The southern Cottian Alps, west of the town of Cuneo (Piedmont) are known for their abundant snow falls and great ski mountaineering itineraries.
Terrain varies from steep forest to open slopes and couloirs; peaks exceed 3000 m elevation with the summits often reached after a short climbing on rock and ice. There are no glaciers.
The Maira valley is nowadays a classic destination, to the point that in spring is no longer easy to find unbeaten tracks there. In our programme we include some less known itineraries in valle Maira itself,  plus other beautiful tours in the far less visited nearby valleys of Varaita, Grana, and Stura.
We suggest to undertake this trip in january or february for the best powder conditions at altitudes between 1000 and 2500 m, or later in march and april for the longest tours to the highest summits. All destinations are in italian territory, except a few ones located in France, beyond the border at  the upper Stura valley.
All tours are feasible in a single day and accomodation would be in hotel or guesthouse near Borgo San Dalmazzo, which is quite a central location well suitable to reach any of the four valleys by a short car drive.
These valleys have very few ski lifts or none, villages are small and quiet, restaurants are simple but offer great genuine food and wine. This area is a ski mountaineering paradise, providing you a taste of peace and wilderness which is rare to find elsewhere in the Alps.

OPTIONAL

• (winter only): one or more days of freeride in the nearby ski resort of Limone Piemonte;
• one or more days of steep skiing, mostly dedicated to the search of the  steeper slopes and couloirs, for highly skilled skiers only;
• (spring only): short 5-days programme with accomodation in a remote mountain hut and one-day tours in the same valley (no car transfers needed);
• (spring only): 2 or 3 days extension for the ascent of Monviso 3841 m, the highest elevation of the Cottian Alps (only for advaanced ski-mountaineers).

OTHERS  SKI TOURING PROGRAMMES IN  THE REGION  OR NEARBY

• 5-days Haute Route (hut-to hut traverse of the 4 valleys, in march-april
• one week in the Ubaye and Queyras regions, France
• one week n the Maritime Alps and 5-days Haute Route.

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