Italy in first week of march

Looking for somewhere to head to for the first week in march and as sestriere is i believe the highest italian resort i thought it was a safe bet. any advice anyone ??????? got a great deal through nielsens who are doing bogof lift passes which saves around £190 on the trip which all helps. anyone experienced skiing there in march and if so how was it. i always ski first week of feb so kinda nervous going that bit later especially with the weather being so random this last few years.....


also is setriere and sauze north facing ???

many thanks in advance

Sestrière lies at the heart of the Milky Way which offers almost 400 km of piste. There is a great selection of runs for all abilities that start in the town centre. Another bonus is the modern lift system which is much faster than neighbouring Sauze! Sestrière is a good base from which to explore the Milky Way, but be warned, some lifts close with little warning if the wind gets up and a taxi back from France is not cheap. The resort itself went through a bit of a make over in the run up to the Olympics, this was good in the long run as it meant faster lifts and more pleasing buildings. There are some decent bars to be found at Sestrière that provide lively entertainment!

Part of the massive Milky Way complex that offers 400km of piste. Sauze d'Oulx is a nice, rustic town that has been invaded by skiers. The resort used to be infamous for an ancient lift system that made Glenshee fast by comparison but in 2005 the slow 2 man uplift was replaced with a fast four-man chair. Beyond, there is some good skiing that appears to suit all abilities. However, many of the black runs at Sauze d'Oulx have a red feel and the reds are a bit more blue. You can ski to Sestriere but keep an eye on the weather and time as a taxi ride home is an expensive exercise. Snowboarders should head to Double Black Park, a snow park located in the Rio Nero valley, on the crossing point of Sestriere, Sauze d'Oulx, and Sansicario skiing domains. Off the piste the resort town of Sauze d'Oulx is charming in parts but seems to have embraced 'the Brits abroad' style a bit too much. You can drink until late, and then some, if you desire.

That sounds like something copied and pasted from a website.

First hand experience here: Sauze is by far a better place to stay, more rustic and fun, good choice of places to eat and drink, and cheap as well. Sestriere is like a French resort, purpose built and practical but no soul to it.
Sestriere has better snow, its a bit higher but its defo not the highest resort in Italy. From Sauze you can ski or gondola over to Sestriere whatever the conditions (unless the pass is closed) and it only takes an hour from leaving Sauze to get there. Its good for a change of scene and some different slopes, including the famous Banchetta Olympic run.
Saizes lifts are fine, apart from the really old 2 man up from Sportinia mid station which is like something they made on Blue Peter.
Have a day out in Montgenevre and if the trip is offered to Serre Che, take it, its fantastic there.

Good bars:
Paddy McGintys for footy on tv and quizzes
Ghost for more chilled out apres near the Clotes lift
Scotch bar in the hotel nearest the Clotes piste

So much to choose from, a good place to stay. Dont be put off by any reports of it being like Ibiza on snow.

Tony_H wrote:That sounds like something copied and pasted from a website.

First hand experience here: Sauze is by far a better place to stay, more rustic and fun, good choice of places to eat and drink, and cheap as well. Sestriere is like a French resort, purpose built and practical but no soul to it.
Sestriere has better snow, its a bit higher but its defo not the highest resort in Italy. From Sauze you can ski or gondola over to Sestriere whatever the conditions (unless the pass is closed) and it only takes an hour from leaving Sauze to get there. Its good for a change of scene and some different slopes, including the famous Banchetta Olympic run.
Saizes lifts are fine, apart from the really old 2 man up from Sportinia mid station which is like something they made on Blue Peter.
Have a day out in Montgenevre and if the trip is offered to Serre Che, take it, its fantastic there.

Good bars:
Paddy McGintys for footy on tv and quizzes
Ghost for more chilled out apres near the Clotes lift
Scotch bar in the hotel nearest the Clotes piste

So much to choose from, a good place to stay. Dont be put off by any reports of it being like Ibiza on snow.

Scotch or Scots (as I thought it was called but willing to be corrected)is a great shout Tony - we used to have 3 large beers in there every day at the end of last run before then being unable to get off the high stools due to a mixture of alcohol and seized limbs!

The Village was good too with HUGE measures...

The lifts were slow but I know a lot has been spent

matt23 wrote:Looking for somewhere to head to for the first week in march and as sestriere is i believe the highest italian resort i thought it was a safe bet. any advice anyone ??????? got a great deal through nielsens who are doing bogof lift passes which saves around £190 on the trip which all helps. anyone experienced skiing there in march and if so how was it. i always ski first week of feb so kinda nervous going that bit later especially with the weather being so random this last few years.....


also is setriere and sauze north facing ???

many thanks in advance

Me and my pals have been to Sauze twice in late March (our usual time for a second week away), and have had no bother snow-wise. Perhaps we've been lucky, but at worst we found the runs below the Sportina getting patchy, everywhere else, Sestriere, Sansicario, Claviere were fine. Some very nice runs, a good expansive area plus good 'craic' to be had in Sauze.

We stayed above Ghost one year. Good enough apartments plus a decent brekkie in the bar down below. As far as I remember, the Vagabondi (?) was our favourite little bar of an evening, with host 3-piece local group 'Mondo Libre' providing very passable choons.

Previous to that we stayed just below Sauze, in the wee hamlet of Jouvenceaux. It was spot on. An absolute bargain - Hotel Martin (excellent reviews on Tripadvisor) - very basic, but a very friendly family-run establishment. You had to walk a couple of hundred yards to get a lift up to the Sportina, but it wasn't difficult. Late season the runs back down to Jouvenceaux will become patchy or close, as the hamlet sits at 1300M I think. Sauze is walkable from the hotel, tho' the owner is always happy to offer a lift there.

Sauze faces N/NW according to their website - I am not very cardinal-point aware - and one of its advantages is that it's only about an hour transfer time from Turin airport. Also, if the weather does get a bit grim, or you just fancy a day out, it's a short bus ride down the hill to the station and about half-an-hour on the train into Turin. Well worth a visit just to wander round and admire the architecture and soak up 'The Italian Job' atmosphere.

I'm looking forward to going back very soon. We only stopped going 'cos local departures to Italy ceased for a year and we sort of got sucked back into France.

It's brought back memories of very happy times .......

I'll bet you have a great one.

Tony_H wrote:Saizes lifts are fine, apart from the really old 2 man up from Sportinia mid station which is like something they made on Blue Peter.
quote]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Wishes Essex had a mountain range Im all about the CamRock

TowerBridge Andy wrote:

Tony_H wrote:Saizes lifts are fine, apart from the really old 2 man up from Sportinia mid station which is like something they made on Blue Peter.
quote]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

I kid you not. One side its orange plastic chairs like in your local village hall, the other side its a kind of park bench scenario. Tediously slow, and best avoided.

www  New and improved me

Sauze, in 4 pictures:



Gloriously quiet wide open cruisy pistes





Unreliable snow








Beer








One man chairlift!!!! Not sure if this is still running.