La Thuile Snow Conditions

La Thuile is a ski resort in the Aosta Valley in northern Italy, and sits on the French border. Known for its high north and north-eastern facing slopes, the reliability of the snow is very good, with the best conditions being found at the top elevation of 2,579m. Thanks to the resort being lift-linked with La Rosiere across the border, it's possible to ski in both Italy and France whilst in La Thuile, with this quiet and unspoilt ski resort boasting uncrowded slopes with great conditions.

 

La Thuile sits at an altitude of 1,441m, with skiing up to a top elevation of 2,579m, offering 33 local slopes over 150km. The ski area, San Bernardo, encompasses both La Thuile and La Rosiere, with skiing possible in both Italy and France on one lift pass. Beginners have nursery slopes at resort level, and the resort boasts an excellent selection of challenging tree-lined runs, and long cruising red runs for intermediates - including the 11km long No. 7. Experts have some very steep black runs to navigate at the top of the cable car, and there is extensive off-piste to explore. La Thuile is also a major heliskiing destination, with skiers transported to the slopes of the nearby glaciers which rise above 3,000m. Thanks to its proximity to France, La Thuile attracts a lot of visitors from French resorts just across the border, where heliskiing is banned.

 

La Thuile sees an excellent level of snowfall, receiving an average of 5.5m snowfall each year, thanks to its position close to Mont Blanc. The ski season in La Thuile runs from December to May, with upper slope averages in 2009 ranging from 288cm in March, to 178cm in January. The resort-level runs can suffer from unreliable snow cover during the season, but with 310 snow cannons covering 23% of the slopes, snowmaking helps to maintain conditions lower down.