Monterosa Ski Resort ski area

Monterosa / Ski area

Any skier of intermediate level and above should consider the Monterosa ski region as a whole rather than as three separate valleys, regardless of which resort you are based in. Looked at on the map, these valleys can – very broadly - be seen as beginner, intermediate and advanced, from left to right.

Champoluc offers most of the gentle terrain, plenty of meeting and eating points on-mountain, and sheltered tree runs. It is also the furthest from the big off piste itineraries – no chance of accidentally ending up on a glacier at 3500m on your second day on skis – though it does have some reasonably challenging pistes and bump runs.

Gressoney, in the centre, is well placed for access to both of the neighbouring valleys although you must still descend the Alagna side to reach the highest lift in the region from where major off piste descents to both Alagna and Gressoney can be made. Gressoney also has plenty of terrain in its own right on both sides of the valley, with a lower region of tree lined runs reached directly from La Trinite and well linked to the rest of the ski area.

Alagna, even with the big new lift linking directly to the Gressoney valley, remains primarily a destination for off piste skiers. Limited piste skiing means heading into Gressoney each day for extra groomed terrain – great in fine weather but less appealing, and sometimes not possible, in a storm.

At the head of all three valleys, above the pistes, stretches the broad collection of peaks and glaciers that make up the Monterosa massif; the entire southern flank is laced with off piste itineraries reached by a combination of lift and legwork, or helicopter. The main starting point is from the ridge between Gressoney and Alagna – which is the real reason to base yourself in one of these two valleys if you’ve come to ski off piste.

Monterosa

Base	3,976 ft (1,212 m)
Summit	10,695 ft (3,260 m)
Elevation	6,719 ft (2,048 m)
Snowmaking
Ski area
Beginner	22 %
Intermediate	67 %
Advanced	11 %
Number of trails	73
Longest trail	0 mi (0 km)
Snowfall	0 inch (0 cm)
Season start	early Jan
Season end	early Jan