
Monterosa Ski
Ski 180km across three Italian valleys, 1,212–3,275m, with glacier access and Freeride World Tour terrain above Alagna.
Monterosa Ski links three valleys — Valle d'Ayas, Valle di Gressoney and Valsesia — across 180km of slopes at the foot of Monte Rosa, the second highest massif in the Alps. The ski area spans from 1,212m at Alagna, the lowest base in the domain, to 3,275m at Punta Indren on the edge of the Monte Rosa glacier — a vertical range of more than 2,000m across three interconnected resorts: Champoluc, Gressoney-La-Trinité and Alagna.
The on-piste terrain is predominantly intermediate, with 67% of marked runs graded red and long, well-groomed descents connecting the three valleys. But Monterosa's defining character is off-piste: the terrain above Passo dei Salati and across the Indren glacier is among the most extensive and accessible high-alpine freeride terrain in the Alps, and has featured as a stop on the Freeride World Tour.
Alagna, at the eastern end of the domain, is the most demanding sector and the gateway to the glacier. Champoluc, in the western Valle d'Ayas, carries the most beginner and intermediate terrain and is the most practical base for mixed-ability groups. Gressoney-La-Trinité sits at the centre, acting as the main hub between the two other valleys, with the lift connections to Passo dei Salati branching toward both Indren and Alagna.
A single lift pass covers all three interconnected valleys as well as smaller satellite areas including Antagnod, Brusson and Gressoney-Saint-Jean. Traversing the full domain from Champoluc to Alagna in a single day is achievable for confident skiers and covers close to 20km of terrain as the crow flies.
Monterosa Ski links the valleys of Champoluc, Gressoney and Alagna beneath the Monte Rosa massif, with 132 kilometres of piste over 51 runs. The vertical is the headline: 2,063 metres between the 1,212-metre valley floor and the 3,275-metre high point. On snow, the grading is mostly red, at 22% beginner, 67% intermediate and 11% advanced, with no marked expert runs. Long, well-groomed descents tie the three valleys together, and the high altitude keeps the upper slopes holding snow well into spring. The area rewards skiers who like covering ground rather than lapping a single sector.
The real draw here is off the groomed runs. From the Indren lift, the La Balma itinerary drops more than 2,000 metres of vertical towards Alagna, and the high terrain around Passo dei Salati offers some of the most open unpatrolled skiing in Italy. Treat all of it as guided country with full avalanche gear. Lower down, tree skiing above Gressoney-La-Trinité suits storm days. The longest groomed descent, from Olen to Alagna, runs about eight kilometres. Strong intermediates cruise happily, while freeriders and ski tourers get the most from Monterosa.
Monterosa Ski operates from early December through to late April, with the 2025–26 season running from 6 December 2025 to 21 April 2026. The extended spring window is supported by the domain's high-altitude terrain — particularly the Indren glacier zone above 3,000m, which holds snow reliably deep into April — and by 170km of snowmaking coverage across the pisted area.
Annual snowfall averages 3.5 metres across the domain, with the north-facing slopes of Alagna and the high terrain around Passo dei Salati typically holding the best snow quality longest. The combination of glacier access, extensive snowmaking and high elevation makes Monterosa one of the more snow-reliable mid-sized resorts in the western Italian Alps.
Mid-season conditions from January through March offer the most consistent all-mountain access, with the Indren Funifor operational when wind and snowpack allow. Spring skiing from late March onward draws a dedicated freeride crowd to the Alagna side, where the long off-piste descents from Indren — some running to 2,000m vertical — are at their most accessible under stabilised snowpack.
The resort has hosted stages of the Freeride World Tour, reflecting the calibre of its backcountry terrain. The three valley villages retain an authentically Italian character throughout the season — quiet on weekdays, lively at weekends when day-trippers arrive from Milan and Turin — which contributes to an unhurried atmosphere on the mountain that larger, better-known resorts in the region rarely match.
Daily snow reports at Monterosa Ski go back to 1996, 31 winters on the books. Open the record to compare winters, lifts and piste.
Monterosa Ski straddles the border of Valle d'Aosta and Piedmont in north-west Italy, with its three base villages — Champoluc, Gressoney-La-Trinité and Alagna Valsesia — each accessed via separate valley roads off the A5 Turin–Aosta motorway. The gateway junction is the Verrès tollbooth on the A5, from where the Ayas Valley road leads to Champoluc and the Gressoney Valley road runs to Stafal. Alagna is accessed separately from the Piedmont side via Varallo and Valsesia.
Turin Caselle Airport is the closest major international gateway for Champoluc and Gressoney, at 107km and approximately 90 minutes by car. Milan Malpensa is the more practical option for Alagna at 110km, around two hours' drive. Geneva Airport is within reach for those routing through France via the Mont Blanc Tunnel into Aosta, at approximately 217km.
Train connections run on the Turin–Aosta line to Verrès for Champoluc, or to Pont-Saint-Martin for Gressoney, with onward bus services to each valley. Alagna is served by bus from Varallo, reached via train from Milan or Turin through Novara. Driving remains the most practical option for most visitors, particularly those splitting time between more than one valley.
The three resort villages are distinctly low-key — Champoluc and Gressoney-La-Trinité are small, traditional alpine communities with limited but good-quality accommodation and restaurants serving local Valdostana cuisine. The relative obscurity of the area compared to higher-profile Italian resorts is a deliberate draw for those seeking serious terrain without the crowds.
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Rain down low, snow up high, and a snow report full of zeros that mostly means ‘not updated yet’. Utah’s first proper storm of 2026-27 is rolling through the Wasatch, Snowbird’s snow stake is closing in on 10 inches, and Brian Head is five days from opening day. Early November snow rarely looks like much, but it is the layer every November opening date is built on. Here is where it stands.

