Valtournenche Ski Resort Guide
Valtournenche, Italy
Rated: 3/5 (from 6 ratings)
| Recommended For | Expert Skiers, Intermediates, Beginners, Snowboarders and Snowfall! |
|---|---|
| Total Piste Length | 60km37 miles |
| Highest Lift | 3,090m10,138ft |
| Resort Height | 1,520m4,987ft |
| Nearest Airports | Turin Caselle and Milan Malpensa |
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Valtournenche
Best known as having (unofficially) the second greatest vertical drop in the world, after Chamonix, but that involves using Zermatt's lifts and there is a drive to the lifts outside the village in the first place.
Summary
The Italian ski resort of Valtournenche is in the Italian Alps at an altitude of 1,520m4,987ft, with 60km37 miles of marked runs.
Valtournenche has direct access to 60km37 miles of downhill skiing, with 13 marked pistes, served by a total of 9 ski lifts.
The ski resort itself is at 1,520m4,987ft, so skiing or boarding back to the resort is usually possible. With ski lifts as high as 3,090m10,138ft, skiing and snowboarding is assured throughout the season.
Snow and Weather
When will it snow in Valtournenche?
The next notable snow forecast is 47cm18in, expected on 10 May, with around 85cm33in forecast over the next 7 days.
See our long-range Snow Forecast for the latest update, or Join our Snow Mail Here
Snow this week
| Sat | Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snow to 2,316m7,598ft | Snow to 2,068m6,785ft | Snow to base | Snow to base | Snow to base |
Ski Area Stats
Valtournenche Ski Area
| Black Pistes Expert Trails | 11 | 9km6 miles |
|---|---|---|
| Red Pistes Intermediate Runs | 41 | 98km61 miles |
| Blue Pistes Easy Trails | 20 | 41km25 miles |
| Downhill Total Length | 60km37 miles | |
| Cross Country Total Length | 13km8 miles | |
| Ski Lifts Number of Lifts | 9 | |
Altitudes
Valtournenche Ski Area Heights
| Highest Lift | 3,090m10,138ft |
|---|---|
| Lowest Piste | 1,610m5,282ft |
| Resort Altitude (Valtournenche) | 1,520m4,987ft |
| Max Vertical | 1,570m5,151ft |
Ratings & Suitability
| Expert Skiers | |
|---|---|
| Intermediate Skiers | |
| Beginners | |
| Snowboarding | |
| Snow | |
| Apres-Ski |
Valtournenche Overview
Best known as having (unofficially) the second greatest vertical drop in the world, after Chamonix, but that involves using Zermatt's lifts and there is a drive to the lifts outside the village in the first place.
Notable Ski Runs
The longest possible descent in Valtournenche is 15km9 miles long and the most difficult run is the 'Gran Pista di Valtournenche', which is 15km9 miles in length.
Skiing
The major features of Cervinia's skiing are vast snowy slopes below the towering peaks along the Swiss border , with only the lift towers sticking out above the ground level. For intermediates this is really joyful terrain with incredibly long trails falling away below you across the huge white landscape. The altitude brings good snow cover from top to bottom, even when the sun shines down as it frequently does.
The area was improved for going up as well as coming down in the 2006-7 season when a major investment, the biggest in the world in new lifts that season, brought in five new high capacity chairlifts, with almost all draglifts decommissioned as a result.
Apart from the descent from the Klein Matterhorn, one of Europe's highest lift-served points, down to Valtournenche, probably the longest on-piste in the world and over a vertical drop in excess of 2359m, there are many other long trails. One of the most popular is the 15km red back down from Plateau Rosà to the resort.
Cervinia is normally a good choice for beginners and near beginners as the wide open slopes above the resort and on one side down from Plan Maison are ideal (they're served by cabin lifts - so no need to worry about getting pulled over by a drag lift or falling off a chair when you try to stand up at the top).
Experts perhaps have the least to shout about, even with the long runs, but there are five shorter black runs - mostly just above the resort, and then the steep runs of Zermatt over the border . There is also a thriving heli-skiing business, taking skiers up to the 4,500 metre (nearly 15,000 feet) high Monte Rosa for long powder runs down to Valtournenche or Champoluc. For cross country skiers there are three high-altitude loops, one at resort level.
There are a variety of pistes to suit all levels of skier ability, from Beginner to Expert.
Snowboarding
The wide slopes are good for free boarding and large chunks of the terrain can be accessed by chairs and gondolas, but facilities for 'boarders are generally limited otherwise in comparison to other top European resorts. Unusually for a resort of this international standing there is no regular half pipe (except the pipe on the glacier above Zermatt) but there is a snowpark with plenty of healthy hits at Plan Maison, near the Fornet chairlift.
Location and Map
Where is Valtournenche?
This ski resort is in the Italian Alps.
Map
Tap 
for Full-Screen, or see J2Ski's Resort map, showing Hotels and Ski Shops.
How to get there
By Air
The nearest airport to Valtournenche is Turin Caselle, 82 minutes drive away.
Milan Malpensa, Sion, Milan Linate, Geneva, Turin Cuneo, Bergamo, Genoa, Annecy and Lugano airports are all within three hours drive.
Infrastructure
Ski Lift Capacity
The nine ski lifts are able to uplift 8,744 skiers and snowboarders every hour.
Snow Making
Snow-making is available, on 16km10 miles of ski runs, with 40 snow cannons.
Season Dates
When is Valtournenche open?
We don't currently have confirmed season dates, but hope to soon.
Usual opening is mid October (Normally open weekends only in October), and usual closing is Early April.
NOTE:- Ski area, lift and piste opening is subject to Current Snow Conditions.
COVID-19 / Coronavirus
We don't yet have specific details of the COVID-19 precautions being taken in Valtournenche, but they are likely to include most of the following :-
- Face masks required on lifts, and in shops.
- Social distancing in public areas.
- Reduced lift capacity.
- Extensive disinfection / sanitization.
French Ski Resort COVID-19 Measures describes further measures that may also be applied.
Visit the Valtournenche Tourist Office for the latest.
Talking about Valtournenche
Mentions in recent J2Ski News Items and Snow Reports from our users...
Aprés Ski
Cervinia has a reputation for lively and pricey après ski but this is based primarilly on the weekend crowds from Turin and Milan packing out the bars, restaurants and night clubs. That being said you still have a choice of 50 or so establishments whenever you visit. Popular bars include the Copa Pan Irish bar, which serves Irish beer (a good thing?) and attracts large numbers from the British Isles.
For a bit of Italian sophistication sup on a cocktail at Lino's Ice Rink bar or relax at the Café des Guides. There are a choice of two night clubs to see you through in to the small hours. Trips to the Casino in Saint Vincent are organised.
