Tales from Sauze - 4th - 18th Jan

Seeing as Sauze is getting a lot of attention today, thought I’d make an effort and get round to writing about my recent trip (photos may have to go on the Facebook group as I haven’t figured out posting them on here yet.) :roll:

We flew out on the 4th Jan and everything was great until we got to Turin Airport where it took us 45 minutes to claim our baggage and then another 45 to get the skis. :evil: Finally made it to the resort mid afternoon and had a leisurely afternoon wandering around and unpacking (OH wouldn’t let me buy a half day pass and disappear up the mountain for 2 hours!)

The hotel (Gran Baita) was as good as ever – Paulo and his staff were fantastic and couldn’t do enough for you. We paid a very small supplement when we booked for a bigger room (3 beds rather than 2) and this was well worth it. We had loads of space and the bathroom was fantastic with a jacuzzi bath to ease those aching muscles.
The food was excellent and plentiful, though the drinks were pricey (everywhere, not just the hotel.) The company was also excellent and we made a lot of friends, some of whom we skied with in an afternoon.

The snow was absolutely AMAZING so if Sauze is on your ‘to do list’ now is probably the best you’re ever going to get. :D According to Alex (instructor week 1), even if they have no more, there’s probably enough to last until April!! We had three days of solid snow so the powder skiing was great (though after spending the Tuesday freezing on a chairlift in a snowstorm we invested in face masks!) Generally it was clear blue skies and sunshine, though we did have one run where the mist came in and we couldn’t see 3 feet in front of us which was a little scary. :shock:

We booked ski school for the first week and had a great time, despite myself and OH being split up. Excellent ski school group, lots of fun and plenty of miles under the skis. I also discovered courtesy of one of the group that getting out a tub of Vaseline (as in the kind used as lip balm) in a pub in Italy causes a few stares and raised eyebrows. Apparently (according to the Italian she was talking to) Vaseline is used for two things in Italy: “to make the sex and to make the tattoo.” You learn something new everyday… :wink:

Having to keep up with a group that were all much better than I was (>5 weeks on skis compared with my 1) brought my confidence on leaps and bounds, and by the 2nd day I had skied runs I imagined it would be years before I was capable of. However not sure about my technique as on several occasions I was told I was skiing like a mannequin…. :oops:

In week 2 we had private lessons with Sergio, who I can thoroughly recommend. Well worth the investment as we both improved a lot. We had the confidence to ski a lot on our own, however I couldn’t coax my OH away from Sauze without an instructor. We did Sestriere as part of a 3 hour private lesson which was great for me as the runs were more of a challenge. Sadly, most of the Olympic run was closed as they were preparing it for the forthcoming downhill, though I did get to try a short section which was fun. I also had a go at a black (can’t remember which one) which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I can imagine that Sestriere is ideal when the snow in Sauze is lacking but it looks like it could be a bit bleak if the weather closes in being higher. Sauze certainly seems the better place to stay (much more traditional) - Sestriere looked too artificial for my liking.
My main regret with this trip was that I didn’t get the chance to explore more of Sestriere and Sansicario, however as going alone wasn’t an option, it couldn’t be helped.

Runs wise, there were so many to choose from it’s hard to pick favourites. For sheer length, Red 12 from the top of the two man chair all the way down to Jovenceaux was fantastic, however unless the snow is good, this is not possible. The first few times it was great (after 3 solid days of snow) however towards the end of our 2nd week it was starting to deteriorate.

An alternative run home on an evening (which brings you out at the bottom of the Sportinia chair) is the Gran Pista off Red 11. Just below Sportinia there is a left turn which takes you on to this run which I’m told used to be downhill course about 40 years ago. It’s very quiet and bordered with trees so useful if the visibility isn’t great. This is a lot more of a challenge than red 11 though, as it’s steeper and a bit narrow in places. Well worth a look.

To beat the crowds, I would recommend heading over to the Moncrons area to the left of Sauze. We went on a busy Saturday morning and were lucky to see another skier every 15 minutes or so. The views from the top are awesome (sadly, no photos as my OH had the camera) and Red 3000 from the top is a lovely (if steep) run down. Reds 35 and 36 are also great, and I’m told that Red 34 onto Black 34 is worth a look, though I didn’t have chance to try it.

For a quick run before lunch, I liked Black 16 from Sportinia which merges with Red 12 part way down. Don’t be put off doing this by the black grading as it definitely feels no more than a red. From Red 12, take either the first or second right turn (the first turning is the steeper of the two), which brings you to the mid-station of the Jovenceaux lift. This drops you just above Sportinia.

For morning skiing, the ‘Bowl’ is certainly the warmest. Take the two man chair from Sportinia and go straight ahead and you come on to a lovely wide red (48?) If you carry on down you will come a to 4 man chair (which takes you to the Gondola for Sestriere) and there are some great runs from the top of this. There’s also a drag lift further down which you need to get back to slopes leading down to Sportinia.

For anyone trying to get their ski legs back, a nice easy run from the top of the two man chair is (I think!) Red 14. Ski down the path from the chair and ski across the run coming from above you (which can get busy with ski schools.) If you keep right, then this slopes gently down – left is a little steeper though still very easy. If you go past the first left turn (Red 12) then you eventually come to a second left. Take this and you have a nice easy run down to Sportinia, keeping to the right fork later on as left takes you back on to Red 12.) There is a run signposted beginners here however I didn’t like this at all, as it was a case of snowplough all the way which killed my knees last year. If you follow the first beginners sign and ignore the second (go straight ahead instead of left) this takes you on to Black 15 (took me about 5 attempts to figure out how to get on to this!) This is fantastic run back to Sportinia, either under the two man chair or just to the left.

Another easy option is Red 29. From the top of the two man chair head down Red 11 towards the building on the corner (not sure what it is.) From here, left takes you down Red 11 to Sportinia (excellent run, though a bit steeper) and right is Red 29 which is a pretty straightforward run down to the 4 man chair. Keep left and look out for the Red 29 signs as this eventually merges with Red 42 under the chairlift if you go straight (fun, but steeper.)

For places to eat, we liked the left hand restaurant at Sportinia (can’t remember the name.) For a mid morning hot chocolate, the Clotes Bar at the top of the Clotes lift was by far the best and also cheaper than elsewhere.

There were a couple of interesting sights on the slopes – I have photos of Batman and Robin on snowboards and we also passed a herd of (well, 4) cows, complete with udders, tails and floppy ears. They had chosen skis rather than boards though sadly I was too slow with the camera to get a photo!

Now trying to convince OH that another ski trip is a good idea – will have to keep an eye open for some late deals. Having landed at Newcastle where it was blowing a gale and got as far as the car park exit to find smoke billowing from the engine the temptation to take the next plane back to the Alps was immense. Ah well, back to work… :(

Brilliant.
Sauze rocks.

Hi Lynn

so glad you had a great time, wow what a write up, the best publicity we can ask for in sauze....sorry about the vaseline bit amazing how different cultures use and see different things different ways, hope you will be back soon as since you have left we have had 3 large snowfalls again in fact I am sitting here writing this whilst all the white fluff is coming down
take care see you soon

brilliant write up Lynn.
sounds like you had no trouble with the knees?

Hi Caron,

Knees were great thanks - just a very occasional twinge on the drag lifts. All the exercises and hours before work on the cross trainer definitely paid off.

Really glad to hear you had such a great time in N and hope the next trip is just as good. It sounds like the hospitality and company were second to none.

With everything you've been through, you're an inspiration to us all and proof that if you're passionate about something, nothing should stand in your way.

Happy skiing :D

that's really nice of you lynn.
here, have 5 stars on me :D