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Italy recommendations



 
 
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  #1  
Old January 15th 09, 12:28 PM posted to rec.skiing.resorts.europe
Switters
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Posts: 151
Default Italy recommendations

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.

TIA.
  #2  
Old January 15th 09, 02:04 PM posted to rec.skiing.resorts.europe
Ace[_3_]
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Posts: 177
Default Italy recommendations

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.

  #3  
Old January 16th 09, 12:27 PM posted to rec.skiing.resorts.europe
Switters
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 151
Default Italy recommendations

On Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:04:41 GMT, Ace allegedly
wrote:

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.


Nice one, thanks.

[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.


Thanks for the offer. I'll have a look for it a bit more locally.

ski lifts and pistes home. Great day out.


drool
Sounds fun.
archived
  #4  
Old January 17th 09, 01:14 PM posted to rec.skiing.resorts.europe
BrritSki
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Posts: 575
Default Italy recommendations

Switters wrote:
On Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:04:41 GMT, Ace allegedly
wrote:

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.


Nice one, thanks.

We've spent 2 weeks there and will definitely go back.

First time was at the Hotel Sciattolo sp?) which was OK apart from the
food - not much choice and small portions.

Last time we stayed at the Hotel Dufour which was much better. Nice
rooms, superb food and bar and also free wifi iirc. Also a 2 minute walk
to a chairlift...
  #5  
Old January 20th 09, 01:16 PM posted to rec.skiing.resorts.europe
Switters
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Posts: 151
Default Italy recommendations

On Sat, 17 Jan 2009 13:14:14 GMT, BrritSki allegedly
wrote:

We've spent 2 weeks there and will definitely go back.


Thanks, good to know.

First time was at the Hotel Sciattolo sp?) which was OK apart from the
food - not much choice and small portions.


I'd kind of ruled that place out already because it has rooms with sloping
ceilings, and being quite tall, that becomes a problem when I need to get
up in the middle of the night.

Last time we stayed at the Hotel Dufour which was much better. Nice
rooms, superb food and bar and also free wifi iirc. Also a 2 minute walk
to a chairlift...


Thanks again. Availibility is limited over the next couple of weeks
(credit crunch indeed!) and we may now be going a few weeks later.

ciao.
  #6  
Old January 20th 09, 06:49 PM posted to rec.skiing.resorts.europe
john elgy
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Posts: 68
Default Italy recommendations

Switters wrote:
On Sat, 17 Jan 2009 13:14:14 GMT, BrritSki allegedly
wrote:


We've spent 2 weeks there and will definitely go back.



Thanks, good to know.


First time was at the Hotel Sciattolo sp?) which was OK apart from the
food - not much choice and small portions.



I'd kind of ruled that place out already because it has rooms with sloping
ceilings, and being quite tall, that becomes a problem when I need to get
up in the middle of the night.


Last time we stayed at the Hotel Dufour which was much better. Nice
rooms, superb food and bar and also free wifi iirc. Also a 2 minute walk
to a chairlift...



Thanks again. Availibility is limited over the next couple of weeks
(credit crunch indeed!) and we may now be going a few weeks later.

ciao.

We got back from Champoluc last weekend and also reccommend the
Monterosa area; good cruising piste skiing and very good off piste. The
scenery is also fantastic. We stayed in the hotel du Champoluc with Crystal
  #7  
Old January 21st 09, 09:56 AM posted to rec.skiing.resorts.europe
Switters
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 151
Default Italy recommendations

On Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:04:41 GMT, Ace allegedly
wrote:

Nice hotel (Jolanda Sport) at
base of lift with decent food and a very reasonably-priced wine list.


Looking at the maps, it seems that there is one lift out of Trinite into
the ski area. Is that right? Does this become a bottle neck?

Also, it also looks like to get to the rest of the area, involves a few
lifts and some descents to work your way across.

