The Ultimate Ski Day In La Rosiere

With a lift pass which covers the entirety of the San Bernado ski area, your week in resort will be spent exploring the 160km of beautiful piste which links France and Italy. Whilst this is by no means the largest ski region in the Alps, it is certainly crammed with gems and will leave you reflecting that investing in quality over quantity was a worthwhile decision. So, this blog will provide you with a comprehensive guide for the ultimate day trip across to Italy and back; encompassing the best runs, the tastiest lunch breaks and the most breathtaking views.

Starting the day at the Roches Noires lift, you will take the belette blue run over the back of the mountain which leads to the Fort Express lift. It is a winding slope suitable for all levels as it has both intense stretches of piste should you wish to blast it down, coupled with open, languid sections for the more hesitant of skiers – for whom big, controlled turns across the piste is the preferred mode of elaborate sliding.

Once at the peak, make a right for the bouquetin red run from the top of the Fort Express chair. This will navigate you towards the first of two button lifts which provides the link across to Italy. This red is naturally more challenging that the previous run, namely because no matter which time of the day you choose to ski it, it is somewhat of a manic mogul field. Due to its narrow outlay, the powder has a tendency to get churned up into vexing mounds which can prove tough to handle for some. But once these have been successfully, or unsuccessfully passed, there is a steep decline whereby, in order to ensure that the fast approaching flat isn’t quite so time consuming, you will need to adopt the seasonnaire favourite, ‘crouch position’, with poles tucked up under your arms and all!

Then it’s onto the button and time to admire the southern Alps and take a few snaps for your Facebook album. You shan’t be disappointed. It’s also a perfect opportunity to munch on a mid-morning snack and listen to a few tunes on your iPod as the two button lifts combined take approximately fifteen minutes to complete.

When the second button finally discards you at the top, you will find yourself in the land of Caesar and Pizza. From here, you will ski past the France-Italy border post and follow the signs down the number 18 red. The point at which you find yourself encompassed by scores of trees masquerading as boundary poles is when the run merges into number 6, and this shall take you all the way into La Thuille. It’s a fantastic run, made even better if your ski buddies can cajole you into a competitive race to the bottom. It takes a competent skier approximately ten minutes to reach the town, so a charge down the mountain, uninterrupted by chair lifts, is an ideal opportunity to find your racing ski legs.

Once at the bottom you can warm your cockles with a sip on your hip flask as you hitch a ride in the gondola, basking in the stunning views of the Italian Alps. After you’ve had time to catch up on any amusing falls on the way up, it’s straight back into it with a black run right before lunch. The challenging diretta is conducive to separating the boys from the men with its intimidating gradient, before it joins the red 7 run, allowing you to turn off for a spot of lunch at La Tata. Along with enormous pizzas for less than 10 Euros,  this fine Italian restaurant offers free van Chaux; a welcome sight for those still white with fear after the colossal black run.

Once you’ve had your fill of Italian cuisine, you will be skiing back to La Thuille to jump on the Bosco Express before traversing across to find the Chaz Dura Express. This chair is your link home to La Rosiere, but before heading back to hone your 360 skills in the snow park, or to leisurely ski to McKinley’s for a quintessentially French Après hot chocolate, you must first experience the blue Faisan run.

This can be found en route back to resort and is best saved for around 4pm; just as the sun is beginning to set over the horizon. As you haul yourself off of the chair lift, you will find yourself skiing at a steady pace until the run veers to the right and around the side of the mountain to reveal the most stunning of moments. As you ski past a long line of tourists and seasoned instructors alike  – it is considered sacrilege to not have photo evidence of the views in this part of the world  – you will be patting yourself on the back for choosing such a fine resort as you look out across the sun drenched peaks of the Southern Alps as if you discovered them yourself. Marked as a blue run, it is something which the whole family can enjoy and it is a truly remarkable sight.

So, there you have it – your one day pass to skiing contentment in La Rosiere.

To book your own La Rosiere Family Ski Holiday please call our friendly team on 01483 791 900.