TR Pila, Aosta Valley, Italy

A snowHead

Resort Pila, Aosta Valley, Italy
Date Feb 2011

Holiday - Warm up for Whistler
Websites http://pila.it/homepage.asp?l=e&s=i and www.piaski.co.uk
Over view 5 days skiing in Pila Monday to Friday (travel Sunday and Saturday) to make the most of the quiet slopes/lifts as it gets busier at the weekend we just ski for the weekdays.

Flights We fly in to Geneva as it is much easier for us to get there from Leeds. Turin airport is much closer if you can get flights there that would be better and there are transfers from there where as we need to hire a car. Hop into the car and set off past Chamonix (1.70 & 3.70 Euro tolls) through the tunnel (45Euro return) over to Italy down the valley to Aosta. Then wind our way up the mountain to Pila and park in the Hotel underground car park . About 2.5 hours drive taking it easy.

Lift system 6 fast chairs and 2 slower ones. Also 2 carpets one on the beginners slope and the other in a tunnel at the very top to open up the off-piste runs.
The terrain Mainly easy wide pisted reds. There is a large blue "field" where the lessons advance too after the starter area and another couple to get round the mountain. 18 Red runs most of which are very easy, just the odd steep bit on them. 3 Black runs and a black non pisted area. Plenty for us, but then we are happy in the bar with Prosseco and doing the runs over and over as I can never get them right anyway.

You can go to the other resorts in the Valley for a day out on the pass if you want.

Queues What queues. The longest queue was 20 people most of the time there may be someone on the chair in front of you but not always. Note this was mid week - it is busier at weekends. Also you need to avoid the lower lift (Chamole) between 9:30 and 10 as there are school groups setting off. Once they are out on the mountain we never saw them again.

The snow It was good when we arrived, not as much cover as previous years, but the Pister chaps had every Piste perfect. It snowed 3.5 days out of the 5 we were there and we got at least a foot over the week.

Off-piste Not my cup of tea as I am not good enough and it hurts my knees the way I do it. However, you can ski anywhere inside the ski area and there were loads of adventurous people going where every the had the urge. Did see one only just miss a tree stump, going under a lift we were on! The upper lifts were shut due to avalanche risk for most of the time we were there. But they were open for 2 days and loads of people seemed to enjoy the challenge.

Facilities 3 Ski hire places we go to the small one in the centre of the village but the 2 at the bottom near the car park are much easier to find. Good ski school and kids centre looked OK. Did not try either sorry.

Ice Rink that was cleared of snow most days but very few people using it.

They do have a very good hospital facility that we unfortunately tested. Friend broke his leg with a very simple fall - just a tweek and the boot top took out his Tibia. What fun getting the Insurance people to be interested - when they did they got hi back ok with 3 seats on Jet2. So that is his Whistler trip off - we are obviously still going !

Food Great pizza at the Grimond but the best place is the Yeti bar at night as the food is brilliant and then they bring you a bottle of Lemonchello (yes a bottle!) at no charge...... well we think there wasn't. Never did manage to finish it.

On the mountain the Societe Bar (off Piste6) and Della Nouva bar were great for coffee and lunch. Note a Americano Coffee was one Euro in most places !!!

Apres Ski Not a lot. There is a Irish bar and loads of other Bars but none hopping. After a load of Lemonchello we were well happy just to go to bed.

Accommodation We stay in a B&B next to the slope so it is only a 10M walk in the morning. The Della Nouva is a super little hotel we were in the new rooms they had added to the building since last year.

Many other hotels but mostly a load of apartments.

Costs Flights/taxes £150, Car/petrol/tolls £100, Skis, Pass, hotel £450 each (through Pilaski.co.uk in GBP) for 6 nights. [Phone calls to get insurance people pulling finger out £300ish]

Food and wine each night varied between 50 and 120 Euro, very reasonable.

Conclusion Suits us for a warm up for bigger trip at Easter. Not a huge resort you will do the same runs often but that is not a problem for us. Always looked after well. Worth having some Italian phrases as there is not a lot of English spoken.

A snowHead

Jake43, what route do you take from Aosta? I've just looked at google maps which gives a minimum of 3 hours 18 minutes from Chamonix to Pila (and it's an hour from Geneva to Chamonix, I guess).

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

pam w, through the Mt Blanc tunnel, innit.

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pam w, Yep as scotia, said it is through the Mont Blanc Tunnel. Aosta is 1hr from the motorway by Chamonix via motorway or slightly longer if you stay on the A road. Just tried it and I think you got the wrong Pila. You need to enter pila, gressan, italy - that is the right one.

Pila is 25Mins up a very windy road from Aosta. If you are going to Genoa then you carry straight on at Aosta down the valley - vaguely not really looked - went there on a school cruise a long long time ago; turn right at Turin?? If you are stopping for a day out you can park free at the bottom in Aosta and get the Gondola up takes about the same amount of time either way and is included the lift ticket.

Hope that helps

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Jake43, thanks - yes, I must have got the wrong Pila, didn't realise there was more than one. scotia, Yes, I had realised it was through the tunnel wink

Parking and getting the gondola up sounds a great way to go.

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pam w, Don't forget to find Bar Societe which is a little tricky as it is tucked away just off a natural half pipe and you have to have enough speed to get up the pipe side to the bar. Piste 6 or you can get to the front via Piste 7 and a hard right turn 200M away from the Piste 6 split. Recommend the Prosecco with which you get free nibbles, brilliant sun trap if its a nice day watching them coming down the Blacks.

