Cruising the Alps:
Sports Facilities
Breuil - Cervinia
At the foot of Mt. Cervino (aka Matterhorn)
There is an impressive ski resort
which draws an international élite who wants deep snow and society-life
combined with Italian vim and vigour. They come to enjoy the long leisurely
trails, sunshine and back-country trekking to Zermatt, Switzerland. From
Cervinia you can also go up to the "Kleine Matterhorn" at 3800
meters of altitude and ski above the clouds! It is impossible to get bored
because you can ski for days without coming down the same run. Ski-lifts
are fast and comfortable. At over 3500 meters the snow
is always great, even if at that altitude you can find yourself in blizzard
winds of up to 110 km/h. This of course does not mean that skiing isn't possible
or unpleasant below 2700 meters. On the contrary!
The slopes
The ski slopes run along the Furgen basin, on the Plan Maison and the Plateau
Rosa. Cervinia's main skiing is on a high, wide-open, sunny, westward-facing
basin. It is Italy's highest skiing location and has some of its longest
runs: the Ventina, covers 13 miles from the Plateau Rosa down to
Valtournenche. In Springtime Ventina is a pleasant place to ski but, in
the winter it is shady and cold due to its North-Eastern exposure.
The initial part covers the wide runs of the Plateau Rosa,
also used for summer skiing, and leads into the real Ventina run up to the
Colle Superior pass of the Cime Bianche; from here, leaving the Breuil versant,
one continues on the ski slopes of Valtournenche down to the town.
It can also be reached from the swisse side, with an international ski pass.
The most
technical and demanding run crosses the Cielo Alto area, from which it gets
its name: it is steep and full of humps. The Carosello slope, always in
the Cielo Alto zone, is demanding. The rest of the runs are accessible
to all levels of intermediate skiers. The weather is more of a problem for
skiers than the degree of inclination of the slopes. If it's bad, the top
lifts are often closed due to the powerful winds.
Break-points
On the Plateau Rosa slopes there is the Rifugio delle Guide
which faces on the great glacier and can be reached by cable-way. It is
Cervinia 's "terrace in the sun" from which one can admire the
incredible view of the Matterhorn and the town below. The restaurant is rustic
and welcoming and offers the typical Valle d'Aosta cuisine.
Motor-sledding on the Plateau
A young entrepreneur from Bologna organizes scenic ski-sled
excursions along the plateau which extends before the town. (Phone Mr.
Mignani: 051-6227111).
  
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