 Poster: A snowHead
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OH now wants to go to Italian resort on account of low cost and child friendliness.
We are two adult intermediates (rusty), absolute beginner and one-week beginner.
Any thoughts on suitability of Passo Tonale for week at end of Jan.?
Cheers
Dobby
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Tonale would be fine, although not much of a nice 'the town' feel about it, its basically a string of hotels along the pass road (hence 'passo tonale') there are loads of other places in italy that would do fine, how about folgarida/marilleva? fairly decent size area and all slopes pretty easy, we have skied in lots of Italian resorts and rarely found a red run that would not be classed blue anywhere else! or you could take a look at la thuile? again, good size area, fairly snow sure and slopes generally easy, short transfer and decent prices in resort........
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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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The runs back to base in La Thuile aren't very easy though. Beginners or timid inters will find themselves downloading at the end of the day.
Cervinia is a better bet for a group of that standard I think, although La Thuile is admittedly the nicer town if that sort of thing matters to you.
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Courmeyeur gets my vote. Nice town, nice skiing, great views of the mont blanc massif. Plus you get a day in La Thuile included on the lift pass. Skiing in both those areas is intermediate and beginner friendly, except for the two or three really steep blacks mentioned in the post above.
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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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"One absolute beginner and one-week beginner" and "Courmayeur" definitely don't belong in the same sentence in my experience.
We took some first weekers there on a day trip from La Thuile, and they unanimously hated it because it was all a bit steep for them.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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La Thuile has some very good skiing and reliable snow at that level , but it is North and East facing and there is a fair bit of weather comes through the petit San Bernard pass, so be aware of the possibilites of it being very cold in January.
Never been to Passo Tonale but stuck up on a high pass my impression is the same thing could apply.
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if not coming across many brits dosn't bother you i'd definately go for folgarida/marilleva, tree lined, easy slopes, good and cheap ski school......... we took some complete beginners there last season and by day 3 the ski instructor had them skiing down pretty much every run bar one tricky red!...........
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Cervinia is the answer to your question. Been there twice with (very) mixed ability groups, and while I got a little bored on the second trip (excessive wind prevented Zermatt link <insert>) everyone else loved it.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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We love livigno, great long wide open slopes, nice and easy for the kids to get confidence on and great value in resort even by Italian standards as its a duty free enclave.
Nice and high too so snow should be good, skied before Xmas last year and again at the end of April.
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Thanks, all. Andy'n'netty, OH and I went to Livigno about 15 years ago - my first trip. Didn't get on too well with the ski school there (but long time ago) and transition from nursery slopes to other slopes was not easy (but that was a long time ago now). T Bar, we also went to La Thuile BK (before kids). Skiing was good and we improved a lot, mainly because many of the top runs were closed (a week-long white-out), and we were stuck with skiing the runs at lower levels (including the reds and blacks back to resort). The red wasn't bad usually but it got skied/boarded into a half-pipe shape for a while. Ski school at La Thuile was great, too. cbowls30 - folgarida looks half-decent, too (from the piste map, anyway).
I think any would do the job....decisions, decisions.
PS can anyone explain the Tonale piste map to me? It's like an Esher drawing.....things look like they are going down when they are really going up! 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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dobby, quite a few of the Tonale runs do just that....straight up and down in a line behind the main drag through the town. Of course, there is more (before that gets jumped on), but having spent half a day there, I wouldn't go back. Well worth looking at Folgarida/Marilleva as suggested a couple of times earlier. A much better sense of travel and variety IMHO.
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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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DO go a bit further afield and try Alta Badia at about "1 O'Clock" on the famous Sella Ronda in the Dolomites. The ski area of Alta Badia has more than enough rolling pistes for the low intermediates, without purchasing the full Sella Ronda Lift pass. For the more adventurous there are World Cup runs in Alta Badia and Val Gardena and masses of Off-Piste and steeps in Arraba. Stay in Alta Badia or Colfosco if you like it quiet, Val Gardena or Arraba for more night life.
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Champoluc? Nice village, quiet, fits other requirements...
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