Gressoney - Hotel Scoiattolo

A snowHead

I have been wanting to go to Gressoney for many years, my wife, eldest daughter (12) and myself are accomplished skiers and would all be able to handle the slopes, however my youngest daughter (9) will still require ski school and will not be confident on miles of red runs (though she should be able to do them if we take our time). Has anyone got experience of Hotel Scoiattolo, it's proximity to the nursery slopes/ ski school and how a young child would cope with the runs in this resort?

We are provisionally booked for Christmas but can change if we don't think it's suitable.

Many thanks,

John

A snowHead

Hi I've been and stayed there. The hotel is fine with great food as you'd expect.

My initial thoughts to you question is No... but I suppose it depends...... do you have transport while your there.

The nearest lift serves a black and red and you need to use these if you want to get anywhere

There are NO blues to speak of and it's defo not a beginners resort. If I were you I'd cancel and go over the valley to Champoluc ... much better for blues

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Or Cervinia - imo much better for the nervous and mixed groups

You need to Login to know who's really who.

.....to add. Gressoney is a top resort and very different to the norm. It's not big by any means and more suited to doing a bit off piste. Nothing much in alagna on piste. So the variety is in champoluc. If all 4 of you were competent on reds I would hesitate to recommend the hotel.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@Wildsmith, +1

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Hi @johnboy;
Re: ‘Nursery slopes’: In Gressoney at the moment with other sH’s, some of whom would probably appreciate your problems much better than me. For what my opinions are worth, I’m not quite sure I’d describe the slopes for beginners in the immediate area as ‘nursery slopes’ . . .

Have you had a good look at the piste map? Link: https://ski2champoluc.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Monterosa-piste-map-2017-2108-04.pdf

The hotel is a third of a mile from the nearest lift, which if you used, it, would take you (slowly, 2 seater) to a point from where there’s a route to an area (‘Gabiet’ with a restaurant, toilets and to one chair which serves a single beginner-style blue run.

Everything else thereabouts is pretty red, at least.

The difficulty would be getting back down from there back to hotel for a non-red-skiing beginner. Taking the gondola down from there would get you to Stafal rather than Gressoney-La-Trinite.

If you had a car handy, you could drive to/from Stafal and park there I guess. Also you could take the ski bus which is OK - I have used it.

Also the hotel seems to offer a shuttle for guests, so perhaps you could ask how that might work for you for drop-off/pick-ups? I’ve walked past it, and it seems an OK place, so perhaps they may confirm they would solve your daily problems if you ask?

For beginner skiing, There’s also a gondola up from Gabiet to the chair-served high-up blues on the Alagna side, which don’t look too demanding to me, but it’s your 9-year-old’s impression that would matter!

On the other side from Stafal the piste map seems to show a small drag-served area which could be for beginners, but to be frank when I skied past there today I hadn’t noticed at all; maybe I will at another time.

Be warned that the green routes marked on the piste map are NOT French-style green runs. They are routes for skinning up, not skiing down!

Once your 9-year old is Ok on the reds it would be great as much more opens up.

There were plenty of parents with toddlers and small folk snowploughing around all day mostly everywhere in the Monterosa ski area today, so if you’ve got the confidence it’s clearly OK for beginners.

Regards; FG

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@johnboy, As others have said, it depends. I was there a couple of weeks ago. Monterosa in general I would say is not ideal for absolute beginners. BUT the reds are (mostly) pretty benign and many would be blue where we normally ski in Switzerland. I saw lots of young beginners around the place, sometimes struggling a bit on steeper sections. And lots and lots of lower level intermediates around the place including small kids.

If your 9 year old has already had a fair bit of skiing she will almost definitely be fine. It sounds to me like your family skis a bit oi your 12 year old is already an accomplished skier, so you might be over-worrying! My 11 year old complained more the other way, that there was a distinct lack of genuine black slopes (NB we ski a lot and they all started around 3 years old). How much skiing has she had? I would also have a chat with the ski school who will probably be able to reassure you.

And worries about getting back to the hotel are unfounded. Sounds like the hotel have a shuttle and there is also a regular bus between Gressony and Stafal. Starting and finishing in Stafal would be a good option for you as you can access blue slopes at Gabiet and also over the ridge on the Alagna side. Plus the reds on both sides of Colle Bettaforca are wide and easy. Also great pizza (but "rustic" toilets) at the top of Bettaforca.

After all it is free

Thanks for all the replies folks, I'm still very tempted to keep my booking as I have wanted to ski here for years and have just bought a new touring set up with shift bindings, so the area looks ideal for trying them out! My youngest daughter has skied Passo Tonale, Flaine, Sauze D'Oulx, so isn't an absolute beginner. Other options are Pila where we have been before, or the budget option of Arinsal, but limited for the rest of us.

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@johnboy, A reasonably physically competent 9 year old with 3 years of ski school will be able to manage most of the skiing in Monterosa. I would go for it!

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

We stayed in the Scoiattolo (squirrel!) a couple of times, first on a package and then independently - we really liked it. That was over 20 years ago, but it looks much the same now. Our son was about 8 at the time and I don't remember any particular issues getting about, or ski lessons etc.

snow reports

@caughtanedge, @zikomo, Thanks folks, sounds like a runner!

@johnboy, Hotel Valverde close to where you’re staying used to be an Esprit Hotel and we stayed there at Christmas when our kids were 4 and 7, it was the first week skiing for the 4 year old and 2nd for the 7 year old though both had some lessons on a dry slope before going. The 4 year old started with lessons at Stafal before moving to the blue at Gabiet and the 7 year old was on various reds from the middle of the week. I think Esprit bussed the kids up to Stafal every morning but can’t quite remember. The run back to the hotel was closed (not enough snow) but it opened the week after and you could download from the Punta Jolanda - I remember taking my 7 year old back that way.
Esprit made things a bit easier but your kids are older and more experienced so as long as there’s a way for you to get to Stafal you’ll be fine. We had a great holiday there and would definitely go back.

You know it makes sense.

If the weather is Ok and runs in decent conditions i'd agree with @zikomo, the reds aren't too tricky. I did a dads and daughters trip to aosta a coule of years back, where other dads daughter had been on school ski trip plus a week skiing with us the previous year.

We skied Champoluc to the Passo Salati and back which she did fine on, only downloading the black slope from Gabiet to Stafal.

Ski school & hotel will know a way of getting less competent skiers around and where to bus between links, so speak to them for advice.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Help!!

Gressoney - Hotel Scoiattolo

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