Adventure
Six disciplines, thirty-plus activities, graded honestly. Every one is delivered by a professional holding the Italian or international qualification that legally covers it — and we print that qualification next to the activity.
Qualifications
In Italy, guiding and instructing are regulated professions. These are the credentials that matter here, and the only ones we work with.
Guida Alpina — Collegio Regionale Guide Alpine Valle d'Aosta, IFMGA/UIAGM
The international mountain-guide qualification. Aosta Valley guides work under the regional collegio; Courmayeur's Société des Guides, founded in 1850, is one of the oldest guiding bodies in the world.
Accompagnatore di Media Montagna — regional register, Valle d'Aosta
Licensed for non-glaciated terrain: trekking, snowshoeing, nature and wildlife itineraries.
Maestro di Sci — Collegio Regionale Maestri di Sci Valle d'Aosta (AMSI)
The only qualification legally permitted to teach skiing and snowboarding in Italy.
Guida ufficiale del Parco Nazionale Gran Paradiso
Accredited to lead inside Italy's oldest national park, established 1922.
Guida di rafting — Federazione Italiana Rafting
Swiftwater rescue certified, river-specific licensing for the Dora Baltea.
Guida di canyoning — AIC / Guida Alpina
Canyon-specific rope and rescue accreditation.
Maestro di mountain bike — AMIB / Federazione Ciclistica Italiana
Technique coaching plus terrain and trail-safety accreditation.
Pilota tandem — Federazione Italiana Volo Libero
Logged tandem hours and site-specific approval for each launch.
Operatore certificato ENAC (Ente Nazionale per l'Aviazione Civile)
Commercial air-operator certification for helicopter and balloon flight in Italian airspace.
The signature winter journey
One valley. Four giants. Three countries. One lift pass.
Most people ski one resort for a week. The Aosta Valley is the only region in the Alps where a single pass opens 800 km of piste across every resort — and skis you into Switzerland, France and Piedmont without ever changing your bed.
Confident intermediate and up · 5–7 days
The full valley on piste. Comfortable parallel turns on red runs is all it takes — this is a journey, not a test.
from €245 per person, per day
Mixed ability, children from 6 · 4–6 days
Shorter days and gentler resorts — Pila, Torgnon, Champoluc, La Thuile — with ski school, nanny handover and a long lunch built in. Parents can peel off for a harder afternoon.
from €210 per person, per day
Advanced, off-piste capable · 6–7 days
The same route led by an IFMGA guide, with the Zermatt and Alagna crossings, off-piste variants between the resorts, and a heliski morning if the snowpack allows.
from €320 per person, per day
34 activities
Snow & Ice
11 activities
Courmayeur · Cervinia · Pila · La Thuile · Monterosa Ski
One instructor, your group, and 800 km of linked pistes across the region.
We match instructor to skier, not the other way round — a patient first-timer specialist, a technique coach for the plateaued intermediate, or a race-trained maestro who will rebuild your carving. Lift passes, fast-track collection, boot fitting and ski delivery to your door are handled before you arrive. Cervinia links over the border into Zermatt; La Thuile crosses into La Rosière; Pila is reached by cable car straight out of Aosta.
Monterosa Ski · Courmayeur · Cervinia
The Monterosa massif is one of the great freeride arenas of the Alps. We know its aspects.
Guided exclusively by IFMGA guides carrying transceiver, probe, shovel and airbag packs for the whole group. Every day starts with the regional avalanche bulletin and a terrain plan chosen for the current snowpack — not a fixed itinerary. Sessions include a transceiver drill before the first lift. Suitable for confident off-piste skiers; we will tell you honestly if a line is beyond you.
Monte Rosa · Ruitor · Valgrisenche
Italy is one of the few Alpine countries where heliskiing remains legal — and the Aosta Valley is its heartland.
Drops on the Ruitor glacier, the Valgrisenche and the flanks of Monte Rosa, flown by ENAC-certified operators and guided one-to-four by IFMGA guides. Descents run from long, forgiving glacier cruisers to committing north-facing lines. Includes safety equipment, briefing and guide; weather and snowpack decide the day, and we will move or refund rather than fly a bad window.
Valgrisenche · Rhêmes · Valpelline · Gran Paradiso
Earn it. Quiet valleys, skins on at dawn, and a summit nobody else is standing on.
Introductory days on gentle, high-return terrain through to the Gran Paradiso ski ascent and multi-day hut-to-hut traverses of the Valgrisenche and Valpelline. Touring skis, skins, boots and safety kit can all be supplied and fitted. Hut bookings, half-board and transfers between valley heads are arranged by us.
Pila · Courmayeur · Champoluc
Park laps, powder lines, or a first heel-side turn that finally makes sense.
Certified snowboard instructors for all levels, including dedicated freestyle coaching in the Pila and Monterosa parks, and splitboard days into backcountry terrain with an IFMGA guide.
