Cesana Torinese-Sansicario - introduction

Quiet little Sansicario and Cesana Torinese are perfectly positioned in the heart of the extensive Milky Way (Via Lattea) area. On the doorstep are more than 400km of pistes with easy access links between Sestriere, Sauze d'Oulx, Clavière and Montegenevre. Most of the pistes are wide bowls with stunning views of the Piedmont area — and yet these home slopes are usually blissfully uncrowded.

You can often have the mountain to yourself in the mornings before the first skiers arrive from the neighbouring big resorts of Sestriere to the east and Sauze d’Oulx to the west. Sansicario is at the vanguard of the Via Lattea located at 1,700m, while its neighbour Cesana Torinese is 6km south at 1,350m. Both resorts were major venues for the Winter Olympics in 2006 and the bobsleigh run between the two is now popular with thrill seekers.

From Saniscario there is direct access to the ski slopes, together with accommodation, a handful of bars and some good restaurants. From Cesana a new 8-seater bubble takes eight minutes to get to Sansicario, while to the east the pistes of Claviere and Montgenevre are within reach.

There’s skiing for all levels with a couple of gentle blues accessible from Saniscario, long, cruisey reds and some challenging blacks within reach around Sestriere and Sauze and some good off-piste. Cesana’s slopes mostly favour intermediate cruisers. A 6-day ski pass covers all lifts on the Italian side of the Milky Way area plus one day’s skiing in Montgenevre.

Highlights

• Huge, varied ski terrain and pole position at the centre of the Milky Way
• Lower prices than at the bigger, neighbouring resorts
• Uncrowded, sunny slopes, good snowmaking and piste bashing
• Great for families

Lowlights

• Snowfall can be erratic during spring (although snowmaking is excellent)
• Nightlife is quiet with only a limited après-ski scene