Italian Alps Ski Weeks March 2018
Courmayeur (Mt. Blanc)
&
Champoluc (Monte Rosa)
UPDATE FEB. 7: Courmayeur sold out, ONE room left for Champoluc (Mt. Rosa)
Powder, pasta, and wine: now THERE is a winning combo! Alpine guide Paolo rips up some perfect Italian Alps powder on a past Mt. Blanc tour. It really can be this good in Italy.
This is a special Alps journey for us, being our 23rd consecuetive Tour to Europe. We hoped to put together something spectacular to fit the occasion and we have done exactly that. With the help of Skiman’s good friend of 23 years, John Frasca, V.P. of Ski.com, we have organized two ski weeks this March to the two biggest ski mountains in Italy: Mt. Blanc and Monte Rosa. We are offering both ski weeks for our least expensive price in over a decade. We are also offering a great 4 night post-trip to the Italian Riviera and the world-renowned Cinque Terre, followed by an optional 4 night special Skiman-led tour to his favorite city: Rome. We are offering YOU a chance to join us for what will surely be a exceptional time in these beautiful places. Skiman is going home in March, 2018…. wanna join him?
Words cannot capture the beauty that is Mt. Blanc. Surrounded by glaciers and walls of ice, it truly is one of the most magnificent mountains in the world.
WEEK ONE: Courmayeur (Mt. Blanc) March 10-18, 2018
$1,099 details below, this page
WEEK TWO: Champoluc (Monte Rosa) March 17-25, 2018
$1,146 details below, this page
Post trip 4 nights Italian Riviera / Cinque Terre March 25-29, 2018
$699 link
Optional extension: Skiman-led 3 or 4 nights in Rome March 29 – April 2, 2018
$619 link
CLICK for the logistics and pricing page for all the pricing and deposit data and other financials.
Ski weeks include:
7 nights lodging in quaint family-owned 3 star hotels
Full breakfast and a 4 course dinner daily
All transfers private charter coaches
All this from $1099
Lift passes (@ $40 a day) not included
Air not included, see “Air Note” bottom of each trip page
First Ski Week: Courmayeur/ Mt. Blanc March 10-18, 2018: $1,099
We were sold out, but our hotel just notified us that they had two rooms open up due to cancellations. WE HAVE TWO DOUBLE ROOMS LEFT AND WILL HAVE THEM HELD FOR TWO WEEKS. Here is your chance to get in on a trip to the highest mountain in Europe with over 100 inches of snow on the ground… and at a bargain price.
Skiman lovin’ life in Courmie! Mt. Blanc, the tallest mountain in Europe, is the backdrop.
Courmayeur is a top five resort town in the world, hands down. Spectacular setting, one of the longest pedestrian walkways/shopping areas in any resort… Courmie has it all, and our hotel is right in the heart of it.
Photos from 2015 Courmayeur tour. You will see why we keep going back!
Courmayeur sits at the base of the massive Mt. Blanc, the tallest mountain in Europe. Over the years, we have done many tours to this region. Going back is an easy decision. Courmie, in a word, is spectacular. The village showcases a quarter mile long pedestrian walkway lined with shops, bars, and restaurants. It is the most upscale ski village in Italy. The skiing is wonderful for all levels of skiing, with miles and miles of perfectly groomed
Deb on her first time on the Mer de Glace, the glacier run from Italy to France. Any strong intermediate skier can do this!
slopes and thousands of acres of some truly fine backcountry skiing for the expert. Newly installed is a state-of-the-art tram lift that goes to the top of the famous Mer de Glace run, a glacial run of 11 miles between Italy and France. Arriving at the top of this new lift (which rotates 360 degrees while moving) will put you close to the top of Mt. Blanc. Gone are the three old lifts that were needed to arrive. You can backcountry ski with our guided groups every day. You can do a short bus ride to ski neighboring La Thuile, a fab resort connected to the French resort, La Rossiere, where the skiing is even better than the local Courmayeur resort (in Skiman’s humble opinion). If you are a strong intermediate skier, you MUST do our guided ski day on the Mer de Glace, a glacier run 11 miles long that starts in Italy and ends in France. Non-skiing activities are plentiful. Have a scenic lunch at the top of the aforementioned new lift or visit ancient castles in the Aosta Valley. Shop in Courmie or nearby Aosta, where you
Yumm! Ellie, Ruby, and Jim digging into dessert during a ski day in Courmie. The food in Italy?? Fagetaboutit!
can also visit the ruins of a Roman theater or ski the resort of Pila. Take a bus ride to Chamonix, France, on the other side of Mt. Blanc, connected by a tunnel from Courmayeur, for skiing or shopping.
