Lots of flat spots even on the black runs makes this place very difficult for boarders.
The famed free ride area has been closed since I got here and today the whole place is closed as there's too much snow.
Most of the lifts are old and there's not really the infrastructure to manage.
The towns have limited bars and ski shops so when the mountain is closed there is nothing to do.
On the plus side its a very quiet resort.
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After my daughter crashed while trying to traverse from the 4-5 runs available to the Monterosa ski school, the policeman who accompanied the paramedic who stretchered her down the mountain said that Monterosa s not good for learners. He had spent the entire day ferrying injured people down the mountain who got hurt on the black runs you cannot avoid.

For some reason, they designed the mountain to force skiers to take an extremely difficult black run, steep with moguls for about half a kilometre, to get across to the easier and nicer slopes.

The Monterosa ski school teaches on slopes which face the sun so the snow is sticky and the surface bumpy after snow overnight. There was little pisting by snowcats to reduce the moguls. Both my children, on their third and fourth ski week respectively, fell multiple times and my daughter went to hospital. Her ski instructor took the class on a black run, after saying they would not do a black run, because otherwise they would only get to ski the same few slopes again and again.

The resort has not invested in a lift to bypass this horrible black, and to be honest the lifts range from newish to 20-30 years old. Many are 2 person chairs with hard seats, no hoods and no slow down for children. No drag lifts thankfully but the infrastructure isn't very new. At the junctions, I couldn't see maps showing which runs are open, temperature gauges or even clocks.

The other major flaw of this resort - a deal breaker for any family holiday - is that all the slopes within 90 mins of the ski school are linear, no bowls that open up options on two or more sides, just straight up and down. So because the ski school lasts only 3 hours before pick up, parents basically ski the same slopes day after day, because you can't get to new slopes before you have to turn back to pick up children in time.

And because the ski school doesn't have a ski all day option with lunch included during the school holidays, you have to return to pick up kids, find some lunch and then ski the same linear slopes you skied in the morning, possibly reaching a little further along the line of the mountain before you have to turn back due to light and closing lifts.

You can avoid the black runs by taking the gondola down to the village, taking a bus and then a lift to the gentler slopes but it's a time waster which means less skiing for families.

This all makes for a monotonous holiday. Ironically we only picked this resort because the ski school advertised a group option with all day skiing including lunch. When we contacted them before flying in, they told us this was available only the day after we left. I guess they do not have enough instructors or changed their minds.

As a family, I would avoid this resort until it invests in a redesign to bypass the unavoidable blacks and perhaps a relocation of the ski school to where less experienced children can ski with less chance of injury.
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Leaving a review here as I have found others so helpful on this site. We just spent 3 days in the beautiful Gressoney Valley for a first trip here, having been to Cervinia, Courmayeur and Pila previously in the Aosta Valley. It has to be said, that this valley feels like a truly old landscape and the various traditional villages that line the winding road to Gressoney at times seem hardly touched since they first formed, a unique and spellbinding atmosphere once you begin your ascent from Pont Saint Martin.

We have however, surely been here during one of the worst seasons ever, with snow cover very limited across the mountains, it hasn't snowed in over a month, with freezing levels well over 2k most days, resulting in large swathes of brown grass sadly evident across the whole range in the valley, but but the Monterosa resort have done an excellent job in keeping the pistes very skiable, we enjoyed a few days of unbroken sunshine and very enjoyable cruising around the pistes, which were excellent in the mornings, but certainly getting a little cut up and slushy in the pinch point runs by early afternoon. Obviously we didn't get a taste of the famous freeriding here, and we had pretty much seen it all in terms of skiable area in the three days, but you can see the potential for when there is powder to be enjoyed.

We stayed in a beautiful old farm residance outside Gressoney Saint Jean - by far the most comprehensive and atmospheric of the upper villages in the valley, with La Trinite less so, and Stafal really more of a ski station set up with some lodgings and a few bars and cafes to service the lift crowds.

The vibe is definitely traditional, alpine, and pleasantly low key - it feels very authentic, very Italian (very few UK or Irish accents to be heard) - and if slightly lacking in the usual ski town hubbub, it is worth mentioning how extremely friendly people were both on and off the mountain, the cafes and bars seemed to be predominately family businesses, and there was a refreshing lack of 'cool' on the mountain, all in it is a refreshing change from the bigger name resorts, but definitely not the place to come to if you are looking for a raging apres scene. Without the powder to tempt people off the pistes, definitely the slightly older lift infrastructure was shown up slightly - and there is a lack of options off lifts from time to time, but, in any (hopefully) decent year (if we ever have decent years again) this is mitigated.

We also came with our 3.5yo little girl for her first snow trip - having spent 3 days in Aosta / Pila where everything was very central and very easy, before coming up here - here certainly things are more spread out, with a 25 min drive from our lodgings to Stafal to get to the main lifts. But, there is a great baby snow park in Gressoney Saint Jean across from Weismatten, and we took advantage of the Kids Club (Fiocco Neve) in Stafal to let her in for two mornings which she loved - and meant we could ski together, again, people could not have been nicer to her, there were tonnes of kids on the pistes, and in general it is a very very family friendly atmosphere across the villages, if requiring a little logistical planning due to the spread out nature of the villages, you definitely need a car to make the best of it.

