The Aosta Valley – perfect for an off-piste and heli-skiing adventure

Posted November 02, 2023 under Blog

Whether you are looking for the best heli-skiing & heli-boarding, lift accessible off-piste, ski touring or combination of all three, the Aosta Valley is the place to be.

Sandwiched between France and Switzerland, Italy’s Aosta Valley is perfectly centred to find the best powder in the Alps. On the north side of the valley are Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn and Monte Rosa Massif. To the south, the 4,000 metre summit of Gran Paradiso is the highest mountain entirely in Italy. And amazingly these iconic alpine peaks are all in a valley that is only just over 50 miles long.

Heli-skiing & boarding in Italy’s Aosta Valley

Four of the main centres for heli-skiing in the Alps can be accessed from the Aosta Valley providing the best choice of heli-skiing in Europe. 

At the head of the valley, Courmayeur offers multiple heli-ski runs on the southern flanks of Mont Blanc. Further along and running to the south is the beautiful and isolated heli-skiing of Valgrisenche. To the east, heli-skiing in Cervinia comes with the Matterhorn as an awe inspiring back drop. And from Gressoney, all the heli-skiing of the vast Monte Rosa region is within easy reach. 

Base yourself centrally in Aosta itself and have quick and easy access to all the heli-skiing the Aosta Valley has to offer.

Off-piste skiing & boarding in the Aosta Valley

Courmayeur, Cervinia, La Thuile, Gressoney, Champoluc… the list goes on. The combined resorts of the Aosta Valley provide an enormous area of lift accessible off-piste. Plus, via the Mont Blanc and Grand Saint Bernard tunnels, Chamonix and the Swiss resorts of the Valais are within relatively easy reach. You are sure to find good powder snow somewhere.

And if ski touring or split boarding is your thing, then the sparsely populated side valleys of Valsavarenche, Valle di Rhemes and Valpelline to name but a few, offer numerous unspoilt touring itineraries and endless, untracked powder.

All you need is an expert local mountain guide to decide where the snow is best and take you to the goods.

Where to stay in the Aosta Valley

From charming B&B’s to luxury hotels and chalets the choice of places to stay is extensive. At either end of the valley the lively mountain towns of Courmayeur and Cervinia offer many quality hotels and fantastic restaurants.

And if you’d rather get away from it all, the tranquil side valleys offer a different vibe, with simple hotels and refugios serving up traditional cuisine. Or right in the centre, the small historic city of Aosta provides easy access to the whole valley and all the amazing skiing on offer. No wonder it was a strategically important point on the Roman route north through the Alps!

Chalet La Fenice – the ultimate in heli-skiing luxury in Cervinia

Food & drink

The steep valley sides abound with vineyards producing delicious under the radar wine. Typical regional cuisine can be sampled in humble refugios or Michelin starred restaurants. The superb food and wine of the area mean a heli-skiing or heli-boarding trip to the Aosta Valley is about more than just the powder! Why not enhance your trip with a vineyard wine tasting one evening? We’ll be happy to arrange that for you too!