Latest posts for the topic "Montgenevre advice please"

Montgenevre advice please

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 11:35:04 GMT

Hi,
Booked to go to Montgenevre on Feb 25th, any tips or advice for on / off piste would be really welcome Particularly about traversing onto the milky way?

Cheers :D

Re:Montgenevre advice please

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 13:14:36 GMT

There is a reasonable about of good on/off piste sking at Montgenevre on both sides of the hill. The flog to the MW is a little torturous so leave early, get over to Sauze and Sestriere where the skiing is realy fine. BUT make sure you give yourself plenty on time to get back as its a VERY expensive taxi ride else. Try a day down the road at Serre Chevalier.

Re:Montgenevre advice please

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 13:42:17 GMT

Some lovely skiing at Montgenevre. On the north side of the road a good fun boardercross and at the end of it, across the piste is a natural pipe which is a real hoot.

On the south side of the road there is some unusualy great skiing for beginners, top to bottom.

I have found taxis quite reasonable and would suggest, to get a good days skiing, maybe skiing over to Sauze and getting a taxi back after a few beers at the end of the day. Get a quote and book it before you go.

Serre Che is a good suggestion but you can't ski there from Montgenevre the you can see it.

Re:Montgenevre advice please

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 14:49:56 GMT

Although quite rewarding and some great skiing in good conditions, the run over to Cesana / Sansicario and the rest of the Mily Way takes quite a long time via the Rocher de l'Aigle and the long descent from Sagna Longa. We found that starting from the bubble at La Comba in Cesana was a quicker way in and the parking is free at the base of the lift. It's only 10-15 mins drive back to Montgenevre.
An authentic mountain restaurant for lunch is Ciao Pais which is above Sauze d'Oulx. You'll find the food and drinks are a bit cheaper on the Italian side. If you do ski over from Montgenevre there's a great coffee (1Euro) / hot choc (3Euro) stop at the Canalino Bar above Claviere.
When we did the Milky Way the lifts closed at 16h15 giving us just enough time to ski back down to the bubble to Cesana which closes around 16h45. Look out for signs saying what time you need to get back by.
Enjoy!

Re:Montgenevre advice please

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 18:00:26 GMT

Walk or bus to Claviere and get on the lifts over there to save some time getting on to the Milky Way.
Tour ops usually do days out so maybe worth taking their bus to Sauze or Sestriere and having a full day there.
Thoroughly recommend a day in Serre Che, or two.
MontG has some nice skiing, but the local area is reasonable limited for a week and you'll want to branch out if you're mileage hungry.

Re:Montgenevre advice please

Sat, 4 Feb 2012 10:46:11 GMT

Cheers for all the good info as always people, any apre piste knowledge would work too for me?

Thanks again :lol:

Re:Montgenevre advice please

Sat, 4 Feb 2012 14:54:29 GMT

vanillamart wrote:Cheers for all the good info as always people, any apre piste knowledge would work too for me?

Thanks again :lol:

Pretty low key in MontG from what I recall. Lots of Ruperts on mobiles selling shares and companies.

Re:Montgenevre advice please

Sat, 4 Feb 2012 15:06:18 GMT

Tony hasn't been to the Rois Mages then. More Sauze than Chelsea.

If the snow is good, you can off-piste most of the run down to Cesana from the top of eagle Rock. High up on Cimes Saurel keep right of the slope, then across and throughout the trees to the Gimont chair (make sure you have all the arva kit with you or you face heavy on-the-spot fine in Italy). From the top there it's all downhill to Cesana following the route of the old red run rather than the blue path. I skied to the other side of the bridge yesterday.

Off-piste in Montgenevre, Eagle Rock French side, plenty of opportunity for off-piste and down throughout the gullies from the Chalvet side into the west of the village.

As for Milky Way on-piste the far high runs of Sestiere are great and more snow-sure than Sauze.

Having said that the Sauze runs through the trees are lovely when the snow is good. ( there's a fabulous new one). On the way home take the Olympic Black down from the top of the mountain to the Sansicario Bubble. Make sure you're down in Cesana by 4pm at the VERY latest to make the last lifts.

Re:Montgenevre advice please

Sat, 4 Feb 2012 18:01:49 GMT

Did anyone inform you that off piste in Italy is actually illegal?

