Ski in Courmayeur

Skiing in Courmayeur

Courmayeur - Ski Resort in Aosta Valley, Italian Alps - 50km of Piste (1210m to 2760m)

Legendary ski and climbing resort, rich in tradition and natural ambience. Close to lifts over the border to Chamonix, which is included for one day on the lift pass, as is the fellow Aosta Valley resort of Pila.

Courmayeur

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Courmayeur Ski Facts

Courmayeur Ski Facts

		Expert Skiers
		Intermediate Skiers
		Beginners
		Snowboarding
		Snow
		Apres-Ski
	4	Black Pistes
	14	Red Pistes
	6	Blue Pistes
	3	Green Pistes
50km		Downhill Pistes
22km		Cross Country Pistes
21		Ski Lifts
1560m		Max Vertical
2760m		Highest Lift
1210m		Lowest Piste
1200m		Resort Altitude

Courmayeur

The Italian ski resort of Courmayeur is part of the Aosta Valley ski area with access to 180 individual pistes. In addition to the skiing in Courmayeur itself (50km of pisted ski runs), the appropriate ski Lift Pass will allow you to ski or snowboard in the other Aosta Valley ski resorts of Alagna Valsesia, Breuil-Cervinia, Crévacol, Etroubles, Pila and Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses.

With pistes above 2500 metres, skiing and snowboarding is assured throughout the season.

Snowmaking :- Courmayeur is able to augment natural snow, on 15km of ski runs, with 330 Snow Cannons.

Ski Lift Capacity :- The 21 Ski Lifts of Courmayeur are able to uplift 8,400 skiers / snowboarders per hour.

There are five Airports within two hours drive, so ski weekends, snowboard breaks and short ski holidays to Courmayeur are perfectly feasible.

Skiing in Courmayeur

Courmayeur can offer skiing for all standards, including famous runs such as the resort's World Cup Downhill and the International, a 6km (4 miles) run which drops 1000m (aprox 3500 feet) as it descends. Many runs are covered by snowmaking and the resort has a very good snow record.

There are two main ski areas. The largest, Chécrouit - Val Veny, directly above the resort, is largely suited to beginners and intermediates although there are some testing off-piste descents from top to bottom which may be undertaken with the assistance of a guide.

Serious skiers are likely to head for the more limited lift network of Mont Blanc, which serves steeper, more spectacular trails and links over to Chamonix which, along with Argentière further up the Chamonix Valley, is included on the Courmayeur lift pass.

Beginners have wide open slopes to gain confidence on, with tuition from the Mont Blanc Ski School, founded in 1936 and one of Italy's oldest and most prestigious. Intermediates are the most spoilt having both the wide open spaces and testing routes above Courmayeur and the ability to tackle the incredible runs that are unique to Mont Blanc.

There are several excellent skiing excursions on offer for skiers of intermediate standard and up, aged 10 or over, offered by the Alpine Guides Society of Courmayeur. The Guide Society was established in 1850 as a free association of Alpine professionals. The most famous run is the 20km (13 mile) descent of the Vallée Blanche down to Chamonix from Helbronner Point (3369m), reached in half an hour from the La Palud cable car station. The descent takes around 4 - 5 hours allowing for breaks for food, drink and photographs. Once in Chamonix participants traditionally enjoy a gigantic beer before returning to Courmayeur by bus through the Mont Blanc Tunnel.

For more experienced skiers there is a 2000 metre vertical descent down to La Palud which begins at Helbronner Point and continues over the Toula Glacier, after which it is named. Other popular runs are the Col d'Arp, l'Arp Veille and the Couloir of Dolonne.

Finally The guides offer heliskiing excursions to the best runs around the Aosta Valley, which offers some of the most extensive off-piste skiing in Europe. Finally, cross country skiers are also spoilt for choice with up to 35km (22 miles) of trails to enjoy around this part of the Aosta Valley.

Snowboarding in Courmayeur

At the time of compiling this report Courmayeur advised that a snowboarding area is planned for the near future. In common with most Italian resorts it is otherwise a case of free riding the resorts slopes. Although there are some drags, it is also possible to go to the top on cable cars and gondolas. As with skiing there is plenty of off-piste terrain to enjoy with a guide, including the Vallée Blanche down to Chamonix.

Courmayeur does tend to attract a higher percentage of boarders than most other Italian resorts, perhaps because of its serious mountain sports reputation and lively nightlife.

Courmayeur Aprés Ski

The resort's main street is a joy for après skiers with numerous bars and cafes dotted around the pedestrianised centre. After the lifts close the Roma is a popular meeting point, whilst many just like to parade around window shopping for a while before getting ready for dinner. The buzz increases dramatically when well-dressed weekenders arrive from Turin and Milan on Friday through to Sunday to fill the resort.

There are many famous and popular bars including Bar Roma, American Bar, Caffé della Posta, Caffé del Centro, and the Cadran Solaire. There are a couple of nightclubs. Other possibilities include a trip to the casino in St. Vincent.

Courmayeur Snow Reports by e-mail

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Courmayeur in brief

Courmayeur Ski Resort is:
Excellent for Expert Skiers.
Excellent for Intermediate Skiers.
Good for Beginners.
Good for Snowboarding.
Opened : December 8, 2012
Closed : April 21, 2013
Opening Subject To Snow Conditions.

Courmayeur Snow Forecast

Courmayeur Piste Map

Map of Courmayeur