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Do you know Cervinia well?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
If so, can I ask some detailed questions please.

Am off there for a few days in a week or so with Mrs L (without small people) and want to make the most of it.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Peter Leuzzi, have you done a search on here yet? there are a few thread with good info
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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?
I've been there for a weeks skiing holidaay few years ago staying at the Petit Palais (I think thats what it was called) just by the main gondala station.

What do you want to know??
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Would recommend a trip over to the Zermatt side to have a look at the Glacier grotto and the sightseeing platform

http://bergbahnen.zermatt.ch/e/angebote/gletschergrotte.html

http://bergbahnen.zermatt.ch/e/peaks/kleinmatterhorn.html
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
yup recommend going to zermatt too.

stayed in the dragon hotel 2 years ago-- nice enough.
good as it was pretty much ski in /ski out.
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Why does everyone that goes to Cervinia always say go to Zermatt? Please explain. Whats wrong with Cervinia?

How hard is the skiing over to get there?
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Peter Leuzzi, Peter - i know it well... In answer to your first question, it is fun to cross the border at the top and roll down the glacier and get out of the EU for a few hours, but the skiing is ordinary on that, dark dank side IMO. It's horses for courses.... some people like frankfurters, trains & humourless efficiency, others, maybe those with a touch of Latin in their veins, like olives, ferraris and La dolce Vita.

right - what other questions? Very Happy
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Peter Leuzzi, been to Cervinia three times, Mr HL four times - he has been over to the dark side once, I've never been tempted.. nuff said...except for have you done the search?
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Peter Leuzzi wrote:
Why does everyone that goes to Cervinia always say go to Zermatt? Please explain. Whats wrong with Cervinia?


Zermatt has flush loos wink
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Elizabeth B, very good point wink
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Elizabeth B, they need 'em with all those frankfurters.... Skullie
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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.
Peter Leuzzi, Cervinia is fine, just do the odd day or maybe two to Zermatt because it can be a pig to get back.

Lots of long blues and reds, big ski area, lots to do inbetween the pistes and it's got that Italian joy of it all thing.

The toilets in the place just out from Plam Maison on the right are amazing for a ski restaurant.

Down below/back of Cime Bianche for great Lasagne and good value.
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 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
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
Thanks to all for your comments thus far. Please keep them coming. I am a bit anal pre-trip about finding out about where I am going. Last weekend skiied Morzine and Les Gets for the first time and due to some excellent guidance from David Murdoch and Phillip Stanton did what we wanted to do and avoided what needed avoiding!


red 27, there is a clue in my surname as to my national preference although I've never skied in Switzerland so shouldnt discount it.


holidayloverxx, have done search (there are tonnes) and have worked through threads (tonnes). Thank you.


Elizabeth B, I think if Italian ski resorts suddenly had flushing loos, an important part of their cultural fibre would be lost wink


666, just what we want to hear.

By virtue of background - Over the last 3-4 years since we started skiing, Mrs L and I have always wanted to go to Cervinia as we have heard the skiing isnt all that challenging, long runs, uncrowded and the whole Italian thing on top of that. My wife is a nervous intermediate who with nurturing will become most proficient, but she just doesnt ski as much as I do.She has always been better then me on steeper slopes and just gets on with it and gets through them. Me - I am getting better every trip and my confidence on steeps has gone from 5/6 out of 10 to 9/9.5 so will do them as and when. The bottom line is that we can both do steeper sections if we have to but dont seek them out and prefer to just cruise about at speed.

On this trip I would like to do lots and lots of cruising (which from all accounts shouldnt be a problem) but also want to get better on steeper (but not OTT) pistes. In this regard if I knew for example, Red 7 is more a blue but has one steeper section of 100 metres and really isnt all that bad because the snow is sure and its generally uncrowded etc etc that would help me enormously.

I have read a lot about it from various sources and the long Ventina and Valternouche (spelling?) appeal. How difficult are they? I know the former is blue but the other?

So can someone give me a run down on the runs? What will we expect? In other words, I'd like to know more about the runs then just their color grading.

What was your favorite? Why? What was it all about?

