 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Neilski, We go to Pila for a 5 day break and enjoy it but there is nothing to do up there for none skiers. You could stop in Aosta down in the valley and then hop on the gondola up to Pila each day. It is also easy to get to courmayeur or La Thuile just up the road if you want a day out some where else.
2.5 hrs from Geneva or 1.5hrs from Turin.
We use Pilaski.co.uk so you could give them a ring if you want to see what they can do for you.
Snow is great or was a couple of weeks ago and its has been snowing nearly every day since.
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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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When you say off slope activities what are you looking for? Shopping, wellness, canyoning?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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jzBun, OH doesn't ski, so a nice village to explore , some winter walks , and a chance to meet for lunch on the hill is all that is really required, also a bit of chilled après would be good 
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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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Jake43, What is aosta like as a town , have heard it's a little industrial 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Courmayeur is a proper town with some good shopping and chilled aprez (bar Roma is a must if only for the spread of antipasti they lay on for free). The OP can jump on the cable car to meet for lunch (there are more mountain restaurants than lifts)
Some great off-piste. 2 stage cable car to Cresta D'Arp about 2800m I think, is the start of a number of well known descents.
I went last year for a long weekend and really enjoyed it. On piste is a little sedate but some nice N facing tree-lined runs.
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Been dumping in Piedmont, and supposed to again (Limone has been suggested as the potential centre of incoming dumpage).
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Neilski, +1 for Courmayeur. Really nice town centre with plenty of shops where the other half could give your card a proper beating.
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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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Neilski,
Take the BA lunch time flight to Verona then hire a car and go to Madonna Di Campiglio.
The flights link well out of Manchester, Glasgow or London. Hire a car at the other end (National Rental is the cheapest).
If you stop in MdC and get the SuperSkiRama pass you'll have the whole of the Adamello Dolomites available - 12 resorts.
If you stop (for example) at the Caminetto (4*) in Folgarida the hotel is just as good as anything in MdC but the price is about 40% less and the drive is about 15mins less - but still get the same pass.
If you need some phone numbers of hotel managers (that speak Englsih) send me a PM.
Good luck
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Make that dumping rain in Piemonte not stopped for two days with snow at about 2400 metres not very nice
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Neilski, It does look like that from the outside but it is a very old Roman age city with some great architecture and history. There is no question that there are some horrible bits but then you get that with most cities. There is never enough to do for a non-skier anywhere as they are not in the right mind set to start with. I know I tried that and have stopped doing it - well will have after dragging her to Whistler in 2 weeks.
Turin and Milan are easy on the train from Aosta (how adventurous is OH) but do not let OH have the credit card !
You can ski until 2 and then take them out exploring, Italy shuts from 12:30 til 2:30ish, so you dont miss anything as the then stay open until late.
If you really want to get brownie points center in Turin and you commute by train or car to the slopes. Yep crazy but much less ear ache.
I do agree that Courmayeur is a nice town but what is there to do for non-ski person ? There is only so much people watching an non-skier will do.
Speak to Carole at Pilaski.co.uk as she has been out there for 20 years in the valley and will not steer you a bum deal. We arrange our flights and car then she does the rest for us. As a lot of the hotels etc do not speak english it helps that she can speak Italian and get it sorted out. We stay up in Pila right on the slope side but there is nothing else to do up there but ski. We have a trip down to Aosta for a rest if we get a bad day visibility as the Gondola only takes 20mins ish. The last post on Pilaski facebook said it was snowing again and has been for the last few weeks. We got a foot while we were there and some blue skies too.
Also have to agree with Wayne, that the dolomite sounds good but I have not been over there so do not know 1st hand.
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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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Jake43, shop, eat, drink, take a taxi down the road to the spa.
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You know it makes sense.
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Jake43, cheers for the tips, could be a better option to stay in pila , and let OH download on the gondola for some sight seeing etc in aosta, cant see her being bothered to catch the train to the city on her ownsome, she is more than happy to have a lie in then a walk and meet for a late lunch .
enjoy whistler you lucky so and so 
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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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^^ Aosta is a lovely city. I thought it was just a bus fmor Courmayeur? Maybe that was jsut in the summer though...
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Poster: A snowHead
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There are regular buses from Courmayeur to Aosta, I think it's about 15km. Also a regular bus to Chamonix through the Mt Blanc tunnel. You can also do the Valle Blanche from the Italian side via the Helbronner cable car - get a guide or join a group.
MdC has stunning scenery, good variety of runs and has good snow. But it's quite expensive to stay there - Ferrari show off their new cars and drivers there each year - fairly chic (like Cortina). As Wayne says, Folgarida is linked and far better value. However, there's nothing to do for the OH in Folgarida.
Cortina has some great skiing, stunning mountains and fabulous shopping (if you like Gucci and Prada). The Italians who go here tend to take a cable car, ski to a terrace and pose - Prosecco in hand. So the slopes are normally empty. However, the village is fairly low (although the highest lift is approx. 2900m) and the ski area is split in two, needing a bus to get from one to the other.
I Havn't been to Pila but I know the other 3 quite well.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hi, Cortina is only 2 hours from venice for the day trip or there is a travel company on the main street that runs day trips to venice.
Cortina is very scenic and alot of visitors dont ski, there is a geat ski bus service to the slopes but these are more spread out than Mdc which is linked very well.
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