In summation: It is the ski resorts and the glacier runs and the back country skiing around Courmayeur that make it such a brilliant world-famous ski resort. The local resort at Courmayeur proper is not all you go for. It is the adjacent attractions that make Courmayeur the hot ski commodity that it is. We have done six ski week tours there in our history. It is not an accident that we keep going back. Courmie is hard to beat for any skier, especially at the bargain price we are offering it for this year.
The new rotating lift now makes getting to the top of the Mer de Glace glacier run and the Tula glacier much much quicker and easier… a huge improvement for Courmie!
Hotel Courmayeur is right in the heart of the village and the pedestrian walkway. It is family-run, warm, and charming… a perfect place to spend your week. AND breakfast and dinner are included!
Hotel Courmayeur (3 star) This hotel is a lovely property located right on the edge of the pedestrian walkway. It is family-run and offers excellent rooms with a full breakfast and dinner. The pedestrian walkway is right next door. $1,099 double occ., add $199 single upgrade.* **
Cozy and cool, is our Hotel Courmeyeur. Its location right on the edge of the pedestrian walkway makes it perfect for evening strolls in paradise.
*Notes single occupancy: If you desire a same-sex room mate, let us know. We will attempt to find a roommate for you and save you the single occupancy upgrade, but we cannot guarantee it.
EXPERTS: BACKCOUNTRY SKIING IN COURMIE and CHAMPOLUC SKI WEEKS
The off-trail, backcountry skiing in the European Alps is as good as it gets. You can ski just about anywhere, but to do so safely requires the services of an Alpine Guide. If you are an expert, you HAVE TO DO THIS with Skiman! It is the primary reason Skiman cannot get enough of European skiing. We will offer daily backcountry skiing. We will offer heli ski days as well! We have
So pleased to announce that Paolo (White Goat) is coming out of retirement to guide our experts off trail for both weeks! He is a great guide and a great friend to Skiman. It is going to be a spectacular addition to the tour.
skied with guides in Europe for the past 20 years and the experience has redefined skiing for Skiman. There is no where in America that offers lift-serviced backcountry like what the Alps serves up, and the guides share the best places while keeping you safe. If you are an expert skier, skiing with us in the backcountry of Italy will not disappoint. EXPERT NEWS FLASH: It is with great excitement and pleasure that we are able to tell all our expert friends that Skiman’s favorite Alpine guide, Paolo (The White Goat) has agreed to come out of retirement to guide us for BOTH ski weeks this year!
Doing both ski weeks: We have many of our skier friends that want to save money and stay for both ski weeks. If you have the resources and the time, this is a great idea. You have to pay to fly over to Europe and back, so the longer you stay, the more value you are getting out of your ticket. Contact us for the details. Note: There will be a surcharge for the transfer between the two ski weeks for those doing both weeks. This will be determined once we know the exact number of two-week participants. The distance between Courmie and Champoluc is about 2 hours. We will organize the most economical mode of transport depending on the number of participants that need to be transported.
Jeff R. can’t contain his enthusiasm on a bluebird day 3 years ago in Courmie. Come see for yourself how awesome Mt. Blanc truly is.
Air to Europe: Last year was our first European tour where we did not offer group air. The air game has changed and it seems that nowadays there are better deals to be gotten by booking air on an individual basis. The deals our 80 skiers got last year on their own smoked what we could have gotten as a group rate. So the same strategy will be in force this year. Everyone will have to get their own air from their U.S. gateway city. This allows everyone to get the air that works best for them. Use miles, buy the ticket outright… up to you. Caveat: Please do NOT purchase your air until we are certain we have reached critical mass number-wise for the tours. As soon as we have a minimum of 20 skiers deposited for each tour, we will give the go-ahead to purchase tickets from that point on. We do not want anyone buying non-refundable air until we are certain the tours are a go. We have done 22 consecutive European tours and have never canceled one, but we prefer safe to sorry.
What you must do now to get in on this amazing journey
WE HAVE SPACE FOR ONLY 40 FOR EACH WEEK, RESERVATIONS FIRST-DEPOSITED, FIRST-SERVED. First deposit by November 28, BUT it is recommended you deposit ASAP. REMEMBER that our space is limited and if you wait it could be too late. 1- Decide how many segments you are doing. Ski week only? Both ski weeks? Italian Riviera post trip?Rome post/post trip? 2-Send in your first deposit. See logistics page / link below for all money details. 3-Get your air to Milan MXP airport (with return from Rome IF you are doing Rome post/post trip). 4-Get prepared to have a spectacular time in Europe with us!
