Resort Report-La Thuile

by Joy and John Parsons

Just to get ourselves into form for the excellent Club holiday at Les Arcs, we spent a week in early January at La Thuile. It is on the Italian side of the Little St Bernard Pass.

We were lucky. The Christmas snow famine had ended with a useful fall that topped up the artificial stuff. A good proportion of runs were open. Happily this included the ski connection with La Rosiere on the French side of the pass. There they had really good snow.

We liked the report. It is well described in the Reuters handbook "Where to ski and snowboard". There are plenty of good easy blue and red runs and some that are harder. The mileage and range of skiing is much better for the connection with La Rosiere. That side has a good selection of red runs and a few blacks too. Moreover it made an enjoyable day to ski across for lunch in France. The La Thuile side has some good black runs too but due to snow shortage few were open. However, we did find the Diretta back down to the town seriously testing.

Plus factors. Good lifts and no queues in a quiet January week. Brilliant views of Mont Blanc. The resort itself is a small township on the road to the Little St Bernard pass, quite pleasant and a nice change from big purpose-built places like Les Arcs, La Plagne or Alpe d'Huez. It is much cheaper too. Good value and generally recommended for easier-going parties, but probably not enough for all Ski Club members.

We stayed at the Piccolo St Bernardo Hotel. It was going through a bad patch, a touch of the "Faulty Towers" !