The setting of Pila ski resort, looking down upon the historic town of Aosta is special. A short gondola ride from the Aosta Valleys capital brings you to the sunny slopes of Pila. Quietly going about its business Pila delivers a fantastic skiing and snowboarding experience without the fanfare of larger name ski resorts.

PILA SKI RESORT FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Providing your first impressions of Pila is impossible without talking about Aosta. Aosta is the capital of the Aosta valley and is likely to be your base for a trip to Pila ski resort. Aosta in winter has a magical feel and taking a stroll along the cobbled streets of the old town and through the Christmas markets is the perfect start to an Italian ski trip.

Pila ski resort itself is accessible by gondola from Aosta and the car-free village remains crowd-free during the week. The weekends are different with a lively Apres Scene and a wide choice of restaurants to sample. My first day snowboarding in Pila was a Sunday and the queue for the lifts were quite long.

PILA SKI AREA

Pila ski resort is accessible straight from the city of Aosta via a short (20 minute) gondola ride. The resort boasts North Facing slopes and can be devoid of crowds Monday-Friday. Pila has 70km of pistes which are mostly marked red and would delight the intermediate skier of snowboarder.

The ski area at Pila has 1000m of vertical drop and a resort altitude of 1800m. Pila is a snowsure ski resort with the upper slopes at 2700m.

The views from Pila ski area take in some of the most impressive mountains in Europe. Mont Blanc, Monte Rosa, the Eiger, and the Matterhorn are all visible from Pila’s slopes.

BEGINNERS TERRAIN AT PILA

Beginners will enjoy the ease of learning to ski and snowboard in Pila. A designated beginner’s area is found just outside the top gondola station. Long green trails can be found at Pila ensuring beginners are not stuck in one area of the ski resort. Being able to explore, including being able to take the long green to the base of the gondola is a real highlight of learning to ski at Pila.

Never evers will start their lessons at the magic carpet around baby Pila and will progress to the Grimod area. The Grimod area has a fantastic wide blue piste which is great for beginners to get a feel for steeper more progressive ski slopes.

INTERMEDIATE TERRAIN AT PILA

Pila ski resort is perfect for intermediates with 70% of the Pila trail map designated as red runs. Intermediates have the choice to ski and snowboard from the very top of the Piatta de Grevon and the Pointe du Couis 2, descending via red-graded pistes.

The pistes at Pila compare favourably to other Italian ski resorts and can be incredible on sunny days. Luckily the lower mountain at Pila consists of mostly tree-lined runs which also makes Pila great for those low visibility days. My favourite runs in poor weather were off the Chamole chair which accesses red-graded terrain back to the base area and the bottom of the Pila gondola.

ADVANCED TERRAIN AT PILA

The advanced terrain at Pila ski resort is mostly found above the tree line and off the Couis 1 and Couis 2 chairlifts. Although there are only a few black-graded pistes at Pila there is challenge to be found in the trees. Sadly due to my visit being during early season, the upper mountain was not open. This provides motivation to return to Pila to further explore the upper resort.

Further to the listed trails at Pila, there are a number of designated splitboarding or ski randonnee trails, The off-piste in the region is well-regarded and the Aosta Valley offers opportunities to Heli-ski. Being able to embark on a ski tour from the upper lifts at Pila, saves some energy on the uphill which is never a bad thing.

FREESTYLE TERRAIN AT PILA

Pila has a dedicated freestyle area called Snowpark Area Effe. This terrain park was the first designated freestyle terrain in the Aosta Valley and has one awards for being amongst the best in Italy.

AreaEffe at Pila has a number of different lines that freestyle skiers and snowboarders can choose from with jumps and rails for all abilities.

The AreaEffe terrain park at Pila is situated alongside the Grand Grimod chairlift, a four-seater chair that provides the ability to lap the park effortlessly.

PILA SKI RESORT PISTE MAP

LIFTS AT PILA SKI RESORT

A combination of 17 lifts are available at Pila ski resort with some upgrades needed. The lifts run fairly slowly which can cause major queues on the weekends. The small 3-person chair near the gondola top station is a particular bottleneck in the mornings. This lift is best avoided at peak times and heading up the Chamolè chair will help avoid the queues.

The gondola from Aosta is the main access point to the resort, and parking is available directly outside the base station. The Pila gondola comfortably fits 8 skiers and passes through two further stations before arriving into the resort at 1800m.

Grimod chair is a short 4-person chair that laps the park but as this area is also home to some learner’s terrain the lift is pretty slow.

The Gorraz - Grimod cable car is also available to skiers with journeys running every 15 minutes. This can be great for a quick break from the cold on those super chilly days.

PILA SKI RESORT PROS

• Pila ski resort has direct access from Aosta via gondola

• Intermediates will enjoy the amount of red graded terrain at Pila

• Uncrowded weekday slopes - try to visit Pila on a weekday

• The terrain park at Pila is great and would keep me coming back.

PILA SKI RESORT CONS

• The infrastructure at Pila could do with updating. Modern lifts would improve lift lines during weekends and holidays.

PRO AND A CON

Pila ski resorts location close to Aosta brings both positives and negatives. The location close to the city provides a perfect base for a ski holiday with lots of accommodation and dining choices within easy access of the resorts gondola.

The downside of the easy access to Pila is crowds during holiday periods and weekends. Pila is a ski resort best visited outside of peak times.

TRAVEL TO PILA SKI RESORT

Getting to Pila ski resort can be much easier than my journey was, a horrid long coach trip. With that in mind, there are plenty of easier ways to access Pila and the resorts of the Aosta Valley.

International flights arrive into Torino, Milan and Bergamo with flight transfers also available from Geneva in Switzerland. From these airports self-drive is possible and I would recommend self-drive as this would allow you to visit the nearby resort of Courmayeur.

PILA SKI RESORT SNOW RECORD

Pila ski resort receives between three and four metres of snowfall per winter. The high-altitude base area at Pila (1800m) ensures that the snow lasts throughout the winter and the quality of snow on my visit was exceptional. Pila has invested in extensive snow making facilities that top up the natural snowfall in the resort.

PILA SKI RESORT LIFT PASS PRICES

A six day lift pass during peak weeks in Pila will cost €250 with day passes available for €50. To check out the latest prices and get a more accurate account of how much it costs to ski in Pila follow this link.

PILA SKI RESORT GALLERY

ACCOMMODATION AT PILA SKI RESORT

The first thing to consider when choosing your Pila ski resort accommodation is whether you want to stay in the resort or in the city of Aosta. For those wanting to stay in the resort, there are a couple of possible bases. The main resort of Pila sits at the top of the gondola at 1800m where there are a number of ski-in-ski-out options. Below the main village, there is further accommodation in the Plan Praz area. Plan plaz is the base of the ski area and provides close access to the slopes.

1200m below Pila ski resort and below the snow line is the historic city of Aosta. Aosta provides an alternative to staying in the resort and can add a certain charm to your stay. Wandering around the backstreets of the old town can result in you stumbling into some fantastic local restaurants and bars which can add to your stay but also to your waistline, so proceed with caution!

SEASON DATES PILA SKI RESORT

Pila generally opens in late November although this is rarely for the whole ski area which is more likely to open during December. The ski season in Pila runs into mid April with good snow conditions guaranteed by the resorts high altitude.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON PILA SKI RESORT

I really enjoyed visiting Pila in the early season and although parts of the resort were not open there was enough to keep me occupied. I enjoyed being based in Aosta as this meant that there were plenty of evening activities to entertain me and plenty of interesting places to eat. I would like to revisit Pila when the resort is fully open.