 Poster: A snowHead
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I was wondering have Italian resorts any nightlife? Ok I've been to Livigno before and it was buzzing but when I read reports on other resorts such as La Thuile and Gressney it appears dead.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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All the MonteRosa resorts (Champoluc, Gressoney, Alagna) are a bit low key, which is a shame becoz the area as a whole is good, despite the aging lift system.
Your best bet are the Milky Way resorts (Sauze d'Oulx, Sestriere but NOT Claviere) or some, but not all, of the Sella Ronda resorts. I hear Courmayeur is good. As you may gather, it can be a bit hit & miss.
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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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Courmayeur used to be great, but then Steve's Bar closed, and they moved the nightclubs into a joint "building" under the market and they got washed out by a flood (if I remem,ber rightly). There's still a couple of decent places but it's noweher near as good as it used to be. There's more emphasis on rich, Milanese families in the town (according to some locals) these days. Of course, I haven't been for a few years now, so it may have picked up again (and was rarely "dead" when I was last there). A fair number of locals apparently (used to) drive down to Aosta for the night.
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Hmmm, not too sure about Aosta. Stayed there a couple of years back (took the gondola up to ski in Pila). Nightlife was very hit & miss: a bar would be busy one night, then completely shut the next! If there is rocking nightlife there, we didn't find it.
Apart from usually lively Austria, alpine nightlife does tend to be pot-luck doesn't it? The general rule with Italy seems to be low-key mid-week, then lively at week-ends when the locals turn out. Can anyone rate Cortina? I hear good things but I've not been.
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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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the ice perv,
I must stand up for Champoluc. It's not completely dead, just very very quiet. There is a nightclub in the Hotel West Road and the Golonzone stays open quite late. If it's just late beers you want, then Valhalla in Antagnod stays open beyond a time that any sane person should be sleeping.
And of course, there's always doughnuts to be spun in the carpark afterwards.
(Sorry, that was an irresponsible suggestion wasn't it?  )
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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David Murdoch,
I must stand up for myself! I never said completely dead: I said low key, which it is.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the MonteRosa, but people go there for the large area; the good inter & advanced skiing; the off-piste; the cheap prices; and the relaxing un-touristy ambience. You don't go there for the nightlife. To be fair they do seem to be upgrading the lift system, and when they have finished sorting it out I will probably go back.....
....and seek out the lively bars you have referred to! 
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Sauze d'Oulx, Sestriere but NOT Claviere
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Oh I don't know - one of our wildest nights last season was in Claviere. But generally, Sauze has it - and not just at weekends.
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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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perv, you did, and it's true.
The lift system, please don't get me started. Its not a system. They're just lucky that they happened to link up. (OK, I'd rather be skiing than not and I'm just being unreasonable). Apparently when it was "designed" (sic) the feeling was that a linear approach would be more appealing to punters than a radial one (a la everywhere else sensible).
Cortina is much the same - although obviously much more appealing if you have a fetish for fur coats. There is a great apres ski bar called the Captain/Admiral/?Clipper? or something like that, great in that they do the Italian thing of putting out free food around 5.00pm - and unusual in that it's top quality hams, cheeses, etc.
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Gressoney and Alagne are 'dead' in terms of night-life but maybe that is because there is so much skiing to be done. The Hotel Dufour in La trinite virtually closes once the guides have finished the next days assignments. Even the Swedes are conspicuous by their abstinence.
Not sure about the lifts, they don't seem to have the numbers of customers to pay for the investment the area thinks they need so they rely on EU money. But the area covers both Aosta and Piedmont and apparently it is differcult to get funding synchonised for two different regions so the long term plan has been compromised. Also, there is difference of opinion over what Monteroas wants to be. Do they want to keep the wild type of skiing that is has or do they want to piste classic routes, Olen, for example, to accomodate new clientele? Watch this space because, I think it will be touch and go whether they can get this fine balance right.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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JT, Never even had a beer in Gressoney or Alagna. Although the bar in the Guglielmina rocks pretty late. I suppose they have a captive audience...
As far as I understand, it's been watch this space for a very very long time. There's also rather argument over whether Champoluc should link into Cervinia/Zermatt plus a whole bunch of other infratructure issues to solve - not least the paucity in the valleys of hotel beds. There's little point investing in a fab system that only gets used by garishly dressed Milanese the odd weekend.
Hey ho, out with the skins.
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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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David Murdoch,
Being selfish here I would say keep it for the skins and most guides think this way but then they would, it is in their interest.
I am a bit saddened about Olen but accept that Alagne needs to be able to get out of the valley etc but I hope they replace the old cable to Indren.
I am not sure how practicable the link to Cervinia is, the route I took was about 20km if I am not mistaken coming back, I'm sure you know the one.
I would prefer Monterosa to remain a touring/heli area with just a lift upgrade.
Talked to a lot of locals and even they are confused to how it will work out. They want to be the new Chamonix but the guides want to avoid that, probably because they are the few that can actually make money as it is. everyone else needs more people!
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FAQ
Anyway, it's not just Italy, your description sounds exactly my experiences of France. Obviously these are generalisations of both countries 
