Gressoney-Saint-Jean - Monterosa Ski

The praise is for how quiet it is: the pistes stay uncrowded even at weekends and are described as deserted midweek. Connoisseurs rate the Leonardo David black, reckoned one of the most technical in the Alps, and floodlit for evening skiing. Reviewers mention good snow, long cruising reds and plenty of off-piste in the neighbouring Monterosa sectors, plus an area for the youngest children.

Wind is the standard grievance: the high Monterosa links close in bad weather, whiteouts at altitude are common, and only the trees lower down save the day. Two slow twin chairs out of the valley are long overdue for replacement, and many feel the prices outrun the value. A more unsettling theme is Weissmatten's own future: running the chairlift in winter costs more than it earns, closure has been floated more than once, and the municipality has had to approve development plans to head it off.