Ski the Italian Alps — During the Olympics!

When the Olympics come to town, they tend to drive away most recreational skiers, often for the entire season. But while most of the Italian resorts hosting the Winter Olympics will be off-limits to dilettantes during the February 10–26 run of the Games, not all of them are. You can still carve the slopes at Bardonecchia right above the half-pipes where snowboarders will be showing off their aerial skills. And besides, the mountains being used for the Olympics aren't the only ski resorts in Northwestern Italy. Anyone up for skiing Mont Blanc?

There's nothing like skiing the Alps. It's not just the 5,800-foot vertical drops backed by cut-glass peaks, or the wide-open expanses of virgin powder, or the way groomed trails and back-country skiing are equally mixed—and easily accessible. It's the whole Olde Worlde experience of it all, carving your way down a mountain from village to village, stopping for mulled wine and hearty mountain fare in centuries-old taverns, and—when you've run out of downhill—riding a series of trains, buses, cable cars, funiculars, and chair lifts back up to the top.

That's what skiing the Alps is all about. And this year, you can do it right alongside the world's greatest winter athletes.

SNOWBOARD WITH THE OLYMPIANS
First let's take care of that myth that you can't hit the slopes at the same time as the folks vying for medals. Yes, the host resorts of major downhill and Alpine events, including Sestriere and Cesana San Sicario, will be closed to non-Olympians from January 31 (the actual Olympic runs shut down starting January 8) through the end of the Games on February 26. But the boarders at Bardonecchia, one of the region's largest and most fashionable towns, won't be needing the whole mountain—just the new half-pipe and giant slalom course—so most of its 52 runs (totaling 87 miles) will remain open to us plebes.

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What's more, the resorts where Olympic events are taking place aren't the only places to ski in the Via Lattea. There are five ski resorts and a combined 248 miles of runs threading these valleys west of Turin where the Alps wash up against the French border. Several other mountains tucked in between the Olympic venues have no restrictions whatsoever on their lifts or their runs. This includes Sauze d'Oulx, a wonderfully medieval town popular with Brits, and even the Montiluna area (great tree skiing) of Cesana's Claviere section—right across from Cesana's San Sicario slopes where all the downhill, biathlon, and luge/bobsleigh/skeleton action will be taking place.

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The real issue is not whether you can use the slopes during the Games, but whether you can find a place to stay in these small towns being overrun by a big, five-ring circus. Luckily, though hotels are mostly gone, there are still plenty of alternative lodgings available throughout the area, as I detailed in an earlier article, "Want to go to the Olympics?". The practical upshot: you can find an apartment, B&B, farm stay, or rental room in a private home through the local tourism authority Montagendoc — which is also an excellent resource for researching your ski options.

Of course, you can always just bide your time and go after the Games are over. Come February 27, all ski areas in the Via Lattea will reopen to the public (save for the lower area of the Banchetta Giovanni Nasi course, which is hosting the Paralympic Games March 5–19). Given the lull that tends to follow most Olympics, you just might have the slopes all to yourself—and inexpensively, to boot. For example, special packages at Bardonecchia start at €180 to €250 ($212 to $294) per person, and that covers four nights' lodging, breakfast daily, and a four-day ski pass. For much more on skiing and staying in the Via Lattea resorts, click here.

If you just can't wait that long to break out the pom-pom hat and strap on your boards, might I suggest avoiding the Olympics region altogether and setting your sights a bit further north—and a lot higher up.

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