After an intense year of work, on 14th December Pila has opened to the public the 10-seater cable car section from Couis 1 to Platta de Grevon.
This is one part of the full project that will be opened next year, from Pila all the way to Platta de Grevon. The part that has just opened has replaced an old double chairlift from the 80s, offering a new fast way to get to the top of the mountain. When one arrives, there is a new skiweg piste that will unite the two sides of the mountain, offering visitors more time to ski or snowboard at the resort.
Going up the new lift from Couis 1 to Platta de Grevon allows you to have magnificent views of the 4000s m peaks… as the Cervino or Matterhorn. Photo: Pila sPa. Pila has opened its new cablecar Couis 1- Platta de Grevon
In only 4’30” the new cable car will take all mountain lovers up to 2,700 meters. During the journey, you can see spectacular views of all 4000 meters peaks of the entire alpine arc.
Amazing views of the Monte Bianco (Mont Blanc), the Cervino (Matterhorn), the Monte Rosa, the Grivola and the Gran Paradiso can be seen from the top. You can also view in the distance the valley where the city of Aosta is, known by connoisseurs as the Rome of the Alps.
Sky-high prices for ski weeks- here are the costs to go for the Settimana Bianca in nine ski resorts, as per an article published at Il Corriere della Sera with AltroConsumo.
Italians tend to go skiing on their Settimana Bianca in two different weeks. First week is for the New Year’s Eve week and the second week is during Carnival.
My youngest with my husband after his ski lesson in Madonna di Campiglio.
Between travel, accommodation and ski pass. New Year’s week is more expensive than Carnival week, like 40% more.
Prices for New Years have increased 14% in respect with last. And the year before, the prices already have increased by 20%. For Carnival Week, rates have increased by 5%
Pila has postponed its opening of the ski season to Saturday 6th December. It was supposed to open this weekend, but they don’t have enough snow for it. Even though when you see at the webcams, it does not look so bad. Actually, it looks pretty good!
Pila, as it is mostly on grassy fields, do not need as much snow to open as, for example, Courmayeur does (as its terrain is more on high mountain which is rockier! You need snow to cover those rocks!). You can read a more detailed explanation of how much snow ski resorts need to open on this past post of mine.
The new ski map of Pila with its cable car replacing the old double Couis 1 on the top, and the skiweg connection from the top of Couis 1 to Couis 2. Courtesy: Pila Spa.
The latest snowstorms have hit Pila, but not as much snow has fallen there, as it has on the Mont Blanc area and on the Cervino. Cervnia is opening more terrain this weekend, as well as Courmayeur.
Today Breuil-Cervinia is opening new terrain, and, on Saturday, November 30, they will also open in Valtournenche, Torgnon and Chamois
Snow has covered well the pistes of the ski resort in Breuil Cervinia -Cervino Ski Paradise allowing it to open more km of pistes. From Breuil-Cervinia to Valtourneche, passing by Torgnon and Chamois, the localities at the base of the Gran Becca, as the Cervino is known, are ready to open for the ski season 24-25.
Matterhorn Alpine Crossing. Photo courtesy: Cervino Ski Paradise. Today more terrain opens in Breuil Cervinia
Today in Breuil-Cervinia the chairlift Crétaz and Campetto will start working next to the lifts Gran Sommetta, the magic carpet of Plan Maison, the Baby skilift, the funicular Breuil-Cervinia-Plateau Rosa and the other three chairlifts of Plan Maison, Fornet and Bontadini. You can ski in the majority of the ski resort, even in the pistes you take to return to the resort, that are the mostly used by winter sports enthusiasts from last weekend.
Lago Blu & the Cervino- Soft Pastels, Pan Pastels and Charcoal on La Carte Pastel- 60 x 80 cm. In my shop.
This Saturday 30th November will open even the departure lifts of Valtourneche and of the joining piste with Breuil-Cervinia, that with Zermatt offers 350 km pistes.
It is snowing big in the Alps now, so all eyes are looking at the different resorts webcams to see if they will have an early start, or at least, start on their attempted start day. So far it is looking good!
As per Skiinfo and TheLocal.it, here are the opening dates of the different resorts:
Opening days of Italian Ski Resorts. My boys on a magic carpet at La Thuile. Photo: The-Ski-Guru
Typical dates of opening is end of November or beginnings of December. But Cervinia is already opened since 26 October, accessing with its lifts to ski on the Swiss side where the glacier is. Now they are opening their own side of the slopes. From 20th November, Plain Maison, Fornet and Bontadini chairlifts open. The Italian ski pass costs EUR 55. You need the Swiss pass to ski on the glacier on top (which is a bit pricier!)
The first snow at altitude arrived in mid-September, knocking on the door of a new ski season that will last 11 months at the Cervino Ski Paradise area.
The lifts in Breuil-Cervinia will open on Saturday 26 October 2024 and close on 7 September 2025.
Cervino – photo: Pentaphoto/ Cervino Ski Paradise. Cervino Ski Paradise opens the season on 26th October -the longest season in Italy of 11 months!
For the second year in a row, there will be no more interruptions between winter and summer, the endless season will provide extended fun for skiers and snowboarders who enjoy holidays in the snow, trips and hikes for mountaineers, and high-altitude experiences for pedestrians who want to explore Zermatt or the Little Matterhorn via the innovative Matterhorn Alpine Crossing.
