 Poster: A snowHead
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Was just browsing the Monterosa website as we are returning there in February. I notices that they have changed the piste grading for a couple of runs.
Del Bosco , which is the home run from Crest to Champoluc was previously graded red and is now a black. I don't really see why to be honest, it seemed quite a simple red run to me. That said when we were there last year it was very firm in the mornings (artificial snow hardback) and I did see a few people struggling but that seemed more the conditions than the slope itself.
More interesting, and where I agree, is Sarezza-Contenery (also known as the Goat Run) has also been regraded from red to black. It has a short steep and quite narrow section at the top where the problem is not so much the slope as the skiers. Lots of scared skiers, lots of them falling over, slow skiing and emergency turns. Clearly a lot of people who really should not have been there as they were a danger to themselves and others, and were clearly not enjoying it. Perhaps the regrading will discourage less confident intermediates from attempting it. That said, again, the slope itself is well within the capabilities of a reasonable intermediate level skier. For sure, though, my advice would be for less confident/able beginners and intermediates to take the bus or drive to Frachey to avoid this linking run or there is a risk of confidence being sapped. If you have a hire car it makes some sense to start from Frachey anyway as the parking is empty mid-week and you have more direct access to the links with the other valleys (if you start quite sharpish you will also be ahed of the crowd coming from Champoluc too!).
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sun 8-01-23 13:24; edited 1 time 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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The goat run is perfect for a short steep technique practice! And absolute cruising joy after the first 100 meters.
Del Bosco had a few strugglers at the end of the day. A good run to condition one’s thighs:)
The question now - will it reduce numbers? Possibly or maybe the reverse - I can’t differentiate blu and black marks when it is not sunny
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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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@mooney058, I agree it will be interesting to see if it has any effect.
And I also agree that the Goat run is really fun, with a steep section ideal for dynamic short turns followed by a wide cruise ideal for carving.
I love Del Bosco early in the day when it is empty (the gondola to Crest opens earlier than the one above it too). It is steep enough for a real blast without having any surprises. I can see how conditions make it more challenging though and I wonder if there have been a few accidents late in the day when it gets busy/chopped up and full of tired/less experienced holiday skiers. Maybe that has prompted the change. In which case, good on the lift company for regrading it if it reduces accidents and injuries.
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@zikomo, interesting, I can see why the goat run was changed, the only place I lost it out there and saw many others doing same, the mix between very hard packed verging on icy bits and soft clumps was what caught me out (coupled with me skiing with a knee injury making me rather nervey.... I know logically it makes me more likely to fall but I can't tell my brain that!)
The red run down to the bottom... no that felt like a red....
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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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@NickyJ, are you returning to monterosa this year?
I agree about the Goat run, just as you say it can get cut up. And never a good combination when you are not full of confidence and come across that mixture of hard pack and soft lumps. I feel for you tackling that with an injury and the weird psychology that ensues! Not enjoyable at all I am sure.
As I said starting at Frachey is a good option for lots of reasons anyway, especially mid-week.
The home run is definitely a red so interested in why they have changed it.
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Not this year. Just done Flaine before Christmas and have Mayrhofen booked for Easter school holidays
ETA: the good news is having had the op in March (week after getting back from Champoluc) skiing last week, felt good. No twinges and confidence was back due to that yay 
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Hadn't noticed that. Interesting.
Has to be safety related. Neither the Pistone nor the back of Sarezza are "true" blacks. Although the crux on Sarezza-Contenery does tend to get filled with human debris.
Problem for Champoluc-Crest is that there's no non-black route into the rest of the area which is going to have negative marketing effects.
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@NickyJ, Great that you are back to your best! We have 2 kids doing exams this year so no Easter trip (damn). But permission. granted for me to take a few short trips myself when/if conditi0ons are good. Still have a full set of touring and off-piste gear staged in the Valais from pre-covid!
Mayrhofen is fun and you have the glacier up the road too so am sure you will have a great trip!
We are back to Champoluc in February, with the hope that conditions are better and there is some off-piste snow for my daughter and I as that is the reason we went in the first place. Here's hoping.
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@under a new name, I'm not sure I agree it is a bad thing from a marketing perspective. First of all it's not true that there is no non-black route to the rest of the area - via Frachey has always been an option and there are free ski buses there.
Also Monterosa has a bit of a rep as lacking challenge so more blacks on the piste map might be a good thing.
Lots of 1 week holiday skiers clearly struggle with the Goat run, and probably get both a shock and have an unpleasant experience when they first use it. Might be better to have fewer people having uncomfortable experiences to talk about.
The safety aspect for this run is clear for me - I saw so many people on that slope that were not in any sort of control that I took to driving to Frachey every morning. And when I mean not in control I mean every time I was on it there were multiple people falling and sliding down, it was downright dangerous. Hopefully the regrading will put many of those skiers off from attempting it which will make for a much more pleasant and safer experience for the rest.
