Skiing the Via Lattea at Sestriere

Skiing the Via Lattea is downhill skiing and snowboarding across the vast 'Milky Way' ski domain centred on the purpose-built resort of Sestriere in the upper Susa Valley of the Turin province, Piedmont, north-west Italy. One of the largest linked ski areas in Europe, the Via Lattea connects Sestriere with Sauze d'Oulx, Sansicario, Cesana and Claviere on the Italian side and Montgenevre across the French border, offering around 400 kilometres of pistes on a single lift pass. Sestriere, built by the Agnelli family of Fiat in the 1930s and a host venue for the alpine events of the Turin 2006 Winter Olympics, sits high at 2,035 metres, giving reliable snow and a long season. The terrain suits everyone, from wide beginner slopes and ski-school nursery areas to the Olympic downhill and giant-slalom pistes for advanced skiers, with extensive snowmaking backing up the natural cover. Equipment - skis or board, boots, poles and helmet - is rented from numerous shops in the resort, and the Scuola Sci Sestriere and other ski schools run lessons for all ages and levels, with instructors holding the Italian national ski-instructor qualification. Lift passes are bought for the Sestriere area alone or the full Via Lattea, and the resort has a complete infrastructure of hotels, mountain restaurants and apres-ski. Beginners take group or private lessons on the gentle lower slopes, while strong skiers can ski village to village across the domain in a day. The season runs from December to April, snow conditions permitting, with the best cover usually from January to March; off-piste and itinerary routes should only be skied with awareness of avalanche conditions and ideally a qualified guide. The scale of the linked area, the Olympic pedigree and the high, snow-sure setting make Sestriere and the Via Lattea the headline winter destination of the Piedmont Alps.