 Poster: A snowHead
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Off to Sauze on Sun with a couple of pals. We're all mid 40's and tidy skiers. We're staying at the Hotel Relais des Alpes.
We're regular visitors to Italy, but haven't visited Sauze previously.
Seeking comments re-
Any ski areas that we should visit/avoid?
Good spots to eat on the mountain?
Good apres venues where we won't look like 3 Dad's checking-up on our teenage kids?
Any other useful tips would be much appreciated.
Cheers. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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No advice for Sauze direct, but if you like nice long days skiing and exploring then the milky way is great, if every links open then a day trip to Montgenerve and back would be good, i suggest a bombardino in each resort on the way aswell..especially the lodge at the bottom of claviere. If you have a car then briancon and serre che ski area is also a good days trip.
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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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| Mollerski wrote: |
Good apres venues where we won't look like 3 Dad's checking-up on our teenage kids? |
Good cover that is 
Old town is good for more sophisticated shenanigans, good food, "proper" restaurants
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Tue 3-01-12 20:59; edited 1 time in total
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I liked the runs down to Sestriere, although the town when you get there is a bloody eyesore. I would avoid most of what's immediately around Sportinia.
Del Falco restaurant for an evening meal, assuming Vince still runs it.
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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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Just back from Sestriere which is over the mountain from Sauze and worth a visit. The town itself is rather uninteresting, I agree but on the hill there are lots of interesting runs especially down in the Borgata section. Plenty of good eating places up the hills too. Around the Sauze area the Sportinia section has about 4 or 5 restaurants to choose from. We ate in the Kind (cream building with Crystal flags outside) which did great kebabs and hot dogs and the big restaurant/hotel (the name is something like the Coffret?) which did excellent freshly made pizza. Montgenevre is worth a visit but is a real hike to get to via the slopes unless you are very fast skiers. See if you can do an away day with your TO if you've gone with one. Crystal took us for 22 Euros ( expensive but that's TO for you) and there's great skiing if the conditions are good - we had blizzards and zero visibility last Friday but a fab blue sky day last year. Hope you have a good time, we did. 
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Pizza at Orso Bianco. EPIC!
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My favourite was the run down to Sansicario from the top of the super-steep drag lift that takes you out of the Sauze area. Not sure of the name but it is pretty unusual in changing from Black to Red to Blue on the piste map.
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It's a few years since I was at Sauze but like Stu_, we enjoyed the Sansicario runs they were also away from all the beginners.
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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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Lucky Sods ! Love Sauze and been 5 times now.
The runs over in Sestriere are pretty good but be careful as the lift down to Sestriere closes when the weather closes in and you'll have to bus/taxi it back.
Sansicario side has some nice wide red's to cruise down and a must do black above the Sestriere lift. Long and steep drag to get to it though !!
If your going to Montgenevre try and get a trip there as by the time you've skiied over it'll be time to come back !
last time I was in Sauze I joined the Ski Club of GB. Had a fantastic time as only a couple of us so pretty much had free (apart from membership costs) ski guiding all week. Looks like SCGB have a guide in Sauze from 7th and his programme looks pretty good if you're half decent skiers
http://www.skiclub.co.uk/skiclub/skiclubleaders/programme.aspx?programmeID=1391
Apres: The pub attached to the Relais (Queen's Lounge) is decent but you will not look out of place in any of the pubs.
Moncrons (run by scouser Mark) is just around the corner from the Relais and you'll always get a warm welcome here.
Paddy McGinty's is always rammed and a good laugh.
Vagabondi's has live bands on and is pretty good later on in the evening.
Plenty of other pubs to choose from so they'll keep you busy for the week !
I have stayed at the Relais twice and couldn't fault the place. Rooms are decent, warm and comfortable. Food is good with plenty of choice for breakfast and dinner and with a pub attached what more could you want !!
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Mollerski,
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We're all mid 40's and
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Any other useful tips would be much appreciated.
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Don't forget to warm up.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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and cool down 
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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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Valtrex is good
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Walk to the lift in the morning is an absolute killer. If you have been enjoying the hospitality the night before it can be a vomit inducing exertion.
Great area though.
As Groucho say's, check the conditions when heading over to Sestriere as in high winds they WILL close the gondola back.
They do provide a couple of coaches back but it is an absolutely crazy free for all which can cause hysteria (not the good type) when people are looking at an expensive taxi ride back as the only alternative.
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You know it makes sense.
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We went to Sauze 2nd week of jan 2011, unfortunatly the piste conditions were reasonably poor, very little snowfall and very hard packed snow, with the occasional brown patch so this rather tinged our holiday and I dont think we were able to really enjoy it to the max!
My fav run was the Olympic Womens Downhill think its just called Olympica Bassa, didnt really like the sestriere area, spent most of our time in sansicario or claviere.
Cant comment on restaurants/bars as we barely left the hotel! 
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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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Was there just before the Olympics in 2006. Seem to remember a bar called the Cotton Club that was ok. Also the Irish Bar was good.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Had a weekend there last year. Struggled to find good (read 'French quality') mountain lunch, but place at the top of the chair out of Sauzy with the big bear outside was excellent.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Alright?
Insofar as the skiing is concerned, my friends and I found it best to be over at Sansicario first thing, before the sun gets on it, and then move across to the runs coming down from Fraiteve, the super wide red that finishes up at the Basset (25?) is pretty good for hurtling down at pace…
I didn’t find the après to be all it’s cracked up to be – the action seems to be centred around Paddy’s Irish bar, which seemed to play awful, awful trancey Europop at ear splitting volumes from early on in the day. If that’s your thing – then you’ll like it…
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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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stayed in the Relais February 2011 with a group of lads around the same age, can get noisy at night with the younger party animals returning late at night. Food was okay in the hotel but a couple of very good restaurants in the old part of the town. I,m from Belfast and Paddy McGinties was the last place we wanted to be in, much better spots to be found, nice wine bar in old part of town which was well attended. Some great runs in the Sauze area although we liked the runs around Sansicario and the next area on the way to Montgenevre. We had a good week and my mate just got back from it after taking his family this time and enjoyed it second time around just as much. Enjoy
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
place at the top of the chair out of Sauzy with the big bear outside was excellent.
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Orso Bianco, as mentioned 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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Also check this link when you're out there (if you have internet access) http://www.sestrieres.eu/ - click on the words that say "Visualizza Il Bollettino...." for the latest state of play regarding which lifts and pistes are open
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It might be better now but i personally would avoid the italian resteraunt just downhill a few doors from the irish bar.
The guy offers 2 types of service, standard or mafia. Funny at first but then you realise it is a gimmick to cover the poor quality of the food.
Please get a second opinion of the guys on here but that is my recollection.
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if you do a search on sauze d'oulx you'll find a bunch of other threads about the resort. Hope they help and hope you enjoy it there. We had a fantastic trip last year although the old town itself was rather surprisingly quiet
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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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Definitely Orso Bianco great pizza and the restaurant opposite across Sportinia that backs onto the beginners ski school park did some nice food too. I agree withBiddy Twiddle, the kebabs were excellent and good value too.
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FAQ
