 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi,
The Monte Rosa in Italy has lots of snow possibly the best conditions in Italy. From briefly reading the resort reviews, Monte Rosa system seems ideal for off piste day tours or big powder days. This sounds exactly what i would love, but if anyone has any first hand experience I would be grateful. My questions concern:
Which village to stay in out of the 3, Alagna sounds quaint but how linked up is it?
How good are the local guides?
How avalanche probe is the region?
Is the off piste ski & snowboard friendly, i.e. could the Fiancee & I ski together?
Are there any classic skin/day tour routes?
I would be going with skins/k2 shuks/endorphines & goats/markers .... endorphines. So fay tours quite happy for steep and long ascents and on the powder days looking for lift access + 20-45min hikes
Thank you.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Gressoney Trinitie
Local guides are excellent
As avalanche prone as any alpine environment
Yes
Loads of day touring
Go 
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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plectrum, Alagne is indeed quaint but is right out on a limb in terms of getting there... best to get there from Milan and car. The train stops quite a way down the valley and I am not sure about public transport.
Also, the ski down wasn't pisted ...it may be now since the bulldozed Olen ...    just to justify the major lift upgrade. Anyway, since I was last there, 3 or 4 years ago, Alagne makes no sense to stay in in terms of getting about, IMV
I also think the old top lift upto Punta Indren has still not been replaced..but skiing can negate this to a degree..
La Trinite is the guiding hub as most things are co-ordinated from there..or more specifically Hotel Dufore. And this certainly applies to any Heli Ops.
So many routes to even think about, just meet the guides at the hotel between 5 and 6... express your interest and they will come round and talk about the day and allocate a guide at the same time. It works well and no one is committed until they engage in this meet, IME... however, most of the people there...and there a LOT of Scandi's, are committed..and some should be.. 
I dont know about mixed tours... depends where you go, and some might not be feasible. I do know that there are a few rat runs at the end of the routes and these are a killer for even the best boarders...most of them ended up in the trees..literally, when we were there.. On skis, it is just a case of putting the skis in the ruts and going with it...and that is no fun on a board. Think the traverses down to P1 at Le Grave and add to it... But the guides will tell you this...they are very sorted.
As for day tours.... resist the Monterosa jaunt from the Col d Lyksamm... which is normally a heli trip. This takes you on a long glacier down into Zermatt with one or two bottlenecks. It is basically a mileage tour (65k, they say..) and you'd never have time to skin up to do it anyway.
If you do make the Col..pick sonething more entertaining than 10km or so on a glacier.
The Col is 4200mtrs IIRC..so take that into consideration.
Most things centre round this big ridge which includes a few 4000 peaks...from the Klien Matterhorn, Pollux, Dufour, Lyksamm so from there, there would be many ways down. But there are also jaunts and excusions lower down and not so far from a lift.
If you are prepared to walk, you can get anywhere.
In good snow, it would be an absolute dream....and if the snow stacks up, you MUST go.
It is subject to wind tho' and in 5 tries I have never had great snow..great trips and great times, but missed the snow...
Enjoy and TR it... 
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Tue 13-01-09 9:26; 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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Thanks for the info chaps - I am off on this at the start of March - still places available by the looks of it
Plectrum - sounds tricky exits for a boarder - I guess you can shoe up easy enough 
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Mike Pow, As long as we can do a few days together, board & ski then I'll be happy but heh worst case if there are lots of groups formed at beginning of days so we can both join specialist groups we'll be happy. It certainly seems like the year to hit MonteRosa and I really dig the quiet mountaineering driven hubs, rather than tourist hotspots.
More info please !!!!
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see if you can get your mitts on Polvere Rosa which is the local off piste/touring guidebook
also, if you're buying a map, there is a Swiss ski map which covers the area which is considerably better than the rubbish Italian maps
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Arno, thanks - will I be fine with my fixed bindings on the goats, taking the thinner shuks with Naxo's but would love to do some deep powder.
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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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plectrum,
Stay in Trinite..there are a few hotels around the Dufor, ....which backend right onto the lift out of the village...and is also the only way back.
The apre is in the Dufor beteen 5- and 6...and consists of setting up tomorrow's guide and beers with a good vibe... nothing much happens after dinner as even the Scandi's are off to bed early.
Staffel...which is a hub village up the road and connects the Alagne and Champoluc systems is another option to stay as almost all roads home end up here...but I have always stayed in Le Trinite and the once, in Alagne. There is a bus between Trinte and Staffel but most people use the lift out from Staffel and ski down to Trinite...or bum a lift. It is that sort of place..
It is ski, ski ski...
In fact, why haven't I been back these last few years..?
If you get great conditions, then it is at least as good as anywhere I've been...and far better than most..IMV
Don't worry about the guides.....they are all singing from the same songsheet..and it is all very friendly and cosy.. After a few days, you'll know most faces if you make yourself known at the Dufor..
I am off for a few days but I will try and knock up a TR of some of our trips.. if I can get stills from my cam onto vista..
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| plectrum wrote: |
| Arno, thanks - will I be fine with my fixed bindings on the goats, taking the thinner shuks with Naxo's but would love to do some deep powder. |
both?
if you only want to take one pair, you shouldn't have too much problem hiring something similar to either of your set-ups so if you only take the goats and fancy some skinning, it won't be the end of the world
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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that TR over at teton looks good, my big issue with the area is I've lost many days due to high winds, and JT has had similiar experiences on different trips...
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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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Second getting the Polvere Rosa - I think I got mine from Italy
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First post so hello to you all (been browsing for a while...)
Polvere Rosa book is excellent and there's a second edition (I think from 2005). Although it still shows some of the old lifts (punta indren and balma), the routes are marked clearly, with descriptions in terms of access and difficulty levels and photos. There's also some super extreme stuff at the back for those of you that way inclined.
If you're in Alagna, there's a copy you can look through on the bar at the Rifugio Guglielmina and they sell it there for around €20.
I was there a few weeks ago and building work on the new lift up from Salati is well underway. Our guide said it should be finished in time to open for next season. In any case, loads to be accessed at the moment within an hour-ish on skins/walking up for the snowboarder. We particularly liked the Salza route and absolutely no one about on a Sunday!
Plectrum - I'd recommend staying in Alagna, has more of a mountain feel about it and some decent vin chaud stops on the way back down at the end of the day. but prob only if you're flying into malpensa airport and have a car, otherwise is quite a long drive. There are some good and cheap hotel/B&B/apartment options too.
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You know it makes sense.
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I'd agree with everything in here, but disagree about staying in Alagna, it can be closed down due to higher winds, whereas if your in Gressoney you may still find some lifts and off piste open....
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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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Fair point - wouldn't put me off Alagna but think i've been lucky so far. had some days when the lift up from Gabiet closed at midday, but in each case the lift company have opened it for one lift up to get everyone back over. pretty grim otherwise.
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