Pila

Set in the Aosta Valley, Pila is a great (if little) place. Located in the north of Italy, the Aosta Valley has the Chamonix tunnel at its head. As you drive towards France up the valley from Turin, you pass a load of resorts of which Pila is the gem, well, maybe the precious stone.

At 1800 meters amongst a large pine forest, Pila's runs are separated by trees and most are wide, giving you the feeling of having the mountain to yourself. If you’re driving your own car on a day trip, park in Aosta town and catch the very long gondola up to the purpose-built village of Pila. If you want to drive right to the resort, be ready for a long slow climb full of hairpin bends.

The resort is often full of British school groups taking advantage of Italy’s wide uncrowded pistes and cheap prices (in comparison to France). The school groups can clog up the mountain cafes at lunchtime, as young girls trying to impress their ski instructors, but once on the slopes they soon blend in with everyone else.

This resort offers fantastically varied terrain, great for intermediates and fine for both beginners and advanced riders.

One problem with the resort is that you keep finding yourself returning to the same Gorraz-G Grimod cablecar area, which in high season can lead to long queues.