Solo Skiing the Italian Way

With it’s impressive snow record, high altitude ski lifts, connection to Zermatt in Switzerland and abundance of Italian charm, it’s no surprise that Cervinia is considered one of the most renowned tourist destinations in the Alps.

With all the hype and raving reviews of this Italian gem, we just had to go and check it out for ourselves and of course, take a few of our lovely guests with us!

Our guests arrived on a handful of recommended flights into Turin Airport in Italy and we collected them together in the Cold Fusion minibus for the 90 minute journey to the snowy peaks of Cervinia.

There are a few different airlines offering reasonably priced direct lights from London to Turin including British Airways, easyJet and Ryan Air.  There are also flights from regional airports in the UK although less frequent and often indirect.

Base Camp

The beautiful Chalet Cervinia was our Cold Fusion base for the week and what a chalet it is!  Perched just above the centre of Cervinia itself but still very much enjoying a central location, Chalet Cervinia is an elegant chalet oozing Italian style and charm.  Built over 4 floors, Chalet Cervinia offers accommodation in 8 en-suite bedrooms with breathtaking views over the ski slopes of Cervinia and beyond.  The ground floor of the chalet is dedicated to socialising with the tastefully designed living and dining space offering panoramic views over the valley and a stunning log fireplace providing that all important wow factor. There is even a games room with a table tennis table, where Steve could be found most evenings challenging the guests and showcasing his ping pong skills!

An outdoor jacuzzi  and fire-fed sauna with views to die for was the cherry on the cake!

Benvenuto

We were welcomed into Chalet Cervinia with a typical Italian Aperitvio - a glass of Prosecco or excellent local beer, local meats and cheeses and lots of other tasty nibbles which we devoured after a long morning of travelling.  There was a lot to catch up on over a drink or two as most of the guests had travelled with Cold Fusion before and so there were many familiar faces around the table.  Some guests even knew each other from previous Cold Fusion holidays and so there was a real feeling of being among friends or part of a ski club!

Once the banter had died down, we were able to discuss how the week was going to run, explain the layout of the chalet and its facilities and offer some resort orientation.  We then headed off to the ski hire shop to collect our equipment for the week.

We used Cervinia 2001 and found their service excellent with brand new skis and boots at around 100 Euros for the week.

Later that evening, we were treated to the most delicious of meals prepared and served by our Italian chef and it truly was Italian gastronomy at its best! 

The first course (primo piatto) was a homemade pasta dish which was so delicious it took real self control to remember to save room for the main course, or the ‘secondo piatto’! Perfectly cooked lean meat was served with a variety of colourful vegetables for the perfect balance of protein, carbohydrates and vitamins in preparation for an adrenaline packed week on the slopes!  And not forgetting the delectable cake to finish served with lashings of locally sourced cream. Delizioso!

Let's Ski

On the first morning, we were greeted by our lovely chalet hosts and served a breakfast of kings - an impressive choice of fruit, cereals, fresh bread and pastries, eggs, sausages and even pancakes!

Once we had fuelled ourselves ready for the day, we picked up pour skis and headed to the high speed Plan Maison gondola, whisking us up the mountain to 2255m to embark on a glorious sunny, first day in the Italian Alps.  We whizzed around the perfectly groomed pistes and enjoyed having the mountain to ourselves before the December crowds arrived!  A further three lifts found us skiing at an altitude of 3301m - Cervinia is undoubtedly a snow-sure resort!

Cervinia and Valtourneche offer a vast choice of slopes and we spent hours cruising the green, blue and red pistes and exploring the easily accessible off-piste terrain, which got better and better as the week went on and the snow kept on coming and coming!

High winds during our stay meant that the connecting lift to Zermatt was sadly closed but under normal conditions, it is possible to cross from Cervinia in Italy to Zermatt in Switzerland on skis!

The group were all of a similar level on skis and so we toured around the mountain with ease sharing lots of banter, stories, memories and a LOT of laughter!

Lunch Stop

We stopped for lunch at Chalet Etoile, which is a snack bar as well as a fine dining restaurant (we were paying around 10-15 Euros for a quick lunch and a more fine dining experience was around 35 Euros) and Bontadini-da-lombard, which offers amazing local cuisine (15-25 Euros for a dish) and we of course visited a number of very charming, small, hidden away gems for local coffee stops (around 2-3 Euros per drink).  Cervinia really does have some amazing local restaurants at amazing prices! 

Apres Anyone?

Cervinia also has a number of après-ski bars, but our favourite was the Love Bar, where the house drinks were reasonably priced at 6-7 Euros for a beer and live music was a daily event with local DJ’s and organised apres-ski parties in peak season.

In typical Cold Fusion style, we picked up our guests from the après-ski bar in our minibus and brought them back to the chalet with enough time to enjoy a jacuzzi and sauna before dinner. 

No walking back in ski boots for our Cold Fusion VIPs, it’s all part of the service!

The outdoor jacuzzi offered ultimate relaxation to unwind after a day on the slopes with a drink in hand admiring the mountain vista.

For the second night running (and every night thereafter), the chef worked his magic in the kitchen filling our tummies with delicious Italian dishes satisfying everyone’s tastebuds.  

Quality Italian red and white wine was also served with the option of soft drinks and beer for the non wine drinkers in the group.

A nice addition to the drinks offering was the table of quality spirits for guests to serve themselves to be paid for at the end of the stay in the form of an honesty tab.  Popular brand Gin, Whisky, Vodka, Rhum and many other bottles were on display with lots of mixers to choose from.

‘the best ski day of their life’

The particular highlight of the week was the skiing on Wednesday with a few guests telling us it was ‘the best ski day of their life’ and coming from these guests who have skied A LOT over the past thirty years or so, that’s saying something! 

The snow gods delivered and the sun shined on perfect powder and empty pistes, and in the company of a cracking group of solo skiers and boarders meant that it was certainly a day to remember!

After a strenuous day on the slopes, many guests also indulged in a rejuvenating massage provided by the in-house masseuse at the chalet.

We fell in love with Cervinia and the Cold Fusion Cervinia trip was a resounding success.  A huge part of this is thanks to our valued guests who joined us on this adventure and who have stayed loyal to Cold Fusion and have holidayed with us so many times before - some guests were even on their 16th trip with Cold Fusion!

We loved the whole experience so much that we’re going back!  Yes, we are inviting you all to join us in Chalet Cervinia again this season for a short ski getaway between 9th and 12th March 2024!  We’d love to see you all there!

Find out more about Chalet Cervinia

Arrivederci!