Sauze d'Oulx Ski Area & Lift Pass

Check out the Sauze d’Oulx ski area piste map, and you’ll see it’s the gateway to the Via Lattea / Milky Way. When you buy the Sauze d’Oulx lift pass you can access the whole ski area, including the resorts of Sestriere, San Sicario, Claviere and the French resort of Montgenèvre. With over 400km of piste in total, whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or advanced skier or snowboarder, there’s something here to suit everyone.

In the Sauze d’Oulx ski area, the plateau at the top of Sportinia ski lift is where you’ll usually start your day. You can easily reach it from the Jovenceaux lift down a short blue run, or using the Clotes / Lago Nero chair lifts and skiing piste 11 (red or blue). It’s a flat area with great bars, where you’ll find the beginner area, magic carpet and the ski school & ski lessons meet point. From here, you’ll then want to explore further afield. Purchasing a 6-day lift pass in Sauze will give you total access to all the Via Lattea Italian areas and includes two days on the French side in Montgenèvre.

You’ll want to make the most of that day in France, where the snow conditions are usually the best in the Via Lattea. However, to ski or snowboard from Sauze to Montgenevre involves lots of lifts and gondolas, and can take around three hours each way, even for those with decent experience. The best way to get there? Hire a car from Turin Airport or jump on our weekly Ski Away Day coach from the Sauze d’Oulx Tourist Info Office arrive at the Montgenèvre Cable Car in 35 mins, and spend a whole day of your holiday exploring the French side of the piste map.

We’ll keep you updated on snow conditions throughout the winter 25 / 26 as Sauze d’Oulx ski area can sometimes suffer from high winds and closed connections, so plan accordingly. If it’s great weather with no wind, plan to get out early and spend the day in the other areas. If conditions aren’t looking great, stay closer to home where the tree-lined skiing and lower altitude can protect you from high winds and low visibility. Click the link for more of our recommendations on the best places to ski or snowboard depending on snow reports & the weather.

To explore the whole Via Lattea & Sauze d’Oulx piste map, the most popular lift pass (and the one we’d recommend to almost everyone on a one week holiday) is the 6 day Via Lattea pass. With the Via Lattea pass, you get unlimited to all the Italian areas:

• Sauze d’Oulx
• Sestriere
• Cesana
• Claviere
• Sansicario
• Montgenèvre (in France)* – Access for 1 day with a 6 day Via Lattea lift pass (this was previously 2 days so be aware)
• Bardonecchia – New for Winter 25/26 you also can also access the Bardonecchia ski area for 1 day with a 6 day Via Lattea lift pass 

*Via Lattea lift passes purchased for less than 6 days do not include skiing in Montgenèvre.

The French border starts once you scan through the Col Boeuf Lift (Number 47 on the Piste Map), and although it’s still technically in Claviere, it will count as one of your days in France. There are several other lift passes that offer different combinations of access across the five areas, but if you’re staying in Sauze, it’s almost certainly the Via Lattea pass that you’ll want. If you come on the Monsguide Ski Away Day coach, you’ll access the French area immediately.

The other pass worth mentioning is the Via Lattea International, which gives you access to the whole ski area, including Montgenevre, every day. It is only available for 6 days and is around €50 more – but if we’re honest, there are very few people will make the most of this lift pass, as skiing 2-3 hours to Montgenèvre and back every day is quite a feat.

For the non-skiers in the group, walkers can purchase an ‘Ascent & Descent’ pass for €18. You can go up all three lifts in Sauze as a walker (Clotes, Sportinia & Jovenceaux), although you can’t come back down the Jovenceaux lift, and should instead come down the Sportinia lift. The other types of lift pass provide access to just a specific area and only a few chair lifts.

Lift passes can be purchased online through the Via Lattea website or directly at the cash desks at the bottom of the lifts. We recommend purchasing your lift pass online as it’s a little cheaper – you will recive a voucher and it can be easily picked up from one of the collection points. Lift pass prices vary depending on your age and whether it is high / low season.  

