I'm planning a few days in Pila followed by a few days in La Thulie. I've found quite a bit of info on the bike parks but wondered if anyone had any other advice?
Best restaurants, best view/photo opportunity, XC trip, any other tips? Is the Italian side of the Matterhorn as nice as the Zerrmatt side?
We will be in our campervan so have transport.
Thanks for any help.
The scenery is nice on the Italian side of the Matterhorn but Cervinia itself is an eyesore.
I don't know too much about the biking but for my money the dead end valleys running south out of the Aosta Valley have some of the finest scenery in the Alps. Val di Cogne, Val Savaranche, Val Grisenche and Val di Rheme are all stunning and worth a night in the van.
Speak to the guys at Asosta Valley freeride. I recommend an up lift day with them. They took us all over the valley to bits you won’t ride off the lifts. We had a fanstatic day with them, probably the best days riding we had in Pila and we’ve been a few times
for my money the dead end valleys running south out of the Aosta Valley have some of the finest scenery in the Alps. Val di Cogne, Val Savaranche, Val Grisenche and Val di Rheme are all stunning
That's exactly the sort of advice I was hoping for. Cheers.
That’s exactly the sort of advice I was hoping for. Cheers
I'm off out now but I'll post up some pics and more detail when I get back.
There is a "Sosta" just on the edge of Cervinia. I found the riding options there underwhelming, but I was there a good few years ago, with my wife (we'd just found out she was pregnant), and we were unguided. The trails at that stage were of the "bloke with a strimmer has been for a wander on the mountain" variety.
I echo the sentiments of Spin above.
We will be doing the same and then going over the pass for a week in Verbier. Staying on the International site in Aosta and the Rutor in La Thuile for the EWS
We used Aosta Freeride last year for a day. There was three of us. Got to say it was a great day out but the most expensive days guiding we have ever had.
There is an alternative Pila to Aosta trail furthur up the valley but can't remember the trail numbers without a map to look at.
Stayed in Cogne at Lo Stambecco campsite a few years back - lots of dutch camper vans so well geared up for that. Best thing was its proxmity to La Barme hotel and restaurant which had truly wonderful food.
Aosta itself is a lovely town and worth an evenings wander.
Cheers all. Grateful for any photos Spin. We are planning similar to you Tracey. The International then Rutor. Then over the valley for a week in the Tarentaise.
I love planning holidays 😁
Don't forget to plan your Speedos and swimming cap for the International 😏
Don’t forget to plan your Speedos and swimming cap for the International
Probably best not.
Mr TW earlier.
Joke ruined because I can't post a piccy
Roight...
Those valleys to the south of the Aosta valley are all lovely but Val di Cogne is very busy. The others much less so as there it less habitation / infrastructure. The campsite at the top of Val Savaranche (Le Pont / Le Breuil) is pretty scenic and was very quiet when we were there (mid July). It claims to be the highest campsite in Europe.
Val di Rhemes is quieter again. I don't think there is a campsite in Rhemes Notre Dame but there is a big car park with nice public toilets including showers just as you are leaving the village heading up valley.
Valgrisenche is nice too but slightly spoiled (depending on your opinion) by a large dam. Didn't bother me personally.
The Aosta Valley website is pretty good and gives info on walks, rides etc.
A really spectacular XC ride (not done it but saw folks on it when I was on the TMB last year is as follows: Drive up to Courmayeur and park somewhere in Val Ferret (maybe Plampincieux) ride all the way up to the end of the road in that valley then hike a bike up the TMB and back along the balcony path past the Bonatti refuge. This gives spectacular views of the big mountains on the other side of the valley.
Personally I wouldn't bother with Cervinia.
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Above Val Savarenche. I only ran this but it looked like it could be the best descent in the world. Ever. Ball ache to get to though!
Looking down on the campsite at the end of Val Savarenche.
