Description

"Lelio is a classic experts off-piste run that can be suitable also for intermediate skiers accompanied by a mountain guide, due to the dangerous drop-in which may require the use of a safety rope.

It is located on the North-Est side of mount Chaz Dura, quite repaired from the frequent West winds coming from the France border.

You have to take the lifts up to Chaz Dura peak, where you have to turn right following piste n°9.

Once the terrain opens up start skiing off-piste between the slope's side and the cliff ridge located on your left until you reach a little stone memorial.

Now face North, having a look down the ridge where you can find a snow traverse that allows you to access the main open terrain.

This traverse's easy and wide, although it's quite exposed on the cliff ridge so it can be suggested to use a rope as a safety tool to avoid falling down the rocky wall (you can safely use a metal ring that's attached on the memorial rear as anchorage).

Once you have completed the traverse you can start skiing down the open terrain until the trees.

The face has a medium steepness gradually decreasing as you approach the forest.

The main avalanche risk on this terrain is the snow accumulations created by the wind.

In that case take your right at the end of the traverse skiing below the rock cliff, where the slope is softer and the accumulations are lower.

When you enter into the trees you can follow a little glen until you reach the red piste La Tour (4).

If the glen is tracked you can keep the right into the wood allowing you to find a good line anyway.

You can get back to La Thuile following the piste or you can ski off-piste in the woods on the right side of slope n°4 until you reach piste San Bernardo (7) (it's a road traversing all the mountain so you are going to cross it 100%).

The tree run it's easy, with open areas and without any particular danger.

It can be suggested to ski only this trees part during foggy days.

This run can be crowded during the day, so I suggest to ski it on early morning.

It never takes the sun during the day and the snow can be really nice also on warmer days.

Try to avoid the descent after many sunny-windy days because the snow can become really hard and icy."