Skiing Europe: Favorite Spots.

As I have seen a few references to Europe in the past, I thought I would ask if anyone can share a favorite spot or two in the Alps. I am looking for places less known. Although I would love to hear about the trips to Chamonix/Brevent/Flegere/Grand Montets/Haute Route/Mt. Blanc/Mt. Rosa, that is not what spurred me to post....I'm looking for the lesser known, possibly smaller than the aformentioned, areas that left you with a lasting impression.  I can start with a couple of places....(A map may come in handy) First, is the fairly well traveled Grand St. Bernard pass up beyond Verbier ski area, at the end of the valley. A "small" ski station sits here with a gondola and a drag. Up past the ski area is Col Grand St. Bernard,(Swiss/Italian border) which is central to many ski tours in the area. I skied Mt. Mort when I was there and had a great time. Routes that I know of in the area include La Chenalette, which you can scope on the skin up to the Col, and Combe De Drone (southern facing).  Second, a place near Villars ski area in Switzerland. A valley continues up from Gryon, where Solalex village sits. You can eat great food here, and start the tour. You travel in the only direction that's inviting to skin, rounding and staying close to Tour d' Anxeinde. ( I say this because I witnessed the second largest natural avalanche I've ever seen coming off of Tete d' Enfer. Second only to the Valentines day massacre at Mt. Baker ski area.) You then get to the mountain refuge of Anxeindax. You can eat here too. Just beyond is the Cabin Barraud. From here, ski tours are all around. I skied from the Haute Corde on L'Argentine. Others include the Paneirosse Glacier and Col du Brotset.  You can exit this area directly down to Solalex via Col de la Poreyrette.......Anyway, these are easy day trip areas, but you could easily spend a week in each place. Did I mention you can sleep at either also?!  

O.K., so, has anyone skied in the old world? Now I don't care if it's Chamonix tours or not....Anyone?! How about cool ski areas that are lesser known. (there are so many!) I have a couple to share. 1- Grand St. Bernard- up from Verbier. About 3000' vert., all above timberline. Plus, you can ski to Italy and/or access many tours. 2- Les Diablerets.- Combe d'Audon and the large bowl under the tram to sex rouge (yes, the mtn. is named red sex!?) is what makes this ski area. The highest point of Les Diablerets ski area (3000m) is the glacier, but it's flat.

O.K. I'm beating a dead horse here, so I'll present the most rediculous offering. HUGE LIFT SERVED AREAS. When I first skied Whistler/Blackcomb (North Americas biggest?) , I thought they were big..... now I just chuckle to myself every time I remember those steel clad, beautiful mountains in the Alps. #1-Verbier is a favorite of mine so far. Not the biggest, but excellent terrain, and expansive. Mt. Gele is a great tram to a great steep skiing peak, and the couloirs north of the Chassoure gondola are not to be missed. #2-Port du Soleil offers 5 ski areas on one pass. Roughly $45, but you can break down tickets, while restricting areas, for cheaper. (recomended) This ski area links Switzerland and France with at least 150 lifts! and a dozen towns. Pointe de Vorlax off of Avoriaz is a great hike to peak within the ski area.... #3- Les 3 Vallees is huge, but laid out so you could actually ski from one side of the area to the other in a day. (why?) This includes the towns of Courcheval, Meribel, Val Thorens and Orelle. 300 LIFTS!! take you to terrain mostly above treeline. Take a few of these and you have as much alpine terrain as Whistler/Blackcomb has combined!! And we paid $45 for a ticket to all......I hope these posts get drug up in the future by someone looking for info. on their trip to Europe. The great conversation between everyone led us from tours, to sm. ski areas, to huge ski areas. Thanks for sharing everyone, and feel free to continue.........

toby, this is really great information! thanks for sharing!<br>that time of the year when we start thinking about skiing, recounting favorite ski trips and all that

And if you get homesick for Cascade Crud you can head to the south of Spain and ski Sol y Nieve / Sierra Nevada at Grenada. Nearly 12,000' and on a clear day you can see Africa. Seemed to me to be mostly intermediate level with some single black diamond runs, but it was a nice surprise when I was there in March.

Agreed, Great info. Thanks.

