The Monterosa Ski Area is a huge three valley network of pistes and lifts which rivals many of the best France has to offer. The skiing ranges from the resort of Champoluc in the Ayas Valley to the west through to Alagna in the Valsesia valley to the east with the Gressoney valley between the two with its resorts of Gressoney La Trinite and Gressoney St Jean. It is becoming more popular with a growing number of informed skiers who appreciate the stunning scenery, quiet slopes and accessible off-piste.

Alagna is well known to advanced skiers the world over but now, with new lifts and pistes, has a much wider appeal for all levels of skier. Alagna's investment in ski lifts, snowmaking and new pistes has certainly made its skiing attractive to all levels. Intermediate skiers will love cruising the miles of well groomed, high altitude pistes of the vast linked three valley Monterosa ski area. The combination of long quiet slopes, the stunning scenery, yet retaining the relaxed and unpretentious Italian ambiance, truly offers a real feeling of discovering something different and unspoilt.

Monterosa and Alagna in particular are a great draw for advanced and 'freeride' skiers. Heliskiing is still allowed in this part of the Alps and a very popular way to access the high altitude off-piste. Ski touring with guides is also a great adventure with numerous guided off-piste itineraries possible, including skiing to Zermatt and back. The new cable-car from Pianalunga to Passo dei Salati has made the link to Gressoney very efficient. When the second stage of this system is finished (2009/10) it will replace the Punta Indren cable-car. From Punta Indren at an altitude of 3,250m, there are numerous off-piste options, towards Gressoney, past the Stolemberg or to Alagna taking in the famous Balma and Vallone del Bors and the possibility of 2,000m vertical descent, if that's not enough take a helicopter drop to the Col de Lys at 4,300m! From Col de Lys you can also ski to Zermatt returning via Cervinia using lifts and a combination of pistes and off-piste routes, a guide would be essential of course.

 News- FUNIFOR PASSO DEI SALATI - INDREN High-Speed, High-Altitude cable car to Punta Indren, planned for 2009-10 season that will restore access to huge Freeride areas above Alagna and Gressoney, opened on the 27th December.

The new lift will link Passo dei Salati to the Indren Glacier at an altitude of 3275m. The two cabin Punta Indren cable car will travel at up to 10 metres per second with a maximum capacity of up to 740 people per hour. The operators are hoping to use photovoltaic solar energy source to partly or fully power the lift, although that has not been confirmed yet.

Construction of the new lift has taken three years and cost more than 17 million euros a further 15 million euros are being spent on a funicular railway down the valley above Champoluc! it looks like MonteRosa is the biggest investor in lift systems in the Alps this coming winter.

Ski Facts
Alagna 1200m
Skiing range 1200-3260m
Lifts 36
Pistes 180km
Blue 22%
Red 67%
Black 11%
Snowmaking 70km

Free car parking near lifts and free shuttle service from car parking areas farther out

More information : Winter Page - Webcam - Piste Map