Halloween weekend brings a wet, windy storm to the Sierra Nevada. Our five-day forecast has Dodge Ridge on top with 19 in, followed by Bear Valley at 15 in and Mammoth Mountain at 12 in, with most of it landing on Saturday. A winter weather advisory covers the Tahoe Basin and Mono County until 7 AM Sunday, gusts could reach 47 mph and the freezing level swings between 4,900 and 8,700 ft, so some bases will see rain. A dry spell follows from Monday.

The Rockies get their first lift-served turns of the season early. Lake Louise opens Sunday 1 November, five days ahead of schedule, after a cold October and round-the-clock work from the snowmaking and mountain crews. Terrain is limited to Juniper Express Chair and Easy Street, with two small terrain parks and the beginner area for lessons. Opening-day tickets are over 60% off, with prices rising as more lifts open. First chair is at 9:30 am under the resort’s new lift hours.

A Tyrolean summit lift that has been carrying guests up the Kitzbüheler Horn since 1955 is on borrowed time. Its licence runs to 2045, but a new inspection rule has made refurbishment uneconomic, so Bergbahn AG Kitzbühel will spend around €15 million on a replacement on the same line. It should hold roughly 100 people and keep running in winds that would stop today’s lift. Building starts in autumn 2027, which makes this winter and next summer the last chances to ride the old one.

Niseko Village is replacing a lift from the early 1980s with an eight-person gondola, Tsugaike gets a six-person chairlift, Madarao joins the Ikon Pass and Togari opens Asia’s first private ski resort. Here’s what is actually new in Japan skiing for 2026/27, plus what is still a year or two away.

Colorado’s early-season dominoes keep falling. Arapahoe Basin opened on Wednesday, Keystone follows on Friday, and now Wolf Creek is joining in on Saturday 31 October, just in time for Halloween. A storm on 23 and 24 October left 20 inches of natural snow in the San Juans, and three lifts will turn from 9:00 am, covering about 30% of the mountain. Expect rocks, unmarked obstacles and open water, but also Local Appreciation lift tickets at $73 for adults.

Keystone is next. After Arapahoe Basin claimed the first chairlift skiing of the season on Wednesday, Keystone opens on Friday 30 October at 9:00 am with more than two miles of snowmaking-built terrain on Schoolmarm and Silver Spoon, plus free donuts, coffee and a live DJ. Last year the order was reversed, when Keystone squeezed in a three-hour afternoon session to beat A-Basin by a day. Snowmaking has been running since 15 October.

Beaver Creek is getting ready for the biggest Birds of Prey ever, and this time it is not leaving the snow to chance. Crews started making snow on 27 October with 16 newly installed automated guns on the lower third of the course, after last December’s warm spell forced a downhill off the schedule. Seven races across two weekends run from 3 to 13 December, the most the course has hosted since its 1997 debut, and the guns start themselves whenever the weather allows.
Live open status isn’t available right now.
Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo
Days 1–7
14cm
Days 8–14
7.6cm
Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.
Snow depth at Monterosa Ski is tracked at both the base and summit, since the two elevations often see different totals — roughly a 2063m difference here. We report fresh snowfall over the last 24 hours and 7 days alongside the running season total, in both metric and imperial units.
Wind and temperature swings matter as much as fresh snowfall. Cold, calm conditions hold snow quality well, while wind-loading or a warm-up can change things quickly — especially given the elevation spread between Monterosa Ski's base and summit.
Snowfall and depth figures for Monterosa Ski come from official mountain sources; weather and outlook data comes from independent forecasting services. The mountain is served by 32 lifts, including 3 aerial trams and 4 8-person chairlifts.
The biggest swings usually happen right after a storm. Check Monterosa Ski's report in the morning for the freshest numbers, and again in the afternoon as conditions evolve.