 Poster: A snowHead
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hey all,
I've been hearing about Gressoney area (monterosa) for a long time and wanted to know what all the fuss was about? it looks beautiful and i've heard the skiing off piste is great but wanted to know honest pros and cons of the place
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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it's got a lot of off piste, links with Alagna, Champoluc, heli-skiing opportunities into Switzerland, ski all the way back from Cervinia...
It's a small village with not much in the way of night life.
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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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Here is the ultimate trip report to Gressoney.
http://www.sommerschi.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=3276&hilit=gressoney
It's in German, paste the URL into google translate and you get a funny translation but you get the big picture.
This "sommerschi" (german for "summer ski") is, to my knowledge, the very best collection of trip reports. EVER.
From personal experience.
This is one of the most authentic and yet still under-valued ski destinations.
The ski area is over 3 valleys, not as large as the 3V though.
1. The runs differentiate themselves from other resorts because they are VERY long, meaning both large height difference; often 1000-1200 metres, where other resorts are proud to have 700. So you take a lift and then have a looooong descent.
2. Low lift and slope density compared to other areas. Often only 1 lift and 2 descents for 1 slope. Less "ski factory" feeling than other resort.
3. Authentic. Did I already mention this? Age old history and lots of traditions, costumes, lively social live.
4. Delicious food at VERY reasonable prices. Count 40% less than in Savoie. Espresso for EUR 1,-.
5. Microclimate. Valle d'Aosta is like a big tree leaf, with 4000+ mountain to the south, west and north. This results in very dry air (slowing snow melt), much much more sun hours than Savoie. And still, very snow sure. It does not snow very often, but when it does, it is 1+ metre at a time. Most snow comes from SE and once flowing into VdA, clouds cannot escape and can only dump their snow until nothing left
6. Generally, MUCH better price-quality ratio than in FR, CH and AUS
Downsides
1. Very high mountains, Himalayan proportions. Nice to see, but quite often VERY windy and thus lift closures.
2. When going by car, at least 1 hour longer than Savoie; plus you get to pay for the Mont Blanc tunnel
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Onnem,
Great summary! 
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Fri 10-02-23 12:29; edited 1 time in total
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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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wow thank you so much this is really helpful! it looks great - definitely at the top of my list to go to next! thanks
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@Onnem, on the driving bit, agree if you’re driving from Northern Europe or Geneva etc. However, it’s very quick to get there from Turin and not much more time from Milan
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@Arno yes you're right about that.
For us cheeseheads on NW mainland Europe it is farther than the usual suspects like Tyrol or even Savoie.
But very much worth the effort, IMO. My first visit to VdA was in summer, over 30 years ago. In 2 weeks, you could count the number of NL plates on your 2 hands.
For UK visitors who go by plane, it's a different story altogether. Fly in to Turin, and 2 hours transfer.
But when flying, why not go to Georgia?
That's for a different topic 
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I've never been, but am going to be in Aosta for a week from February 26th, with daughter. It sounds great, but I've always thought of it as particularly an off-piste destination. I am strictly a piste skier now (old, chronically bad knee, heart failure.....). What is the piste skiing like? Gressoney would be an interest drive for a day trip.
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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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@pam w, the piste skiing is excellent - lovely long cruisy pistses with very italian gradings (the black from Gabiet down to Staffal would be a stiff blue with a red patch in most French resorts).
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@pam w, piste skiing is lovely (or was when we spent a weekend there from Aosta!) High, cold and beautiful. Mostly long, easy and chilled reds with decent snow higher up even in the weird hot weather of Feb and March last season (was slushy towards the bottom but not overly bumpy).
More blues over the Champoluc end, and steeper blacks over Alagna side. I didn't ski the blacks but my husband said they were nice and smooth as no-one was on them! The only run that threw us was 'The Goat', which connects you from Champoluc village over to the rest of the ski area, but that was mainly down to the people strung out across it. Otherwise it was my favourite area in the valley and I'm very firmly a wobbly piste skier! 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Some great comments here. It's such a lovely destination. We have driven to Staffal from Geneva a couple of times - yes, it's a relatively long drive but we did stop in Chamonix for an hour or so for lunch on both occasions to break the journey up.
The food at some of the mountain restaurants is superb (very authentic and prepared with love and care).
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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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@nbt, @ElzP, thanks, it sounds great. My daughter has never been to Italy. Apart from Austria when she was 4, she's only skied in France. She now has two girls and finds that when skiing with them she's paranoid that someone is going to mow them down - very anxious. I'm hoping to find some nice quiet piste skiing for her, and Italian piste grooming and grading sounds just right (though she's perfectly OK on French reds - she's technically a good skier, just so anxious). This trip is not just about skiing, it's also about some tourism and exploration and togetherness and sitting in a nice caff reading a book. If we have a grotty day we might even go into Turin for the day. I've driven up and down the Aosta valley several times, and never stopped to look around. And the day my clutch went on a roundabout in Aosta doesn't count..... 
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You know it makes sense.
