. Is there enough for keen/good skiers? That said we are normally happy with quite small areas, I have never been of the belief that skiing the same pistes several times means a lack of variety. Conditions and choices change every time you come down in my view.
6. Whilst a very good skier, my wife has a ruptured ACL and now wears a brace to ski (hence no off-piste for her now). She dislikes steep, bumpy, narrow paths (happy on very steep pistes with a bit of width). How bad in the "Goat" piste down to the valley connection at Stafal in this regard?
7. I get that Campiglio will be more chilled skiing with shorter runs and fewer challenges. I am interested, however, in the positives that others have experienced there. Also any advice on the best areas/pistes both in terms of steepness and fast carving/blasting.
8. How busy are both likely to be? We are going half-term which for us is 12 - 19 February
9. What is the drive like to both? I don't normally worry about this as usually hiring from Geneva so always have winter tyres (and often a 4WD 9 seater). What is the danger of needing chains to reach either.
10. We are actually on the late Friday flight (lands 2300) from Edinburgh so are staying at the airport Sheraton that night and picking car up next morning. Any suggestions on things to do/places to stop for lunch/en-route supermarkets would also be great.
I have read other threads on both resorts, but am happy if anyone repeats advice already given elsewhere. Just looking for some insights and opinions really! Thanks in advance.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@zikomo, I can’t provide a comparison between both, having only been to the Brenta Dolomites (three times).
Re snow: never had a problem, remotely.
Ski area: loads of options, especially if including Folgarida and Marilleva. You get a great sense of travel and there are numerous options for fast and blasty carving. Quite a few long runs too.
Off-Piste: I seem to recall being told (by a local) that quite a lot of the area is protected and that skiing off piste with gay abandon isn’t possible everywhere. However, I was assured that there are opportunities. Perhaps someone else may pop in with a clearer picture.
Mountain Restaurants: many…and mostly pretty good. My personal favourite was the Orti Rifugio - accessed via a black run with either a blue or black exit. Very charming, roaring fire, great food, very friendly and, like a lot of places, quite reasonable. The black run to get there was quite wide, short (100m) and not especially challenging….for those that have the right skills. I did see a few skiers that didn’t…and that didn’t end too well!
From memory, red piste 12 was my favourite…not overly long but an absolute roller coaster….fast and furious  It’s also the link piste towards Folgarida. Piste 3 to Folgarida has some nice, sunny piste-side restaurants. Black piste 1 into Folgarida is a decent black. They hold slalom races on it!
Madonna is extremely nice. Smart, cosy and with great eating options….I did a trip report many years ago and will see if I can find the details for one of the places I ate at. Highly recommended.
I didn’t ski there at half term so can’t comment on how busy it will be. Suffice to say, when I did go, it was never what one would describe as busy. I don’t think I queued once for a lift.
The Brenta Dolomites remain one of my favourite areas, after 50+ weeks of skiing 
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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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The restaurant in Madonna was the Antico Focolare.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@zikomo, presume half term?
Mrs U came from Champoluc, and the family have property. We've skied Madonna a few times. I'd vote Monterosa. And it's a shorter transfer.
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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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@under a new name, Thanks. And yes, half-term. Out of interest why would you vote Monterosa? Just interested in the positives!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Great thing about Madonna is that you can get anywhere from anywhere as there are pistes that go over and under the main valley road. You can start off in the sun on one side and if it gets busy or soft you can head for a different area.
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@zikomo, I have been to Monterosa three times during half-term, it was quite busy at the weekend but empty during the week.
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@rjs, Thanks, definitely reassuring to know it is likely to be quiet.
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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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1. Accommodation in Monterosa is in Champoluc next to the chair. Is this a reasonable access point or massive queues? Ideal
2. Lunch is important on family trips! we generally ski very hard in the mornings and have a proper sit down lunch. So recommendations and opinions on which area is best for this (and which restaurants) would be great. MdC wins big time, sorry can't remember specifics.
3. Madonna di Campiglio is low compared to our normal skiing. What is the risk of high temps/poor quality snow? Val di Sole, as the name suggests, expect wall to wall sunshine. Snow was fine despite on our trip although South facing gets a bit slushy.
4. Off-piste for the family trip is always opportunistic so it's ok if we don't get any (seems unlikely in Campiglio). That said, is there access to relatively benign/easy off-piste in Monterosa? I don't take my daughter into the steeps, not least as she is still building her mountain and rescue skills and knowledge. Monterosa has the rep
5. Monterosa seems limited in extent compared to Campiglio. Is there enough for keen/good skiers? That said we are normally happy with quite small areas, I have never been of the belief that skiing the same pistes several times means a lack of variety. Conditions and choices change every time you come down in my view. It's deceptive, Chompuluc - Alagna and back will take the whole day. I'd say that you would have to be a serious mileage type to tire of it.
