Sansicario - Cesana

The praise is for position: Sansicario is a convenient base for reaching the whole Via Lattea, and the Olympic run with its constant changes of gradient is a favourite. The sector is rated good for beginners, and its mountain restaurants and refuges with views towards Chaberton are called the best in the area. The pass can be bought for part of the area rather than the whole region, and the ski school is well regarded.

Dated lifts draw criticism, mostly chairs, with speeds to match. The sharpest anger is for unannounced stoppages: the Cesana to Sansicario gondola gets shut early in wind without warning, and since you cannot ski down from Sansicario to Cesana, families with children have been left stranded. The bus between the villages runs erratically. The last lift towards Sestriere closes before the others, forcing a rushed return, and southerly exposure strips the lower cover early.