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  4 of 5 03/02/2005 @ 13:02 |
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| 3 of 3 people found the following review helpful: |
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| Price Paid |
| £650 (price includes everything except drinks at the bar) |
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| Booked Trip Through |
| www.clubmed.co.uk |
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| Times Visited |
| Just Once |
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| Review Detail |
The experience of being cold is not one I’m used to while riding in the Alps, but our trip to Cervinia last week was always deep, very deep in the minus degrees centigrade.
The transfer from Turin Airport was mad, with an Italian mobile phone freak who texted and phoned people while driving all the way up the snow covered mountain roads. A huge snowplough at one point tapped our wing mirror after having just overtaken about 50 cars on the way up. We must have passed at least 20 cars that were putting on snow chains, but our driver was determined to make it all the way without chains. He almost did, but couldn’t make it up the last hill to the hotel without the extra grip of chains. Transfer time was 90 minutes flat, airport to hotel. It was snowing when we arrived and it had been snowing for 3 days before we got there so the conditions were waist-deep powder. Visibility was poor though and the extremely high winds meant that, with the wind chill, the temperature of –25C. felt like –40C. I have never been so cold in all my life. With the high winds prevailing most of the week it wasn’t until the final couple of days that the link to Zermatt opened up, and on the day we planned to go over the mountain, I tweaked my knee, so I couldn’t make it. My friends went to Zermatt and enjoyed themselves where there weren’t such strong winds.
After the first couple of grey days we had blue skies all the time, and although there had been plenty of snow falling, the extreme wind had swept much of the hill bare, so off-piste was fairly treacherous with rocks surfacing from time to time. The pistes were well groomed and a pleasure to cruise on, especially the red ones down from Plateau Rosa (3480m). From there we could ride all the way back to our hotel, finishing off on the Cieloalto red run, which we would try to make as late as possible each day. There was a shuttle bus service from our hotel to take us straight to the Breuil-Plan Maison gondola. From here you can access the whole mountain. The lift system was very good, especially the computerised hands free lift pass that you just kept in your pocket to let you through automatic turnstiles. Due to the extremely sub-zero temperatures it was good to have covered chair lifts and cable cars to get around in. Once or twice we did bare the old 2 man uncovered Bardoney lift, which was like 15 minutes of torture while the icy wind cut through each layer we wore.
The majority of the terrain is quite easy, mostly all blues and reds, there are a couple of black runs but they were never open while we were there, not that I like black runs that much, but it would have been interesting to see what they were like when graded the relaxed Italian way. There are quite a few flat sections, but I never had a problem with my base newly waxed and some Zardoz Not Wax wiped on. The runs offer a bit of something for everyone and go from very narrow (one bit had cool hairpin turns and a little bridge to go under) to wide open cruising carve domains, perfect for riding switch.
The scenery is most impressive especially from the top of Plateau Rosa (Mont Blanc is easily seen from here), but you are constantly in view of Mt Cervino (the Italian name for the Matterhorn), which keeps watch on proceedings whichever part of the hill you are on. The actual village of Cervinia is just the right size with all the shops, bars and restaurants you would need for your stay, there’s also an ice rink and plenty for kids to do near the nursery slopes. The Italian people were very friendly and welcoming and they seem to make the best hot chocolate in the world… what more could you possibly want to warm you up while riding!
The only real downer to the holiday was the journey home, with a 3 hour delay to our flight which meant boredom set in at Turin airport, but my snowboard must have enjoyed it’s time at Turin airport because it didn’t come home with me on the same flight! Thankfully it was delivered to my house the next day…
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| Strengths |
Hands free lift pass.
Confidence building runs.
Awesome scenery.
Hot chocolate. |
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| Hot Spots |
Plateau Rosa is a must do.
Anywhere that sells Grappa. |
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| Weaknesses |
Italian grading of runs is quite relaxed.
Everywhere is quite easy.
Very strong winds. |
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| Similar Resorts Visited |
| Les Arcs, 3 Valleys, Isola 2000. |
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| 4 of 5 02/03/2004 @ 12:56 |
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| 2 of 2 people found the following review helpful: |
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| Price Paid |
| 380 halfboard |
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| Booked Trip Through |
| Iglu |
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| Times Visited |
| Just Once |
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| Review Detail |
Well then. That was Covonia. How was it? Pretty damn good thanks for asking.
