The SkiBound team travel the Milky Way
The SkiBound team spent some of the summer break travelling to the Milky Way ski area in Italy. Exploring the famous region, visiting the resorts and towns, plus meeting with SkiBound’s partners for the 2022/23 ski season, the experience provided the team with valuable insight.
“I love to travel so the opportunity to head over to Italy is always a real highlight whether it is the summer or winter! Familiarising ourselves with the region, knowing how close the ski lifts are to the accommodation we offer, and speaking directly to hoteliers is really important in order to provide our Group Leaders with accurate information.”
Ollie Foulger – SkiBound Regional Account Manager
Together with the Head of Product for SkiBound, the team started their trip in Les Deux Alpes before meeting up with the SkiBound Clubhotel team at the Vallee Blanche in the French resort of Alpe d’Huez. Part of an exclusive range of Clubhotels run by SkiBound staff, it was a great opportunity for the Regional Account Managers to touch base with the resort team to see how the summer program went.
The Milky Way ski area actually straddles both Italy and France. Covering Montgenèvre in France and Cesana, Claviere, Sestriere and Sauze d’Oulx in Italy, the Milky Way or Via Lattea makes up the second largest ski area in Italy behind the Dolomiti Superski region. Extending over 400km of skiable terrain, the region is bolstered by an army of 950 snow cannons ensuring skiers are well catered for during the season.
Claviere
The SkiBound team’s first stop in Italy following a brief stop in Bardonecchia was Claviere.
Claviere is traditionally seen as a family-friendly resort which means it is ideal for school ski groups travelling with a significant number of beginners and intermediates. High, open slopes are bordered by woodlands and offer newbies attainable slopes to enjoy later in the week once they’ve mastered the bunny runs.
Together with Cesana, school ski groups can enjoy 90kms of skiing accessed via the standard 6 Monti della Luna lift pass. They also have a day to explore the Italian Milky Way and a day in neighbouring Montgenevre.
What the team think…
“We get a lot of interest in Claviere due to the wide choice of interlinking runs. Typically, the beginners at the start of the week get to progress onto the same slopes the more confident skiers have explored. It means all skiers in the group get the opportunity to enjoy the slopes their peers have skied.”
Alex Wells – SkiBound Regional Account Manager
Cesana
The team stopped by Cesana on their way to Sauze d’Oulx to check out the village set at 1,350m. Situated just 10 minutes from Sansicario, Cesana is a quieter resort which was home to three events during the 2006 Winter Olympics.
Schools can expect uncrowded slopes meaning students can maximise their slope time. Like Claviere, Cesana offers varied runs to suit all levels of skiers. The slopes snaking through the unspoilt wooded areas are matched by the outstanding views found at the top of sweeping bowls.
What the team think…
“It was great to stop by Cesana and show the sales team the range of the SkiBound program. It is a great base for schools who can learn to ski on the range of slopes of Cesana and Claviere before exploring the skiing further afield in Montgenevre and Sansicario.”
David Plommer – SkiBound Head of Product
Sauze d'Oulx
The penultimate stop on the SkiBound team’s trip was Sauze d’Oulx. One of the most popular resorts in the Milky Way, the slopes suit intermediates and advanced skiers. As with many Italian resorts, schools benefit from wide, open slopes.
First-time skiers are well catered for with the beginner slopes located at the Sportinia area at an impressive 2,000 metres and by the highly rated English-speaking Sportinia ski school.
For those seeking more of a challenge, the tree-lined slopes of the Moncrons are the place to go. There may also be opportunities to transfer to Sestriere to explore the legendary Kandahar Slalom and Kandahar Banchetta runs.
What the team think…
“Sauze d’Oulx offers schools plenty of options to hit the slopes with a choice of airports, including Turin, Lyon and Milan. Groups can also enjoy a wide range of après-ski options.”
Bob Colbourne – SkiBound Regional Account Manager
Sestriere
The final stop saw the team visit Sestriere. Offering high-altitude terrain, the north-facing slopes will ensure there is plenty of powder to enjoy. In fact, Sestiere is not only the highest resort in the Milky Way but also offers some of the most challenging runs in the region.
What the team think…
“Seeing Sestriere in the summer certainly provides a different perspective. However, it was great to visit the resort which has long been a popular area of the Milky Way. The snow cannons support 33% of the slopes though with the high-altitude skiing, Sestriere is typically seen as a safe option for schools wanting to maximise the time on the slopes.”
Deborah Carden – SkiBound Sales Manager
To find out more about planning your school ski trip to Italy's Milky Way ski area, call the SkiBound team on 01273 244570 or send us a quote request.