Lago Blu & the Cervino- Soft Pastels, Pan Pastels and Charcoal on La Carte Pastel- 60 x 80 cm. In my shop.
If you count the km of the full area Breuil-Cervinia, Valtourneche and Zermatt- you can ski an inter-connected area of 350 km of slopes!
Pila is ready for this coming winter season 2024-25 with lots of news. From a new cablecar to new pistes- read more below.
Starting to ski, by La Baraka. This past season (23-24) it was closed. For me it was the best bar, more when Freddy was in charge (a rockabilly kind of guy with great music and hot chocolates!) Food was great too. Lovely terrace. Hopefully this is re-opened by the 24-25 ski season. Just off the top of Chamolé lift (by piste 2).
Pila is our beloved family resort, located at 1800 m above sea level, with easy access to the city of Aosta (the Rome of the Alps). There is a cablecar that takes you up from a parking lot next to the train station in Aosta, to the base area of Pila in 18 minutes. As Pila is on a basin (or conca, as said in Italian), it is protected of winds (compared to Cervinia and La Thuile), and its pistes have northern exposure, which keeps the snow for longer time. Also, due to Pila being on a grassy mountain, you do not need too much snow for skiing on this mountain. This is a vantage of a mountain like this. Mountains that are on more rocky terrain-(like those closer to the higher Alps), need a deeper base for making it operative for to skiers and boarders.
Pila has also very good snowmaking that helps those areas where there is more tracking by skiers and boarders, making it possible remain open until after Easter.
I have written a detailed guide to Pila with where to stay here.
The ski area has 4 black, 22 red and 5 blue runs which makes 70km of trails. The terrain goes from 1,540 to 2,750 m above sea level. It has 14 lifts, including chairlifts, cable cars and a funicular.
Rendering of new Valley Station for Pila in Pila 1800 m. This part will be ready for the 25-26 ski season. Courtesy Pila SPA. Pila is ready for the coming winter season 2024-25
Pila is preparing for the 2024-25 ski season with lots of news. They will open a new 10-seater “Couis 1” cable car. This will be for this season on the second section of the Pila-Couis master plan for the resort. This second section will change the old double chairlift Cuois 1 for the new cable car and will allow to reach an altitude of 2,700 meters in just 15’ (and 4 1/2 minutes for the Couis 1 section only!)
Up there you can have panoramic views of the most iconic peaks in the Alps, including Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco), the Matterhorn (Cervino), Monte Rosa, Grivola and Gran Paradiso. A new panoramic restaurant in the shape of a star will be signalising each of these peaks. This restaurant, called “Stella del Couis” will not be finished by this ski season (but yes for the 2025-26 ski season), and the construction will be stopped during the winter.
There are so many resorts linked to the Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco, but there are some, that are more related than others. Like Chamonix and Courmayeur, with the Mont Blanc just on its boundaries, and then La Thuile and La Rosière, with more panoramic views of the Monte Bianco or Mont Blanc.. And how come La Thuile is considered the Wild Side of the Mont Blanc?
La Thuile is home of the steepest slope in Italy, as well as the place with 13 km dedicated to beginner skiers. So, it caters to both sides of the spectrum.
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Courmayeur got the green light to go ahead with the replacement of two lifts: the Maison Vielle chairlift with a 16-seater cable car, and the Chécrouit cable that will be a 10-seater from the today’s old 6-seater. Both lifts will maintain the same route.
My youngest carrying his own skis with his ski strap waiting the Armani funicular to go to Plan Chécrouit in Courmayeur Mont Blanc. Photo: The-Ski-Guru. Courmayeur Mont Blanc got the green light to modernise two of its lifts that were due for a long time. Maison Vielle and Chécrouit.
The total cost of this refurbishment by Courmayeur Mont Blanc Funivie SPA will be of approximately 42 million euros. The City Council has unanimously approved three resolutions to allow these building works.
These are two very old lifts that needed to be upgraded, as they were susceptible to be stopped due to wind.
Why Visit – The Must-Read Guide to Pila, Aosta Valley
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Pila is a resort that I’ve got to know by chance. I’ve drove with my family to Ollomont, a tiny ski resort at the end of the road of the Valpelline Valley, north of Aosta for the first ski holiday of my little one that was three. (My eldest went once to ski in Portillo before!)
Nice and warm day in Pila, snow became corn snow overnight- still nice! Photo: The-Ski-Guru. The Must-Read Guide to Pila, Aosta Valley
As the ski area of Ollomont was too small (even though at first, I’ve thought it was ideal), and it did not have ski instructor nor skis or boots for my little boys, I had to go elsewhere. Somebody told us to go either to Pila in Aosta, or Crévacol, by the Grand Saint Bernard Pass. We went to Aosta, and the next was history.
We have been going ever since there, even though now we do not stay at the bottom of the main cable car, but in our home in Morgex (30’ away).
My youngest learnt to ski there, and my two boys love the resort, so we keep on going back for more. Even though I am more nearby La Thuile and Courmayeur, we tend to go to Pila, as it is a very easy-to-deal with and family-friendly ski area.
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