Gressoney is a small alpine village in Valle d'Aosta made up of two municipalities: Gressoney-La-Trinité and Gressoney-Saint-Jean situated at an altitude of more than 1,300 metres. Gressoney is located exactly in the middle between Champoluc and Alagna, making it the ideal point for an itinerary to discover Monterosa Ski.
Monterosa ski area
The area of the Monterosa Ski resort comprises the districts of Alagna, Gressoney, Champoluc and Antagnod, offering a total of 180 km of slopes between the Piedmont and Val d'Aosta regions. Surrounded by 4000m peaks and the Monte Rosa glacier, the snow reliability is generally very good plus there is extensive snow making facilities. The ski season typically starts in the first week of December and runs through to late April.
During the winter season, Gressoney, especially in the hamlet of Staffal, becomes the heart of the Monterosa Ski area: the lifts that connect Gressoney to Val d’Ayas and, on the opposite side, to Valsesia start off from here. Also from Staffal you can access the lifts that open the doors of the Monterosa Freeride Paradise thanks to the Funifor that from Passo dei Salati leads to Indren glacier and to the splendid trails destined for freeriders.
Monterosa skiing
Monterosa offers mainly red runs, and amazing off-piste and heliskiing opportunities.
Beginners. Gressoney isn’t the best resort of the bunch for beginners, but first-timers can comfortably learn the ropes in the two nursery areas, one in La Trinité and one in Stafal. From there, you can use the lifts to get between the scattered blue runs like Cimalegna and Bodwitch in the Cimalegna area and Del Lago in Frachey.
Expert skiers: A Gressoney-Saint-Jean there is one of the most difficult black slopes in the whole Aosta Valley. If you are an expert skier or snowboarder you can try for example the track Leonardo David, awarded in 2009 as the "best runway in the Alpine archway", with constant changes of pace and steep slopes on its 670 meters of altitude. The perfect lighting and perfect snow conditions will also allow you to experience the nighttime descent.
Off piste: The Monterosa backcountry & freeride routes extend in all directions and into all the valleys. By far the majority begin or end above Alagna, known as Freeride Paradise for good reason. Ski descents of a staggering 3,000m vertical are possible.
Heliskiing is another popular activity given the wide range of high peaks in the area - and the proximity to France where heliskiing is banned. There's a wide choice of descents available to suit almost all ability levels.
Gressoney-La-Trinité apress ski
The nightlife is fairly relaxed and is more about enjoying the local cuisine in the excellent family run restaurants. However, there are several bars such as Hirsch Stube which do get very lively especially at the weekends when the locals from Turin and Milan escape the city.
Gressoney-Saint-Jean is the largest village in the valley and just 6kms away from Gressoney-la-Trinite. There, you will find a more extensive apres-ski scene with a larger selection of bars plus a nightclub.
Gressoney-La-Trinité village
While other resorts may have more to offer keen shoppers and those looking for a lively après-ski scene, Gressoney still has plenty of attractions, local traditions and history to explore. Off the slopes there’s a sports centre, several shops, and some great restaurants and museums. But ultimately, both villages are best suited to visitors looking to spend most of their time skiing, and enjoying a relatively peaceful, quiet ambience after the lifts have closed.
Both villages have good access to the slopes, and several bars and restaurants, although the après-ski scene is quieter than other resorts.