More Sauze than Chelsea? Didn't you mean more Chelsea than Sauze? Mind you, I havent seen a Chelsea shirt in Sauze before. Just a few Scotland ones.....

Re:Montgenevre advice please

Sat, 4 Feb 2012 18:12:58 GMT

Tony_H wrote:Did anyone inform you that off piste in Italy is actually illegal?

Where have you got that from Tony?

AFAIK, it is now mandatory to carry avi kit if going off-piste in Italy - but I'm not sure if that's actually law or locally-enforced rules of the ski areas.

I've only heard of one resort (Livigno) that has banned it completely.

Anyone else shed any light on this?

Re:Montgenevre advice please

Sun, 5 Feb 2012 10:53:21 GMT

We've just come back from Italy. I am not good enough to ski off piste but if it had been illegal I am sure the reps would've informed us.

Re:Montgenevre advice please

Sun, 5 Feb 2012 10:57:37 GMT

Found this from last yr and tbh I find it very shocking. Given the amount of piste there is to ski on, I think people should think twice about skiing off piste. Not only are you endangering your own lives but you're causing potential avalanches in some areas. I know some people will disagree but come on, safety should be paramount.

Re:Montgenevre advice please

Sun, 5 Feb 2012 10:58:04 GMT

sorry link http://www.cntraveller.com/news/2010/february/off-piste-skiers-to-face-ban-in-italy

Re:Montgenevre advice please

Sun, 5 Feb 2012 11:01:01 GMT

Have done some more searching
http://www.skiclub.co.uk/skiclub/skiresorts/countrymountain.aspx/Italy#OffPistePolicy

"Off piste policy in Italy"
Although it is actually illegal to ski off-piste in Italy, we found that the guides actively encouraged it and the heli-ski companies seem to have immunity. Although we would never encourage anyone to engage in illegal activities, it seems to be a law that is seldom enforced. It goes without saying that any off-piste activity requires transceiver, probe and shovel, as well as the ability to use this equipment.

So Tony H is spot on!

Re:Montgenevre advice please

Sun, 5 Feb 2012 11:27:02 GMT

Discodee wrote:Have done some more searching
http://www.skiclub.co.uk/skiclub/skiresorts/countrymountain.aspx/Italy#OffPistePolicy

"Off piste policy in Italy"
Although it is actually illegal to ski off-piste in Italy, we found that the guides actively encouraged it and the heli-ski companies seem to have immunity. Although we would never encourage anyone to engage in illegal activities, it seems to be a law that is seldom enforced. It goes without saying that any off-piste activity requires transceiver, probe and shovel, as well as the ability to use this equipment.

So Tony H is spot on!

I thank you. I remember seeing that somewhere last season, and heard of certain places where people have been thrown off the mountain and had lift passes taken away, but not sure about actually facing charges.
I only want people to be careful and not get into trouble.
Personally I often bob off piste, but not usually too far. Itinerary routes which are marked and patrolled seem to be the best option, if there are any.

Re:Montgenevre advice please

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 17:02:02 GMT

The laws in Italy are region specific. In Piedmont and Aosta, it's at your own risk and with the correct equipment.

There's between piste, off-piste and back country skiing, each with different elements of risk. It doesn't stop idiots, but calculated risks are what life is about. Hurtling down a crowded slope at 35 miles an hour is just as risky.

Know the mountain, respect the mountain.

Re:Montgenevre advice please

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 19:14:55 GMT

yeah, that's what bloody annoys me. Black run skiers can play on them all day, fast as they like. On a blue where some skiers will have only just learned to snow plough and there are loads of small kids, advanced skiers should have the good grace to tootle down them gently. Any inexperienced skier could suddenly go anywhere and a fast skier hitting them could be fatal for both

Re:Montgenevre advice please

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 19:19:10 GMT

Discodee wrote:yeah, that's what bloody annoys me. Black run skiers can play on them all day, fast as they like. On a blue where some skiers will have only just learned to snow plough and there are loads of small kids, advanced skiers should have the good grace to tootle down them gently. Any inexperienced skier could suddenly go anywhere and a fast skier hitting them could be fatal for both

I do not like congested pistes I rather pull over to the side and let them all ski past 8)

Re:Montgenevre advice please

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 19:39:14 GMT

Lol I sometimes do that, but as soon as one lot goes by, another lot always appears! I used to be telling the kids to wait and my son'd be shouting, "Oh come on Mum, we've been here aaages!"