CLICK for the logistics and pricing page for all the pricing and deposit data and other financials.
Photos from 2015 Courmayeur tour. You will see why we keep going back!
Whatever you do, BUY TRIP INSURANCE! Never leave the country without it. It not only covers trip cancellation, but it covers $100,000 of emergency medical, medical evacuation, trip interruption and delay, baggage, and more. We never do a trip without it. I know of what I speak. Click here to find out how Skiman saved $22,000 last year because of trip insurance and find out how you can buy this peace of mind from us for @5% of the cost of your trip. Trust me: totally worth it and crazy to go without it.
Why Skiman LOVES SKIING THE ALPS! Read it HERE
Links to Post Trips
Post trip 4 nights Italian Riviera / Cinque Terre ≈ March 25-29
Optional extension: Skiman-led 3 or 4 nights in Rome – March 25-28 or 29
2nd Ski Week: Champoluc on Monte Rosa March 17-25, 2018: $1,146
We have no single rooms left . We do have two double rooms remaining (one could be used as a quad room). If you want to join us for epic snow in an epic resort complex, time is short. We don’t know how long these few rooms will be left.
Monte Rosa skiing is spectacular. For skiers of all levels it is paradise. Numerous connected resorts, spectacular backcountry skiing on glaciers…there are no words. The fresh tracks on the Grantz Glacier run to the Matterhorn speak volumns. Come with us in 2018 and leave a few tracks of your own in the magnificent alpine region.
Those dots are skiers, dwarfed by the massive terrain of the Grantz Glacier, on the way to the Matterhorn…one of the best ski runs in the world. We are doing it on this trip for the third time. Skiman cannot wait.
See the photo gallery of our 2015 Grantz Glacier run to the Matterhorn here
The second-largest ski mountain in Italy is Monte Rosa. The interconnected ski resorts make it one of the best ski complexes in the entire world. We have done tours in this region and stayed in Gressoney, Alagna, and Champoluc, loving the skiing each time. Of the three villages, we enjoyed Champoluc the most and especially loved Herman’s hotel , the Castor. We had so much fun there! The snow quality is almost always good on snow-sure Monte Rosa and the surrounding scenery is spectacular, replete with unbelievably good backcountry skiing.
Lifts, lifts, and more lifts, to get you to the over 100 miles of trails in the massive Monte Rosa complex. It truly is an intermediate paradise.
On top of that, there is a huge glacier that offered one of the top 5 runs in Skiman’s 51 years of skiing. The Granz glacier’s top is reached by a short helicopter ride. From there it is all downhill thru spectacular valleys with towering walls of blue glacial ice. You end up skiing to Switzerland (the Matterhorn), ride up two trams, and then ski the Cime Bianco (White Stone valley) back to Italy. Skiman has done it twice and he guarantees we will do it again this year… there really are no words to express its magnificence. So, Champoluc is great for experts and backcountry but it is also a paradise for intermediate skiers who crave long sweeping trails that go forever. Wow: Monte Rosa has mega-miles of that to offer. Another HUGE bonus: there are virtually no lift lines anywhere! This resort is truly a hidden gem.Champoluc is one of Skiman’s favorite Italian ski towns. It is like going back 25 years in time! We love everything about the town and that is why it was a no-brainer deciding to go back. Our Hotel Castor, run by
The Matterhorn in Swtizerland is just around the corner from Champoluc. Some of our skiers marvel at the view three years ago.
Herman, a hilarious fun Brit, added a ton of fun to our ski week three years ago. Our farewell party featured a surprise performance by Herman playing and singing for the dancing Morningstar skiers. What a great time we had at that hotel! The Castor is charming and right in the middle of the town, within a short walk to the lifts and shops. Skiman LOVED the food at the Castor. There was tons of it every night to accompany a very nice wine cellar that Herman prides himself on. Can you imagine yourself staying in a quaint Italian ski village with everything within walking distance at the bargain price of the decade? Stop imagining! Make it happen with us in 2018.
The pow in the Alps is every bit as good in as in the Rockies. Ask Eric the wonder boy!
‘It has been a quick and easy journey, but the village square of Champoluc seems a world away from home. We arrive as the last rays of the afternoon sun are warming the cream and pink stucco of the church tower, and the locals are coming out for the evening passagiato. There’s a smell of wood smoke and pine trees. Children play on the steps of the shop beside the church, peering through the windows at the elaborate displays of biscuits and cakes. Though we’ve barely unpacked, it’s already clear that if you want to get away from it all, this is the perfect resort.’
