• E N
R O U T E
STJ 5.4
ADVENTURE
SPECIAL EDITION
SPRING 2019
/ /
C O V E R
S T O R Y
SUMMER IN CERVINIA
FIONA MCINTOSH DITCHES SUMMER IN SOUTH AFRICA AND HEADS FOR SOME SNOW FUN IN CERVINIA, ONE OF
EUROPE’S PREMIER – AND MOST AFFORDABLE – SKI RESORTS.
My legs are beginning to burn, but I’m
on a high. After taking the lift to the
3 480-metre-high Plateau Rosà, we
plunged down Cervinia’s most famous
piste, the 11-km-long Ventina. The
intermediate-grade ski run sweeps off one
of the world’s most beautiful and iconic
mountains, the Matterhorn, located on the
Italian-Swiss border. Now we find ourselves
bearing down on the popular resort of
32 // MAKE MEMORIES FOR LIFE
Breuil-Cervinia, deep in the valley below.
It’s late March and the sun is shining,
the sky is blue and a smattering of fresh
snow covers the well-groomed piste.
Having relocated to South Africa a quarter
of a century ago, I’m reminded of why
I return to the slopes of Europe every
couple of years. There is nothing like
the thrill of skiing in the Alps and, for my
money, nowhere to beat Cervinia.
A high-altitude resort with a superb lift
system that whisks skiers, snowboarders
and mountain lovers up to an extensive
glacial paradise, the well-connected ski
resort has over 160 km of pistes, open six
months of the year. With runs to suit skiers
of all levels, top-notch ski schools and
one of Europe’s best snowparks, Cervinia
has something for everyone – from total
beginners and tiny tots to powderhounds,