Hope you can help and apologise for the detail I am looking for....its called enthusiasm!
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Peter Leuzzi, ciao Very Happy

Right - here goes...

firstly, based on your criteria above, Cervinia is perfect for you. It's a rare thing to be able to be high in the mountains, surrounded by wild, and awesome scenary, where the skiing is so gentle.

I think ALL the reds only have the odd steep section followed by a decent run out on which to regain ones breath, confidence or skis - depending on ability. wink

Specifically these are my 3 tips.
Red 7 from Plateau Rosa to Cervinia is rightly famed as a long, lovely run and the top bit is probably the most sustained section of truly 'Red' run in the resort. As it's served by a cable car it gets busy when 140 people suddenly get disgorged at the top so time your descent between cars and you'll be able to take your time. A satisfying 1500 vertical metre descent, some do it non-stop (they're the swiss) others stop for 4 espressos/demis/platefuls of reindeer taglioni (italians & brits Very Happy )

the skiing from Cime Bianchi down to the top of the valtournenche bubble at Salette is great, easy sunny cruising. Some runs are marked as red, others blue, but in truth the gradient is fairly consistent. This area is very quiet - except at w/ends when all the locals drive up to Valtournenche and park the fiats in the huge car park there. Best run here is the blue and red down from the top of the fast 6 man chair - I did that about 100 times last weekend, carving heaven. All the runs over this side are in the sun all day, which is welcome at 2800m in Janauary, and also helps to make the snow non-icy. You can continue down Red 1 (genuine red, as it's narrower and not being lower the snow is not so good) which makes another satisfying mountain descent, if that sort of thing appeals...

Cervinias busiest skiing is above Plan Maison - some reds here with the odd steeper section, but again those sections are short and it's soon back to flattering gentle groomers. A hidden gem over this side is the long run all the way back to resort from the top of the 2 older, slow chairs on the left hand side of the mountain, right under the Matterhorn. I think the run is marked red 6bis then it turns into blue 5 - fantastic - my best of the best... If, like me you have climbing aspirations, then the close up of that magnificent mountain will thrill and horrify in equal measure.

Hey ho - long post - I am jealous of your trip...
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
red 27, second that on 6 bis, years since I've been to Cervinia but I always found then that not many peeps took the bis option.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Peter Leuzzi, Cervinia is the place for cruising, in the most positive sense of the word. If there is a speed difference between you and the Mrs, one can carve up the blues/easy reds and wait every few hundred yards for the the more leisurely skier. Route-finding is easy.

You have to eat at the Etoile restaurant at least once. It's on one of the blues above Plan Maison. I recommend the mountain goat!
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
i went for a week to cervinia and it really is very easy!
....dont think i really improved tbh.
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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?
jollykay, what standard are you? How many weeks have you done?


holidayloverxx, red 27, what is "bis"? Is that just a name?


red 27, thanks for your detailed response. Can I ask then;

Is Red 7 the 22km one? How long is the steeper section you refer?

How narrow is Red 1?

I'm liking the sound of Red 6 and Blue 5. Good for day 1, morning 1 of my wifes season?

Where is to be avoided? It is starting to sound like the type of resort where we could just ski and not refer to a piste map. Is that so?

What about the run(s) to Zermatt. Is it difficult to do? Not suggesting we want to go over there and rip it up but it might be fun to pretend we are skiing into tax exile or something but in realty go over for lunch with Swiss Tony.

We are only there from Tuesday lunchtime until Thursday night so have 2.5 days on skis.
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Another question.

I just looked at snow-forecast and saw strong winds and low maximum temperatures with horrendous widn chill. I have already been warned about this.

Where do you ski if the upper stuff is closed? Is there any tree-lined stuff that will likely stay open?

Thanks again.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Peter Leuzzi, bis means alterantive (kind of) so you might be going down a numbered run like 6 then it will fork and you can either continue down the numbered run e.g. 6, or you can take the alternative 6 bis

Blue 5 is great for getting back to Cervinia, I woudl suggest only doing it if wou want to start again in the village, not if you wan to stat at Plan Maison or higher. at the end of the day it gets busy and it is basically a road, so narrow and some hairpins IIRC

Suggest you do refer to the piste map anyway.
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Quote:

What about the run(s) to Zermatt. Is it difficult to do? Not suggesting we want to go over there and rip it up but it might be fun to pretend we are skiing into tax exile or something but in realty go over for lunch with Swiss Tony.

