Valtournenche, the gateway to the Matterhorn ski area

The Valtournenche ski area itself offers 54 km of alpine skiing pistes, including 17 km classified as easy, 35 km of intermediate difficulty and 2 km of difficult terrain. The ski area extends from the 1,524-metre gondola departure station to the 3,093-metre Colle Superiore delle Cime Bianche, reached by the Gran Sometta chairlift. Around 35 km of runs are covered by artificial snowmaking, including the long run back down to the valley floor.

The main access is via the 12-passenger Valtournenche–Salette gondola, which departs from Plan de la Glaea, where ample parking is available, and climbs more than 700 metres of vertical. The gondola is spacious and efficient, although no longer new, while the upper area features lifts from different generations. The covered six-seater chairlift Bec Carré serves one of the most interesting sectors from a skiing perspective; the modern detachable six-seater Gran Sometta, which entered service in 2022, replaced the former drag lift, making the connection with Breuil-Cervinia much more convenient and faster. Some fixed-grip chairlifts also remain, such as Motta, which are slower.

Valtournenche is particularly well suited to intermediate skiers. Above Salette there are numerous blue and red runs that are generally wide, sunny and uncrowded, ideal for skiing in peace and improving technique. The descents served by the Motta, Becca d’Aran and Bec Carré chairlifts offer a good variety of gradients and allow skiers to accumulate plenty of vertical without lengthy transfers.

The most representative run is the Gran Pista di Valtournenche, also known as the Reine Blanche. Starting from the Bec Carré and Cime Bianche sector, the descent leads all the way to the valley floor across broad slopes, gullies and wooded sections. It is a long, varied and panoramic run, with more than 1,300 metres of vertical in its version entirely within the Valtournenche ski area. Extending the route to the Klein Matterhorn, on the Swiss side, the Reine Blanche can reach around 20 km in length and more than 2,300 metres of vertical.

For beginners and children, there are nursery slopes and magic carpets in the Salette area, accessible by gondola. The easy runs at altitude are wide and well exposed, but returning to the village requires a reasonable level of confidence on skis: those taking their first steps can therefore return to the valley by gondola. More advanced skiers will find some black-run variants, numerous challenging red runs and interesting off-piste opportunities, although the local offering primarily focuses on long, intermediate-difficulty descents.

The connection with Cervinia and Zermatt

Valtournenche’s real strength is the possibility of entering the Matterhorn Ski Paradise directly. From the upper part of the ski area, via the Gran Sometta chairlift and the Colle Superiore delle Cime Bianche, skiers can reach the slopes of Breuil-Cervinia without removing their skis. From there, it is possible to continue towards Plateau Rosà and cross the border into Swiss Zermatt.

The entire international ski area offers 360 km of pistes and 52 lifts, spread across Italy and Switzerland, with a vertical range from Valtournenche’s 1,524 metres to the 3,883-metre Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. It is one of the largest and highest ski areas in the Alps and allows skiers to experience very different environments: from the forests of Valtournenche to Cervinia’s broad slopes, and onwards to the high-mountain sectors and more technical pistes of Zermatt.

The international connection is an extraordinary opportunity, but it requires good planning of the day. Distances are considerable, and the lifts providing the high-altitude connections may close in strong winds or adverse weather conditions. It is therefore important to check the times of the last crossings and the status of the lifts before heading towards the Swiss side.

Overall, Valtournenche is particularly suited to intermediate skiers, families already confident on the slopes and fans of long descents. It offers a local ski area large enough for several days of skiing, generally less crowded pistes than Cervinia and a village with a more traditional atmosphere. At the same time, it provides a convenient and often cost-effective gateway to one of the largest international ski circuits in the Alps.