Cogne · Valpelline · Valsavarenche
Cogne is a world capital of frozen waterfalls. Cascate di Lillaz, Patrì, Repentance.
Beginners spend a first day on short, well-protected flows learning tool placement and footwork; experienced climbers are matched to multi-pitch classics. Axes, crampons, helmet and harness supplied. Conditions in Cogne are checked daily — ice is a moving target and the guide chooses the line on the morning.
Cogne · Gressoney · Rhêmes-Notre-Dame · Brusson
Cogne's valley-floor tracks are among the finest Nordic terrain in Italy.
Classic and skating tuition on groomed trails running through the Valnontey and along the Gran Paradiso boundary. Low-impact, superb for mixed-ability groups and for anyone who wants the mountains without the lift queues.
Valsavarenche · Cogne · Saint-Barthélemy
The quietest way into a winter forest — and the easiest to say yes to.
Silent larch woods, frozen alpeggi and wildlife tracks, at a pace anyone reasonably fit can hold. Torchlight ascents finish at a mountain refuge with a hot meal and a descent under head torches. Snowshoes and poles included.
Cogne · Cervinia · Brusson
Ride behind the team, or take the runners yourself once you have the hang of it.
Run by resident mushers who keep and train their own Alaskan and Siberian teams. Sessions start with meeting the dogs and understanding how the team works. Children ride in the basket; adults can learn to drive.
Cogne · Torgnon · Saint-Barthélemy
Wide tyres, packed snow, and far more traction than you expect.
Electric-assist fat bikes make the climbs achievable for most riders. Guided on snow-groomed forest roads and valley trails away from ski traffic.
Pila · Cogne · Torgnon · Chamois
The bit small children remember for the rest of the year.
Dedicated toboggan runs, snow parks and gentle sledging slopes, supervised, with equipment provided. Chamois — reachable only by cable car — is entirely car-free and ideal for young families.
Trails & Peaks
8 activities
Valley-wide
From a two-hour walk to a lake, to a lung-burning col at 3,000 m.
We grade every route honestly — distance, ascent, exposure, and what the ground is actually like underfoot. Guides carry first-aid and a weather plan; you carry a jacket. Routes are chosen on the day for conditions, and we can meet you at your accommodation.
Alta Via 1 & 2 · Tour du Mont Blanc · Tour du Monte Rosa
The great long-distance routes of the region, with the logistics taken off you.
Alta Via 1 traverses the northern side beneath the Matterhorn and Monte Rosa; Alta Via 2 runs the Gran Paradiso side. We book refuges and hotels, move luggage between stages, place resupply, and provide a guide for all or part of the route. Self-guided packages include GPX files, daily briefings and a live phone line.
Valsavarenche · Rifugio Vittorio Emanuele II / Chabod
The most attainable 4,000 m summit in the Alps — and it is entirely Italian.
Hut approach on day one, alpine start on day two, a glacier crossing on rope and a short scramble to the Madonna on the summit at 4,061 m. No previous glacier experience required, but real hill fitness is. Crampons, harness, axe and helmet supplied; guide ratio is typically 1:2.
Mont Blanc · Monte Rosa · Grivola · Dent du Géant
Mont Blanc, the Monte Rosa 4,000ers, the Dent du Géant. Objectives, not tours.
Ascents are built around an honest assessment of your fitness and technical base, with acclimatisation days built in — the single most common reason people fail on Mont Blanc is skipping them. Your guide holds the IFMGA qualification and the final call on conditions. We arrange hut nights, hire kit and a fallback objective if the weather turns.
Valsavarenche · Valnontey · Rhêmes
Ibex, chamois, marmot, golden eagle and bearded vulture — in the park that saved them.
Gran Paradiso was created in 1922 to protect the last Alpine ibex in Europe; the population recovered here and reseeded the range. Official park guides bring spotting scopes and know the rutting grounds, salt licks and thermals. Dawn and dusk are when the valley moves.
Courmayeur · Cogne · Gressoney
Courmayeur sits on the Tor des Géants and UTMB course. The terrain is not gentle.
Guided route running matched to your pace and vertical tolerance, with recce runs for anyone entered in Tor des Géants, TDS or UTMB. Support vehicles and refuelling points arranged for longer efforts.
Punta Helbronner · Rutor · Miage
Rope up and walk on ice, with the Mont Blanc massif standing over you.
A genuine introduction to glacier travel — crampon technique, roped movement, crevasse awareness — starting from the top of the Skyway at 3,466 m or from the Rutor. No previous experience required.
Saint-Christophe · Nus · Gressan
Valley-floor hacks and high-pasture rides for confident riders.
Riding centres offering lessons for children and escorted treks for experienced riders, including full-day rides to alpine pastures.
Rock & Vertical
3 activities
Machaby (Arnad) · Ozein · Valle di Cogne · Mont Blanc granite
Single-pitch crags for a first day on rock, and Mont Blanc granite for those who want it.
