ITALY'S AOSTA VALLEY - A CORNUCOPIA OF WINTER DELIGHTS (Extracts from article in Ski & Board Magazine Feb/Mar 2007)

"Mountains? Italy's Aosta Valley has the pick of the crop: which other region could boast the Matterhorn, Mont Blanc, Monte Rosa and Gran Paradiso - all over 4000 metres - in its grasp? Few, if any, ski regions in the world can match the variety, charm, cuisine and spectacular scenery of north-west Italy's celebrated Aosta Valley with its 878 kms (almost 550 miles) of pistes spread among 28 ski villages. Some features and locations - the mighty Matterhorn, or Cervino (as this iconic rock is known on the Italian side) and the towering crags of Monte Rosa - are universally famous. So too the truly breathtaking views of the Monte Bianco massif (4807 m) with its pinnacles, jagged peaks and glaciers,
from the delightful skiing and climbing villages of Courmayeur and neighbouring Entreves. And the fascination and picturesque old Roman town of Aosta (Augusta Praetoria). But then there are the more secret spots - known only to the cognoscenti, but deserving a far wider audience. Who couldn't fail to be overawed by the stunning view across the valley to Gran Paradisco from the top of the slopes at the little-known ski area of Pila? .... And what of the charms of La Thuile with extensive slopes, helicopter skiing and links with the French resort of La Rosiere? The Aosta Valley - reached easily from the three
international airports at Turin, Milan and Geneva - may be Italy's smallest region (autonomous since 1948), but being a mountainous region it also has the lowest population density - one of the reasons for its idyllic ambience. All in all, there is almost too much variety in this exceptional region to take it all in!

The town of AOSTA has the second biggest array of Roman ruins in Italy after Rome itself ...

Regular visitors to the picturesque skiing and climbing town of COURMAYEUR in the Valle del Monte Bianco, with its narrow cobbled streets and attractive shops, bars and restaurants will encounter some major improvements. The big story this winter is that the motorway now runs under the mountain all the way to the Mont Blanc tunnel, so the main road is now free of major traffic. This will make a huge difference to the resort's ambience. On the mountain, the most exciting news is the construction of a new eight-person gondola from Dolonne to Plan Checrouit, enabling skiers and boarders to access
Courmayeur's main slopes from a base area outside the town. This will put the charming village of Dolonne firmly on the map as a destination in its own right. As well as this, the old Pra Neyron double chair is being replaced with a fast six-person chair connecting the new Dolonne gondola. This will cut out the long walk from the top of the main cable car to the other lifts in the ski area and relieve the occasional bottleneck experienced in Courmayeur during high season and at weekends.

Many skiers come to Courmayeur for the ultimate lift - the helicopter. The resort has excellent heliskiing, and hardcore skiers can also experience - with a guide - the Italian route down the Vallee Blanche and the challenging Toula glacier down to La Palud. Courmayeur is also a big attraction because of its vast array of mountain restaurants: there are now no fewer than 23, with almost every possible variety of food and other refreshments. In the village the pattern continues, with more than 50 restaurants and 100 shops within just one pedestrianised kilometre of the picturesque old town,
including outlets for major designer products like Hermes, Prada, Cartier and Gant. Every night visitors stroll along the quaint and bustling Via Roma for their traditional 'passegiata', or stroll. At the Forum Sports Centre there's a chance to try other sports such as indoor tennis, squash, ice-skating or the climbing wall. For the 'wellness' enthusiasts there's now a wonderful attraction just outside the town - the new Pre St Didier spa (www.termedipre.it), four kilometres from Courmayeur. There's a spectacular
outside pool with stunning views of the Mont Blanc mountain chain, with naturally heated thermal water at a constant temperature of 37 degrees ... (www.vallemontebianco.it)

LA THUILE is that rare and delightful resort where the locals remember you year after year, and always welcome you back. Linked with the French resort of La Rosiere, it's a large ski area (Espace San Bernardo), with a single lift pass covering 74 runs totalling 150 k on both sides of the border. There's some great off-piste too (so excellent heliskiing opportunities), and a dedicated boadercross area too. The pass includes free use of the ski bus to the nearby resort of Courmayeur. The 37 lifts have a capacity of 54,000 skiers an hour, which far exceeds the 2,500 hotel beds, so queues are virtually unheard of. There's an extensive choice of runs for all levels, and the north-facing slopes mean snow-
sure skiing right through to the end of April. But just in case, the area has 300 snowguns. The resort has been busy planting trees on some of the higher slopes around the Arnouaz chair to improve visibility and provide shelter for skiers on colder days. The new Belvedere chair in the Fourclaz bowl accesses two black runs and a good selection of off-piste terrain. There's a ski playground for youngsters, as well as snowtubing, a free magic carpet and rop tow for beginners and a free miniclub for children. Snowsports are hungry work, and there's no shortage of refuelling pit-stops; new restaurants provide self-service and snack bars on the mountain and there's a wide variety of cuisine at the resort's 23 restaurants. There are 23 bars too where you'll be warmly welcomed with great
aperitivi. And there are courtesy buses down to the newly opened health spa in Pre St Didier for a little relaxation after skiing before dinner and a good night's sleep at any of the 15 hotels or 350 apartments. (www.lathuile.it)

At PILA, a largely undiscovered ski area high above the romantic old town of Aosta itself - a scenic 18 minute ride in the cable car - there's been an upgrade in the piste layout and a general remodelling of the layout of the ski area. There are two big snowparks, including a new one opening in the Grand Grimod area, with a halfpipe. And the resort has recently invested in increased snowmaking facilities ... Just across the heights of Pila's ski area is a stunning 360 degrees view across some of the highest peaks in Italy, including the Gran Paradiso national park - a true paradise, as its name suggest, for lovers of the great outdoors seeking authentic wilderness. Dominated by the highest mountain entirely
in Italy - the Gran Paradiso at 4061 m - it truly is a magnificent area to explore, with superb cross- country and snowshoe tracks. But you can also take to the skies with your skis (and snowboards) for some outstanding heliskiing. It's an area not only famous for its wide-open spaces and excellent snow - it has a majestic array of historic castles too, including those at Sarre, Saint Pierre, Aymavilles, Avise and Introd, along with some important Roman remains. Since the Romans were here, this means, of course, that there are some wonderful local wines. (The region is also famous for its applies and
cheeses). (www.pila.it)

The Romans who flourished in the Aosta Valley all those centuries ago were definitely onto something. Something very special. That's why, in the new millennium, they still come here - not as invaders - but as tourists, hungry for skiing, scenery and the local cuisine".