The Via Lattea ski pass prices for winter 25/26 have now been announced, covering the full Italian–French ski area including Sauze d’Oulx, Sestriere, Sansicario, Cesana, Claviere, Pragelato and Montgenèvre. New for winter 25/26 you can also ski for a day in Bardonecchia with qualifying lift passes. Whether you’re planning a short weekend or a full-week ski holiday, these updated lift pass rates make it easy to compare low-season and high-season prices. Book your passes early to lock in availability, and don’t forget — you can organise discounted ski and snowboard hire plus discounts in bars & restaurants across the Via Lattea directly through Monsguide for the best value this winter.

*The lift pass prices above are correct to the best of our knowledge, however they can be subject to change. Please check the official Via Lattea website (where you can also purchase the lift pass)

Study the Sauze d’Oulx Piste map, and you’ll see the Via Lattea ski area has 3 snow parks and one additional boarder cross. However, it’s worth noting that the parks are not always open and depend on the snow conditions and weather forecast.

Sauze d’Oulx

You don’t have to go far to get to the closest park. The Sauze park is accessed via the Rocce Nere lift (8), from the top of Sportinia (7). It’s got a rolling boarder cross, some smaller jumps and a couple of rails and obstacles that will give you an appetite for more. If you only want to lap the park, you can buy a cheaper, daily lift pass that gives you access to only the Jovenceaux, Rocce Nere and Sportinia lifts.

Montgenèvre

On the French side of the Via Lattea, Montgenèvre has the longest and best-maintained park, that caters to all levels of experience. Whether you’re trying your first jump or getting ready to send it, the park runs parallel to the green run, Sagnes, so you can make sure your mates get some great footage of you trying out tricks. It’s also incredibly easy to access, with a drag lift taking you from bottom to top. Check out a video of the Montgenèvre park here.

Additional Features & Details

There’s another boardercross on the right side of the Montgenèvre area, accessed via the Serre Tibaud lift (87) and plenty of other natural features throughout the whole Via Lattea.

The Via Lattea area has some great opportunities for off piste skiing and snowboarding when conditions allow. Sauze, itself, doesn’t hold the snow as well as other parts of the area, so some seasons you’ll have to venture further afield to find a stable snow pack and enough coverage to enjoy the off piste.

That being said, when the snow pack is good, the route from Sportinia to Prariond is a technical, gorgeous route through dense forest. There’s quite a bit of off piste from Fraiteve, but even experienced guides warn about the tricky terrain here. If it’s not been a great season for snow, the most popular off piste areas are over in Sestriere, Claviere, and Montgenevre. If you’re looking for some much less technical off piste in Sauze then we suggested heading to the ‘bowl’ – you’ll find this area from the top of the Rocce Nere lift (8) and you can ski/snowboard down to the right of the Boulevard piste, making your way down to the bottom of chairlift 11 & 12. As this is a pretty mellow area it can get tracked out quickly.

In Sestriere, you’ll find steep couloirs easily accessible from the higher lifts on Motta and Motta Rossa.

Up at the Montgenèvre pass, there are lots of open bowls that are accessible from the lifts. Out the back of Sestriere, towards Pragelato, you’ll find the Pitre d’Aigle, a firm favourite with those who prefer wide, open off piste that’s not too steep. Expect to get the skins on and hike for around an hour, but this one is well worth the effort.

Needless to say, if you’re here for the off-piste, employing the services of a guide is essential, no ifs or buts. Without their expertise and the proper kit, you’re putting yourself and others at risk. The information shared above is purely informational and if you choose to follow any of the routes you do so in the knowledge that skiing or snowboard off piste can have fatal consequences, even with proper training and equipment. Monsguide accepts no liability and cannot guarantee the accuracy of the routes described above due to the ever-changing conditions. It is illegal to ski off-piste in Italy without full avalanche safety equipment.

Yes, that’s right. In Sauze d’Oulx, you have the possibility to take a helicopter to a pristine, otherwise inaccessible mountain slope and make first tracks in balls-deep powder. Quite literally the stuff dreams are made of.

However, dreams don’t come cheap and it definitely won’t be for everyone. But, you get you a helicopter ride, a highly qualified alpine guide and the required avalanche safety equipment and there aren’t that many places that you can heli-ski anymore so… when in Rome? For full details check out the Pure Ski website here.