6. Whilst a very good skier, my wife has a ruptured ACL and now wears a brace to ski (hence no off-piste for her now). She dislikes steep, bumpy, narrow paths (happy on very steep pistes with a bit of width). How bad in the "Goat" piste down to the valley connection at Stafal in this regard? The problem with it is that it is busy and cut up, so you've got problems picking a line. However, it is not very long and it widens, then flattens out so it looks worse than it is, it's a confidence thing. Madonna's link with Folgarida is worse in my limited experience.
7. I get that Campiglio will be more chilled skiing with shorter runs and fewer challenges. I am interested, however, in the positives that others have experienced there. Also any advice on the best areas/pistes both in terms of steepness and fast carving/blasting. IIRC we found Pinzolo the most challenging area (and the quietest). Madonna itself, either side, has plenty of motorway blues.
8. How busy are both likely to be? We are going half-term which for us is 12 - 19 February Mdc will be busier, Folgarida is v. popular with school trips. but the lifts are quick and modern and even end-of-day queues move along.
9. What is the drive like to both? I don't normally worry about this as usually hiring from Geneva so always have winter tyres (and often a 4WD 9 seater). What is the danger of needing chains to reach either. No idea
10. We are actually on the late Friday flight (lands 2300) from Edinburgh so are staying at the airport Sheraton that night and picking car up next morning. Any suggestions on things to do/places to stop for lunch/en-route supermarkets would also be great. No idea
They're very different; apart from being in Italy, they have little in common. Both are well worth the trip so it should be a question of which order to do them in. I'd look at half term dates and if you think it looks a relatively quiet week, go for MdC. But if everyone is on holiday that week, Monterosa ftw.
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@zikomo, we know it better ... we know where to lunch ... lunch spots seem better around Monterosa ...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Riccardo, Thanks so much! Really helpful insights. Thanks for taking the time to be so thorough.
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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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@under a new name, Thanks. Any specific advice or insights you can add would be appreciated!
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Done Mdc 6 times at half term and good snow reliability, some places get a bit slushy dependent on conditions. One thing I would say, and I'm sure Monterosa will be the same, check if you half terms clashes with festival, if it does it will be a lot busier than if if doesn't. The Mdc lift system copes well but some key lifts can get busy if you get to them at the wrong time and additional festival crowds make it worse.
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You know it makes sense.
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@stevew, Thanks, will have a look at holiday dates.
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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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Looking at the school holiday dates in Europe, seems this week 12-19 Feb is not too bad. I remain torn, Monterosa seems quite limited skiing and Madonna di Campoglio is low (and might be busier). Hard to choose!
Any further advice/comments?
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Poster: A snowHead
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I've skiied Val di Sole a few times - Passo Tonale twice and Folgarida once. Though Folgarida is lift linked to MdC, we never went that far
I've skiied Monterosa once, on the Gnarlibug, staying int Gressoney in the central valley.
I'd personally go back to Gressoney over Madonna di Campiglio
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@nbt, Thanks. Interesting that you never went to MdC from Folgardia, I assume because the slopes there were extensive enough?
What was it that you preferred in Monterosa?
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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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I have been to each a few times and love them both but for entirely different reasons.
I actually prefer the food in Madonna over Monterosa, not that the food in either is lacking. It's just that polenta, which I find 'usually boring', turns up a lot more in Monterosa and so reduces the percentage of the menu that interests me. That said, I always find something I like.
Madonna has loads of wonderful pistes but off-piste options are more restricted, while Monterosa kicks the proverbial... it's much wilder and less developed than the Madonna area so there is everything available from super-easy-access areas within good view of the piste, through to heli-supported trips over 4000m peaks into Switzerland and back. I think it's a fantastic spot for developing in that direction.
IMHO, Gressoney is the best spot from which to explore it if you've any interest in off-piste but there's nothing wrong with Champoluc.
Where we base ourselves in Gressoney for the GnarliBuG, we're 50m from a lift which, although a little slow, never has any queue.
If you'd like a contact who may have suitable apartments available in Gressoney, gimme a shout: PM Admin
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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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I stayed in Gressoney for a week about 10 years ago and have visted Madonna twice in the last 4 years. My preference would be for Madonna. It's a large, varied area with plenty to interest you for a week. Some quite challenging runs and also some fantastice long medium-blacks - particularly the long winding one through the trees to Folgarida (or is it Marileva?). Lots of good mountain restaurants.
