 Poster: A snowHead
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Type of Trip: DIY
Travelers: Father + 3 family members (15, 19, 21)
Ski Level: Confident Intermediates
Flights: Ryanair Dublin to Turin
- at a great price - I was looking at other regular ski airports Geneva, Salzburg etc - but Turin was 40% cheaper
Transfer: Private Transfer (arranged via Sauzeonline) - ~1 hour
- sauzetaxi.it were also an option and were possibly cheaper. But in the COVID world I decided to have some form of local, on the ground expert to ask questions from if things went bad.
- One of the kids is bad in buses and dislikes long transfers, so a major criterion in resort selection is transfer length
Rental: Arranged via sauzeonline - the shop was Chalp Paolo (at bottom of Clotes lift)
- we were all very happy with the equipment and I especially loved the Dynastar x88 Legends I was using.
- I would use again
Accommodation: arranged via airbnb
- the highlight of the trip was the amazing 2 bed apartment that we had, slope side just a 20 metre slide down the home run to the the Clotes lift entrance. Experiencing true ski-in, ski out for the first time in my life not sure I can ever walk to a piste again.
- and the apartment was a fabulous 2 bed, beautifully decorated apartment with fab views over the village, full, new modern kitchen, coffee maker, dishwasher, washing machine and a wonderful bathroom. As well a great smart TV - so just login for Netflix, Disney+ etc.
Skiing
We arrived on a Saturday and we were lucky. It had snowed a little on the Friday night, it snowed the Saturday night we arrived and was overcast and dropping granules of snow all day on the Sunday. So maybe 4 or 5 cm of fresh snow fell, so the pistes did get freshened up. For the following 5 days we had clear, blue skies and low temperatures. The low temperatures kept the pistes in top condition and we experienced very little ice. I would also say the piste maintenance was great and they really made the best of what they had.
Village
Sauze D'Oulx while not being a chocolate box Tyrolean village is a nice village and the "old" village has some lovely narrow streets with some good restaurants – and at prices that won’t break the bank. Closer to the lifts are more of the lively après pubs, most of which either had a DJ or live music each night ---- best examples are Ghost bar, Sports bar, Village cafe and Miravellino. So, if you want lively - you can find it. If you want to stroll around the village a find a nice restaurant - that’s also possible.
Skiing
Day 1 - Sauze
Getting the ski legs back so we spent the day in Sauze. There is some very nice cruisey runs in Sauze from the top of the Lago Nero chair lift and we especially enjoyed 29 and the 42 -> 2000 runs. The runs down to Jouvenceaux were also very enjoyable. Didn’t bother with Moncrons, although it was open - I am at an age where I want to minimise faffing around with button lifts! Overall, a lovely day with nice conditions and Sauze does have some really good skiing.
Day 2 - Sansicario
I had been before, so I was really looking forward to Sansicario - and it didn't disappoint. It is sunnier that Sauze and has some really lovely, long tree lined Red runs. All in all, a great day. Perfect skiing for confident intermediates.
One small note - then only way out of Sansicario is via a button lift. It's not the worst but just something to be aware of if you have newish snowboarders or skiers.
Day 3/4 - Sestriere
The snow in Sestriere was fabulous so we made the journey twice. We skied the Borgata bowl. It takes about an hour mostly on lifts plus one gondola to get there from Sauze - but it is worth it. Fabulous runs, great conditions - not as pretty as Sansicario (or Sauze) but the pistes were in great shape. There is a greater sense of intimacy in Sansicario and Sauze - but to get KMs into the legs Sestriere did the biz.
Day 5 - Sauze
The family voted that we spend day 5 back in Sauze - the pistes were still in great condition due to ongoing low temperatures. We did the Jouvenceaux runs a bit more -and the little blue bowl of runs below the top lift. A fun ski day and Sauze again showing that for people like us - it has plenty to offer.
Day 6 - Sauze again
Having survived the week with all limbs intact we decided that discretion was the better part of valour and had a chill day doing some of our favourite runs around Sauze.
Food
We ate out a couple of nights and had great pasta in Sugos and a very decent pizza in the Sports Bar.
On the mountain – we ate out for each lunch. Much preferred the restaurants in Sauze and Sansicario. Prices were generally ok – maybe €12 for a main and a drink. However, I did nearly expire when asked for €12 for a large beer and hot chocolate at the place at the top of Lago Nero lift!
Things I would have liked to have done
Skiing to Montgenevre - but it seemed like a lot of sitting and not so much skiing (the guide is it will take about 2 - 2.5 hours and there are some annoying flat bits). And I didn’t fancy the clock watching on the way home. If (when) I return to Sauze it would be great to hook up with some likeminded folks and get a mini bus/taxi straight to MontG
Summary
A fabulous week. The on-piste conditions were great. The skies were blue all week. The accommodation was top notch, equipment good, transfer short and it’s a nice village. I will return.
Annoyances
It’s well documented that lift investment in the last 15 years has been negligible. There are a few excruciatingly slow lifts. Top of mind is that slow 2 man to Fraiteve and one of the 4s out of Sansicario.
Snow - it seems that Sauze can suffer with a lack of snow - however the piste maintenance does mean they make the best of every flake of snow that either falls or that is made. It would be the one little nag at the back of my mid if I was booking Sauze again...but its weather and nothing is guaranteed!
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Wed 26-01-22 16:02; edited 2 times in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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A place I've never been. Nice report - thanks 
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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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Great post - thank you for sharing
we are going in Madonna Di Campiglio in February and i keep reading about the "super green pass" and "Safe2Ski" pass which requires you to update your lift pass each day with your COVID status. Did you have to do this in Sauze ?
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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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Thanks for sharing heading there in the 13th February so really useful x
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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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@ChrisB2202, The "Super Green Pass" is not a thing as separate piece of documentation that you need to apply for - it is a "description" of your vaccination status. So assuming you are UK based they use an app (VerificaC19) to scan your vaccine QR code to make sure you have the required, up-to-date vaccinations. I download the app (its in the iOS and PlayStore) and used it to scan the vaccine QR code in advance of leaving to ensure I was OK. (Its in Italian but its not hard to figure out)
Safe2ski is not something I encountered in Sauze so I am afraid I cant really give any help - so I can only speculate it is either an additional safety process that Madonna Di Campiglio have embraced, or something that that region of Italy has set as a requirement for skiing.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@ado, Thank you very much for your reply and advice, very much appreciated.
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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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@ado. We are planning to go go to Sauze d’oulx next Feb so read your report with interest. Are you able to provide details of the apartment? Thanks so much
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Sadly the apartment is no longer available as the owners sold it and new owners dont seem to airbnb.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Sadly the apartment is no longer available as the owners sold it and new owners dont seem to airbnb.
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FAQ