Transfer is fine (hour and a half) although you do have to run the gauntlet that is Turin airport. Shambolic.
Cervinia is right at the bottom of the whatzermattermatterhorn? and this backdrop is pretty spectacular. Town itself is not too big/not too small with quite a few bars and restraunts either side of the main street and beyond. Dragon bar was frequented most often.
Apart from a dodgy drag lift used by loads of learners which only goes a little way up the mountain, main access to the slopes is from a cable car/egg lift on the other side of town which is up a fairly stiff hill. Hangover + hill hike in the morning = uncontrolled swearing. Get to this lift area early or late as it is a scrum from between 9.15 -11.00.
Slopes are nearly all blues/reds and these are Italian graded so a red here is easily boarded by most. However, there is plenty of off piste available and we had 2 feet of fresh powder on the first day. Loving that. Head for the Bardoney (spelling?) for the best non piste boarding. Miles more interesting terrain and miles less people. Still pockets of powder to be had on the fifth day. Take the two man chairlift which is a little way up from the main cable car to access this bit. Then get the other two manner to take you to the 2 black slopes. This is where you want to be.
If anyone is learning to board, then the main bit around plan maison is perfect. Lots of runs, none of which are too difficult. 2 of our party were ‘improvers’ and came on a treat just boarding around there.
For the excellent Cervinia park, follow the covered 4 man from plan maison up 2 stops and hang a left.
Then when you get bored of all that, go to Zermatt. Links dependent on wind. Only half of the Zermatt area is really open to you as you have to be sure to get the last cable car at 3.30 or long Tbar (argghh Tbar!!!) up the glacier which runs a bit later. However, the boarding is all good with long glacier runs to ride fakie down and practice (i.e. fall over) nollie/ollie spin trickery, steeper hills to carve the hell out of, treelined cruisers to enjoy and loads of off piste chicanery to be had. The snow seemed to stay better on Zermatt side for some reason. Less windblown??
Zermatt has a park on the side close to Covonia with an absolutely huge half pipe (about 8 miles high but not so long tho) Did I get out of it? Did I eckee-thump-like. Some rather dangerous rails are to be found there too.
As said, keep an eye on the time to catch the last bus home to the top of the Kleine Matterhorn. 3900m or thereabouts. The views from here are literally breathtaking. Looking out over 3 different countries anyone! Bloody cold up there tho. Snotsicles and ice beards were grown. Then back to Covonia for some well deserved refreshment. 5000m+ drop in a day. Good work all round.
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| Strengths |
A bit of something for everyone
Tonnes of snow when we went. Metres and metres even in town.
Swiss efficiency
First spotting of a speed skier!
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| Weaknesses |
Skiers!!! sh*t loads of them damn their eyes
Keep a beady eye out for flats
Strong wind was experienced
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| 4 of 5 25/02/2003 @ 17:21 |
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| Times Visited |
| Just Once |
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| Review Detail |
Cervinia itself is pretty much a one street village at the base of the Gondola. It has plenty of restaurants and hotels but, unusually for Italy, can be a little expensive as it borders with Zermatt, Switzerland and seems to have imported some of its prices - double vodka/tonic is about a fiver! There are a couple of clubs if you hunt for them.... the sports bar is a bit of a fun, and you will probably meet a few italians up for a laugh and a piss up! Generally the nightlife is there if you go looking for it. I went early in the season so maybe its more fun later on. We went independantly and so had to arrange our own transfer which turned into planes trains and automobiles with a bus ride into Turin from the airport followed by a train to Chatillon and a taxi from there. If I did it again Id get the hotel I was going to to recommend a cabbie and get him to meet us at the airport. You could get a transfer in a people carrier for about 100 quid this way, between 4 or more it works out damn good and a hell of a lot easier.
The boarding is pretty good obviously condition dependant. Lunch on the mountain is about 15 quid no matter what you get! The slopes are wide open with no trees but fun off piste anyhow, just dont get stuck in a bowl on an upslope! |
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| Strengths |
| Good lifts, wide slopes |
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| Weaknesses |
| Can be pricey! |
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| Similar Resorts Visited |
| Livigno, Chatel, Trysil, Jasper, Banff, 3 valleys, St Johann |
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