I am due to go to La Thuile in March. I have been to the resort before and windy conditions tend to result in lift closures. I will have a car and I was wondering if anyone could recommend a resort within driving distance apart from Courmayeur.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
chrisbournemouth, according to SCGByou can get to Alagna, Cervinia, Chamonix, Champoluc, Gressoney-la-Trinite, and Pila as well as Courmayeur.
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?
Pila's worth a day trip regardless of conditions in La Thuile.
Can't comment on Cervinia as I couldn't really see much of it when I was there.
I've been to Chamonix from La Thuile, it was preplanned and a guide had been booked for us to ski the Vallee Blanche.
I believe that you can get to La Rosiere, but can't think why anyone would want to...
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Ray Zorro is being very naughty there with his La Ros comment. 12 hours and no mortar bombs? Impressive.
And chrisbournemouth, have you tried all the wonderful off-piste runs around Courmayeur?
Courmayeur is often dismissed as small, easy skiing, and lots of wonderful restaurants: more a place for eating then skiing.
But there is also some wonderful off-piste runs.
The Toula Glacier from the top of the lift out of La Plud (right side of piste map)
Or the wonderful run down Arp valley to Dolonne (left side of the piste map).
chrisbournemouth, I'm going to La Thuile in March too!
Judging by the website, lift closures due to bad weather have been quite rare this year and the link to La Rosière has only been closed a handful of times. Yes, I have been studying it daily, lol!
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
For La Thuile you have a host of resorts to visit in the Aosta Valley and could have 4 days out skiing if you but the right lift pass called the VDA pass. Courmayuer and Pila have been mentioned. Cervina is great days skiing and on a clear day one of the most beautiful places to ski in Europe as you ski in the shadow of the might matterhorn, the slopes are nice and wide and not too difficult and there is the 16km run down to Valletornachee, you can also with a different pass ski into Zermatt so you can literally ski in Italy, France and Switzerland in the same week. The other are I would head for is Champoluc in the Monte Rosa ski are which is also beautiful and tends to be quieter than the other resorts there is a great loop you can do there which if you take in a nice lunch will take you most of the day covering Gressonay and Le Trinitie. I worked in the Valle d'aosta for one season and loved the skiing and the differences between all the resorts. None of the resorts will take you much longer than 45 minutes from La Thuile.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Thanks for all the useful advice = favouring Champoluc and Courmayeur = can't resist a good lunch!
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.
Pila is the most underrated resort I've yet been to. Way better than Courmayeur.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
paulio, For someone who has only been to the Aosta valley in the summer and is wanting to return in the winter.
Why is Pila so good?
In the future I think I would do a 2 centre holiday split between La Thuile and Courmayuer.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
I found Pila to be surprisingly varied, with dizzying views.
I found Courmayeur to be disappointingly limited, and with incredibly crap piste grooming.
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.
I really enjoyed Courmayeur personally. Lovely groomed pistes always get the thumbs up from me. The pistes are quite varied too, but it is a small pisted area, probably only around 40-50km. But some amazing views and great mountain huts make up for it.
Only 13 days until I go to La Thuile!
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
So the point I was making is that when I was there, all the pistes were chopped up like crazy and covered with massive ice bricks.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Pila has got to have one of THE best views in all the Alps.
You can see all the big 400+ mountains on the Fr-It-Ch border such as:
-Mont Blanc
-Grand Combin
-Matterhorn
-Monte Rosa
-plus the whole national park of Gran Paradiso
I've quite a good head for heights, but Pila made me feel quite unwell (in a good way)
*hurls*
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Yes, that's Aosta you're looking at.
BTW: there's a gondola that goes from Aosta up to Pila - you could have a hotel in 2000-year old Aosta town and ski in a modern resort at the same time!
When you're in Aosta, there's one ski area you cannot afford to miss: Monterosa Ski.
Best place to start would be Stafal, the last hamlet in the Gressoney valley.
This allows you to do all 3 valleys in 1 day, without running the risk that you end up in the wrong valley when the lifts close...
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