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@pam w, if you take a day or afternoon off for exploring, I recommend the fortress at Bard (if that's your kind of thing) - interesting and inside, and on the train. There's a little restaurant in Bard called Casa Ciuca where we had a wonderful cheesy lunch of local food and some lovely wine.
The valley is perfect for what you have in mind, a very relaxing place to be.
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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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Those runs go on and on! Even at that fast speed. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Onnem, it's the huge numbers of people on those runs that puts me off... 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Yes, I thought that too, @ElzP. So very busy....... Yes, I'd picked up on the fortress at Bard from your brilliant trip report. I think we might do a fair bit of that kind of thing. My daughter has decided this morning that he ski boots are now too small for her spreading middle aged feet, and although my boots still fit me fine, I have a sore little toe (think it's arthritis). I will definitely take my own boots, but we might just rent boots for her and skis if the ratio of fortresses and cheesy lunches to skiing is going to be quite high.
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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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@pam w, I think the ratio of cheesy lunches will be quite high whatever you do...
If you have a car by the way, technosport on the edge of Aosta are very good for rental (skis at least, though they also sorted my own boots for me as I was having some issues - they know their stuff). Closed Sundays though so may not suit anyway.
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We won't get there till dark on Sunday (planning to avoid weekend crowds) so technosport sounds good. We will have a car.
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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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And I see it's not far from the gondola to Pila
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| pam w wrote: |
| And I see it's not far from the gondola to Pila |
It's not - and the parking at the gondola on a Monday probably won't be busy.
Enormous thread drift, apologies OP!
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Cant remember the exact year we went (think it was either Jan 2011 or 12) my 10 lasting memory's from skiing there are:-
1: It was deserted, my wife and myself both commented we felt like we had our own private ski resort (Hardly came across another Skier)
2: Was very cold (wife found it a bit too cold for her as a lot of runs were in the shade) but to be fair i think most of her being cold came from the hotel we were at had run out of heating oil and they only got a delivery just as we were leaving, So the hotel rooms were cold even with the little elecy portable rad's they put in the room so she was cold before we even started out on the mountain.
3: She loved the hot chocolate and rum drink on the lunch stop.
4: Piste Runs were all in good condition and were good long runs but very limited in number of pistes (all links between Gress, Champoluc & Alagna were good and it was easy to link back and forth)
5: Lifts were decent, but some were a bit old
6: Food and drink were reasonable prices.
7: Village was deserted (stayed in la Trinite), no real bars or apres to speak off. So it was very much ski all day, little walk about the village and a few beers in a small little bar. Then back to the hotel for a shower and evening meal before bed.
8: Off piste was ok, would be mega after fresh snowfall
9: The Punta Indren lift had some nice off piste routes, the Couloir was a good fun run. Think it was called Eagle Couloir off memory.
10: Evening sunset giving the mountains a lovely pink hue was magnificent
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Can anyone confirm that it's possible to add the Insurance after the Liftpass has been purchased (eg. by Crystal), but before its first use?
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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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@Onnem, I'm a bit late to the party, but your summary is spot on. Agree with everything you say.
One thing I would add is that the snowsure-ness is in no small part thanks to excellent snowmaking (almost 100% coverage). The dry air and sunny weather you mention also means ideal conditions for snowmaking (e.g. cold nights). When we visited last March, many of the hillsides were bare up to well above 2,500m and yet almost everything was still open.
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| pam w wrote: |
| I've never been, but am going to be in Aosta for a week from February 26th, with daughter. It sounds great, but I've always thought of it as particularly an off-piste destination. I am strictly a piste skier now (old, chronically bad knee, heart failure.....). What is the piste skiing like? Gressoney would be an interest drive for a day trip. |
Pam as other have said the Piste skiing is excellent. Very different from France in terms of volume of pistes but very long and the scenery is awesome. Very uncrowded.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@pam w, a word of warning, the walking between lifts, some of it uphill and/or upstairs, has put me off returning to that domaine.
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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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| pam w wrote: |
| I've never been, but am going to be in Aosta for a week from February 26th, with daughter. It sounds great, but I've always thought of it as particularly an off-piste destination. I am strictly a piste skier now (old, chronically bad knee, heart failure.....). What is the piste skiing like? Gressoney would be an interest drive for a day trip. |
You should definitely go, you'll have exhausted Pila in a less than a week, plus its an awesomely different ski area, the sense of space openness and travel across the valleys is amazing, even for us piste only people. Access to Monterosa will be closer by driving to Champoluc or Frachey - the latter avoids the crowds crapping themselves at the top of the Goat run in the morning and the potential queue for the Belvedere chair back to Champoluc in the afternoon.
I would ignore Hurtle above, there is one slight shlep in Staffal on the way back from the bottom of the (quite mild) black run to the lifts.
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| t44tomo wrote: |
| I would ignore Hurtle above |
Hmm, the rather significant walk down and back up from the base of the Alagna piste, for one, crossing Stafel for another? Both frequently icy.