A couple of years back I had the pleasure of spending 3 days in chamonix. On day one we hired a guide to take us through the valle blanche. We loved it so much we did again the first thing in the morning for the next 2 days. You take a tram to the top of the aguille du midi which is the peak just next to mont blanc, and depending on the route you take down its somewhere between 13-16 miles of downhill bliss. Half way down just over looking the mer du glace, on a little rock out crop, between 2 glaciers, there is a tiny hut that serves cheese toast and beer. Then your off down to the valley floor if there is enough snow. We were there in march and the snow did not go all the way down so at the bottom of the mer du glace there are ice caves and you can catch a train, get a great cup of coffee and look up the valley at your turns till the train comes. There are also 6 or 7 resorts surrounding the valley we played at 4 of them. I don't have a favorite. We found great conditions on different sides of the valley chasing the sun, and great terrain every where. the ticket up to the aguille du midi were good every where we went, but I don't know the cost my friend bought my tickets for my b-day. the food and beverage in town were world class your just through the tunnel and up the hill from some great wineries in italy. The baked goods were the best I have ever had, and prices were very reasonable. <br><br>only complaint you wont find any REAL bourbon in the whole valley.

Thanks for the beta on some of the places you have been. Iam trying to figure out where to ski in Europe this March. I have two guidebooks by Bill O'Connor for hut touring. I want to stay away from Chamonix and Verbier, but also want to ski some interesting terrain. I am still looking around. If anyone has suggestions or is interested in touring in March, let me know. I plan to use frequent flyer miles and go for 3 weeks. <br><br>Cheers,<br><br>SierraStealth

There is a custom of American big-mountain skiiers keeping a "secret" Euro area. For a while it was Vallee X, actually La Grave, and then Vallee Y, actually Alagna. Is there a Vallee Z? I'll plead ignorance...

Yes, that was a Greg Stump/Powder Mag. thing of the 90's.....I am going to Alagna in Feb., because I hear it is changing, and I would like to see it before it's over-developed. I don't think they told of the valley Z, maybe because it's soooooo sick bro, or because it's any good skiing valley without a lift!

Well, I've skied a few areas in Europe ranging from a farmer's hillside in central Germany (Sauerland) to the mega area of Tignes/Val d'Isere. But these excursions predated my recent entry to touring. I do recall while in St. Anton in 1992 a Bavarian friend attempting to explain hut touring to me as I looked back at him with a Homer Simpsonesque blank stare wondering why anyone would want to posthole from rock shack to rock shack with their skis slung over their shoulder. Live and learn, live and learn!<br><br>But I've got to say, those European resorts are something incredible. The only fear in Tignes was riding a combination of the 100 lifts so far that we'd not make it back to home base before dark. We were there a week and didn't come close to covering the whole place.<br><br>Perhaps the gem you're looking for is a smaller place called Adelboden in Switzerland. Again, it predates my touring days, so I don't know what the opportunities are in that regard. But the place is in the middle of the Alps, so I'd gamble on finding some good touring there. What sticks in my memory is the environment as a whole, with an old, yet pristine village accessable only by classic buses, skiing trails off the mountain into the village... It's the kind of place you'd expect to find Hansel and Gretel spending their winters. Bring the family... You can be Mr. Hardcore in the "backcountry" while the others drink Ovalmaltine and play chess with the local retirees a few miles away.

Briancon is gorgeous and has the following within an hours drive:<br>Serre Chevalier<br>La Grave<br>The Milky Way (huge - huge - huge complex of Montgenevre, Saulz d'Oulx, Sestrieres 40+ miles from one end to the other)<br>Les Trois Vallees (via the Maurienne link)<br>Val Frejus<br>Mont Cenis<br>Bardonneccia<br>Vars-Risoul<br>Puy St. Vincent<br><br>Stay in Monetier Les Bains, the highest part of Serre Che/Briancon below the Col du Lauteret (pass to la Grave).<br><br>Another great spot is Alagna/Gressoney where you can easily tour to Zermatt, then Cervinia and back in a day.<br>

Great!! Thank you so much!! Briancon was on my list to check out this winter. Sounds like a nice town.....

I went on a guided trip to the Ortler range in Northern Italy last April. Great skiing and huts. Here is a link to the pics:<br>community.webshots.com/album/157495468NCIhbx

Michael