Re:Montgenevre advice please

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 19:41:15 GMT

Discodee wrote:Have done some more searching
http://www.skiclub.co.uk/skiclub/skiresorts/countrymountain.aspx/Italy#OffPistePolicy

"Off piste policy in Italy"
Although it is actually illegal to ski off-piste in Italy, we found that the guides actively encouraged it and the heli-ski companies seem to have immunity. Although we would never encourage anyone to engage in illegal activities, it seems to be a law that is seldom enforced. It goes without saying that any off-piste activity requires transceiver, probe and shovel, as well as the ability to use this equipment.

So Tony H is spot on!

My friend just came back from Courmayeur where they hired a guide to ski the Italian variation of Vallee Blanche. If off-piste is illegal in Italy why wouldn't they just stop people boarding the tram to the monte bianco with skis? And Courmayeur itself offers a free-ride itinerary for which you don't even need a guide, it's shown on a map. Strange law if it's not even enforced. I heard that it's illegal to ski off-piste in Italy when the avalanche danger is beyond certain mark but I doubt there is a blanket ban.

Re:Montgenevre advice please

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 20:11:34 GMT

Lots of laws aren't enforced. Do you know it is an offence to leave the engine running in ANY stationary vehicle in England, carrying a GBP1000 max fine? In Blackpool it is enforced, but most places, people don't know it exists. In fact I spoke to a cop about it once and he said there was no such law. I told him to look through his book. He did and looked at me very red faced after doing so!!!!!

Re:Montgenevre advice please

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 20:18:05 GMT

Tony_H wrote:

Discodee wrote:Have done some more searching
http://www.skiclub.co.uk/skiclub/skiresorts/countrymountain.aspx/Italy#OffPistePolicy

"Off piste policy in Italy"
Although it is actually illegal to ski off-piste in Italy, we found that the guides actively encouraged it and the heli-ski companies seem to have immunity. Although we would never encourage anyone to engage in illegal activities, it seems to be a law that is seldom enforced. It goes without saying that any off-piste activity requires transceiver, probe and shovel, as well as the ability to use this equipment.

So Tony H is spot on!

I thank you. I remember seeing that somewhere last season, and heard of certain places where people have been thrown off the mountain and had lift passes taken away, but not sure about actually facing charges.
I only want people to be careful and not get into trouble.
Personally I often bob off piste, but not usually too far. Itinerary routes which are marked and patrolled seem to be the best option, if there are any.

Itineraries are not patrolled. They are only marked. When the avalanche danger is high resorts stop lift service.

Re:Montgenevre advice please

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 20:50:28 GMT

Volf wrote:The laws in Italy are region specific. In Piedmont and Aosta, it's at your own risk and with the correct equipment.

There's between piste, off-piste and back country skiing, each with different elements of risk. It doesn't stop idiots, but calculated risks are what life is about. Hurtling down a crowded slope at 35 miles an hour is just as risky.

Know the mountain, respect the mountain.

Yep, I'm with you on that.

Re:Montgenevre advice please

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 21:32:34 GMT

Skiing off-piste in Italy is not illegal, but under Italian law Nr. 363 Art. 17 it is mandatory to carry an avalanche beacon if there is an obvious avalanche risk (level 3 or above). In the province of Piemonte this has been superseded by a local law (Legge regionale 26 gennaio 2009, n. 2 Art. 30) which requires that an avalanche beacon, probe and shovel be carried at all times when skiing and snowboarding off-piste. Failure to comply can result in a fine of up to 250 Euro. There is a 'sticky' on Italian snow sport laws on this forum: http://www.skiforum.it/forum/discussioni-generali/9680-legislazione-sci.html

The ban on off-piste skiing at Livigno has been lifted. http://www.ilovelivigno.com/liv/2012/01/revoca-del-divieto-di-fuori-pista/
http://www.livigno.eu/it/inverno/news/regolamentazione-dello-sci-in-pista-e-fuoripista-sulle-aree-sciabili-del-comune-di-livigno

Re:Montgenevre advice please

Tue, 7 Feb 2012 15:32:59 GMT

I spoke to a local Pisteur on the Italian side of the mountain, he confirmed SwingBeep's account. He also said that they have notices in the local paper specifying day-to-day opening, closures and avalanche risks. The local police and Carabinieri also patrol the slopes and can fine wrongdoers.