If you are looking to go skiing on a budget, without compromising on quality, look no further than Sauze d’OuIx!

Sauze d’OuIx is a town in Italy, that is popular amongst keen British skiers and Italians taking a weekend ski break! Located in the province of Turin, the most remarkable thing about Sauze d’OuIx is the fact it is at the foot of Monte Genevris, and was used as the site of the freestyle skiing events during the 2006 Olympic Winter Games.

In the past, although, Sauze d’OuIx has such a large ski area, it has been known on a ski vacationers level as having a better reputation for a buzzing apres-ski scene, rather than purely being loved for the skiing itself. However, the resort shouldn’t be shunned as a top place to go this ski season.

We like to call it a little rough around the edges but, essentially, a fantastic place to ski and perfect for those who want great skiing on a budget.

If you don’t mind some hilly walks around the town after ski hours and you’re happy with an old-fashioned, needs-improvement-but-works lift system, then you’ll benefit from excellent skiing, at low prices, in Sauze d’OuIx.

Why ski at Sauze d’OuIx?

There are many reasons why skiing in Sauze d’OuIx makes for a fantastic experience. First of all, you can be confident that you’ll have uncrowded slopes that are extensive and smooth for some brilliant ski runs.

In addition, the ski runs are a combination of open and woodland runs, which means you can guarantee a good ski in all weathers.

What’s more, as part of the Milky Way ski area, Sauze d’OuIx has links right across to the French border Montgenevre, and therefore has a lot of ski opportunity to offer.

Finally, it is cheap to ski and apres ski in Sauze d’OuIx and, therefore, the area is the ultimate choice when skiing on a budget.

Are there any downsides to skiing in Sauze d’OuIx?

Although it is often quiet at Sauze d’OuIx, the resort gets busy on sunny weekends and can become crowded. In addition, the lift system needs considerable improvement.

While we think Sauze d’OuIx is perfect for intermediate skiers, there is little choice for experts and beginners may not all be comfortable in such a vast ski area.

Finally, the snow record for Sauze d’OuIx can be a little up and down.

Did we mention?

The ski area is BIG.

*Huge Thumbs up!*

Made your mind up?

If you’ve decided that you’d like to ski in a high-quality ski location on a budget in Sauze d’OuIx, you may want to consider Hotel Serendipity (for B&B) and the Grand hotel Besson for half board.

The Grand Hotel Besson is a well-known and liked hotel that offers excellent cuisine, attentive service and a sociable atmosphere. The style of the hotel is modern and contemporary, making for a pleasant stay.

Hotel Serendipity is equally welcoming and is a family run bed and breakfast that has been recently refurbished. Styled with timber and quality materials, the B &B has a contemporary yet warm feel and makes for a pleasant stay whilst in Sauze d’OuIx.

Would you like to find out more about Sauze d’OuIx?

If you would like to find out more about Sauze d’OuIx, then please do not hesitate to contact us at Snowfinders. 

What’s more, with quite a lot of options when it comes to buying your goggles, there seems to be an overwhelming amount of options on the high street.

Whether you’re looking to buy some goggles for yourself or for someone else, the following guide can help you when it comes to buying your ski goggles.

It’s only a brief guide so it should be fairly straight forward to follow (particularly if you are only a few weeks away from your ski holiday).

Are you buying adult goggles or children’s goggles?

First of all,start with the size. Who are you buying for?

Children’s goggles are, quite rightly, cheaper than adults but it is worth bearing in mind that they will grow out of them fairly quickly.

Take heed not to buy goggles that are too big for your children as they will not offer as much protection. It is worth measuring their head accurately before your purchase.

Match the goggles to when you will be going on your ski holiday. Some children’s ski goggles are not suitable for use throughout the entire year. Most children’s goggles are made with orange lenses which can be used only in low light conditions. However, if you are skiing in brighter weather, you’ll need lenses that can accommodate this.

When purchasing adult goggles, there are a couple of different types to consider:

• Women’s fit goggles
• O.T.G (Over the glasses goggles)
• Oversized goggles

Women’s fit goggles are, of course, tailored specifically for women. The frame tends to be a bit smaller and there is less space over the nose area to prevent excess snow coming in.

O.T.G (Over the glasses) goggles are made to fit those who need prescription glasses. OTG goggles must fit well, otherwise skiers risk damage to the eyes on impact. You may prefer to wear contact lenses and standard goggles whilst skiing.

Oversized goggles appear to have no frame and are increasingly popular at the moment.

What color lenses are best for ski goggles?

Ski goggles come in a rainbow of colours. The colours range from clear to pink, yellow, amber, black, brown, red, green, blue and violet!

Clear goggles should be used in very low light conditions only, while pink goggles are suitable for low to mid-light.

Yellow goggles are great for snowy days. Amber goggles are appropriate for overcast conditions.

Black and brown goggles are the choice for very bright days.

Are polarized goggles good for skiing?

While polarized lenses can be good when it is sunny, they can also make it more difficult to see patches of slippery ice in the snow. It is therefore worth bearing this in mind.

Can you use sunglasses instead of ski goggles?

You may want to use sunglasses on sunny days, however bear in mind that ski goggles will provide more protection.

In our opinion here are Snowfinders, you are much better off wearing ski goggles over sunglasses for enhanced protection.

Ultimately, whatever ski goggles you choose, they are a must-have whenever you hit the slopes.

Well, just a few weeks ago I was looking forward to some spring skiing with amazing conditions and great snow levels in Corvara, North Eastern Italy. Then the a niggling virus, please forgive my selfish outlook, started to impact on my leisure time. It crept from isolated pockets to Trentino, Bergamo, and then forced the closure of the Italian ski resorts. Suddenly, not only was my holiday a stolen opportunity but also from a business perspective this was catastrophic. As the closures of ski resorts spread across the Alps and the Rockies we saw a 16 week season curtailed by 5 weeks and to contextualise this, it is the equivalent of a non-seasonal business closing its doors for over 3 months.

Undoubtedly, there will be chalet owners and companies that go into liquidation, that is a fact and it will be only a matter of a few weeks before we start seeing these failures. There are transfer and taxi companies that have already failed plus not to mention the recent demise of airlines Thomas Cook, Flybe, with others to follow.

Doom and gloom? Absolute tragedy? No point in skiing? Absolutely not; yes prices will rise but there will be benefits too. Airports are likely to be civilised, and the roads en-route quieter. If you get out to see the white stuff you are likely to see a much lower skieripiste density, uncrowded ski rental shops, quieter restaurants, shorter lift queues and a much more enjoyable experience. There is also likely to be an increase in the number of people hosting their own events rather than mingling in the bars – with options like British Djs in France that’ll help fuel entertainment for more private venues.

It’s likely that we will see a greater proportion of British skiers driving to resort and staying in chalets or self-catering to continue a form of social distancing “light”. We think that skiers may chose against staying in the mega cruise-ship styled hotels of 300 guests given the possibility of a virus bounce-back later in the season. Rubbing shoulders at the buffet or being served in a civilised manner in your own private dining setting? This could even translate to a boom in the catered chalet market. Maybe out of this terrible situation we can enjoy some fertility after the forest fires. 

Stay safe, and please do contact us for some skiing advice.