A JEWEL IN THE SHADOW OF MONT BLANC

"...Courmayeur, at the foot of Mont Blanc,
has had more than its fair share [of fresh
snow], including at least a foot of fresh
powder at the end of last week. It is also
one of the best all-round resorts for a skiing
break, with a pretty village, a grand setting
and some of the finest mountain restaurants
in Italy ...

Spend the day .. exploring the mountain. The main ski area is fairly compact with good,
varied, mostly intermediate pistes weaving
above and below the treeline. In clear
weather, ski on the south side in the
mornings and the north side, which has
lovely views of Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco to
the Italians) in the afternoon.

Lunch on .. the piste, of course. Courmayeur mountain restaurants are not necessarily
fancy or expensive, but they do offer excellent Italian cooking, which is just what you
want after a hard morning's skiing ... Try Le Petit Mont Blanc, opposite the Zerotta
chairlift: crowded, but the service is very friendly and the pasta excellent. Main courses
about €10. La Maison Vieille, by the Tzaly drag lift, a laid-back bistro and a great location
on a sunny day: good value pastas and pizzas for €8. Rifugio di Monte Bianco, on the
black run down to the Zerotta: polenta specialities about €9.

Enjoy your après-ski at .. the bars on the Via Roma, the pedestrianised main street of the
village. The best of these is the Bar Roma - relax in antique sofas and enjoy a huge buffet
of free nibbles to go with your drinks.

Have dinner in .. your hotel. If you can get a half-board deal at a hotel, you should make
the most of it ... If you prefer to go out, for budget evenings the best pizzas in town are
at Du Tunnel on Via Circonvallazione ... For more of a treat, try the sophisticated French-
Italian cuisine at Cadran Solaire on Via Roma...

Stay up late at .. Poppy's Bar on the Via Circonvallazione. Open until 4.00 am, it has a
small dance floor and occasional live music. Alternatively, try Jimmy's nightclub
underneath the Hotel Astoria.

Recover by .. clearing your head on an off-piste excursion down the famous Vallée
Blanche - the glacier immediately below Mont Blanc - which runs down to Chamonix. It is
not technically demanding but you must have a guide. Expect to pay about €70 per head
(minimum group four) for the transfer to the Punta Helbronner cable car and the guiding.
Expert skiers can stay in Courmayeur and try the off-piste there: the best areas are off
the side of Cresta Youla down the Val Verny or from the top of Cresta d'Arp - but, again,
do not go without a qualified guide ..."

DAILY TELEGRAPH, 23/01/08