Peter Leuzzi, I came back from Zermatt yesterday and had one day in Cervinia. When you come over from Cervinia to Zermatt you come onto the glacier and the runs are wide and gentle. You can get a reasonable way down on blues but there are no wide piste runs into Zermatt itself, they tend to be narrow tracks and some are quite steep. However there are numerous places to eat on the mountain and you can descend by a variety of Cable Cars, Gondolas, trains and funiculars to the town. Best to come back from Sunnegga or Gornegrat though as the Kleine Matterhorn lift is away from the centre (although you can catch the ski bus in)
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Colin B, thanks for that. Sounds easy enough to a point. What about skiing part of the way down to Zermatt and turning back? Imagine that is possible without having to deal with narrow/steeps.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Peter Leuzzi, Yes no problem at all just have to get the Cable Car back up and ski back over to Italy. The 2 sides are very different and for a week it is really esssential to try both, for a short break it's perhaps questionable, after all there are about 200km of piste in Cervinia to explore (similar in Zermatt).
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Colin B, 2 cable cars and two T-Bars from the bottom?
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laundryman, You can get from the bottom without T Bars now. Unless I got there Thursday without noticing them wink Now gondola and 2 cable cars.
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Colin B, you're right - just not the way I've done it. Embarassed Embarassed
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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.
better intermediate - stick mostly to reds and few blacks.
how many weeks ermmmmm -- skiing abroad for a week every year for the past what 9/10 years..
haha usually a bit sticky at first!
try to go to the dry slope before i go.
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 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
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
Peter Leuzzi

7 is the long, continous run down from Plateau Rosa to Cervinia - you can branch off left to go down Red 1 which goes all the way down to Valtournenche, but it's not a continous run as there's a very short (50m) chairlift. not sure which of these is the 22km one...

How narrow is Red 1? never much narrower than 15m or so, but in combination with worse snow conditions, more traffic and the odd tree it's tougher than Cervinia's cruise-a-thon motorways.

Red 6 & blure 5 are good for day 1 morning 1 and every other day I would say...

I'd say always take a map and always aim to know where you are on the mountain at any given time. To be avoided? That godamn, 25 minute T-bar back over from the dark side... The few who survive it all vow never to do it again... If the matterhorn glacier cable car isn't running back from Zermatt, don't go!

A quick trip down to Tronkner Steg for lunch is great fun on a nice day - remember you'll need the internationale extension to your lift pass.

Good luck with the weather... I had 4 out 4 days of calm, warm sunshine but you're high, high up in a barren, exposed alpine land and if the snow comes or if the wind blows it's a suddenly a hostile place
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
red 27, okay so the long wait is done now! We fly out tomorrow morning and should be skiing by around 1pm-ish. There has been a good dump of snow and the weather is sounding pretty good.

Once we have lift passes, and suited and booted where should we go first bearing in mind we would have been up mega early to catch a flight and with limited time that first afternoon. Plan Maison? (Is that Middle Station?)

Thanks
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Seems a shame to me if one goes to a resort to ski only one side when it is properly linked with another country.

I am among possibly a minority group who find it cheaper to ski Zermatt by going to Cervinia than to the Swiss side.

Don't think there is anything wrong with the Italian side but the Swiss side wins on a few other features. The view of the Matterhorn is definitely superior and riding a train to go up a slope is a rare treat.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
saikee, We've got 2.5 days. Of course if the mood, the conditions etc enable us to do so, we will head over. But on this occasion with limited time we are taking it a step at a time. If we make it we make it - if however we are happy in Italy we will sit tight as long as we are happy.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Peter Leuzzi,

I think when accessing from the bottom of the main gondola at Breuil Cervinia and after 3 gondola/cable car rides (Lift A/B, then T and F) a skier first putting on the skis he/she should find himself/herself already in Switzerland. In other word one does not need to ski to Zermatt. He/she just let the lifts to transport him/her. The remaining link via Theodulpass requires skiing.

