Review of Courmayeur

24th March 2009 by Mick Dawson 

I love Courmayeur. The lift system is efficient and there are some great red runs, some with rolling changes of pitch (e.g. Aretu) others sustained (e.g. Internazionale). The on mountain restaurants are very good (I especially like da Geremia with Mt. Blanc de Courmayeur towering 10,000 ft above). Off piste options are outstanding when conditions permit - though they require use of antiquated cable cars for access - there can be a significant line. The village is delightful with narrow streets, many cobbled and, again, some great restaurants - including Pierre Alexis 1877 (tucked away off the Via Roma) and La Piazetta on the via Roma. The scenery is stunning and access to Mt. Blanc is a great plus - I’d love to ski the Youla glacier (did the Vallee Blanche because of better snow - though I’d recommend doing this from Chamonix - it gives better options for real skiing).

The negatives: The free bus system seemed to require initiation into a secret society to get a schedule you could take away (I was never admitted)- and buses are not always frequent. You really need a bus to get to the cable car and gondola (Dolonne) bases. Lift loading was haphazard resulting great inefficiency of use. As the book says, not good for intermediates and no good black runs in-bounds.

Despite the limited terrain, at the right time of year, if conditions were good off piste, I would be very happy here for a week.

Return to Courmayeur