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@zikomo, not on skis there isn't. Not everyone wants to have to get a bus to start the day when there's a perfectly serviceable piste ... and a lot of infrastructure invested in recent years Champoluc-Ostaffa.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@under a new name, Well I guess we will have to agree to disagree. I don't think it will be a big deal from a marketing perspective, and might have a positive effect if anything.
And I thought that the Pistone was in the Gressoney valley?
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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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I cant recall doing Del Bosco - may have shut and downloaded on the gondola.
the Goat is probably a wise re grade - get more people starting and ending their day at Frachey. We had a week 3 skier with use, she made it down but struggled a bit, manly because its so crowded and its narrow, and the less confident look at it, stop and exclaim what the feck adding to the crowding of everyone heading over there to access the rest of the Monterosa area first thing. I actually thought that run was more difficult than the Moos Black, which our 3 weeker downloaded on, but would have probably accomplished with ease, although better safe than sorry and we didnt know the run so went with caution first and met up at the bottom in Stafal
I also recall Belvedere chairlift was slow and hence crowded coming back in the afternoon, so should help reduce that too.
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@t44tomo, Belvedere is a very slow 2 man, and clearly can’t cope with the volumes of returning skiers at peak times. Another benefit of the Frachey route is it avoids this bottleneck. I get that some people don’t like taking a bus to/from skiing.
We stay in an apartment right next to the Crest gondola, but as it has an underground car park and we hire a 9 seater van we found it very convenient to drive to Frachey for a few of our days. Probably not a great idea on peak weekends unless you are early though, the car park is empty mid-week but can fill at other times.
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You know it makes sense.
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@zikomo, "Del Bosco" has been (colloquially at least) known as the "pistone" since my wife and her siblings started skiing there in the late '70s ... I presume there was an "official" name change at some point, but it's the sort of thing one doesn't rename in one's head.
Anyway I'm not sure we are disagreeing on anything other than whether it's a net marketing positive or not.
As you can't disagree that there is not an alternative route on skis (there isn't) and for sure not everyone wants to start the day with a bus or car journey. I know this 100% for sure - as I don't 
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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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@under a new name, yes only disagreeing on whether it is a marketing plus or minus.
And pistes should not be renamed, so I will henceforth refer to that one as pistone.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@zikomo, titter (ps, it's "the pistone", for them anyway)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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In my usual obsessive fashion had a quick look to see if the forecast snow has arrived in Monterosa (it has, snowing there now). What was very odd is that piste C15 Del Larici is incomplete, with a warning message saying the bottom 200m are uncovered and you have to walk. This is very surprising as the bottom is at nearly 2000m altitude and it is the only way back from the Gressoney valley so a vital linking run. Curious if anyone has any idea why? It seems ridiculous to me that they would fail to maintain this piste fully, especially as everything else is open. Actually completely unacceptable and I would be very frustrated if I were there right now. There must be some exceptional event that has caused this surely?
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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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Having come back from Monterosa just a couple of weeks ago- l did find the grading of pistes there a bit “conservative” - but l guess it is common in Italy vs France. Reds seemed more like blues and blacks more like reds. Haven’t found any run that felt truly black. One of my friends is a nervous skier and did get a bit anxious skiing the Goat the first few times, but no one had any issues with Del Bosco which was our home run as our hotel was just at the bottom of it. In fact, l was happy with this grading as it helped my younger child to feel more confident as kept asking to do “the black Goat” over and over
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@zikomo, lack of snowmaking? Faulty snow cannon? We didn't have that issue on that piste in March 2022 (when natural snow was very scarce).
Personally I wouldn't describe a 200m walk in an otherwise 100% open ski area as "completely unacceptable" though - seems a bit harsh.
@Bella2015, I agree that Monterosa's gradings tend to be quite flattering - especially on the key inter-valley runs. Then again, a lot of Italian ski areas are like that.
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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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| Quote: |
Personally I wouldn't describe a 200m walk in an otherwise 100% open ski area as "completely unacceptable" though - seems a bit harsh
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A hotel which was "only" 200m from a lift would gladly advertise the fact.
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@zikomo, very odd indeed.
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@denfinella, @pam w, it’s more that it’s a key link. In fact the only way home to Champoluc (which seems to have the highest number of beds in the area) from the rest of the ski area. And lower slopes than that are open. And we all know 200m is not far. Until you need to manage a bunch of wee kids and their gear. We are well past that stage, and were pretty brutal about kids carrying their own stuff anyway, but even so it’s not really on in my view.
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I'm skiing on Friday will report back! Would be unimpressed if its not sorted by then though. Looks cold enough to make snow in the worst case.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Quote: |
brutal about kids carrying their own stuff
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too right. I've seen blokes staggering under their kids skis AND their wife's skis. After a certain age I'm brutal about making them pay if they lose their gloves, too. And if they prang a car. Start as you mean to go on, I say. You see really quite little kids carrying their own skis.
