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Hi folks,
Wouldn't be first choice for myself but looks like I'm heading to Bardonecchia with work in February.
What's it like in general? Any decent, easily accessed off piste?
Cheers.
Yep. For a day. Cant remember much tbh. May be a bad thing
I spent about 12 months there (a while back mind you). I'll put together a decent response later (just about to go out for dinner with my mum, so I doubt she'd approve of my sat on my phone typing 🙂 )
I went last year for a week. I didn't notice much off piste but then I didn't really go looking for it. The smaller Jafferau area is higher and wilder and in far better condition when I finally got to it on the last day as the ski schools don't appear to go there. It does catch the wind though. We had a couple of days of REALLY warm weather midweek that turned the lower slopes into ice rinks when they refroze overnight, and that was in early February. Our instructor told us that that happens once or twice most years.
High point of the holiday was the evening meal and drinks at the top of the mountain followed by the option of skiing back down by the lights of the piste bashers.
If you go into any of the bars when they're busy and you're not either local or young, female and attractive don't expect to be served in a hurry.
(just about to go out for dinner with my mum
You must be onto the port and cigars by now 😉
Sorry spin! Completely forgot about this.
Heading to airport in 45 mins. If I get the chance I'll put something together when I'm there.
In short though, there is plenty of off piste (particularly around Jafferau and Punta della Mulattiera) but the areas themselves aren't vast and you'd be wise checking with local guides before heading up to see where is good at that time (Jafferau has weird wind patterns (i think it's wind anway) which seemed to leave our spots great one day and then completely shit the next!).
There's some to go at on campo smith, but it will be more tracked out and variable in quality.
Bardonnechia is definitely more about the piste stuff though, particularly if you don't know the area. The quality of some of the piste stuff is great, really interesting and varied. Not a huge amount at the difficult end though.
It's a town as well as a resort so there's always a nice feel to the place, but it swells in size at the weekends when Torino arrives. I never used to go up on a Saturday/Sunday since there were queues, but on a weekday you'll rarely have to queue for a lift, it's very peaceful.
If the conditions are shit, head through the Frejus tunnel and up the bubble over into Val Thorens.
Been 3 times, and it's very much a family / weekend resort, built for the Turin Olympics with easy access to motorway, and unfortunately quite low. Not much (if any) off piste, it's too small really and very little that's challenging for good or intermediate skiers. I'd suggest, given where it is, that places like Valloire / Valmeinier (50k away) or Montgenèvre and what's around there (30k away) would offer more.
Sorry spin
Cheers Peter
places like Valloire / Valmeinier (50k away) or Montgenèvre and what's around there (30k away) would offer more.
They may well but I've got no choice in that!
I had a really canny week in Bardo, It doesn't have the most extensive pistes or the best lift system but you can put together some long fast summit to base runs in without too much fuss, the slack country seems to go altogether untouched and excellent coffee was well under €2 most places.
We didn't find too much nightlife - apres seemed to start at 3:30 and finish by 17:30 an was exclusivelly around Campo Smith. The Pizzeria behind the main street was very friendly for a couple of afternoon beers. The Irish/Italian/Biker bar on the other side of the railway seemed a bit salty at first but we caught it on a party night and it was ace.
It's only a short train ride to Oulx so it should be possible to have a day or two in the Via Lattea without too much fuss.
Edit - Actually come to think of it the lifts weren't too bad aside from a couple of older 2 man chairs on Jeffrau and one towards the top of Campo Smith
the slack country seems to go altogether untouched
That sounds ideal for my purposes and limited free time.
I went when I was 16 (18 years ago) with school. Copped off, got drunk, brilliant holiday.