The link to Zermatt and in fact many high altitude lifts on both sides are liable to close in strong wind though.


Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Mon 4-02-08 21:54; edited 1 time in total
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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?
Peter Leuzzi, Yes Peter I'd say the Plan maison area is best for that 1st half day. It's an 'all roads lead to rome' to get there as both the main 8 man gondola and the Cretaz chair give access to that area. From there there are one can either ski back down - Blue 5 is a belter to get the ski-legs working - or carry on up 3 further fast chairs which lead up to the col which is the return to Zermatt for swiss skiers. The runs back down from there on 'our' side are again, long fast wide blues and reds with steeper bits but also lots of run-outs.

Maybe on your first full day get the gondola to Plan Maison, then the subsequent stand-up gondola to Cime-biancha which then gives access to the skiing above Salette on the Valtournenche side - lovely sun-trap..

You have timed your visit well, it's snowing hard today, then sunny for the rest of the week...

Do let us know how you get on...
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red 27, ta. Cant wait, just one sleep and all reports on conditions are positive. Let you know Friday
Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Peter Leuzzi, It has been a while since we went to Cervinia, but I do remember being affected by the altitude. Give yourself a gentle day or two until you get used to it. The trip over to Zermatt is a nice adventure. There are a couple of easy blacks tucked up into one corner of the resort. No more than reds anywhere else. It is a good place. Enjoy.

snowHead
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Well, we are back now and had a fantastic 3 days skiing. The pistes really are confidence boosting reds and blues and I would have to say whilst it is easy going, at times there were a few steeper sections that made it interesting. Our skiing definitely improved and the weather was kind to us excepy Thursday when it was gusts of 65kmh winds and some of the mountain was closed but still plenty to do.


Chris Bish, I certainly felt the altitude thing. Can't say I was ever in any danger but but was short of breath more so then other resorts.


saikee, we chaired it up to the top right where the border is on our first day. We turned around and skiied back down the long, long red and blue (6 and 5?) with a view to going there the next day. Lo and behold Zermatt was CLOSED for the next two days due to high winds and it was never an option again.


red 27, you are a star! Your advice, tips and warnings were absolutely spot on. It made for a comfortable trip as we kind of knew what we were doing albeit through you. My wife took a lot of confidence in your written words (I took printouts) and she got an enormous amount out of it. Thank you.


My additional comments would be as follows:

The skiing above Salette was brilliant, sunny and uncrowded. We had a great half day or so over there BUT we ended up back in Valternenche due to the fact we avoided that long long steep drag lift. It was high winds, variable vision at times and we were knackered so took the easy way out and down the bubble rather than ski back to Plan Maison.. Result - taxi back to Cervinia

I think the skiing is perfect for children on the up and up, and there seemed to be lots for them to do in the village.

Carry out all your toilet visits before you leave your hotel unless you need further thigh workout on the mountain. Nightmare for the ladies.

We stayed at the Hotel Hermitage which was superb although pricey. The room and the pool/spa were excellent; staff very good and the food was to die for. Although it was a downer that we were a rolling 300 meters to the bubble, the hotel ran two shuttle jeeps back and forth and we never had to wait for them. So we got dropped off at the steps every morning and collected when we were ready apres apres.

In short a well worthwhile place to go. Dont think we will rush back next year but would like to go back some time.
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Peter Leuzzi, Gald you had a good time and thanks for taking the time to do the report.

You mention the wind and if defintely can be a factor on both Italian and Swiss sides - you were wise to avoid that drag, when the wind whips up the snow it's definitely an adventure. A lady fell off in front of me this year just on the steepest, windyest section and to my shame I was too wrapped up in my own survival to jump off and help her... Embarassed

I guess other high altitude resorts suffer equally - I know that Tignes can certainly get a pasting. The slopes looked wind blown when I was there - loads of snow on the actual runs but exposed high ground had been stripped bare.

The Hermitage! Definitely the Dolce Vita Very Happy
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