All in, a great experience, I would love to see it with proper snow, both in terms of the landscape and the skiing, but a very enjoyable few days in a very traditional and enjoyably low key atmosphere.
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Monterosa = Italian food + Low key + Some seriously technical skiing.

A lot of the alpine resorts have gone in two main directions. Very upmarket, or mass tourism. This is why Monterosa is such an incredible place. It still retains its character as a small mountain town (Editor note: Monterosa Ski includes several towns & villages) but the lifts and general infrastructure are more than adequate. (not the newest but outside of the xmas holidays, have much more capacity than is really needed to ensure no more than 5mins of queuing)

It is a challenging resort by most standards and its both steep and can have some narrow runs. It is hard to learn here as an adult because it is quite steep and also the people that come are generally very competent. It might be daunting for a first timer or beginners in general. The snow is pretty consistent and the off-piste is great and very accessible. One key thing to mention is that there are lots of places without trees so you can see where you are going and this is quite unique (except maybe Verbier). However, there are also some rock fields and you need to be sure you know where you want to go first.

If you can ski this place is frankly pretty hard to beat in Europe. I put value of 3/5 but this is such a hard question to answer. Compared to Verbier it is about a third off for all major considerations (lift pass, hotels restaurants or ski rental) however it is more expensive than some of the "low frills" resorts. There are price points for all budgets but of course I am trying to make a general estimate.

Italian food in my view, frankly makes Switzerland and Austria seem like prison food. ( I know that's bit unfair!) It really is so good and even at a random cafe you will get excellent coffee and delicious hot food and almost any restaurant you'll have full on gastronomic experiences.. (prove me wrong!)

I've been coming to Champoluc since I first learnt to ski. I highly recommend Mascognaz, Breithorn (Ed note: both are hotels in Champoluc) and also some of the incredible Airbnb's on and around the mountain.
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Even after a few to Monterosa, I still find new things to discovery. 

Staying in a different valley & accommodation every time opens up a whole new world on each visit. Last winter we were in a small village below Gressoney called Lillianes in a BnB. No snow lower in the valley but gorgeous surroundings & wonderful locals.

The skiing in the resort was great with no one around as usual. We had heard the ski hill got smashed over the preceding weekend, but it was as quiet as a grave during the week. The off piste had become a bit cruddy in parts but we still found fresh snow & great turns around Indrren.

An exuberant apres session in Stafal had me mumbling into my negroni.......

Will always visit Monte Rosa on any ski trip to Europe.
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We returned to Monterosa in 2018, skiing the off piste between Stafal and Alagna. It hadn't snowed for a week, but we found wind blown fresh without too much issue. Monterosa has such wonderful off piste opportunities, but it is starting to attract an increased following of freeriders which is pushing skiers further and further afield. That said, during our visit, crowds were non existent.

If visiting Monterosa for the first time, the off piste and backcountry is best learnt with a guide.

A new chairlift in Alagna improves high altitude beginner terrain from Cimelegna to Salati which was previously only served by the mid station of the often full Salati cable car. Sadly we never saw it running. Not sure why.

Had a good sampling of the apres in Stafal and found it fun, but finished too early. Bombardinos, aperol spritzers and negroni were delicious.

We stayed a few nights in a sensational BnB in Lillianes, down valley from Gressoney. Bar Le Petit Coin was fabulous for apres and snacks.

Monterosa is awesome for its diversity. From high altitude glaciers, tree skiing, long piste trails, good apres and mythical beasts! Then off the mountain there are gorgeous villages and fascinating geological features. There aren't too many places in the world that one can ski powder in the morning and then stand on a Roman bridge built in the year 25 (yep ...... that's 25!) in the town of Pont St Martin.

We are looking forward to returning next time to explore the terrain above 4000m!
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The Name says it all, endless lines both off the lifts and hike to areas. We arrived on a Sunday and the place was pretty crowded but all of mid week was quiet enough to hear the diesel in my hire car slowly change viscosity from normal to a thick sludge.

While free riding is what it is known for there is plenty there for all standards of snow rider (didn't see a terrain park but that's not needed). And of course the scenery is magnificent
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Monterosa Ski could well be Italy's (and maybe even Europe's) best all round ski area. There are so many reasons why.

Located in the shadows of the highest mountains in western Europe, the high altitude means reliable snowfall and regular deep powder.

The ski area is uncrowded and has real and interesting villages at its base (Alagna, Champoluc & Gressoney), The huge linked lift system, beautiful on piste, vast off piste and some wonderful tree skiing make this a skiers paradise. The ski touring opportunities are huge, with 2000m vertical descents the norm.

Some old lifts let it down in key places, but when you see how cheap the lift tickets are, all is forgiven. 

The mountain huts are all wonderful. Food and drink are top notch.

Ski Monterosa before everyone realises what they are missing out on.
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