Machaby above Arnad is a superb low-altitude gneiss crag that stays climbable in shoulder season; the Mont Blanc side offers some of the finest granite in Europe. Shoes, harness and helmet included. Families welcome — children from around eight climb well on top rope.
Aosta · Saint-Marcel · Chamois · Ollomont
Steel cable, iron rungs and serious exposure — with none of the technical climbing.
A way to reach genuinely vertical ground without years of climbing behind you. Routes graded from an easy first outing to sustained overhanging sections. Full kit — harness, lanyard, helmet — supplied and fitted.
Val di Rhêmes · Valgrisenche · Cogne
Glacial erratics scattered across high pasture. Pads, chalk and no ropes.
Guided sessions on granite and gneiss blocks, with crash pads provided and problems chosen to suit the group.
Water
4 activities
Dora Baltea — Villeneuve to Morgex
Glacier melt off Mont Blanc, running grade II to IV depending on the section and the month.
The Dora Baltea is one of the best rafting rivers in the Alps, with a family-friendly lower section and a serious upper run in high water. Wetsuit, helmet, buoyancy aid and a FIRaft-licensed guide per boat. Children from around eight on the gentle section.
Valgrisenche · Gressoney · Valtournenche
Abseil waterfalls, slide polished granite chutes, jump into green pools.
Canyons graded from a gentle introduction with optional jumps to committing full-day descents. Neoprene, helmet and harness supplied. Non-swimmers can be accommodated on the easier routes — tell us and we will route around it.
Dora Baltea
A float, fins, and the river at eye level.
River-boarding on the Dora, plus tuition kayaking and inflatable-canoe descents for those who want to steer their own line.
Dora Baltea tributaries · high lakes
Marble trout, brown trout and grayling in cold, clear alpine water.
Permits arranged, tackle provided, catch-and-release on most beats. High-lake days combine a walk in with a few hours on the water.
Two Wheels
4 activities
Pila Bike Stadium · La Thuile · Torgnon
La Thuile has hosted UCI Downhill World Cup racing. Pila is the biggest park in the valley.
Lift-served descending from flowing blue trails to World-Cup-grade black tracks, with coaching available at every level. Bike hire, full-face helmet and body armour arranged. The Aosta–Pila cable car takes riders and bikes straight out of the city.
Saint-Barthélemy · Cogne · Gressoney
Ancient mule tracks and high traverses, ridden the way they were built to be walked.
Shuttle-assisted or self-powered enduro days on natural singletrack, chosen for your skill level and how much climbing you are willing to do.
Aosta · vineyards · valley floor
The mountains without the suffering — castles, vineyards and hamlets in one loop.
Electric-assist tours that make the region's gradients irrelevant, combined with a cellar visit or a castle stop. Genuinely suitable for mixed-fitness groups and older riders.
Gran San Bernardo · Piccolo San Bernardo · Cervinia · Pila
The Great St Bernard, the Little St Bernard, and the brutal ramp to Cervinia.
Supported climbing days with a following vehicle, spares, nutrition and a mechanic. Bike hire from carbon endurance frames upward, or we transport and build your own. Routes profiled in advance so you know exactly what you are riding into.
Air
4 activities
Aosta · Gressan · Valtournenche · Chamois
Run five steps off a mountain and watch the whole valley open up beneath you.
Flown by FIVL-licensed tandem pilots with site-specific approval. Aosta is one of the most reliable flying sites in the Alps, with a long thermal season. In-flight photography included. Children fly from around five years old with a guardian present.
Mont Blanc · Matterhorn · Monte Rosa · Gran Paradiso
All four giants in a single flight — and, where permitted, a landing on the ice.
ENAC-certified operators flying from Aosta, Courmayeur and Valtournenche. Circuits range from a short Mont Blanc loop to a full four-summit flight with a glacier landing and a glass of something cold on the snow. Also used for point-to-point transfers and for lifting guests directly to a mountain lunch.
Aosta valley floor · Gran Paradiso foothills
Dawn launches in still winter air, with the whole ring of 4,000ers turning pink.
Alpine ballooning is a winter and shoulder-season pursuit — the air is stable and the light is extraordinary. Flights launch at first light and finish with the traditional landing toast. Weather-dependent; we hold flexible re-book windows.
Courmayeur — Pontal d'Entrèves to Punta Helbronner, 3,466 m
Rotating glass cabins climbing to 3,466 m. No fitness required, no excuse not to.
One of the most spectacular cable cars in the world, with a rotating cabin, a botanical garden at the mid-station and a terrace at Punta Helbronner looking straight at Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa and Gran Paradiso. We book timed slots and pair it with lunch or a glacier walk.
That is the normal starting position, and the reason we exist. Tell us your level honestly and we will tell you what this valley can give you — including the things you have not thought of.