Snow Sure Skiing in Italy

You’ve just rolled out of bed and you’re already over 2000m above sea level in Cervinia. But that’s nothing compared to the top altitude of 3883m at Piccolo Cervino, where previous years have seen a socking great 3 metres of snow build up in the winter months. It often starts falling in the wee days of November, and holds so well on the Plateau Rosa glacier that Cervinia stays skiable in the summertime, when 23km of runs are open. This place is also home to the highest snowpark on the continent - Gravity Park - at a heady 2800m, and should you tire of the ever-white slopes of Italy, the legendary Swiss resort of Zermatt is just a couple of lifts away.

Most snow sure ski areas are north facing, but this one looks south and gets oodles of sunshine, whilst having a powerful trump card for later in the season. The white stuff piles up to around 4 metres on the Presena Glacier - that’s enough to swallow up a double-decker bus – and you can ski its red runs right up until June on a good year. Peaking at 3016m, this is one of only a few skiable glaciers in Italy, and just shy of 2000m, Passo’s well positioned for access to it. There’s also the back up of Ponte di Legno’s tree line skiing, plus a whopping 300 snow cannons to keep it all in check.

Teetering over the area from 3342m, Marmolada’s the highest peak in the Dolomites - earning itself the title of ‘The Queen’ – and its glacier also holds the title of the area’s biggest. Average depths reach 2m up top, where the pistes from Punta Rocca are graded red and black for confident skiers to soar down. The big claims don’t end here – Arabba village itself is the highest ski resort in the Dolomites, and the bulk of its slopes are above 2000m. All in all, you’re skiing the finest snow of one of the most spectacular areas of the world.

At 2023m above sea level, Sestriere’s high for an Italian resort - in fact, it’s one of the highest in Europe – plus it has direct access to the loftiest runs in the Milky Way. The best of bunch appear on the Motta at 2823m, Sises at 2600m and Banchetta at 2555m, and they tend to stay super snowy all season long. Both peaks that house the ski area face north-west to keep what falls shaded and fresh, and if more’s needed, the snowmaking capabilities are simply excellent. This place was a trendsetter, blasting its pistes with manmade powder way before any of the others – and these days a whopping 60% of the whole area can be covered if needed.

It’s thanks to Livigno’s snowy climes that the area’s VAT-free – the story goes that the tax man couldn’t reach it for all the white stuff! Most years see the first flakes fall in November, and they just keep coming. Height (pushing 3000m at Carosello and 2785 at Della Neve) on their side, the pistes are known to stay smothered in powder until the end of the season, with an average of a 2m depth up top. At resort level, Livigno’s 1816m is already much higher than many other alpine resorts, which means even the army of blue runs at the base of the hill tend to stay ship shape.

Previous years have seen the Jafferau lifts still churning in late April, when most other ski resorts have gone into hibernation. This area’s certainly your best bet for conditions - follow the interlinking network of blues and reds that flow from the peak point at 2800m all the way back to base. The main slopes often stay in good nick too, with the top point being 2400m at the Punta della Mulattiera. Woodland is an added bonus in these parts, with many of the runs garnering extra protection from the trees. Working tirelessly in the background is a series of snow cannons, which cover nearly all of the runs on the lower half of the mountain for some gloriously snowy top-to-bottom descents.

Sharing an international ski area with La Rosiere, this resort has a rather superb fallback if the cover on the Italian side’s lacking. That’s not often the case though, as the upper half of the mountain sits well above 2200m, while an army of trees on the lower section shelter the snow that falls between them. Another La Thuile blessing is the north-east facing runs, many in and around the Chaz dura at a mighty 2579m. As for the rest, snowmaking equipment sees Le Suches and all the popular routes covered with an extra dusting if needed. To experience some seriously good conditions, hitch a helicopter ride up to the Rutor glacier, where at 3486m patchiness will be the last thing on your mind.

Plonked purposely on the mountainside above the town of Aosta, the great minds behind Pila had one priority - direct access to fabulous snow. The resort sits at a high 1800m, while most of the north facing ski area pushes above 2000m (Piatta de Grevon tops the tables at 2700m, where a host of blacks and reds stream downhill). Besides doing a stellar job at holding onto the white stuff, the height and direction of the area opens up some stonkingly good views - looming in the distance is a set of alpine giants including Mont Blanc, Grand Combin, the Matterhorn and Monte Rosa. The trees also do well at preserving powder, and the snowmaking throughout the area is top notch, helping lifts to open at the end of November on most years.

One name springs to mind when sussing out the snowiest spots: Mont Blanc. Courmayeur’s ski area falls on the Italian side of this mighty peak, and with the likes of the red Cresta Youla piste reaching heights of 2624m, it’s no wonder there’s a generous amount of the white stuff. Like the Cresta, many of the high runs fall under intermediate classification, and if Mother Nature needs a hand, a set of 280 cannons can cover 70% of the area with manmade snow. There’s plenty for experts to enjoy off-piste too: The Skyway Monte Bianco to Punta Helbronner takes you over to Chamonix for the Vallée Blanch glacier decent, and the Argentiniere glacier’s not far off for more snow sure skiing on the French side.

It’s often said this neck of the woods gets more of a dumping than anywhere else in the Milky Way, and average snow depths reach around 1.4m on the upper slopes in peak months. The northern orientation of the ski area keeps the snow cool and sheltered from the sunshine, helped by the fact that most of the slopes begin above 2000m. The highest is black #101 which sets off from 2579m – the same point that carries you over the border to French Montgenevre. At 2407m, Col Laurel comes second, with black and red routes pouring down the mountainside. Even higher pistes are just a shoosh away in Sestriere, where the ski area reaches a fabulous 2823m.