Where is the best place for beginners in the Via Lattea?

Sestriere and Montgenèvre are the most beginner-friendly. Sestriere has nursery slopes in the resort centre and wide, open blue runs, while Montgenèvre has greens and blues right at the base. Both are easily reached from Sauze d’Oulx by car or the Monsguide Ski Away Day coach.

Is Sauze d’Oulx good for intermediate skiers?

Yes. Sauze d’Oulx is one of the best resorts in the Via Lattea for intermediates. It offers miles of red and blue pistes through the trees, plus links to Sestriere, San Sicario, Claviere and Montgenèvre for variety. Tree-lined runs give better visibility in bad weather, making it a favourite for confident intermediates.

What about advanced skiing in Sauze d’Oulx?

Advanced skiers will enjoy the black runs in Sauze and the steeper terrain around Sestriere. Claviere offers quiet off-piste, and the Via Lattea pass gives access to Montgenèvre for freeride options. Sauze d’Oulx is a great base for exploring all of these.

Where should I stay for a mixed-ability group?

The Hideaway Apartments near Jouvenceaux are ideal. With quick lift access, secure ski storage, and comfortable modern facilities, it’s a great base whether you’re taking lessons, skiing tree-lined reds, or heading across the Via Lattea to Sestriere or Montgenèvre.

Is Sauze d’Oulx Good for Beginners? An Honest Guide to Skiing the Via Lattea

Q: Is Sauze d’Oulx good for beginners?

Sauze d’Oulx can be challenging for absolute beginners. The ski school is at Sportinia, reached by chairlift and a short blue run, which may feel tricky at first. Once there, the nursery slopes have a magic carpet and excellent English-speaking instructors. For wide, gentle runs, nearby Sestriere and Montgenèvre offer easier options, all included on the Via Lattea lift pass.

Angie Kirwin
Aug 12
4 min read

Updated: Sep 1

A beginner skier in Sauze d'Oulx on a blue run, during his ski lesson with Ski School Sportinia

If you’re planning a ski trip to the Italian Alps and wondering 'Is Sauze d’Oulx good for beginners?', here’s the real answer.

While Ash is probably the most confident, playful snowboarder I've ever met, after a couple of accidents over the years, I'm far more cautious when it comes to my skiing and snowboarding. And after being under doctor's orders to stay off the mountain during the 2023/24 winter, I spent all of the 24/25 season regaining my confidence on the slopes of Sauze d'Oulx & the Via Lattea and relearning how to snowboard.

So, between us, we can give you a real, honest overview of the area, whatever your level.

Beginners in Sauze d’Oulx: The Honest Truth

Sauze d’Oulx isn’t the easiest place for complete beginners to start learning. The main ski school is at the top of the Sportinia chairlift, so you’ll need to take a lift before you even start your first lesson.

If you’re staying in the town centre, this usually means a 10–15 minute walk in ski boots to the lift station or you can jump on one of the winter ski busses that do loops of the town.

While you can also get to ski school from the Clotes chairlift in the town centre or the Jouvenceaux chairlift (the best lift to use if you’re staying at The Hideaway Apartments), both routes require you to ski a blue run to reach the ski school area.

From Jouvenceaux: about 300 metres of blue run skiing
From the top of Clotes lifts: a longer, narrow cat track blue run

Once you get there, the beginner area has a 'magic carpet', so you don't need to keep panicking about getting on and off ski lifts and the English-speaking Ski Instructors are second-to-none.

I can thoroughly recommend Ski School Sportinia.

Last year I had private snowboard lessons with Simone to rebuild my confidence and improve my technique and I honestly couldn't sing his praises highly enough. I improved so much, so quickly that even though I'm now back to intermediate level, I'm already booking myself in for more lessons next winter!

But, when you're ready to advance of the baby slopes, it can feel like a bit of a steep learning curve in Sauze d'Oulx. There are some beginner-friendly blue runs up at Sportinia, but many of them are quite narrow.

🗝️ Beginner Top Tip from Angie

Once you've gained your confidence on Blue 13, I'd personally recommend (especially for beginner snowboarders who want a wide piste to practise turns) taking Red 11 alta from the top of the Rocce Nere chairlift. It's a wide, gentle red until the final section back into Sportinia.

Just before that final, steep & bumpy bit starts, you'll see La Capanna Mollino bar and the top of the Lago Nero chairlift on your right-hand side. On the right of the Red 11 piste, there's a narrow entrance through the trees onto Blue 11 bis. This allows you to cut around the hard part of Red 11, and gets you back to the Sportinia plateau without the stress.

The Best Places to Ski for Beginners in the Via Lattea

As much as it pains me to say it (because I love Sauze d'Oulx), If you’re a beginner skier or snowboarder, you might want to consider basing yourself in a different part of the Via Lattea ski area.

Sestriere – wide, open blue runs and easy-to-access beginner areas right by the lift stations. No uphill or long walk to ski school. Blue 3 & 4 are my favourite, wide, gentle runs to take my beginner nieces & nephews, or to spend a day lapping this run to practise my technique.
Montgenèvre – a brilliant beginner area at the base of the slopes, plus wide, confidence-building pistes higher up. Although you're still in the Via Lattea / Milky Way, Montgenevre is in France so it also has green runs (the 'easiest' slopes) on the piste map.
Claviere – quiet slopes, great if you're nervous about crowds of people whizzing around you while you learn.

All these areas are included on your Via Lattea lift pass and are easily accessible by car within 35 minutes.

It takes an intermediate skier around 2.5 hours to get to Montgenevre from Sauze d'Oulx.

Whatever your level, the one thing I do every single week is jump on the Monsguide coach for the Montgenevre Ski Away Day. It leaves on Thursdays from Sauze d'Oulx Tourist Information Office first thing in the morning, gets you to the French pistes in 30 minutes and allows you to spend the whole day exploring Montgenevre and Claviere, rather than racing the clock there & back on the ski lifts.

Is Sauze d'Oulx & the Via Lattea good for intermediate and advanced skiers & snowboarders?

🗝️ Find the best Resort Guide, packed with all our advice, recommendations & top tips here.

Final Verdict

Sauze d’Oulx is an amazing resort for intermediate and advanced skiers and snowboarders who love variety and tree-lined runs, with access to the whole Via Lattea ski area.

If you're a beginner skier or snowboarder you'll still have an incredible holiday in Sauze, but you really, really should get lessons to feel comfortable exploring the area. I felt incredibly confident after just a couple of hours of private snowboard lesson with the Ski School Sportinia.

We think our Hideaway Apartments are perfect, but perhaps not perfect for beginners who are in ski school, rushing to the lifts in the morning, especially if you don't feel comfortable skiing the 300m blue run from the Jovenceaux ski lift alone.

For Intermediate & Advanced skiers and snowboarders, The Hideaway Apartments really are an incredible base for you to explore the whole ski area.

👉 Ready to turn your Sauze d’Oulx ski trip into the best holiday ever? Book your stay at The Hideaway Apartments and enjoy comfort, convenience, and insider tips from locals who know the mountains inside out. Book now ⛷️🏔️