Not sure what to expect on the slopes of Mont Blanc? Here’s my resort guide for all levels to ski in Courmayeur, Italy.
There’s a reason Milanese people flock to Courmayeur in the winter months. Courmayeur is where you can ski leisurely on some easier slopes, take on some harder less frequented slopes, or find a resort with a perfect balance of on-piste and off-piste activities, with a fine dining and culinary scene. Courmayeur seemed like a good place for me to polish up my rusty ski skills and for Pat to take on some more tough slopes. After my experience skiing in Breckenridge, Colorado, I wasn’t sure what to expect with regards to the difficulty of the slopes and there were not many pictures available online, so I decided to create a resort guide for all levels so you could get an idea of what to expect when booking a trip to ski in Courmayeur, Italy, Mont Blanc.
Best Time to Ski Courmayeur & Ski Etiquette
Courmayeur is known as the sunny side of Mont Blanc. It gets sun all day long, making it a highly sought after mountain for both skiers and people looking for a trendy ambiance to sunbathe in. Courmayeur, or Courma as we Milanese call it, is a somewhat small sized mountain, with about 100 km or 62 mi of trails, that can be skied in 1 to 2 days depending on how laid back you take it. Because it’s such a small mountain, the slopes can get very crowded on weekends, making skiing somewhat dangerous. But what it lacks in size, it makes up for in food, culture, and ambiance. Snow hits this area starting mid-December until end of April sometimes. But your best chance is to visit between January and mid-March.
Unlike Americans, Italians are a bit more ill-mannered on the slopes. They ski very fast and very close to you, especially if you’re on a small mountain on a weekend. I recommend you go on a weekday when the slopes are less busy and people are less hot-tempered! This was definitely not the case when I was skiing at bigger resorts in the Alps with Ski Itineraries though, people were much more respectful and less brazen because of the open spaces available. In fact, I barely saw people when skiing in those bigger resorts!
When you get to a ski lift, there is no orderly and polite manner to get on and off. The lifts are congested and it’s each to his or her own. Don’t be afraid to push and be a bit rude or you’ll never make it to the ski lift. Another thing you’ll notice is that a lot of Italians don’t wear helmets as well as ski somewhat imprudently. In Italy, it’s less about safety and more about how you ‘look’ when skiing. You’ll see a lot of high-end trendy outfits in Courmayeur and less practical outfits for sure.
Ski Passes
Ski Passes in Italy are MUCH cheaper than in America. You can choose to buy the “Mont-Blanc Unlimited” pass for a total of just $118 for 2 days , which gives you access to both the Italian and French sides, or just buy a ski pass for the Courmayeur Mont Blanc Resort for a total of $108 for 2 days. These prices are considered very “expensive” in Italy, usually ski passes are cheaper. We stayed in Courmayeur and suggest you do the same. Take your time and breathe in the culture and ambiance of Courmayeur, this isn’t the sort of place where you rush skiing. You’ll want to be here for 2 days straight. Additionally, the French and Italian sides are NOT connected like other resorts in Italy so you cannot cross-country or cross-border ski. You’ll have to pay another 40 to 50 euro toll through the Mont Blanc tunnel in order to get into France…which I don’t think is worth it for a day trip!
Where to Rent or Leave Your Skis: Alpineve
It’s not possible to ski down to Courmayeur, so if you bring your own skis you have to drag them all the way to ski lift that takes you up to Plan Chécrouit, the first ski area. Instead of dragging them up and down the mountain, rent or leave your skis at Alpineve, by far the best and most practical ski rental and storage in Courmayeur. For more on my experience, read on here. They offer some of the best quality skis at an amazing cost, are super fast to serve you, and offer overnight storage as well. Skis can cost you a total of anywhere from 33 euro ($36) to 56 euro ($62) for 2 days depending on how fancy you get, what a price! That’s only like $18 a day…And it’s all located to your left as soon as you get off the ski lift to Plan Chécrouit. More on where to rent skis here.
Beginner/Intermediate Slopes: Courmayeur is Mainly Blue and Red Slopes
Since my ski skills were a bit rusty, we started off with the blue and red slopes, or the beginner and intermediate slopes. Luckily for me, Courmayeur is primarily a mountain for these types of slopes, which is what makes it a resort for all levels. And just because the slopes are characterized as easy, doesn’t mean they’re not scenic. You’ve got jaw-dropping views on every slope and obviously the higher you go, the more beautiful they get. To start, we got our bearings of the mountain and took a scenic loop of the Aosta Valley and Mont Blanc blue and red trails.
