 Poster: A snowHead
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Had 2.5 days skiing there (4-6 April) - easy drive from Bergamo (about 2.45 hours, another 5 mins to Entreves where we were staying). We skied the first afternoon (Monday 4th) for about 2 hours, didn't see a single person. The pistes were absolutely deserted - slightly more people on Tuesday and Wednesday but often had the piste to ourselves (except for the 2 deer who ran across in front of us one day!). I had seen reviews saying the ski area is very small and most people would have skiied it in a day - I think there was definitely enough for 2.5 days, we found a few runs that we absolutely loved (via the Bertolini lifts and Zerotta, also Youla) which we did a couple of times. Mostly skied long wide reds, a few blues and one (not too difficult) black but the runs are long so you don't have to keep stopping for chair lifts (in comparison to our last trip to France). Really love Italian resorts for this. I think you may struggle to find enough variation for a week unless you have lazy days with a late start / long lunches (although Courmayeur is perfect for that). Also, the resort seems quite big (hotels / chalets) so not sure how a smaller ski area copes which a large town in busy periods?
We had pure blue skies and sunshine all 3 days - so snow was good higher up, but was slushy by the afternoon low down and coming back to the Dolonne cable car. Getting a cable car was the only way to get down to the town / car park (you can't ski - there is one red to the bottom of the Dolonne lift shown on the piste map but there was nothing of it left when we were there - maybe the high temps mean it had melted / disappeared earlier than usual?) but it wasn't a big deal - although that doesn't lend itself well to apres ski (I suppose in season everyone just drinks at Dolonne / Val Veny?). As it was so quiet, only 3 bars / restaurants on the mountain were open, but we still had good food (lovely restaurant at Val Veny with fab views).
Courmayeur and Entreves were beautiful - the view of Mont Blanc is stunning (could see from our hotel room) and everywhere is very picturesque. Hired skis and a locker from 4810 (the poshest ski shop I've ever been in - but did very good Aperol and snacks in the attached cafe) and stayed at Auberge de la Maison (gorgeous hotel - highly recommended) who drop you off at Dolonne every morning at your convenience and collect you as soon as you call. Their shuttle will also take you into Courmayeur if you wanted (runs until about 7.30pm I think so you'd have to get a taxi back if you wanted to stay in Courmayeur later).
We will definitely go back, had a really lovely few days.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Thanks. A good read
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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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not sure how a smaller ski area copes which a large town in busy periods?
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I don't think the Italians feel the need to ski flat out all day.  Glad you enjoyed the visit.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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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Skied there last Friday, it closed monday. Things were getting a little grim down low, up top would have made it through another week at least.
Some years the Plan Checrouit lift stays open till midnight. Hence apres and dinner on the mountain. Quite a few bars normally open on the main street on the walk back form the main cable car oen for Apres.
I know it much more for fantastic lift served off piste than piste in a normal year there is always loads to do, this year the snow situation dictated pistes, coffee n food.
Always found staying in Entreves or Palud a PITA to stay in as the bus service to and from Courmayeur is crap at the best of times. (ok my experince of staying in Courmayeur is summer only while guiding the TMB so may be a bit Jaded)
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I think the hotels in Entreves (the ones I looked at anyway) know its not as convenient as central Courmayeur so were all offering an on-demand shuttle service - certainly the hotel we used would drop you at Dolonne whenever you wanted, you literally asked at reception whenever you were ready and a minibus was there within a minute or two, and the same when we called to collect us at the end of the day - called as we got on the Dolonne cable car to come back down and the minibus was waiting. And it was literally a 5 min journey to and from Entreves to the lift. The hotel paid for the ski lockers at 4810 too.
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I stayed in Entreves too when I went once - we booked pretty late so it’s what was available but we found the Val Veny lift really convenient (and agree about good fun runs on that side). the hotel shuttle dropped us there or in town (and they had some beginners starting at Dolonne they ferried back and forth too).
It was good for a weekend but I had the feeling almost all the runs ended up in the same place on the Chécrouit side and were actually quite short (so different impression to Newbie72). I loved Youla so much - but it was so busy with off piste skiers we waited 45 minutes for a run that lasted maybe 5. The food on mountain is fab and the town lovely - once I was having a pizza next to some of the best chefs in the U.K.! and the transfer is short - so I would definitely go back a third time but the infrastructure feels really creaking in parts and in need of an update. Queued longer here than I ever have in PDS/3V etc. But thanks @Newbie72, I really enjoyed reading your account and musing on your findings!
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FAQ
) on the terrace at a bar when we stopped for a quick drink about 11am. They were still there when we passed the bar about 12.30pm. When we stopped for lunch at a different restaurant about 2pm - the same group was already inside having lunch 