Just wondering if this was ever a problem. One of the other options
available is to stay in Stafal, further up the valley, which appears to
have lifts running both sides and looks more central.
  #8  
Old January 21st 09, 11:35 AM posted to rec.skiing.resorts.europe
BrritSki
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Posts: 575
Default Italy recommendations

Switters wrote:
On Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:04:41 GMT, Ace allegedly
wrote:

Nice hotel (Jolanda Sport) at
base of lift with decent food and a very reasonably-priced wine list.


Looking at the maps, it seems that there is one lift out of Trinite into
the ski area. Is that right? Does this become a bottle neck?

Also, it also looks like to get to the rest of the area, involves a few
lifts and some descents to work your way across.

Just wondering if this was ever a problem. One of the other options
available is to stay in Stafal, further up the valley, which appears to
have lifts running both sides and looks more central.


From memory, you are right, but we didn't find it a problem.

Getting the lift near the Dufour you go off to the right (looking up the
valley) and then come down skier's right to another lift which gets you
up to the Alagna link.

ISTR that you can bypass this lift and ski all the way down to that
other junction that you mentioned to cross over to Champoluc, but you
may have to go up again first.

I think you can also get a skibuss from the Dufour direct to the lifts
further up the road.
  #9  
Old January 21st 09, 12:18 PM posted to rec.skiing.resorts.europe
Ace[_3_]
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Posts: 177
Default Italy recommendations

On Wed, 21 Jan 2009 09:56:03 +0000 (UTC), Switters
wrote:

On Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:04:41 GMT, Ace allegedly
wrote:

Nice hotel (Jolanda Sport) at
base of lift with decent food and a very reasonably-priced wine list.


Looking at the maps, it seems that there is one lift out of Trinite into
the ski area. Is that right?


Well, there's one main chair from the village up to Punto Jolanda
(where the aforementioned hotel is located, as well as the Crystal one
others have recommended) that links well with other lifts. But there's
also a shuttle bus, or a ten minute (again, IIRC) walk, that takes you
to the next chair lift up on the same side (i.e. towards Alagna), or
even further up the valley to two more lifts at Stafal, one also on
the Alagna side and one going up and linking over towards Champoluc.

Does this become a bottle neck?


Not AFAIR. Most folk would only use it once a day, and the village is
so small that lift queues aren't really a feature.

Also, it also looks like to get to the rest of the area, involves a few
lifts and some descents to work your way across.


Well yes, to get to Alagna involves either a couple of cruisy runs and
chair lifts or just one that's a bit of a hack with some flats (fine
for skiers, but some boarders will struggle) to access the required
cable-car to the Salati pass.

Accessing Champoluc would normally be easiest via the shuttle bus
already mentioned, but can also be acheived from the Jolanda lift, via
one more chair lift and a _glorious_ long black/itineraire run down.

Just wondering if this was ever a problem.


No. I don't recall lift queues of more than a couple of minutes for
any of these connections, but of course this may vary at different
times.

One of the other options
available is to stay in Stafal, further up the valley, which appears to
have lifts running both sides


Indeed it does, as mentioned above.

and looks more central.


There's almost nothing there though. One bar at the base of the slope,
but not really anything in the way of a village. Not that G la T is
exactly buzzing, but there's at least a choice of shops, bars and
restaurants. I'd definitely choose to stay there again.


  #10  
Old January 21st 09, 03:02 PM posted to rec.skiing.resorts.europe
Switters
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 151
Default Italy recommendations

On Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:18:41 GMT, Ace allegedly
wrote:

Well yes, to get to Alagna involves either a couple of cruisy runs and
chair lifts or just one that's a bit of a hack with some flats (fine
for skiers, but some boarders will struggle) to access the required
cable-car to the Salati pass.


I can get through most flats, but the Mrs has a, umm, different technique.
I'll try it sometime whilst she sups a latte.

Accessing Champoluc would normally be easiest via the shuttle bus
already mentioned, but can also be acheived from the Jolanda lift, via
one more chair lift and a _glorious_ long black/itineraire run down.


Sounds good - I'll check the piste map and get back to you if it's not
obvious.

Thanks for all the info.
 




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