Cervinia - Slope

The altitude and glaciers mean the season can start in October and lasts until the beginning of May. Then snow sports begin again in late June and continue through to early September for summer skiing.

Cervinia's skiing is spread over wide, treeless slopes climbing up to the Swiss border. Most of the remaining drag lifts have been replaced in recent seasons by state-of the-art chairs.

Beginners have a snowsure nursery area right next to the resort. Cervinia's high altitude means that this should be snow-covered all winter, whereas in many traditional resorts at lower altitude, nursery slopes may only be open a month or two in midwinter.

Intermediates have the most slopes to enjoy, with some of the world's longest reds, including a 15km (9-mile) run back down to the resort from Plateau Rosà.

Thanks to the lift link with Zermatt, advanced skiers and boarders have enough exciting steep terrain on and off piste to keep them happy all season. Heli-skiing is also popular with vertical descents of around 3,000m (just under 10,000ft) possible in good conditions - the largest in the Alps.