Ski Lifts in Monterosa
The Monterosa ski lifts are open from early December to mid April and the Monterosa ski lift pass covers all of the lifts across three valleys, including several small resorts not lift-connected to the main domain.
Monterosa Ski Lifts
New investment by the Aosta Valley Regional Government, has considerably updated the infrastructure in recent years, and just a few older lifts now remain. Low skier numbers keep the system running smoothly, and queues even on the busiest weekends, seldom exceed 10 minutes.
Champoluc Ski Lifts
The Ayas Valley has two lifts into the Monterosa ski region, the Crest gondola from Champoluc village and the Frachey lift from the hamlet of the same name, 2km further north up the valley. Further down the valley are two separate smaller regions, Antagnod and Estoul, above Brusson. Both are covered by the Monterosa lift pass, but are not connected by lift to the main domain.
The funicular lift from Frachey (served by the ski bus) is also useful for slower skiers who would like to make the full tour to Alagna. Starting at Frachey saves time and is also an option for the return journey, if you don’t get back in time to make all the lift connections back to the Crest.
Gressoney Ski Lifts
At the head of the valley, Stafal gives lift access to both sides of the Gressoney valley. There is a large free car park at Stafal as well as some bars, restaurants, ski hire and a couple of new hotels. To the west, a cable car followed by a four seater chairlift reaches the Col Bettaforca, and from there, the Champoluc ski area.
To the east, a six seater gondola is followed by a bigger gondola up to Passo dei Salati and from there, the Alagna ski area. Departing from just below Passo dei Salati, the new Salati – Indren lift opens up a huge range of approachable off piste skiing. From the 3,275m arrival point choose between runs back to Gabiet or down to Stafal through the Salza Valley area of Gressoney.
The village of Gressoney La Trinite has a chairlift to Punta Jolanda – the easiest way into this lower section of the eastern side of the Gressoney Valley, when based in La Trinite. There’s another chairlift from the main road between La Trinite and Stafal at Orsia, which 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 is also a beginner’s drag lift on the Weissmatten’s lower slopes and a baby park with carpet lifts, on the opposite side of the road.
Alagna Ski Lifts
A gondola from the village arrives in Pianalunga (2,046m), from where there is a cable car to Passo dei Salati (2,971m) for the Gressoney area, or a chairlift to Bocchetta delle Pisse. The new high speed Salati – Indren cable car from just below Passo dei Salati on the Gressoney side, arrives at a height of 3,275m at the edge of the glacier. This lift opens up a vast area of off-piste skiing including the huge La Balma run, from the Bors glacier to Alagna.
Monterosa Lift Passes
The Monterosa lift pass covers the 180km of piste of the linked resorts of Champoluc, Gressoney and Alagna. It also covers the smaller unlinked ski areas of each of the three valleys. Non skiers can purchase tickets for the main gondolas out of the villages and there are also beginner specific tickets, which give access to the beginners areas and carpet lifts.
Children up to age 6 are entitled to a free lift pass where an accompanying adult buys one of the same duration, and children aged between 6 and 12 are entitled to a half price pass. Those aged 65 and over are also entitled to a reduced rate. Proof of age will be required for free or reduced rate passes. Lift passes can be purchased at all the valley bottom lift stations.
Other Aosta Valley resorts nearby include Pila, La Thuile and Cervinia and for those prepared to travel, the Val d’Aosta lift pass gives unlimited access to all Aosta Valley resorts, that’s 170 lifts and 718km of pistes.