Via Lattea (Milky Way) Ski Area

Claviere & Cesana

Claviere lies in a snowy bowl at an altitude of 1,760m on the border between Italy and France and is centrally situated in the Via Lattea. The ski area is reached from the village centre, or by taking the succession of chairlifts from Cesana to Colle Bercia (2,393m). The pisted runs are mostly wide and un-crowded, and Claviere has the benefit of a long snow-sure season.

Beginners will find the village centre nursery slopes both convenient and a great place to start their skiing experience with plenty of long blue and wide red runs for progression. Claviere ski slopes are largely North East, North West and West facing. The highest ski lift in Claviere reaches 2,409m and the longest run in Claviere is 6.3km. The eastern side of the ViaLattea area is easily accessed from Claviere and in addition you have the option to ski Montgenevre in France.

From central Claviere your starting point is likely to be the slow four man chair lift up to the sunny area of La Coche. Unfortunately this lift does not allow for non-skiers, despite the fact that there are two pleasant restaurants at the top of it! The piste back to Claviere from La Coche is the preferred ski school run for first week skiers and often busy.

Whatever you do in Claviere, be sure to go to the Colle Bercia where you can enjoy superb views. You can reach Colle Bercia by any of three modern chairlifts, Serra Granet (number 48 on the ViaLattea map), Gimont (47) and Colle Bercia (44). La Tana del Lupo is a good sheltered place for drinks and in good weather, an ideal place to sit in a deck chair and admire the view.

The two red runs to Sagnalonga (23 and 22) are best in the early mornings, as you will be in the morning sun. For afternoon skiing choose the two short but interesting pisted runs to Capanna Gimont (95 and 97). From Capanna Gimont, there is a long blue run through the forest to La Coche and onward to Claviere, but be careful with children as it is very flat in parts, and you will need to push!

There’s good snowboarding to be had in the wooded areas around the runs to both Sagnalonga and Capanna Gimont. From the Gimont valley, a chairlift (46) takes you to Col Sorel (2,409 m.), on the border with France. In addition to the groomed red piste (104), the terrain on both sides of the chairlift is good for off piste skiing and boarding. The final stretch back to the Gimont chairlift covers some fairly flat ground and some energetic use of ski poles or a walk out may be required!

If you are beginner, confident on blue runs, the gentle, lightly wooded slope from Colle Bercia to Sagnalonga (follow red 23 and then blue 90), is a pleasant run. If you need to return to Cesana, avoid the long and boring run from Sagnalonga. It’s quicker to take the new 4 man chairlift (43) then ride the next chairlift to back down to the valley – there’s no piste on the bottom stretch.

The local buses to the centre of Cesana, Sauze and Sestriere depart from this area at the bottom of the lift, and on the opposite side of the road you will see the Pariol gondola, which takes you to Sansicario and the eastern side of the ViaLattea.

From the village of Claviere the Col Boeuf chairlift (50) takes you to the more exciting ski area of Montgenevre. The Gialla piste, which takes you straight back to Claviere, is almost always closed for training or ski races.

Montgenevre

The two main areas to the north and south of the resort centre of Montgenevre are well marked, and there are plenty of easy runs for beginners. The south facing area tends to be better at the beginning of season with mostly treeless, easy open red runs. This side is also well connected to Claviere via the Montquitaine chairlift, which starts close to the B&B Chalet la Villa, and the new Serre Thibaud gondola.

The north facing section has an extensive area of open pisted runs above the tree line between 2,000m and 2,400m, which is accessed directly from the new Les Chalmettes gondola. This is a paradise for intermediate skiers and boarders, with plenty of well groomed runs and reasonably safe off piste terrain.

Close to the Italian border, a series of chairlifts – Le Tremplin, Le Brousset and Le Rocher de Aigle – lead to Col Vert/Colletto Verde (2,527m), which is a wonderful Alpine viewpoint. A few metres from the top, a challenging steep slope (black 100) takes you down to Val Gimont and back to the Claviere ski area.

If you descend 200m on the French side and then turn right, there’s an easier route for intermediate skiers. These three French chairlifts access plenty of good black and red runs, as well as easy blue runs back to Mongenevre. The terrain and snow quality around piste 32 is undoubtedly the best on this side.

Sauze d’Oulx & Sansicario

Sauze d’Oulx, Sansicario and Jouvenceaux are in eastern Via Lattea. Access to the slopes is straightforward in Sauze and Sansicario. Jouvenceaux is served by a new chairlift, which takes you directly to the beginner’s area of Sauze Sportinia, which connects to the wider Sauze and ViaLattea ski area.