Alagna may well be a freeride paradise, but that needs snow, which sadly has been in short supply last year and this. For a slightly contrary view, apart from Champoluc and couple of short diversions, the piste skiing is on tracks running between the base villages. Very long, very cruisy and very scenic, but no variety. From Gressoney, it's turn left or turn right. The food is great - if you like pasta and polenta. Variety (like a pizza) needs searching out.
Last edited by So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much  on Tue 14-02-23 12:10; edited 1 time in total
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You know it makes sense.
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| t44tomo wrote: |
| I would ignore Hurtle above, there is one slight shlep in Staffal on the way back from the bottom of the (quite mild) black run to the lifts. |
It's all relative and YMMV depending on age and fitness - the "slight schlep" is probably 400m, and if you ski down to Alagna there is another 300m half of which is uphill followed by stairs. It's OK as long as you can do it at your own pace but it is a factor. I put on my traction soles which is a faff but IMV it's worth it - but ask me again after my visit!
@Val Desire yes it's horses for courses. Hope you heal up well and are back on your feet again soon 
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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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@t44tomo,
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I would ignore Hurtle above, there is one slight shlep in Staffal on the way back from the bottom of the (quite mild) black run to the lifts.
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Both pam w and I have heart conditions and we know each other well. You don't know her at all.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I’ll concede that there’s quite a lot of walking to the lift from the bottom of the piste in Alagna. Wouldn’t stop me going back, though, & it’s not like you’d want or need to go all the way down that often.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@jmr59, the messing about at Staffal is also significant.
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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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| jmr59 wrote: |
| I’ll concede that there’s quite a lot of walking to the lift from the bottom of the piste in Alagna. Wouldn’t stop me going back, though, & it’s not like you’d want or need to go all the way down that often. |
Yeah I didn't go down to Alagna, so was unaware of that bit of walking, but as you say highly avoidable unless if staying in or starting from Alagna, and also would be a big day and hurried out from Champoluc to Alagna and back in any event for a lot of skiers.
The Staffal bit is 260m flat walk according to google maps, which, lets be honest, is less that the walk at beginning / end of a day at most ski resorts. You'd struggle to park a car nearer to a gondola than that, for example, or walk from accomodation / ski bus stop etc etc.
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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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@t44tomo, did you read what I wrote about Pam's and my health issues? By the way, Pam and I are both experienced (and reasonably good) skiers. How about you?
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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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| Hurtle wrote: |
| @t44tomo, did you read what I wrote about Pam's and my health issues? By the way, Pam and I are both experienced (and reasonably good) skiers. How about you? |
yes and yes,
and my point, which you are either missing or ignoring, is that if you are fit enough to ski, and I assume you wouldn't be skiing if you weren't, you're fit enough to carry your skis for 260m in Staffal, plus you've probably had to at the start and end of the day anyway in a lot of places you've skied.
It might be a tad inconvenient for 5 minutes, buts its not a good enough to dismiss Monterosa out of hand, as it is truly a lovely ski area and very different from a lot of others.
Particular as the main bit you were warning her off (in Alagna), doesn't need to be visited at all to ski the rest of the 120km odd of pistes
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@t44tomo, a) I had problems in Staffal b) I'm a good enough skier to be able to get away with some lack of cardio-vascular fitness, but I need to be careful where I walk carrying my skis c) your subjective experience is less relevant to Pam than mine d) I haven't dismissed the area out of hand, I've been twice and love it for the reasons cited by others e) if you can't grasp a) to d) you're a prat.
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@t44tomo, @Hurtle, get a room
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@red 27, thanks, but no thanks
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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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@t44tomo, I'm grateful for the effort you've made to ensure I'm informed, and for your enthusiasm, but also for @Hurtle's warning. We have skied together since my heart-failure diagnosis and she does know what I'm capable of. There are people who would definitely tell me I shouldn't be going skiing, and I do have to keep the amount of cardio-vascular effort to a minimum. 200 - 300 yards uphill walking with skis is definitely something I'd prefer to avoid. We'll be in Aosta for the week and will probably drive around a bit, and ski a bit, and the Monterosa area certainly sounds beautiful. I think we'll both find plenty to enjoy in Pila too - we are not easily bored; I spent 15 seasons skiing in the Espace Diamant without ever getting bored!!
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We are in Champoluc just now. The pistes are in good shape. It’s not a long day to ski to Alagna and back, we sat down for lunch in Greasoney at 12pm after having skied to Alagna.
The walk at Stafal is pretty flat but it is a pain. My wife has no ACL and wears a brace, even with me carrying her skis it is a bit of a chore. If you do come this week @pam w, I will happily offer the same service to you!
Contrary to what others say there is quite a bit of variety and the oft overlooked slopes above Greasoney as well as the black (really should be a red) to Alagna are fun. As is the sense of distance and the immense mountains you are surrounded by.
I will add some toilet locations to my main Monterosa thread later, we have been scoping out how to avoid the hole in the floor variety!
In short it’s a shame the off piste is so poor but it’s a great area and we have been enjoying both the pistes and the food. Bit less enjoying the certain type of fellow Brit here this week!
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads  on Tue 14-02-23 18:02; edited 1 time in total
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