On Thu, 15 Jan 2009 12:28:38 +0000 (UTC), Switters
wrote:

Mrs Switters and I would quite like to try somewhere in Italy this year,
but know almost nothing about any of the resorts there. Looking for
recommendations for somewhere, perhaps leaving in 2 weeks time, so
something that has good snow now.

We're both boarders, she likes blues and reds, I like reds/blacks/off-
piste.

We don't like crowds or queueing for lifts and we prefer quiet evenings
with a bottle of wine rather than partying until the small hours.

Just a few recommendations would be good, I can do the rest of the
research.

You might try Gressonay, lift-linked with Champoluc and Alagna. Great
off-piste[1] without having to hike too much, and a reasonable amount
of cruisy stuff, although it's not huge. Nice hotel (Jolanda Sport) at
base of lift with decent food and a very reasonably-priced wine list.

[1] I can lend you the off-piste guidebook 'Polvere Rosa[2]' if you
like. Although you can probably buy it more easily than waiting for me
to post it.
[2] 'Rosa' cos it covers all the off-piste stuff in the Montarosa
area. I particularly recommend getting a heli-lift (or two) onto the
LetchGletscher and riding down (with a guide, of course) into Zermatt.
The run home, via Cervinia on lifts out of Zermatt, thence a 15km
off-piste run down to St. Jean (de something) and a short car-ride
(the restaurant there will give you a lift) down to Champoluc and then
ski lifts and pistes home. Great day out.