“Ship it Tim!” I hear shouted from behind as I take a route down via the bushes.
The encouragement, useful at the most effective of instances, comes with an added increase that it’s from former GB Olympian Jamie Nicholls.
I’m amongst a small group being led via the forests bordering the Valle Argentera excessive above the ski resort of Italian ski resort of Sestriere on an off-piste journey.
In The Snow joined Nicholls, his spouse, and information Diego Bonetto for a sojourn within the Italian Alps as this yr’s Winter Olympics received into full swing.
Nicholls competed for Crew GB on the 2014 Sochi Winter Video games and the 2018 video games in Pyeongchang. Though he is probably not competing in Milano-Cortina this yr, he nonetheless trains on his favoured self-discipline, rails, and had come to Sestriere together with his household for a brief break and take part Membership Med’s newbie ski and snowboard programme for his personal children.
Nicholls is a fan of any slope-side winter sports activities, be them snowboard or snowboarding.
“What on earth was that!,” he says concerning the Olympics large air ski remaining. “That was in all probability essentially the most insane large air ski remaining, I’m not an skilled on ski methods however we will all agree that was utterly bonkers. It had two of the most important mixed trick scores I’ve ever seen.”
For Nicholls, making an attempt his hand at methods in Sauze d’Oulx’s snowpark should wait, , not less than till we had navigated all the way down to the underside of the valley.
To say that the gods of winter snow have been form to The By way of Lattea ski area this yr can be an understatement. The Piedmont space of the Alps has had certainly one of its greatest seasons in years, common dumps of snow have constructed up a wholesome snowpack since December that has been topped up on an virtually weekly foundation.
The tree-lined north western slopes of the three,280m Rognosa del Sestriere had been our powdery playground for the morning. The ridgeline additionally doubled up as a shelter from the storm entrance which threatened to blow in.
“I’ve by no means left a soldier behind,” says 34-year outdated Diego Bonetto from Sestriere’s Scuola Sci with a smile, commenting on the circumstances. Bonetto is as eager to crack a joke or retell a narrative as he’s to point out us across the space. “My different life is as a seaside lifeguard in Miami,” he jests. The humour nonetheless belies a savvy data of the native mountains.
Hailing from a village midway between Milan and Turin, Bonetto has made Sestriere his second dwelling, having ski raced as a baby down the valley’s slopes. These a long time have allowed him to scour the contours of the assorted mountains throughout Piedmont, and discover routes many others don’t know. For one morning we had been the beneficiary of that data as he picked his means down a slope in security.
“I began snowboarding once I was 4 years outdated and competed within the ski membership till I used to be 18 years outdated. I began instructing at virtually 19 years outdated, now I’m 97 and so it has been a very long time instructing.”
Diego Bonetto
Other than his data of the area’s hidden off-piste spots, Bonetto is a strolling encyclopaedia of the world’s Olympic historical past. He remembers the story of how, a long time in the past the downhill race from the highest of the two,702m excessive Mt Fraiteve down into the neighbouring resort of Sauze d’Oulx was successfully an open route. Rivals merely needed to discover the quickest and shortest means all the way down to Oulx and the valley ground, which relying on the route is something from 10 to 15km away.
“The outdated ski instructors informed me that the downhill these days is inside completely different gates. I heard from an outdated ski teacher that the very outdated downhill wasn’t in between any gates, it was free and wild,” Bonetto provides. “It was about who received all the way down to the underside utilizing the shortest means, and the wildest means. Down within the forests down there, some athletes had been going within the night time earlier than, to review the paths.”
As we cease for lunch I admire the feat of taking up the entire mountain in a single swoop. Membership Med Pragelato is nestled down the valley from the principle Sestriere ski space, which is each a bonus however with regards to lunch a possible downside, so the resort has signed agreements with 4 completely different mountain eating places to permit residents to eat at no cost on the slopes, it signifies that you don’t need to organise your ski route round lunch, and may get pleasure from a extra relaxed day exploring the 400-odd km of piste the area has to supply.
The assorted resorts of the By way of Lattea are strung out, just like the areas translation Milky Method, with pretty giant areas in between used as off-piste routes. Bonetto reveals us numerous routes that may be taken, way over can be attainable in sooner or later, to hyperlink up again routes over the summits. Some superior, others attainable for high-intermediate skiers, with a information.
Jamie, Tim, Diego & Alex
As we make our means throughout the ski space it feels at instances like I’m shadowing the ghosts of winter Olympic’s previous.
The snow stored falling all morning, with visibility fading out and in relying on altitude. As we received to the tip of the Crimson 71 Bassa route the previous Olympic bobsleigh monitor in San Sicario comes into view. The curving concrete standing silently because it will get a recent dusting of snow.
“That’s sick!” Nichols says as we stare upon it.
An deserted Olympian observing an deserted Olympics, misplaced collectively within the mist.
Additional up the slope lies a crumbled fort from World Warfare II. Completely different eras of historical past depart their mark on the valley in very completely different contexts.
“When you find yourself going at 80kph even the widest slopes can really feel so very small,” he says as we overlook Sestreire’s ladies’s World Cup Tremendous G run. “Like a slim walkway.”
The north-facing slopes of Sestriere are dwelling to dozens of tales from successive World Cup’s and Olympics. In February 2026 veteran US skier Bode Miller failed to put in three of the 5 occasions he had been entered into. The working joke within the press was that Miller was equally at dwelling on the dance ground as he was on the piste.
Talking to a reporter from Related Press on the time Miller defended himself, saying “I received to get together and socialise at an Olympic degree.”
If there was an Olympic medal for socialising in Sestriere then Membership Med’s Pragelato resort would win it. The resort relies in a former ski village from the Olympics which has been extensively renovated previous to the opening of the present ski season.
Situated a bit of means down the valley from Sestriere itself, the village is a mixture of alpine cabins, a central space and an enormous perspex igloo which doubles up as a reception by day, and discotheque by night time.
Individuals come to Membership Med for the spa, the all inclusive meals, the children leisure and the nicely designed rooms. For Nicholls it’s a much more easy purpose to go to.
“The child’s membership even helps get their ski boots on and off once more at lunchtime,” he says. Any mum or dad would agree that making an attempt to encourage kids into any clothes is tough. Cajoling children into ski put on and boots is among the many least engaging choices of a ski vacation, as is making an attempt to make sure they’re nicely fed, and have sufficient to do if and when the snowboarding choices usually are not accessible, “I like that I don’t have to consider something,” he provides. “I can have an precise vacation.”
The raise connection constructed initially to assist transport rivals as much as the principle Olympic’s space is now successfully Membership Med’s personal personal raise entry. It’s open to the general public, however not many individuals use it. This lets you get onto the jap slopes of Sestriere with relative ease. Our group made use of it quite a few instances to get into the principle ski space, and likewise get pleasure from that lengthy, final run all the way down to Après-ski.
Because the afternoon wore on Nicholls and Bonetto break up off, taking a pointy off-piste route via the bushes at an Olympian’s tempo. Because the Pattemouche run weaves its means down into the decrease valley you see them as silhouettes within the treeline, darting between trunks with ease. Diego says he likes to be “wild and free”. You count on nothing much less from Nicholls both.
It leaves me questioning if we’ll see Nicholls within the French Alps in 4 yr’s time. It could be a loss to the game if we didn’t.
Seven nights all-inclusive keep at Membership Med Pragelato Sestriere, Italian Alps from £1,969 per particular person (based mostly on double occupancy). Value based mostly on the departure date 21.03.26. Ebook now at www.clubmed.co.uk/r/pragelato-sestriere/w or name 03453 676767
