Crevacol

Crevacol is a compact ski resort above Saint-Rhemy-en-Bosses in the Great St Bernard Valley | Known for: 810 metres of vertical, south-facing slopes, uncrowded skiing and direct access to ski touring terrain | Season: December to late March for lifts, with touring conditions often extending later | Best for: local freeride, natural terrain, ski touring and quiet all-mountain skiing

From Saint Rhemy To Testa Bassa At 2454 Metres

Crevacol rises above Saint-Rhemy-en-Bosses near the northern end of Italy's Aosta Valley, only a short distance from the Great St Bernard corridor into Switzerland. The ski area starts around 1640 metres and reaches approximately 2450 metres, producing about 810 metres of total vertical. Current resort information lists 20 kilometres of pistes and 13 marked runs, a compact footprint compared with the major destination resorts farther down the valley but a substantial vertical range for a small local area.

The lift system is deliberately simple. The Saint Rhemy chair rises from 1667 to 2001 metres over 1152 metres of line length, gaining 334 vertical metres. Above it, the Testa Bassa chair climbs from 1973 to 2454 metres and adds another 481 metres of elevation. A short La Rosiere conveyor serves the beginner area near the base. The result is a mountain where two chairlifts provide almost the entire progression from learning slopes to exposed upper terrain.

Merdeux Testa Bassa And An 810 Metre Vertical

The current piste map divides the mountain into four blue runs, eight red runs and one black run. Names including Merdeux, Marmotte, Testa Bassa, Combette, Piccolo Alpino, Berio Blanc, Saint Rhemy, Arpettaz and Toussac spread across the two main lift sectors. The dedicated Competizione piste is reserved for ski-club training and races, giving the small resort a structured technical-training area alongside its public slopes.

Crevacol's most distinctive operational characteristic is its southern exposure. Sun reaches much of the mountain directly, including restaurant terraces around 2000 metres. That produces pleasant midwinter skiing but also means surface quality responds quickly to temperature and solar radiation. Cold January mornings can preserve firm snow before softer afternoon conditions develop, while spring requires more careful timing. Six kilometres of programmed snowmaking help reinforce key pistes when natural coverage is insufficient.

Open Upper Slopes Instead Of A Park First Identity

Crevacol is not currently presented by the resort as a major dedicated freestyle destination. The official winter material focuses on alpine skiing, snowboard-friendly open terrain, ski touring and off-piste access rather than a permanent competition-sized slopestyle park. For freeskiers, the useful features are therefore primarily natural: piste transitions, rollers, banks and the broad upper slopes around Testa Bassa rather than a dense rail and jump line.

That distinction separates Crevacol from larger Aosta Valley resorts such as Cervinia, where an established snowpark forms a visible part of the resort identity. Crevacol works better for riders who combine conventional skiing with freeride or touring. Short lift queues and a simple two-chair layout also make repeated all-mountain laps straightforward when snow conditions are good.

December Lifts And Touring Snow Into May

The published 2026-2027 lift calendar is split into early December opening periods before continuous winter operation. Crevacol is scheduled to open from December 5 to 8, again on December 12 and 13, then continuously from December 19 2026 through March 29 2027. Actual operation remains dependent on snow and weather, particularly on the upper chair where wind and avalanche conditions can influence access.

The touring calendar extends beyond the lift season. Crevacol's official information describes ski-mountaineering and off-piste routes with vertical gains typically between 800 and 1500 metres and notes that the area's snowfall can support suitable touring conditions from December into May. This longer backcountry window is important to the resort's identity. Once the lifts close in spring, the mountains around the Great St Bernard Valley can remain active ski terrain for properly equipped touring parties.

Great St Bernard Terrain Begins Beyond The Pistes

The terrain surrounding Crevacol is larger than the marked ski map. The upper chair reaches 2454 metres, already high enough to place skiers close to broad alpine slopes and touring routes extending toward the Great St Bernard mountains. Local objectives use valleys and passes where elevation gains commonly exceed the resort's lift-served vertical. This makes Crevacol useful as both a destination in itself and a starting point for longer mountain days.

Off-piste skiing here requires a clear distinction between lift access and controlled terrain. Snow beyond marked pistes is not secured simply because a chairlift provides the first part of the ascent. Wind loading, changing solar exposure and avalanche conditions must be assessed independently. Crevacol specifically identifies ski mountaineering and off-piste as major activities, so transceiver, shovel and probe belong to the normal equipment for skiers leaving the controlled area.

South Facing Snow Requires Timing

Crevacol's full southern exposure shapes both its attraction and its limitations. During cold periods, the mountain can combine direct sun with winter snow and unusually clear visibility. During warmer cycles, the same exposure accelerates transformation. Freeriders need to think about aspect and time rather than assuming shaded powder will survive all day. A slope that is firm early can pass through good softened conditions before becoming heavy later in the afternoon.

The upper Testa Bassa sector is also considerably more exposed than the lower mountain. Wind can redistribute fresh snow across ridges and open faces, while the lower sector provides more shelter. The vertical difference between 1660 and 2450 metres therefore creates meaningful snow variation even on a compact piste map. Checking the upper-lift status before committing to a freeride plan is especially important after storms.

The Great St Bernard Road Defines Access

Crevacol is reached from Aosta by following the E27 toward the Great St Bernard Valley and Saint-Rhemy-en-Bosses. From Switzerland, the same international corridor approaches through the Great St Bernard Tunnel from the Martigny direction. The resort's official access information places it directly beside this historic Alpine transit route, making it relatively straightforward to reach by road despite its high-valley setting.

The 2026-2027 resort remains deliberately small in scale: two chairlifts, one beginner conveyor, 13 pistes and 20 kilometres of groomed skiing. Its strongest freeski argument lies beyond those numbers. An 810-metre lift-served vertical, a summit station at 2454 metres and touring routes gaining another 800 to 1500 metres create a progression from ordinary resort skiing into real mountain terrain. Crevacol is most useful when the objective is quiet skiing, natural snow and access to the Great St Bernard backcountry rather than a large park or destination-resort infrastructure.