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Over looking Sauze D'oulx from Mt Fratteve.

The Alps have record snow falls this year, so I was really looking forward to skiing in Sauze D'oulx in Italy. As the plane flew over the dog toothed Alpine peaks, reaching up towards us the atmosphere on the plane was clearly one of excitement. Nearly everyone was looking out of the window at the snowy landscape just below us, or so it seemed. We where flying at thirty six thousand feet but it seemed as though we where just about skimming the mountain tops. Which looked like islands amongst a sea of cloud. 

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From Sauze D'oulx the ski areas of Sestriere and Sansicario can be reached via chair and drag lifts. Sestriere can be accessed by a gondola and there is a green ski run, which also descends to the resort. Providing one can confidently ski of a chair lift, Sestriere is accessible to most skiers. Sansicario however is connected via a Steep drag lift which drops one of at the top of quite a steep red piste. This route is only really accessible for skiers who can competently ski red runs. There are two other areas, which are accessible beyond this but I considered them too far away to sensibly manage in a day.
The piste's above Sauze D'oulx where extensive with a lot of green and blue runs and some fairly acceptable reds. The Black runs where largely closed due to avalanche risk and the open ones where generally lumpy. Although challenging if you like that kind of thing.
The "Sportina" is the main mid station above Sauze D'oulx, accessible from a pedestrian friendly lift chair. The base of which was a nearly a mile from the town and although it was served by a regular bus service, it proved to be quite inconvenient. There is a closer chair lift, to the town centre, which was easy to walk to but of no use to beginners. However experienced skiers could use this to access the upper piste's.

Sestriere is accessible via a gondola, which drops one of in a bowl just below the town of Sestriere. From here two chairlifts whisk you up to very different mountains, each one giving access to very steep and exhilarating red piste's. There is a final draglift, on both mountains, which take you up to steep red piste's, in both cases. These runs where developed for the winter Olympics and are absolutely exhilarating. As I carefully executed my turns I couldn't help thinking of the competitors skiing slaloms and downhill races on these very same slopes. I was reaching breakneck speed within seconds even with regular turns it was difficult to control one's speed. The other striking thing about these piste's, was the brilliant views.

Sestriere is accessible via a gondola, which drops one of in a bowl just below the town of Sestriere. From here two chairlifts whisk you up to very different mountains, each one giving access to very steep and exhilarating red piste's. There is a final draglift, on both mountains, which take you up to steep red piste's, in both cases. These runs where developed for the winter Olympics and are absolutely exhilarating. As I carefully executed my turns I couldn't help thinking of the competitors skiing slaloms and downhill races on these very same slopes. I was reaching breakneck speed within seconds even with regular turns it was difficult to control one's speed. The other striking thing about these piste's, was the brilliant views.
Although the piste's where very steep to start with they quickly descended into shallow reds and then long green runs which took you back to the lifts.
Sestriere was a really enjoyable relaxing place to ski, with plenty of superb on piste bars and restaurants to relax in. Everyone of them having an obligatory balcony to relax in the sun on.

Sansicario was easily my favourite skiing are, this is where the best blacks were, in my opinion. A steep button lift transported the skiers from the Sauze D'oulx area, dropping us of at the top of a fairly steep red. Which started to level out after about fifty metres? At this point was a restaurant bar to grab a drink and rest the weary legs. The drag lift is so steep you are virtually standing on your toes just to keep the skis under control.
Continuing down the red I suddenly arrived at the start of the first black, which was nice and steep to start. Plenty wide enough for a good traverse and loads of snow to be able to dig in the edges. I preferred to go straight down the edges of the piste, swishing through the powder and executing tight parallel turns. Perfectly under control of course (I wish), at least that is what everyone else was doing.
I followed another red piste, which descended into the trees. Suddenly I was skiing in between and around massive pines, standing a hundred feet tall. I was really fantastic, almost like skiing through a forest. The photograph here illustrates this perfectly.
After a perfect sunny blue sky day, amongst brilliant scenery and skiing on fantastic piste's. I eventually had to return to Sauze D'oulx to meet up with the rest of the group, to have a beer at the Rocce Nere Restaurant /bar and relate the heroics of the day. Before descending the mountain, to the apres ski bars of Sauze D'oulx.