Snow, snow, thick, thick snow
Dave Himelfield discovers Cervinia, an easy going mountain resort which almost guarantees skiing for the whole season
Tucked away in the north of Italy with its back against the Swiss border is Breuil-Cervinia. The resort opened as Breuil in 1936 but Italy’s then premier Benito Mussolini renamed the village ‘Cervinia’ in honour of Mt Cervino which towers over it. You may know the 4,478m monolith as the Matterhorn, which is what those north of the border call it.
You can fly to Cervinia from most major UK airports ( I flew from Manchester) before taking a two-hour coach ride through Piedmont and to top of the steep and imposing Aosta Valley.
Sitting so close to the border means you’re not restricted to the long, sweeping slopes of Cervinia. For a bit extra of extra cash you can buy an international lift pass which gives you access to the neighbouring pistes of the more challenging resort of Zermatt, in Switzerland.
Another advantage of Cervinia is its altitude. With a base at 2050m it’s the highest resort in Europe and that means there are slopes with serviceable snow open well into spring. You don’t have to ski or snowboard if you come to Cervinia but you’re probably going to – so let’s talk pistes and off-piste.
Cervinia is a great resort if you’re a beginner or intermediate skier or boarder. There are plenty of easy blue runs and the wide red pistes aren’t too terrifying. If you want something more challenging there are a couple of black runs and there’s a terrain park with jumps, boxes and rails.
If you’re an advanced skier but prefer staying on the snow you can board the cable car which takes you over into Zermatt, Switzerland. It’s one of Europe’s most expensive resorts should you stay there so sleeping in Cervinia and catching the cable car over the watershed is a cheap way to sample its challenging slopes.
For Zermatt you won’t need a passport but you will need some serious riding skills. As a mediocre snowboarder the slopes I tried were dauntingly steep, narrow and serpentine. There are also long flat sections which is no problem if you’re o on skis but if you’re on a board you’re required to accelerate well past your comfort speed to traverse up to 2km of near g gradient-free sections.
Otherwise it’s a case o of unstrap and walk. Walking carrying a snowboard may not be your aim for the entire holiday but you can appreciate the foreboding beauty of the Alpine peaks without panicking about the sheer drops on one side of the piste.
While there’s enough piste riding for a season – 350km worth if you include Zermatt – there’s plenty of off-piste too and Inghams offers lessons for experienced skiers who fancy venturing away from the standard runs.
Off-piste riding can be a hoot; floating along the surface of deep snow is a dreamy experience. But it can be frustratingly difficult to re-initiate any motion if you tumble and sink into the deep snow. So, if you haven’t tried off-piste riding before, hiring a guide is a must. As well as showing us the best of the pistes, our Inghams ski guides Andrea Perron (an Italian bloke) and Andreja Kopitar (a Slovenian lady) gave us the equipment and some of the skills for going off-piste.
As for Cervinia itself, it’s not short of facilities, restaurants or apres-ski.
There are plenty of places to rent gear and some may stock a wide variety of decent equipment, however if you’re particular about your equipment you’d be advised to pay the airline transit fee and bring your own skis or board.
I stayed at the Chalet Hotel Dragon, a Welsh and Scottish themed pub-cum-hotel with an unrivalled location. You cross the road and there’s the gondola to take you up the mountain. Easy. And The Dragon has a few other things going for it. It’s basic but reasonably equipped and there’s a convivial vibe between hotel staff and customers.
Should you demand your British comforts, a full English breakfast is served as is beer in pints. There’s also English language Sky and Premier League matches broadcast in the ground floor bar.
The Dragon is lively but this is a doubleedge sword. The hotel’s two bars – there’s a basement pub too – are great places to booze and socialise but it’s noisy well into the evening. If you want to sleep before midnight (and even later on pub crawl Monday) book a room on the top floor at the back where the booming Eurodisco will be a minor irritation rather than your sleep-stopping nemesis.
Food at The Dragon isn’t great (apart from the lovely chocolate truffles) but as it’sit’ part of the deal and it comes with free winew you’ve less of a right to grumble.
If you’ve a few extra euros knocking a about, Ristorante Da Mario was particularly impressive. Some might consider its traditional living room decor a bit twee but it’s pretty homely. Besides, it serves up some spot- on Italian fare. My penne all’arrabbiatta breathed new firey life into what is u usually a half- hearted Anglo- Italian st staple.
And when you’re on the mountain – fo forget cynical snack food – you can eat ju just as well. Chalet Etoile puts on stunning m meat, cheese and seafood platters as well as as, erm... sushi. Never mind, it’s a great addition. It’s not cheap but it’s borderline fine dining and you can practically ski to the front door.
Bontadini also serves full- tilt tasty Italian platters as well as plates of vibrant reindeer and polenta. And at higher than 3,000m it offers incredible mountain views which may serve as a distraction from the mild altitude sickness you may be suffering.
Cervinia may not be known for its apresski but that doesn’t mean there isn’t any. There are a good few bars including Lo Copa Pan which is relaxing spot for a nightcap. Just bear in mind Cervinia is geared towards families and middle-aged skiers rather those that like to burn both ends of the candle. This will come to a relief for those who find a night of flaming Sambucas and banging tunes abhorrent.
If you must throw yourself around until the small hours there is one nightclub, the functionally named ‘Sound’, which probably does what it says on the sign.
Cervinia may not have the most challenging slopes, the prettiest buildings or the most vibrant apres-ski.
It is, however, a well- rounded, unpretentious and comparatively inexpensive resort with a strong emphasis on fun rather than sporting prowess. So, unless you’re beast of the piste, avanti!