Your Ultimate Winter Escape: Sauze d’Oulx and the Via Lattea Experience
On the orographic right of the Susa valley, at an altitude of more than 1,500 metres immersed in the woods, we find Sauze d’Oulx (Salice d’Ulzio), a town that boasts of having been the birthplace of Piero Gros, a true glory of Italian skiing in the days of the Azzurri avalanche.
This locality has experienced tourist development since the dawn of the spread of this sport in Italy. In fact, between the two wars, the first ski lift was built, a characteristic toboggan on the line from the village to Clotes. The ‘slittone’ was the first cableway designed for the exclusive use of skiers and consisted of one or two sleds pulled by a rope, equipped with wide metal skids that ascended the slopes on specially prepared tracks, the passengers were housed on benches placed on the platform and exposed to the weather, the last sled in regular operation was retired to Switzerland in the late 1980s. The line that goes back to Clotes is still travelled by ropeways, and after the glorious toboggan there were single and two-seater chairlifts up to the current four-seater. Another line that has been a milestone in the growth of this resort is the one that connects Sauze to Sportinia, here too a ski lift has grown in capacity to the current four-seater chairlift with automatic coupling.
Architecture enthusiasts cannot fail to stop and look at the Capanna Mollino, once both the arrival station for the Lago Nero toboggan run and a bar-restaurant. This building, constructed between 1946 and 1947, is one of architect Carlo Mollino’s most successful mountain works; after years of neglect and vandalism, it has been restored to its original splendour by careful restoration work.
We now come to the slopes, here we have the layout of very interesting slopes and truly for all tastes, the highest part is in open terrain while as you descend the tracks are cut into the forest. One of the most attractive tracks is the Gran Pista, which from Sportinia takes us back to the village after a succession of schusses and bends through the woods. Another track in the woods is track 29, which starts from the Capanna Mollino and reaches Clotes, and the more expert can try their hand at the very steep and humpy Canale Colò, just below the peak of Monte Fraiteve, a track that is rarely used by snowcats to add charm to this slope.
Another point in favour of Sauze d’Oulx (Salice d’Ulzio) is the ease of connection with the other resorts of the Via Lattea, the large ski area that unites Sestriere, Sauze d’Oulx, Sansicario, Cesana, Claviere and in French territory Montgenevre. Access to the connections is possible either on Sestriere via Col Basset, this connection is practicable even in the event of poor snowfall because it can be made by reaching the Col Basset gondola, which descends to Sestriere, via the Treceira chairlift. The other possibility of connection is via the uphill slope of Mount Fraiteve using the connecting ski lift to Sansicario. The return can be made either by ascending with the Col Basset gondola, or with the new gondola that from Sestriere goes up to the top of Mount Faiteve, or those returning from Sansicario ascend to the top with the sequence of two chairlifts and the double Fraiteve ski lift.
The off-piste routes in this resort are found in the highest areas of open terrain. However, when the snow conditions permit, one should not miss the chance to ski along the legendary off-piste route of the Rio Nero or explore their own path through the woods, always keeping an eye on snow conditions and their physical fitness.
Non-skiers who don’t want to spend all their time basking in the sun on some terrace of a refuge can rent a pair of snowshoes and begin to approach this interesting sport, at first trying their hand in quiet, but nevertheless rewarding areas, and then, once they have got the hang of it, book a guided trip to visit one of the nature reserves in the area.
The après-ski scene here in Sauze is particularly rich, as the locality is well frequented by holidaymakers on their skiing weekends. In particular, for many years nmerous English tourists have been spending their winter holidays here, and this has led to the birth of numerous pubs that have little to envy to the originals from across the Channel, even in the variety and quality of the beers served.
The hotel offer consists of five four-star hotels, fourteen three-star hotels and many others in smaller categories. It is also possible to stay in one of the numerous flats available to be rented for short periods or for the entire season.
Getting to Sauze d’Oulx is extremely easy by any means, in fact by car just take the Oulx exit of the A32 motorway and follow the signs for Sauze, by train along the Frejus railway line getting off at the Oulx station and from there by bus, the Turin Caselle airport is less than a hundred kilometres away.
Where to Stay
- Hotel Gran Bosco: A cozy mountain retreat with stunning views and excellent facilities.
- Hotel La Torre: Iconic architecture and proximity to the slopes make it a top choice.
Where to Eat
- Ciao Pais: Serving hearty alpine cuisine in a welcoming atmosphere.
- L’Ortiche: Known for its gourmet reinterpretation of traditional dishes.