British newspaper The Guardian’s take on Champoluc
Our Hotel Castor is a wonderful family-owned property that has great food and wine and a very fun proprietor: Herman. The food was abundant and excellent. Every breakfast and dinner was outstanding on our tour three years ago and will be the same this year as well. The hotel is like Champoluc: chilled, quaint, rustic, and charming. We would not want to stay anywhere else in Champoluc except our friend Herman’s place. We promise that you will feel right at home in this great hotel with its welcoming family
The Hotel Castor will be home for your Monte Rosa ski week.
Champoluc village and Monte Rosa… What a place for you to spend a week!
$1,146 double occupancy, add $199 for single occupancy.*
*Notes single occupancy: If you desire a same-sex roommate, let us know. We will attempt to find a mate for you and save you the single occupancy upgrade but do not guarantee success in the endeavor.
EXPERTS: BACKCOUNTRY SKIING IN COURMIE and CHAMPOLUC SKI WEEKS
He’s back! Paolo the Alpine Guide extraordinaire is coming out of retirement to guide our intrepid Morningstar experts off-trail in Champoluc. What a treat you all are in store for.
As with Courmayeur, we will offer Alpine Guides to lead us every day of the Champoluc ski week into the backcountry. The off-trail, backcountry skiing in the European Alps is as good as it gets, especially around Monte Rosa. If you are an expert, you HAVE TO DO THIS with Skiman! It is the primary reason Skiman cannot get enough of European skiing. For sure we will offer a repeat day of the Grantz Glacier run to the Matterhorn, described in the above text. And as mentioned in the Courmayeur trip section preceding, Paolo (White Goat) will be coming out of retirement to guide for us both weeks. He is the best!
Air to Europe: Last year was our first European tour where we did not offer group air. The air game has changed and it seems that nowadays there are better deals to be gotten by booking air on an individual basis. The deals our 80 skiers got last year on their own smoked what we could have gotten as a group rate. So the same strategy will be in force this year. Everyone will have to get their own air from their U.S. gateway city. This allows everyone to get the air that works best for them. Use miles, buy the ticket outright… up to you. Our minimum trip size has been reached, and you can start to look into purchasing air now.
Doing both ski weeks: We have many of our skier friends that want to save money and stay for both ski weeks. If you have the resources and the time, this is a great idea. You have to pay to fly over to Europe and back, so the longer you stay, the more value you are getting out of your ticket. Contact us for the details. Note: There will be a surcharge for the transfer between the two ski weeks for those doing both weeks. This will be determined once we know the exact number of two-week participants. The distance between Courmie and Champoluc is about 2 hours. We will organize the most economical mode of transport depending on the number of participants that need to be transported.
Whatever you do, BUY TRIP INSURANCE! Never leave the country without it. It not only covers trip cancellation, but it covers $100,000 of emergency medical, medical evacuation, trip interruption and delay, baggage, and more. We never do a trip without it. I know of what I speak. Click here to find out how Skiman saved $22,000 last year because of trip insurance and find out how you can buy this peace of mind from us for @5% of the cost of your trip. Trust me: totally worth it and crazy to go without it.
It ain’t fair to let Skiman lap up all this Italian powder for himself. Join him in 2018 and claim some of your own!
What you must do now to get in on this amazing journey
WE HAVE SPACE FOR ONLY 40 FOR EACH WEEK, RESERVATIONS FIRST-DEPOSITED, FIRST-SERVED. First deposit by November 28, BUT it is recommended you deposit ASAP. REMEMBER that our space if very limited and if you wait it could be too late. 1- Decide how many segments you are doing. Ski week only? Both ski weeks? Italian Riviera post trip?Rome post/post trip? 2-Send in your first deposit. See logistics page / link below for all money details. 3-Get your air to Milan MXP airport (with return from Rome IF you are doing Rome post/post trip). But do NOT purchase your air until the trips have reached minimum participation levels and the go-ahead has been issued by us to purchase air. 4-Get prepared to have a spectacular time in Europe with us!
CLICK for the logistics and pricing page for all the pricing and deposit data and other financials.
See the photo gallery of our 2015 Grantz Glacier run to the Matterhorn here
Links to Post Trips
Post trip 4 nights Italian Riviera / Cinque Terre ≈ March 25-29
Optional extension: Skiman-led 3 or 4 nights in Rome – March 25-28 or 29