Monterosa Skiing & Snowboarding

Monterosa Ski was rated number one ski resort in Europe for Powderhounds in 2018 for very good reason. The range and scope of the terrain and quality of snow is outstanding. Whilst its ranking was usurped by other European Resorts in 2019, it still rated numero uno for both best overall ski resort & best for powder hounds in Italy (the tiny, but awesome, Santa Caterina usurped the best powder resort in Italy in 2020!). Those ratings show its overall pedigree, but it does have definite strengths & weaknesses for visitors.

The main interlinked Monterosa Ski area spreads west to east. From the mountain village of Champoluc, east to Gressoney la Trinite and onward to Alagna - a distance of nearly 20km as the crow flies. Above the lowest part of the resort, Alagna (1,212m), the ski area rises to a lofty 3,275m on Indren where the view goes to nearby Cervino (Matterhorn) and the distant Monte Bianco (Mont Blanc). Long, perfect intermediate groomers access all areas at Monterosa, except Indren which is strictly off-piste only.

Families may find the smaller Monterosa ski areas of Brusson & Antagnod a great alternative if staying near Champoluc. Both have 430m and 587m vertical respectively, quality snow, and a range of learner and intermediate terrain. If staying in the Gressoney valley, the small ski resort of Gressoney St Jean is an alternative to the main fare. It has nearly 700m of vertical, a reasonable beginner area, plus intermediate and advanced piste. Worth knowing that the notion of 'smaller' is relative.

The Monterosa ski resort of Champorcher has a skiable vertical of 1,050m and 7 lifts but is also nowhere near the rest of the resorts! In fact, it is 1½hr drive south of Gressoney-la-Trinite in winter.

Monterosa Skiing Highlights

The ski & snowboard highlights at Monterosa are many & varied. Tick off the following when at the resort.

• Complete a full end to end on-piste ski tour of the entire resort area. Starting in Champoluc (1,580m), take the old Crest gondola & following lifts up to Sarezza (2,702m). Ski across to Alpe Ciarcerio (1,992m), before using the chairlifts to ascend to the 2,727m high Colle Bettaforca. Let it rip all the way down to Stafal village (1,830m). Skis off and jump on the gondola up to Passo Salati (2,971m). Note the location of the Indren cable car for future reference! Check out the beginner pistes to the newish Cimalegna chair, then descend the advanced trail (its ok for intermediates!) down to Pianalunga before taking the chair up to Bocchetta della Pisse. At the top of chair, scope out (for future reference) the freeride terrain through the gap directly ahead of you, then turn around and let it rip all the way down to the village of Alagna. Take your skis off and wander down to the gondola in Alagna and reverse the entire journey, avoiding the last chairs ridden! Before dropping in to Stafal below Gabiet, divert across to descend to Gressoney-la-Trinite then come back up and around Stafal. By the time you return to Champoluc you will have travelled well over 65km. Well done. Time for a spritz!
• Ski the longest skiable vertical possible on-piste at Monterosa from Passo Salati all the way down to Alagna, a quad quivering total of 1,759m vert.
• Complete the classic Monterosa La Balma off-piste itinerary from the top of the Indren lift dropping over 2,000m vertical into the valley above Alagna.
• Get a guide and head to Cervinia and use the lifts to complete a ‘tour of Zermatt’ ending with the huge descent from the Plateau Rosa (3,470m) via Colle Cime Bianche (2,982m) all the way down to St Jacques near Champoluc.
• Explore the tree-skiing possibilities amongst the larches & pines in the sector above Gressoney-la-Trinite & Orsia .
• If conditions (& ability) allow, get away from the lifts and ski-tour some of the uphill routes (above Stafal or St Jacques) to various points in the region.
• Spend a few hours in the smaller resorts of the region, particularly Brusson & Antagnod. They are included in the lift pass.
• Ski directly to an après ski session at Champoluc via the best valley ski trail descending 1,120m vert from Sarezza.

Ski Lifts

Monterosa Ski has the full gamut of modern ski lifts (various hooded chairs, gondolas and the Frachey funicular) and classic relics of the past. Of the three main interlinked ski areas, Alagna has the most modern and efficient ski lifts. The Indren cable car accesses off-piste and backcountry terrain and is appropriate for suitably equipped advanced and expert skiers only. It will not operate on bad weather days

The newest gondola was put in for season 2018/19 and replaced the ancient Champoluc-Crest gondola with a modern 8-seater version. The newest chairlift was introduced in season 2017/18 for beginner terrain high above Alagna from Cimalegna to Passo Salati. The chair avoids an often-long wait to load at the previously used cable car mid-station. Away from here there are few if any lift queues at Monterosa.

An exciting, but perhaps controversial, development in the offing is a lift connecting Frachey to the Colle Cime Bianche in Cervinia-Valtournenche. The possibility of skiing and snowboarding to Zermatt from Monterosa via ski lifts is a tasty one indeed.

Snow & Weather

By virtue of its prime location near the ‘spine of Western Europe’, Monterosa Ski is blessed with an abundance of the cold white stuff called snow. On bad weather days the upper resort including Indren, Passo Salati and Colle Bettaforca can be a windy, whiteout hell - just the way we like it!!

Nevertheless, when the snow gods are less than forthcoming, snow-making facilities make up for any shortfall on the piste trails and down low. Champoluc Frachey and Gressoney-la-Trinite have 100% snowmaking coverage of piste trails, whereas Alagna snow-making includes only the main trails. The lower valleys are increasingly devoid of snow as climate change takes a hod of the region, and the upper mountain glaciers are disappearing at an alarming rate, impacting snow coverage early and later in the season.