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@zikomo, must be a good reason
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@under a new name, I agree there must be. Interested to know what it is though! Can you get any intelligence from your network??
@pam w, Wee kids are more than capable of carrying their own skis. It’s just a question of how much whining you can stand. Being as instructor is instructive in this regard, if you just expect them to do it they inevitable do once they have worked out no amount of whinging will work.
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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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We 're there next week, the wife never goes down the goat, ( the goat is a simple run first thing in the morning..). but I'm surprised that the home run is now a black...its a cracking red
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@zikomo, I don't have a network!
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You know it makes sense.
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Hi, off this specific topic but I can't see a resort topic on Champoluc. I've skied here a few times many years ago and thinking of returning with friends who want a big ski area. onthesnow website says 29km of skiable runs but aosta valley website says its one of three valleys in the Monterosa ski area. Resort altitude of 1570m with access to 180km of pistes from 1200-2970m. So is there enough skiing available (we won't have our own transport)?
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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@JohnOw, It's a very big ski area if you count accessible off-piste, especially with willingness/ability to skin for a couple of hours. And some good heli terrain. As @under a new name, says, it depends on your definition.
The pistes are not extensive when compared to mega-resorts. If you are looking for miles and miles of piste, and never repeating a run, and you are competent skiers it is probably not for you. If you are looking for interesting skiing in great scenery with a real sense of travel it will suit better (it is a long way to Alagna from Champoluc). If you are a keen off-piste skier, and get good conditions, you will be in heaven. We are a family of advanced skiers and thoroughly enjoyed our trip last year, disappointed that there was no off-piste but enjoyed long and quiet slopes with good lunch options. That being said I just don't get the need to 1000's of km of piste, and repeating runs many times during a week does not at all detract from my enjoyment.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| under a new name wrote: |
| @zikomo, I don't have a network! |
Nonsense! You always seem to have the lowdown! Just wondered if any family/friends had been there recently.
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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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@zikomo, I am afraid not. Th apartment rents too well over xmas to use it ourselves, plus xmas of course. What's slightly odd is that that run was perfectly complete first weekend of December 
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Interesting. Del Bosco def not a black! But the goat can be a bug at the wrong time
Del Larici was complete at Christmas and in good condition
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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 wrote: |
| @zikomo, I am afraid not. Th apartment rents too well over xmas to use it ourselves, plus xmas of course. What's slightly odd is that that run was perfectly complete first weekend of December |
I agree that makes it even more odd. And it has been incomplete for quite a few days now. If it was an out if commission snow can no you think they could have plugged the gap by now so I wonder if it is flooding or landslip or something severe like that.
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@zikomo, I’ve got to imagine rockfall/slide or something
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@under a new name, and @zikomo,
Thanks both, we will do a little off piste but don't go too far off the main runs as we don't have the expertise or all the gear - would we need to go further and be much more prepared?
I am confused by the differing information I quoted - can you ski 180km of pistes on this ski pass or only 29k?
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29km will be just the Champoluc piece (maybe incl Frachey?). The connected Champoluc- Frachey- Gressoney- Stafal -Algna bit is ~132km of pistes and then with nearby non-connected local resorts like Antagnod & Brusson you get to your ~180 km (all on the one ski pass).
It depend how fast and hard or leisurely you ski but Champoluc over to Alagna and back is a very big day out skiing. I only visited for a day as part of an Aosta valley week, but we went as far as Passo Salati and back (lunched at Gabiet) with the very odd bit of repeated runs, and it felt like a big day out, and there was a quite a lot we never touched (e.g Gressony area) as we were doing an out and back and all on piste.
It also feels like a much bigger area as the distances and verticals are vast (it spans 3 valleys) and there is in the main only one run from lift top to lift bottom, unlike a lot of resorts which will have 4 alternative routes with a small patch of unpisted and two trees in the middle and claim it as 4X the ski-able kms.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@JohnOw, It's certainly more than 29kms!!! No idea if the 180kms includes the one horse one lift areas like Antagnod. But I must have skied 60 weeks or so out of Champoluc ... then again, every run is different and I don't get bored skiing, ever.
Bear in mind that an early intermediate would probably struggle to get from Champoluc to Alagna (well, Pianalunga) and back in a day (even if they wanted to) ...
Impossible question though. Bueller?
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@JohnOw, It's really impossible to answer your question. What one person views as a "big area" another might see as quite small. What I can say is that good skiers who enjoy a bit of side piste will have plenty to occupy them for a week. If you ski reasonably fast then a day out to Alagna will be satisfying, with a very long and good black down to Alagna. As I said we are fairly good skiers and thoroughly enjoy and recommend the area, but also are not obsessed with statistics showing 100s of kms of piste. In my view and experience the extent of the piste network is not a good indicator of how enjoyable a ski area is.
Why don't you have a look at the Monterosa ski website, where you can see the piste map and get a sense of comparison to other places you have been?
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