This eastern section of ViaLattea includes a fabulous selection of interesting runs from the top of Monte Fraiteve (2,680m) down to the villages of Sansicario, Jouvenceaux and Sauze d’Oulx. In Sauze, there are numerous long relaxing slopes winding through woodland and with frequent changes in gradients. Initially the piste layout can seem confusing, but in reality you cannot really go wrong!

Central to the Sauze section is the flat and sunny area of Sportinia (2,134m). Here you’ll find ski school offices, a beginner’s area, plenty of eating places and the two chairlifts (8/8b), which take you above the tree line to Rocce Nere.

There is a huge amount of off piste skiing in the Rio Nero Valley beyond Rocce Nere, but in bad weather or fog it can be difficult to get your bearings.

The steep ski lift (33 Rionero-Sansicario) leads you into the Sansicario area, and the four man chairlift (14 – Basset) leads to Col Basset (2,424m). From Col Bassett a long red run takes you to the Sestriere Borgata gondola middle station (15 – Col Basset). Borgata is a popular place for lunch en route to the extensive ski area of Sestriere Monte Banchetta and taking the gondola to Borgata is recommended, as route finding can be difficult on the lower section of this run.

The two best runs in Sauze both start at the top of the Triplex chairlift (6) at 2,450m. The first and easier of the two options, piste 29, starts by heading towards Pian delle Rocche, then downhill through a thick pine forest where you need to work your way through an amazing sequence of bends and differing gradients before you emerge in the village centre.

For the second, more difficult option, follow the pisted run to Sportinia, and then head for Sauze Prariond, via the Gran Pista -an old downhill race course. This 650m descent will almost certainly leave your thighs burning! Another favourite is piste number 12 to Jouvenceaux – a 1,000m drop on natural snow, half of it rarely pisted and bumpy at times – a real treat for pure skiers.

Sansicario is the place to be seen in the world of Italian skiing! Here there are wide, well groomed runs where you can increase your speed and improve your carving technique, and except at weekends, the slopes are largely deserted.

The runs down to the village from the top of Monte Fraiteve (2,701m) should not be missed. Piste 21 is used for women’s world cup downhill races and has a drop of almost 1000m. There are plenty of sudden variations, but it’s smooth and wide allowing you to accelerate to your limit without risk.

The longer, gentler runs numbered 79 and 71 follow the southern ridge of the Sansicario area, down to the Pariol gondola with opportunity to ski diversions through the pine forest, which is superb when skied untracked in fresh snow.

From Sansicario you have a choice of routes to Sestriere. You can take either the red run from the top of the Fraiteve (80), or the black run (82) from the top of the Roccia Rotonda chair lift to the middle station of the Fraiteve gondola.

Sestriere

At an altitude of 2,035m, Sestriere is a snow sure option with wonderful high Alpine scenery, lift access to 2,808m and plenty of well groomed skiing. It offers a complete range of skiing on mostly north and west facing slopes, from the gentle and convenient nursery slopes of the resort centre to the long steep runs which are used on the World Cup circuit.

Superbly positioned at the heart of the ViaLattea, Sestriere has its own extensive ski area as well as easy connections to both Sansicario and Sauze d’Oulx which enable you to ski a number of resorts in one day.

A couple of chairlifts and a drag lift lead to Monte Sises (2,600m) where, in addition to two Olympic runs there are lots of opportunities for freeriding off-piste. A lovely blue run (3) leads you to Sestriere Borgata from where you can access Monte Banchetta (2,555m) and Monte Motta (2,823m), which is the highest point in the ViaLattea. This area provides plenty of good skiing for intermediate and advanced skiers and boarders.

Centrally placed, the Kandahar Banchetta is the main Olympic downhill race course, and is a fantastic long run with a very steep start and a challenging finish. Then ride two 4-man chairlifts, Nuova Nube (20) and Chisonetto Banchetta (21) back up to the top, and study your next run down.

From the top of Monte Motta you can ski down to the left (32 black) and in good snow conditions, bear left again down to the bottom of the valley to rejoin the Chisonetto chair lift. There is no easy way down from Monte Banchetta – all the runs have a steep finish.

To connect with the neighbouring resorts, take the Col Basset gondola (15) from Sestriere Borgata towards Sauze d’Oulx, or the Fraiteve gondola (32) from opposite the Olympic Village, towards Sansicario.