Cervinia: piste guide

If you’re a beginner or an intermediate and the sun is shining, there are few better places in which to find yourself. Long cruising pistes provide a spectacular playground. Don’t worry too much about the colour of the run you're on – the majority of the reds are gentle enough to be classified as blue elsewhere.

If you're an expert in search of a serious challenge, however, you are in the wrong resort. There’s really nothing for you here in terms of a gradient that will quicken the pulse. Yes, you can – weather permitting – commute across the frontier to Zermatt. It’s one way of doing Switzerland on the cheap, but the more demanding slopes on the Swiss side are a long way from the top of the Klein Matterhorn. For those planning to head to Zermatt a few times, it’s worth considering buying the International lift pass covering both resorts (€261), giving access to 360km of pistes served by 53 lifts.

Cervinia’s biggest asset is its altitude. Long runs and guaranteed snow cover are an enticing combination, although the pistes far above the tree line can be a nightmarish place in which to find yourself during a white out. The link to Switzerland is often closed, along with the higher slopes on the Cervinia side. This can seriously limit possibilities.

The highlight is the 11km Ventina run that descends all the way down to the resort and, if taken without a stop, is guaranteed to turn even the strongest legs to spaghetti. The ski area extends all the way down to Valtournenche at 1,525m, providing almost 2,000m of vertical.

For beginners, there are good nursery slopes and a choice of two Italian ski schools – tackling the Ventina should be their goal for the final day of the holiday. For even the most progressive first-weeker, the task will take most of the day to complete. But the result will be a happy holidaymaker hooked on snow sports for life.

The most convenient mountain access is by the six-person Cretaz chairlift from the nursery slopes. This avoids the stiff uphill walk through town, up lots of steps, to the gondola and cable car base for the ride to the mid-mountain base Plan Maison.

The absence of t-bars makes Cervinia a good place for novice and lower intermediate snowboarders looking to clock up some mileage. The Indian terrain park, accessed by the Plan Maison or Pancheron chairlifts, is one of the best in Italy. It is more than 1.2km long and 200m wide with more than 11 features, including rails, boxes and kickers, designed for all levels. Valtournenche also has its own park geared towards beginners.