 Poster: A snowHead
|
If you wanted to go to Italy skiing mid-March and be blessed with good snow, decent hotel, attractive resort, blacks and moguls to keep the men happy and cruisey blues and reds for the girls. Where would you head for?
I've never skied in Italy. Please don't suggest Cervinia as I'm off to Zermatt for New Year and intend to ski over there.
Thank you 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
The only place I've skied in Italy (apart from a day in Cervinia fro mZermatt) is Courmayeur. Very pretty, excellent restaurants on the mountain and in the charming town. Seemed a bit busy, and not a huge area, some very nice runs. Best I can do.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
La Rosiere - Italy is only a lift away 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Beverley, Similar to Yoda, but the other side... La Thuile
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Italy has lots of good ski resorts, but few, if any, great ones.
Cervinia is rubbish. Poor lift system and miles of bland motorways.
Cortina is pretty and moderately chic. Intermediate paradise.
Sestriere gets you into the massive Milky Way sytem, but snow may be an issue later in the season.
On balance, I would go to Cortina. The chicks will dig it. However, it is not cheap, and black runs are limited.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Madonna de Camp.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Whitegold, I've just been looking at Cortina on the SCGB website and it does look v. appealing to this 'chick'  There are about 7 blacks by the looks of it. I'll check out Madonna.
By the sounds of Cervinia, I'm glad I'm staying in Zermatt.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Arabba? Very picturesque and has the most challenging skiing around that area plus access to easier slopes. It has the marmolada glacier close by also. Only downside is that après ski is not very lively.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Beverley, send me a pm with your address and I'll send through some stuff we've got on Italy. It covers about 15 resorts which we've been to and reckon are pretty good, though not all at the same thing...
|
|
|
|
|
|
brian
brian
Guest
|
|
Whitegold, to be fair to Cervinia/Valtournenche, there are 5 new chairs opening this season, so at least they're doing something about it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Apart from the fact that most of the tough skiing is off-piste, I would recommend Champoluc or Gressoney in the Monterosa area. I wouldn't risk it any later than mid-March, mind you.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
the ice perv,
| Quote: |
Apart from the fact that most of the tough skiing is off-piste, I would recommend Champoluc or Gressoney in the Monterosa area. I wouldn't risk it any later than mid-March, mind you.
|
Great for cruisy reds/blues. Guides available fo off-piste including some really good fun runs over to Alagna and if ability/budgets allow they do heli-trips. Also if you stay in Champoluc the Breithorn has great free eats if you go ther for an apres drink, which helps if you are b&b-ing. In fact most of the bars give you nibbles, it's just that the Breithorn puts on a really good spread which would easily do for supper. We thought the mountain restaurants were a bit disappointing for Italy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
>> We thought the mountain restaurants were a bit disappointing for Italy
Did you try the refuges that the guides find? I had a superb lunch in one above a lake, which we then crossed and skied off piste back to Gress.
Cheers,
Greg
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
Book very late or be prepared to walk. Alagna apparentky if the guys are very good.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Livigno for good snow
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
And some pretty serious Apres.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Milky Way. Sauze, Sestriere etc.. there should be plenty of skiing there for a week
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
I would recommend Selva Val Gardenia in the Dolomites - it is on the Sella Ronde circuit and there are 100s of kilometers of skiing, some of which like Arabba is black runs on piste, but mostly intermediate and you really feel that you are travelling around the mountains. Silva is a good base and the lift system is linked very well. I was there in 1996 and enjoyed the variety of skiing in the area.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
For the skiing I'd go for Arabba. It has the toughg skiing for you, and the rest of the Sella Ronda provides miles and miles of blues in spectacular landscapes. But it is small and quiet.
Not very keen on Cortina - its a big handsome smart town, not a village, with some OK skiing very spread out round the edges. Cervinia is, I agree, just miles of easy (read boring)motorway (and almost no off-piste). Courmayeur I've enjoyed on my day trips there from Chamonix, and there is some good off-piste too - plus there is the Italian side of Mont Blanc - you can ski down the Vallee Blanche but then you would need a taxi back (or a long hike on skins) .
