Report from February 15, 2025, at Courmayeur Ski Resort, Italy

I arrived in Milano, Italy, on Valentine’s Day.

I rented a car zipped up to Courmayeur, Italy, arriving just before sunset.

Martin and I went out for a Valentine’s dinner at an incredible restaurant in La Palud (just next to Courmayeur).

Best gnocchi I’ve ever had…

Pizza and wine were great as well.

We toasted to a great trip and headed home for bed.

I fell asleep while working twice…

Yesterday morning, we awoke to sunny skies, no wind, and warming temps.

We jumped on the Courmayeur ski resort gondola in Dolonne and were whisked away via another gondola, a 20-person sardine can tram, and finally a 10-person sardine can tram.

The last tram was built in 1961.

Finally, we ended up at 9,000′ in a rugged mountaintop tram building.

We walked down a few flights of stairs and emerged into the light.

Martin, Zian, and I bumped out of bounds searching for a couloir Martin had learned about.

After a short traverse and boot pack, we did another long traverse and started skinning.

Once on the ridge, we searched for the chute in question but never found it.

We settled for a gorgeous open slope that we suspected would lead to a different couloir we’d seen on a map.

I dropped first.

Zian, a Chamonix ski patroller, belayed me in on a rope as we suspected the top might be wind-loaded.

Zian was right, and I popped off a very small avalanche that slid down the hill and rolled over a cliff.

Off belay, I performed another ski cut with no results, then skied the open slope with speed.

Nothing else moved, and the skiing was beautiful.

Slightly wind-stiffened deep powder.

Martin and Zian skied down and joined me.

Zian straight-lined the whole thing…

We found the other chute, and it had about five tracks and still looked good.

We skied the chute in waves.

The snow was stiff from the big wind the previous day but flowable and fun.

Long.

Towards the end, we cut out into the trees and found soft powder snow and good times.

A fun ski along a river and through a small neighborhood led us right back to the Courmayeur lifts again.

We rode the lift up and skied down a gorgeous groomer to one of the many refugios on the mountains serving delectable food and wine.

We wrapped behind the Refugio and skied some wildly steep trees down to the valley floor.

We ended up right at the base of the Skyway Monte Bianco on the Italian side of Mount Blanc.

We crossed the parking lot, grabbed our tickets, met up with local shredder Marco, and prepared our minds for a new adventure.

Thanks, Italy!

Snow Numbers

Forecast

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