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Monterosa / Lift system

The Monterosa ski pass covers all the lifts across the three valleys, including several small resorts not lift-connected to the main domain. A one week pass (hands-free) includes a day’s skiing at Pila and La Thuile, two major resorts further up the Aosta valley.
 

Monterosa

Cable cars5
Gondolas3
Fixed grip quads1
Double chairs21
Total chair lifts22
Surface lifts9
Rides per hour47,654
By modern standards much of the infrastructure, particularly on the Champoluc side, is old and slow. Low skier numbers keep the system running smoothly, but even without queues keen skiers will find the slow speed of some of the uplift keeps them in the sectors served by the faster detachable quad chairs. On peak weekends, a number of pinch points become apparent, though even the biggest queues seldom exceed fifteen minutes. The horrific exception was the Punta Indren cable car, now superseded, where a timed ticket system operated on bad days when the wait could be hours. The most recently built lift, from Alagna to Salati, came into use for the 2004/5 season, a year later than intended. It completes a piste/lift link between the Alagna valley and the rest of the region (formerly this was off piste only) and takes pressure off the ancient and tiny Punta Indren cable car which used to be the only way back – other than by a huge hike - to the middle valley. The new cable car has a capacity of 100 and double cables to enable it to run even when winds are high – a frequent problem for the old cable car. Draglifts are only used for beginner areas and for the two lifts on the glacier at Punta Indren, which aren’t used in winter.

Lift access and connections within the Monterosa region:

Champoluc
The Ayas Valley has two lifts into the Monterosa ski region: a gondola from Champoluc village and a chair from Frachey, 2 km to the north. Further down the valley are two separate smaller regions, Antagnod and Estoul, both covered by the Monterosa lift pass.

Newcomers should note the one-way piste system around Sarezza above Champoluc. If you’re returning to Champoluc, you can descend either side of this peak, but if you’re heading back to Bettaforca for Gressoney you have to tackle the run to Contenery which is narrow and fairly steep at the top – tough for timid intermediates. There is no lift connection back towards Bettaforca and Gressoney that cuts out this section. For capable skiers it’s a great run: the descent is through pristine terrain, uncluttered by any lift infrastructure. It feels miles from anywhere, whether you stick to the fast, sweeping piste or explore to either side of the markers.

Gressoney
At the head of the valley, Stafal gives access to both sides of the Gressoney valley: via a cable car followed by a four seater chairlift to the Col Bettaforca, and onwards to Champoluc. To the other side, a six seater gondola is followed by a bigger gondola to Passo dei Salati and onwards to Alagna. There is a large free car park at the base area, some bars/restaurants, ski hire and the valley’s newest hotel.

The village of Gressoney La Trinite has a slow two-seater chairlift to Punta Jolanda – the easiest way into this lower section of the eastern side of the Gressoney Valley if you’re based in La Trinite. There’s another slow two-seater chairlift, from the main road between La Trinite and Stafal at Orsia; this also links into the Jolanda.
Gressoney St Jean has a double chair on the Weissmatten, an unconnected area (but covered on the same lift pass) to the south of the village; there are also two beginner drag lifts, one on the Weissmatten’s lower slopes and one on the opposite side of the road.

Alagna
A gondola from the village links to the new cable car and onto Passo dei Salati, for Gressoney, and to a two seater chair for the old cable car to Punta Indren. One draglift serves beginner slopes on the other side of the village. The Punta Indren’s days are numbered though a new small cable car will soon take skiers to a similar high point, departing from Salati. High access (around 3500m) is essential to make the most of the area’s off piste potential without lengthy climbs or resorting to a helicopter. From Punta Indren, vast swathes of glacier, to east and west, can be reached. The atmospheric link from the bottom of the huge black Balma run – a cage lift that you leap into in pairs – will soon be the only reminder of how things used to be, and it’s uncertain how long this will last before replacement.

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