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowball,
What on earth were you looking at in Cervinia..? You can virtually go top to bottom and only just cross a few pistes if the snow is good...and the Italians will not get there first...they might follow a few runs later tho'
Granted, it is not classic off the back, out in the middle of nowhere stuff but the Zermatt guides will take you into Cervinia for an off-piste intro to the area. The whole place is almost a huge big bowl...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As plenty of others are suggesting venues on the Sella Ronda, I'll put in a word for Canazei. Delightful, and in many ways traditional village, set in the Dolomites (and you really can't go wrong there if you keen on scenery - it's the best!). I think their snow record is pretty good, and as others have said, you've access to an enormous ski area. I've only been there once, but have every intention of returning.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
JT, Oh well, we must have had a crap guide the day (on two guided holidays) we went over the Cervinia side. He did say that up on the left (looking up) there used to be a lift that accessed that side of the bowl, but it would take a climb to do it now. Perhaps the snow conditions weren't right for the other side. We just went down the valley making detours off the piste which was rubbish.
Next time I'll get a map and find something for myself. We did do a helicopter lift from Cervinia to the top of the glacier behind the Matterhorn - which was easy skiing but spectacular.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Phil Jordan, Beverley did ask for blacks for the men. Not much of that on the Canazei side. (Arabba has huge possibilities for off-piste on the Marmolada as well - and the views are stunning from up there!)
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
snowball, I know that Canazei's not blessed with black runs or moguls, hence I held off from posting at first. However, as many were starting to suggest resorts around the Sella Ronda I thought I'd throw this one in. It's on the circuit, and therefore easy to access the other resorts - with good skiing in the process, or regular bus sevices if you prefer, and as I said before, I think it's a lovely village to stay - not one of the less attractive purpose built affairs that seem to be commonplace these days, and a little lacking in atmosphere.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
snowball,
Well, you would think he would know. I'm surprised. We had a Zermatt guide shows us the top of Cervinia in not so good vis and when we went back after a snow storm the next year, we were able to pick up where we left off. On that basis I would like to be in the area after a snowfall but agree that the heli-trips from Cervinia offer realatively good value for money. And that the Monterosa drop and run down the glacier is one that you want to do just the once. There appears to be lots of alternative drops up there so that would be a reason to base yourselves in Cervinia IMV. The run back to the Gressoney valley is too long and fraught with delays and there appears to be a premium for the heli flights from Zermatt just because its Zermatt
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Monterosa glacier you can do from the side by walking a bit. And you can ski from Monterosa down to Saas Fee.
There are other places on the Swiss side you can be dropped from Zermatt helicopters.
Another time we did ski to Gressoney from the top of the Cervinia skiing but it was, as you say, long and flat. (we then skied Gressoney/Alagna for a couple of days which is a lovely area where I've been before with beautiful old villages and worth considering. But I've only skied the off-piste)
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
snowball,
I haven't been back since they bulldozed Olen and as far as I know the old CC is out of commision with no immediate replacement. I don't consider the new Olen lift out of the valley as a replacement as you lose about 500 mtrs of height ....
I am not sure the valley could afford to replace the old CC like for like anyhow -altho' I have heard they have plans, they don't have the numbers to pay for it, I have thought. And if they get those numbers it will make the valley unrecognisable IMV
AFAIK the only way upto Punta Indren is a heli or walk...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
Beverley, I would recommend Bormio. Have been 4 times now as the medieval town is so beautiful. Black runs yes and has a small mogul field. Skiing was good enough to keep the very keen skiers in the party happy. Rather a long transfer is the only drawback - 4 hours!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
garywilk, unless you're unlucky with the snow, you won't regret it (IMHO).
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
garywilk,
Courmayer is a lovely place. I hope to get there this year
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
garywilk, I also am heading to Courmayeur this season but don't think it is really suitable for Beverley: as with Monterosa, most of the tough stuff is off-piste and there is not a huge selection of black/mogul runs which was one of the requirements.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
feeling better 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
garywilk, I think my comments (Nov 24th) about Courmayeur were rather favourable, no? But I've only skied the off-piste. There is a tiny top lift that only serves the off-piste (like at the valluga, St Anton).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Actually, when it comes down to it, I can't think of anywhere in italy that has lots of mogully black runs - it is not the sort of skiing they go in for. The pistes are generally bashed flat, regularly sprayed with sno-cannon and left in as flattering a condition as possible. Which is nice if they are quiet, as you can really let it rip. Any moguls tend to be slope-side if you can find any.
I realise the above is a massive generalisation: I've not skied every single resort in Italy! I still reckon Monterosa is the pick of the crop, unless you've got beginners in your party or need masses of apres.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