Everything is Sponsored: Cool Activations
Courmayeur resort does have a small snow park in the middle of a few red trails for beginner and intermediate freestyle skiers. Right below the snow park is the BMW xDrive Speed Photo activation, a must stop while in Courmayeur. You start at the top and when the light turns green ski as quickly as you can to the bottom of this short slope. The activation records your speed and time and takes a picture of you as you cross the finish line. You can later find it on the BMW Courmayeur website.
Intermediate/Expert Trails: Red and Black Trails with Youla lift
The second highest peak in Courmayeur is Youla. To get to the intermediate red slope of Youla, you need to get in line for an old school ski lift sponsored by BMW. The lift takes you 2,624 meters or 8,608 feet to the start of a red trail. Youla is the only lift that connects you to the peaks Courmayeur so the line can get really long, but don’t let that stop you from doing the slope. The attendants package skiers into the lift like sardines, so it can feel a bit at comfortable, but it’s all worth it. Youla was the prettiest of all the slopes in Courmayeur. In fact, Patrick and I did it multiple times during our time in Courmayeur and stopped to take in the beauty from above every single time. I think reaching the top of Youla and coming back down was the moment I fell in love with skiing.
In all honestly, this red trail to me felt like a black trail to start that then turns into a red trail. It’s extremely steep at the top, so I found myself going down super slow until I felt comfortable enough to pick up speed and make wider turns. As soon as I started to pick up speed, I found myself engulfed in what looked like an ice snow globe. The Glacier covered in snow started to rise on either side of me, enveloping me into a tunnel. At the end of this tunnel was the glorious snow capped view of Mont Blanc. I can still relive that thrilling and jaw-dropping moment in my mind like it was yesterday. This was the peak of my trip (literally and physically).
After the snow enveloped tunnel, the red trail gets easier and connects to the Bertolini lift. From here you can either choose to go back down to the Youla lift or continue down the mountain.
Expert Trails: Black Diamond with Arp lift
There are only 8 black diamonds in the Courmayeur ski resort. The most beautiful is located at the highest peak of the resort, 2,755 meters or 9,075 feet, at Arp. The highest black diamond, and the most difficult, is only reachable via the Youla lift. From Youla you take a second lift to Arp, where there is a small cafe and viewing point for people to enjoy the view. This is where a lot of the off-piste skiing begins as well. The black trail was way too narrow for my standards, so I let Pat go up and try the black diamond and take a few pictures of Courmayeur and the Mont Blanc panorama. From Arp you have two options, you can either continue down a super steep black slope that eventually combines with the red Youla slope, or directly ski down to the Youla slope. Pat met me at Youla and continue down the mountain with me, the black slope was a little too steep…for both of our standards! I saw several people tumble down it multiple times.
Lunch: Bar Ristorante Chiecco
At this point in the day, it’s time to stop for lunch. Courmayeur is known as the ski resort for foodies. There are two things you need to know about Courmayeur before you eat. Courmayeur is the type of place where 1) you need to always make a reservation for lunch weeks in advance 2) lunch is not a 20 minute quick grab and bite, it’s a 2 hour ordeal. If you want a quick lunch, the cafe next to the Youla lift offers quick grab and go options. But the true way of life and beauty of Courmayeur are it’s lavish Michelin-worthy meals on the side of the mountain with views of Courmayeur and Mont Blanc below. If you had to eat at one place, the famed Bar Ristorante Chiecco owned by Anna and Paolo is the way to go. The restaurant is located close to Plan Chécrouit at the base of the mountain and has outdoor and indoor seating, and amazing regional dishes. For more on my experience, read here.
Continue Skiing or Skyway Monte Bianco lift
At this point it was 3PM, so we decided to do a few easier slopes around the mountain. Then apres ski began, both on and off the mountain. If you no longer want to ski, your second option is to take the Skyway Monte Bianco lift in the evening for sunset. You can’t ski on this lift, but you see some of the most stunning views of the Valle D’Aosta region. It’s the highest peak in the area and is almost considered an eighth wonder of the world. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to book tickets in time (buy those in advance!) or we would’ve done that as well.
Dinner on Mountain or in Town
What I love about skiing in Europe is that mountains are not seen as a sport or leisurely activity, they are seen as a lifestyle as well. So dinner in a chalet up in Courmayeur resort, is an option–an expensive one–but it’s an option. A reservation for dinners at the resort at places like Bar Ristorante Chiecco are a must and must be made weeks in advance. The service includes a shuttle service from Plan Chécrouit to your restaurant via snowmobile, snow dogs, or night skiing (only available with a guide)! The nights are wild with amazing food that ends with drinks and dancing on the tables on the weekends…it’s a night you can’t miss and won’t forget!
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