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Above Rhemes-Notre-Dames
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It's probably my favourite part of Europe. Think of the nicest mountainous part of France, but with lovely friendly people. We did lots of climbing and mountaineering there 15 -20 years ago, but also took MTBs as bad weather option plan B. Don't know if it's still in print but we used " in valle d'aosta con la mountain bike " which is in Italian so was fairly amusing trying to translate enroute. All XC stuff, of course, there was no lift assisted MTB back then.
As above, the finger valleys are lovely. we also did a crossing into Italy over the Grand St Bernard pass whilst playing Matt Monro on days like these, in a Renault people carrier rather than a Lamborghini Miura
There's a nice cafe bar in the central square in Aosta, it's a lovely place to have a couple of post ride beers, nibbles and ice cream and watch the beautiful italians walk by. Mountain bikers must be a rarity as people were stopping to look at our bikes and asking questions about them. Some cracking value restaurants too, superb town. Camping international is nice too. Great area to spend a few days
In addition to the grand advice already given, the climbing guide book folks at Versant Sud also have a MTB guide book for the Aosta valley which is fairly good as an introduction to the stuff away from the lifts: https://www.versantesud.it/en/shop/mountain-bike-in-valle-daosta/
Not sure why everyone is knocking Cervina looks wise it’s not that bad, definitely not the best a bit like an Italian slightly tatty version of tignes.
Riding wise cervina is pretty cool, all is lift accessed and is a mix of Pila type downhill stuff with some long la thuile style single track, a couple of the trail start right up at the top 3000m+ in the snow and glacier fields. There is a good 2 days riding if you did all the trails and a couple twice. Top to bottom they are about twice the length of la thuile and similar length to Pila’s long one back to aosta.
We stayed in valtourneche which is about 5 miles down the valley from cervina, it’s only a little village and much more classical alpine. There is single track from cervina to the village and a public bus with bike racks to get up to cervina. For food the best we found was the foyer des guides in the village , definitely not the cheapest but outstanding.
for some real find your way single track get a map the get the cable car and chair lifts to the top of the little village chamois and then take the footpaths back to valtourneche. It’s only a couple hours riding and not the hardest but very picturesque.
If you do go check season start dates and if the lifts are running on that day, the Italian often have a day a week with limited lift access. The lifts start very early in cervina as the glacier is the national ski summer training ground and they get up there very early in the morning before the snow melts.
Pila is very bike park and can get pretty blown out late in the season. We did last day last year and it was a foot of talc with 1 foot brake bumps underneath.
Cheers again. I've been looking at videos of Cervina on YouTube. The riding there looks much harder than Pila or La Thulie?
Cervina is harder trails than Pila. I enjoyed it. Go to the top if all lifts running. Pila is good fun for a day.
As Marin said Cervina is harder than Pila. Pila is just super fast park with berms, jumps and built up switch back, a lot of fun for a day. Cervina is more like the EWS trails at la Thule a lot more natural , and long if you go from the top it’s a good 15-20mins plus some, of constant descending, fast but a lot more rock and root, yes if I remember right a lot more rock. They hold the maxi avalanche there, part of the mega avalanche series, so it’s no xc loop. I really liked it.
Dont be put off by the Italians in full body armour, from my time there they either wear Lycra for xc / road or full robocop body armour for just about every thing else.
Above Val Savarenche. I only ran this but it looked like it could be the best descent in the world. Ever. Ball ache to get to though!
I can confirm having ridden it, that it is the best trail I've ever ridden.
I've been looking at it on the map. How did you make the logistics work Tim?
Drop me a private message and I'll let you know - let me know which route you are looking at too!
I can confirm having ridden it, that it is the best trail I’ve ever ridden.
I ran over the Col Lauson from Valnontey to Valsavaranche. I reckoned almost all of it would have been rideable from the Col at 3200m ish down to Eau Rousse. Did you do the whole thing or just part? Given that I passed some bikers coming up the bottom section I suspect that bit might be quite popular.
