As beautiful as the hiking is in the Greater Monte Rosa region, the skiing and snowboarding are equally superlative. For intermediates on up to experts, the "fuori piste" (off-piste) opportunities are endless. Those who wish to remain on the trails also have many options, as Greater Monte Rosa is one of the biggest interconnected mountain resorts in Europe -- the Ayas, Gressoney, and Sesia valleys are interconnected by lifts. The Ayas slopes (above the main valley town of Champoluc) are most suited to intermediates and beginners, though even experts will find plenty of options to amuse themselves here. The slopes above the towns of Gressoney and Alagna have an extensive array of intermediate and advanced trails. Rather than describe all of the marked trail options (which would take up a volume), I would advise you to consult or befriend a local expert, someone who knows the region very well and may be willing to have you join him on the slopes. You could also hire a professional guide to show you around - a must for any serious off-piste activity - though while on trail it is fun to explore on your own. One trail particularly worth exploring is the descent from the top of Salati to Alagna. There are several nice deviations off this long route, including a trail leading to a short cattle-feed carrying lift that is over fifty-years-old. You have to run to hop on the back of this lift, one of the strangest things I've ever seen. Most of Monte Rosa's lifts, it should be noted, are quite modern, with an array of high-speed chairlifts in the Ayas valley. Many of the trails are groomed nightly, and they can make snow if the base is lacking. Snowboarding is not only allowed here, it is becoming dominant, particularly among the experts. As for the quality of the natural snow, it is usually quite nice and dry, except if there is a storm coming directly from the Mediterranean. Because of the great extent of the terrain, it is possible to find untracked powder weeks after a storm.

If Monte Rosa were the back of your hand, then the cracks between each finger would correspond to the trails. Everything else would be off-piste. It is just that big, incomprehensible even to someone used to skiing at Vail. There are few rules here, but you must be smart: DO NOT SKI OFF-PISTE IF THE AVALANCHE DANGER IS SIGNIFICANT. Every year many people are killed while skiing in the Alps, because they were skiing off-piste when the avalanche danger was high. The tourist information center, and particularly any guiding company office, should know the avalanche risk level every day, and will be able to point out regions of particularly high danger.

The best way to ensure your safety is to hire a professional guide. But there is plenty of fun "off-piste" options right next to the trail, that a skier skilled in tree-skiing or navigating off-piste should have no problem. Of course the skier must acknowledge that there are risks involved, particularly if they are skiing a place they've never skied or seen before. There isn't much tree-skiing here, unfortunately, because the mountains are mostly above treeline (for the upper 1500 skiable meters), but the area below Punta Jolanda in Gressoney has fun woods to explore. What the region does have plenty is fun little side trails, great for expert skiers or boarders. One such diversion is to skier's right of the bottom of the gondola to the Salati Pass, called the Mos Valley; it is a very narrow bowl, that ends quite nicely in the forest above Stafal.

One must-ski route is down the Otro valley to Alagna, which takes two to three hours altogether. Although skiable for advanced intermediates, a guide is necessary for safety and navigational reasons - a wrong turn is never advisable when skiing off-piste. From the top of the Salati lift, you will descend under the lift then immediately traverse the eastern/left-hand slope. Eventually you will see tracks ascending to the left. Now begins a nice little workout - it is about 45 minutes to the top of Passo Zube, where the views are spectacular of the Alagna Valley, which spreads out before you. The descent through the Otro valley villages is memorable, finishing in Alagna, some 2000 meters vertical descent. Another great route, but for experts only is the "Valle Perduta", or "Lost Valley". This route requires the use of ropes to descend a section of glacier; your guide will be able to assess whether you are prepared to do this route.

There are so many other great routes from Punta Indren (such as the descent from Stolemberg), Salati, and from the other passes connecting Champoluc, Gressoney and Alagna. One would have to live here for the season to begin to explore the possibilities.