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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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@zikomo, I was not a hugely experienced skiier and not earning a huige amount when I visited Folgarida: we had ski school in the morning and spent the afternoon practicing. We were on an all-inclusive trip with Rocketski (flights, half board, list pass, ski hire and instruction for not very much) so didn't spend the extra money for the full area lift pass. As we were on such a cheap deal as you may imagine the accomodation was fairly basic and the food, while edible, was not overly representative of great Italian cooking (lunches wre better)
by the time I visited Monterosa I'd done a lot more skiing and had reached a point in life where I had decided that I should treat myself a little better. Frankly I just loved the views, the food, the accomodation and the skiing. It isn;t a 600km mega resort like Espace Killy, but when we did on-piste days we kept ourselves entertained (and I didn;t even ski all the way down into Alagna. Off piste - well, the world is the mollusc of the choice of Robert's father's brother, to torture an analogy. Some off piste requre a bit of a hike, some (and some of it quite gnarly) is accessible from the piste with very little effort.
While I'm not discounting a trip to MdC at some point, I've already started checking out how I can get to Monterosa by train for a future trip (I'm trying to avoid flying henceforth)
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@admin, Thanks for the insights and offer of help! I will PM you as have not yet been able to find any suitable accommodation in Gressony. Definitely leaning towards Monterosa - it seems to me in some ways quite similar to our usual haunts (relatively small area, quiet, some challenges on piste, chance of off-piste excursions, high and snow sure). My concern remains on snow cover in MdC, I know the snow making and piste bashing is superlative but it is just not the same for me to ski on ribbons of artificial snow vs. high alpine terrain. I suspect we will go to the Dolomites at some point, probably to the Sella Ronda as that is on the bucket list and looks like Arraba would suit us well (just too far from Milan to consider on this trip though).
I share your concerns over polenta, food of the devil as far as I am concerned!
@under a new name, so where are the best places to lunch?
@nbt, thanks again!
If conditions are good might do a day or two off-piste. Any recommendations for guides?
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@admin, hmm, good point re polenta!
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@zikomo, I really wouldn't worry about snow cover in MdC. Obviously nothing is guaranteed with weather, anywhere, ever but it would have to be an outright disaster year for there to be a problem there in Feb.
I'd say, the biggest weather concern out of the 2 areas would be for wind in Monterosa which, coming from the wrong direction, can shut the links between the valleys down.
It is quite tricky trying to compare these two venues as they are so hugely different.
Madonna di Campiglio is classy and glittering - natural habitat of Ferraris and Maseratis. Home to 3 restaurants with Michelin stars.
Monterosa is wild and rugged - natural habitat of high mountain guides with heli experience. No entries in the Michelin guide - probably down to the polenta.
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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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@admin, thoroughly enjoyed Monterosa cuisine both in summer and winter. All the places I had food on a mountain were brilliant:
- rifugio Belvedere - awesome pasta dishes and the traditional soups;
- Bettafirca -lovely food and excellent pizzas (for the north)
- l’abri du ski - excellent again
- rifugio campo base - excellent, with some Nepalese food somedays during the week
- punta Jolanda - the one place heaviest on polenta.
- Stolenberg, excellent, not heavy on polenta.
Evenings in Champoluc - Le Sapin (recommended by the local on here  ) is simply brilliant. Il Balivo (visited only once in summer) was superb again.
Can’t wait to get back to the area!
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Absolutely @mooney058! Don't get me wrong, I go back to Monterosa every March for the GnarliBuG and eat extremely well every time. In fact the food is an aspect I very much look forward to.
Also
- Great Pizzeria on the left, right at the bottom of the piste into Alagna
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@mooney058, Thanks! Really appreciate you taking the time with recommendations for lunch, an important part of our holiday!
@under a new name, seems to be reluctant to share his secret spots!
Have an apartment on hold in Champoluc in case I don't find anything in Gressony that suits. It seems fine if somewhat dated, close to gondola. Given all the advice here I am really looking forward to skiing Monterosa.
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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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Perhaps UANN is currently busy scoffing his lunch...
I'd add another one in the Gressoney valley which is Rif. Gabiet, a v nice and sunny spot overlooking a lake, bit away from the madding crowd, with a usually v tasty and filling piatto del giorno...
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| admin wrote: |
Absolutely @mooney058! Don't get me wrong, I go back to Monterosa every March for the GnarliBuG and eat extremely well every time. In fact the food is an aspect I very much look forward to.
Also
- Great Pizzeria on the left, right at the bottom of the piste into Alagna |
Indeed, agree with the description you provided - it is wilder looking (the highest 4000m wall of the Alps) and food is excellent despite the lack of michelins. Missed that pizza place as was not sure if will make back on time to Frachey.
They also do some other nice stuff in this region
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You know it makes sense.
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@mooney058, What is that?!!!
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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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La Grolla. Try it in different places, not all are made equal
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Poster: A snowHead
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Ahhh “the friendly” pot. I have one of these…not quite so popular in the current times, possibly… 
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