Lift Passes

The Monterosa Ski lift ticket gives unfettered access to all seven resorts that make up the skiing area. The huge ski lift interconnected area of most interest to Powderhounds comprises the three ski resorts of Champoluc-Frachey, Gressoney la Trinite, & Alagna Valsesia. The remaining 4 ski resorts are smaller & not lift interconnected (Champorcher, Brusson, Gressoney St Jean & Antagnod). The standard full resort lift pass is now called a 'Monterosa Ski Daily Pass'. HOWEVER, it does not include the Indren cable car which is for advanced & expert skiers as it accesses off-piste terrain only. To include the Indren cable car, one must buy a 'Monterosa Freeride Paradise Daily Skipass'.

Pricing of lift tickets varies markedly depending on the time of the season, whether a weekday or weekend, or inclusive (or not) of the Salati - Indren cable car. All lift passes are dynamically priced online, so can vary in price by as much €7 from one day to the next. Cheapest times to ski are midweek in mid-December, mid to late January & early March until the close in April. Passes purchased online are guaranteed to be at least €5 cheaper than those purchased at a ticket office. The Freeride ski pass to access the Indren cable car is just a €2 addition on a standard pass.

Whilst a single Monterosa Ski pass covers all seven ski resorts, one can purchase cheap local ski passes to ski and snowboard in the 4 smaller resorts. This makes sense if skiing Champorcher, which is located an hour drive south of the main resorts. It also makes sense for families which may find the smaller Monterosa ski areas of Brusson & Antagnod a great alternative if staying near Champoluc. If staying in the Gressoney valley, the small ski resort of Gressoney St Jean is an alternative to the main fare.

At all Monterosa ski resorts, lift passes for children under 8 years of age are free when skiing with a paying adult.

Monterosa Ski Trail Maps

The Monterosa ski trail map provides a reasonable representation of the lifts & pistes of disparate ski areas. It should NOT be utilised for serious backcountry planning. Read below.

On-Piste Trails

The 135km of piste trails at Monterosa are over 66% rated for intermediates, making it a paradise for lovers of red pistes. Not the easiest place to navigate around, there can be some awkward connections between sectors and from lift to lift. One wrong turn in some places can put one on the long road away from where you want to be! Particular attention is required below Gabiet heading to either Stafal or Gressoney-la-Trinite, and between Mont Ros & Sarezza above Frachey & Champoluc.

Novices & Beginners

Terrain for novice skiers & boarders is relatively limited in scope at Monterosa. A small area at Crest above Champoluc is OK to learn basics but then leaves one with nowhere else to go, requiring a download and move to Frachey to get up to the zone above the funicular. Those pistes are great for beginners, and it is the recommended location for novices. Tiny areas at Gressoney-la-Trinite, mid-mountain at Gabiet, and upper mountain above Alagna at Cimalegna are a nonsense from a perspective of providing reasonable terrain for novices & beginners. As mentioned earlier, the smaller resorts in the area (Antagnod, Brusson & Gressoney St Jean) provide a better ski experience for novices & children.

Intermediates

With over 66% of the piste terrain rated for intermediates, and pretty much everything else on piste quite approachable for them, Monterosa ski trails are perfect for the masses. When the weather is feral up high, there is plenty of sheltered trails in each valley. Alagna has the least amount of overall terrain for intermediates, and very little sheltered terrain (one long valley trail). The pick of the runs are below Bettaforca toward Frachey & from Sarezza into Champoluc.

Advanced

Advanced on-piste trails are not strength of Monterosa. The few trails have some short sharp pitches but all in all lack any breath-taking steepness or challenge. Nera below Sant’Anna is the best black run, but most will enjoy Moos from below Gabiet to Stafal, and Olen from Passo Salati to Pianalunga simply because they are long. Advanced skiers & boarders will find satisfaction in the ample off-piste offerings.

Off-Piste, Freeride & Backcountry Terrain

A high annual snowfall, most of the terrain above 2000m, low crowds and easy access to inbounds off piste and backcountry terrain make Monterosa Ski a Powderhounds paradise.

From the top of the Indren cable car or any other upper ski lift, with a little bit of upward effort on skins & boot pack, the freeride & backcountry ski options at Monterosa are endless. Rather than devote an entire website to it, check out the basic route maps & carefully explore the area yourself. Some very technical routes are possible, particularly the higher one climbs above Indren. If in doubt get a guide.

For lift-accessed freeride terrain, each of the three main ski areas has its merits, but for Powderhounds, the area around Passo Salati between Gressoney & Alagna would be the pick. Several skiing and snowboarding highlights include the masses of epic freeride terrain from Indren, or the north-aspect slopes a short walk from Passo Salati at Passo dell'Olen then down to Gabiet; the 1,700m+ vertical from Passo Salati to Alagna plus the various permutations for tree skiing above Gressoney la Trinite and Orsia.

To get a sense of the ski-touring & backcountry freeride options check out the maps for each sector below. Note they are not for navigation purposes but are a wonderful way to map out the possibilities in this sensational mountain environment.

See here for the Alagna sector freeride ski map.

See here for the Gressoney sector freeride ski route map.

See here for the Champoluc sector freeride ski route map.

Mountain Guides & Lessons

For the ultimate Monterosa experience get a ski instructor or guide to explore the off-piste & freeride backcountry or try heli-skiing on the upper mountain glaciers of Monte Rosa & around Zermatt. Join a tour or see our Monterosa Ski Lessons & Guiding page for other options.