If you want lunch go to the Della Nouva (off piste that runs through the village) below the Baby Gorraz carpet lift. We tend to have the house salad which has Tuna in and is super.

I DO hope you get a great day out - no warranties Cool

If you want to be shown around Carole from Pilaski likes to show the place off so maybe up for some skiing if you rang her (or I could for you) she like the Prosecco too.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Jake43, I'm very tempted. Will be a fairly last minute decision though, dependent on weather, whereabouts of my son, his work, etc etc. Thanks so much for the tips.

After all it is free

Hope you get chancepam w, no problem

Jake43, Super trip report.

I got back this morning after 2 weeks in Pila, although we stayed in Aosta. Motel Pila, one minute walk from the bubble, which is a 15 minute ride up.

the weather the week before you arrived was stunning blue sky for most of the week. perfectly groomed pistes and apart from weekends, empty as you say.

Hot Chocolate in Bar Societe is memorable, as well as having the best toilets on the hill.

We ate in the Yeti most lunchtimes as we had Interski vouchers and were never disappointed.

Food in Aosta was generally very good with a couple of outstanding restaurants as well. ice cream at 'Grom' is superb too.

Motel Pila also has the advantage of being next to Cidac supermarket which makes me very jealous of the produce they have compared to supermarkets in the UK. Cheese, Veg, Salami, Fish and Meat counters were exceptional.

pam w, Through the Mont Blanc tunnel from Chamonix, 30 minutes on the old road to Aosta, to avoid the toll motorway, free parking at the lift station in Aosta, 15 minute ride up on the gondola to Pila.

A few pictures from last week:

Restaurant set in the 25BC Roman Arch, food is outstanding, as is the surroundings and service.

View from our bedroom window across Aosta looking towards Switzerland.

Italian side of the Matterhorn

Fresh Powder and empty slopes.

Upper slopes of the Pila bowl

Looking down Black 10 & 11, Aosta in the valley in the distance.

Kitty at the top of the Chamole lift on the 150th anniversary of Italy's unification.

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Spyderman, Nice. snowHead

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Spyderman, Super photos, looks great weather.

That chocolate is so rich it is more like a sludge you need to spoon of the cup if it is the same as the one I got. Yummy but cant take too many of those.

Already looking forward to next year - but no broken legs next time please.

Spyderman, fantastic shots Very Happy

particularly the first one - you don't see the likes of that over the pond.

You know it makes sense.

Spyderman, snowHead

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

snowbandit, Arch, walls and Amphitheatre was built under Emperor Augustus, the modern bit which houses the bulk of the restaurant dates from about 1500 when it was converted to a house by a local Duke. Apparently it was common for dignitaries to inhabit Roman ruins at that time and being at the entrance to the city it was also common to give out food to visitors, hence the restaurant being allowed to be in a monument. All of which explained to me by the proprietor whose English was perfect having lived and worked at the Cafe Royal in London for many years.
Food is all local and of an exceptional standard. Very Happy

A snowHead

pam w, Prego.

Amphitheatre is pretty cool too. Aosta is a strange place, fantastic centre surrounded by yuk, including a steel works, motorway and railway.

A snowHead

any recommendations for reasonably priced hotels in Aosta (rather than up the mountain)?

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

pam w,Sorry I have never stayed down there so do not have any direct experience. Friends have stayed at the Europe but I am guessing that will not be in the reasonable range of cost. It was good though, you never know they may have a "deal". It is right in the centre and handy for all the sights.

There was another thread on here that discussed a motel which I think was called Pila but I can't find it now ! The website I found for them looks like it is all in Italian so best of luck.
Others on here have stayed in Aosta so maybe some one will pick up the batton.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

pam w, according to his post of Saturday, Spyderman stayed at the Motel Pila.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Hurtle, pam w, There you go thought I was not going potty (well any worse!) just could not find it and it was in this flipping post all along. Embarassed

Looking at spyderman's photos you can see (if you know where it is) Bar Societe - the one taken from the top of the black runs looking back down into the resort. From memory up Nouva lift; go right off the top of lift; then down the steep bit there is a sign off to the left which is for it. You can then take the next right and go down the natural half pipe - need plenty of speed. Its half way down on left. I prefer to carry on and take the next right after the trees which brings you out in front of it.

If it is nice you can sit outside on the desk (most brilliant plastic chairs I have ever not wanter to get out of) and watch them coming down the black runs in the distance.

Toilets are interesting as there is a hand drier in the mens that keeps your bum warm whilst having a wee. There are also some brilliant ones in the red cross hut at the top of piste 14. Said piste also happened to be my favourite too and empty apart from the bottom where lessons join the red.

You do have to climb back up the hill (20M) to exit via the half-pipe (piste 6) but it is worth it.

Duo prosecco gratzi wink

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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Spyderman

After all it is free

Pila is excellent little resort. I have little to add except this photograph I took a few years ago, which makes me feel a little bit sick.

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Mr Technique, yes, I don't think I'd want to look all the way down to Aosta too often.

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We stayed in http://www.hoteleurope.8k.com/ towards the centre of Aosta in 2002. My memories of the hotel are all good. Do not know the price, it was part of a package deal organised via the social club at my then work place. We had about 25 in our party, also staying at the hotel were a few others, a mix of business and holiday people. It was an easy walk to the ski and boot storage close to the gondola station. A little walk provides a good warm up before going skiing.

Help!!

TR Pila, Aosta Valley, Italy

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