Alagna Valsesia

Alagna Valsesia is the Piedmont side of Monterosa Ski, linked to Gressoney and Champoluc: the Aosta Valley side has its own page, Champoluc. Lifts climb from the village (1,212 m) to Punta Indren (3,275 m), the gateway to the Monterosa Freeride Paradise, one of the best-known off-piste areas in the Alps.

Why Go Snowboarding

You come to Alagna for the off-piste. The Freeride Paradise includes zones such as Salsa, Balma, Netscho, and Valle Perduta, and some routes from Passo dei Salati and Punta Indren drop more than 2,000 m. The area has also hosted a Freeride World Tour Challenger stop. The flip side: the groomed terrain in this sector is small, and there’s no snowpark in Alagna. The ski area’s park, Snowpark Castore, is at Gabiet, on the Gressoney side.

Terrain & Slopes

From the village the Alagna–Pianalunga gondola climbs to about 2,060 m. From Pianalunga the Pianalunga–Cimalegna–Salati cable car goes up to Passo dei Salati, at about 2,970 m, on the border with the Gressoney valley: from here you ride down toward Gressoney-La-Trinité and the rest of the ski area, and the cable car to Punta Indren, the gateway to the freeride terrain and the glacier, starts here too. Higher up, the Cimalegna–Salati chairlift serves the easiest and most scenic runs. The official bulletin for the sector lists 7 lifts and 16 runs: 6 blue, 6 red, and 4 black. The best known is the black Olen, which runs down from Passo dei Salati through the valley of the same name. For beginners there are nursery areas at Wold, in the village, and at Pianalunga.

Tips

Off-piste you need avalanche gear (transceiver, shovel, and probe) and, if you don’t know the area, a mountain guide. The link with Gressoney over Passo dei Salati can close in wind or bad weather: before you cross to the other side, know how you’ll get back. In winter, snow chains and snow tires are compulsory, and the official site recommends alpine-grade diesel. In winter the municipal parking lots in the village are paid; if you take the ski bus, get off at the Piazza degli Alberghi stop for the lifts.

Getting There

By car, follow the SP299 up the Valsesia via Borgosesia and Varallo; from Milan it takes about 2 hours 15 minutes (A26/A4 to Romagnano Sesia), and the same exit works from Turin and Genoa. By train, the nearest stations are Novara, with the Baranzelli bus (Milan–Novara–Varallo–Alagna), and Vercelli, with ATAP line 50 (Vercelli–Varallo–Alagna). In season a free ski bus links the village with Mollia (Red Line) and with Wold (Blue Line).