 Poster: A snowHead
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Looking at options for my son's races next year and the general consensus seems to be that the English Champs in Bormio are a well ran and and good event. As I'd need to combine it with our annual holiday I was checking out the area and it looks to be very limited. Having been used to skiing places such as the EK and Milky Way I feel I could be a bit bored. One option would be to go somewhere first and then head to Bormio for the races but not sure where. I could fly in to Milan or Zurich as those would appear to be the closest airports to Bormio, although Innsbruck could also be an option.
Suggestions are welcome as are views on whether I'm right in my assessment of Bormio.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Mon 11-04-16 12:32; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Including the full lift pass ski areas:
If intermediate yes loads.
If expert depends on off piste availability.
Nearly as much piste skiing as EK with all 4 ski areas.
See my review from March this year for examples of other ski areas nearby. Madesimo great for experts IF top lift is open.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Thanks @Millom. It looks like Livigno is an hours drive from Bormio so would need to either stay in Livigno first and then head to Bormio or drive each day but not sure if it is worth the latter.
The prices for hotels seem to be reasonable considering it is UK half term and the Champs are taking pale. Found a nice, slight quirky, place but it is on the outskirts of Bormio (1.6 km from centre) so maybe not ideal for a bit of après-ski. Do you know if they have lockers near the lifts?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Gaza, I had a week in Bormio a decade back and a few years after that a week in Santa Caterina. Loved them both.
Basing yourself in/near Bormio gives you 3 distinct ski areas to go at - Bormio itself, a 2nd ski area about 2 miles from Bormio and then SC about 20 mins or so up the valley by ski bus - ignoring Livigno (and St Moritz). Unless you are going for a fortnight and/or obsessive about avoiding doing some runs a few times per day then should work out fine and journeying to/from Livigno too faffy to bother, esp as is a hike to get to Bormio region from airports fore/aft your holiday.
We left our skis at the lifts, memory a bit hazy but think we did so at Bormio 2000 and downloaded, but possibly IIRC at base station too. Seem to recall there is a poster on here who has a ski chalet in Bormio, he might be around soon to say more.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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nb was hiring skis then but imagine they'll have lockers or a ski shop will host them for a few e's
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hi @Gaza, We went to Bormio this February half term during the English Champs. Flew into Milan and hire car to Bormio, a 3hr drive with a coffee break.
Bormio ski and bike have lockers both at the foot of the pistes and at Bormio 2000.
I would think you will get on fine for a week so long as you can get to the other 2 ski areas (San Colombano & Santa Catarina).
Are you looking at accomodation near the pistes or the town centre as 1.6km may not rule out some good apres.
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@Double Bombardino, thanks for that.
@dhorst it is a bit of a balancing act. From 11th February my son will more than likely be with his race club either training or racing. Thankfully as he is still U10 there are only 2 races so it won't be full on. I'll try to get him to compromise the amount of time he spends training. 
Current thinking is to fly out on 8th February and get 2 full days skiing with him before the start of the events. However, it looks like I'll have to go back to Milan on he Saturday to collect my wife as she won't finish work until the Friday as she is a teacher.
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There is a free bus to livigno a few times each day and although I drove this would be my preferred option if I bought a ski pass for the 4 areas. You miss out on cheap petrol but not much else. You dont need to go into Livigno itself if travelling from Bormio as some lift access points start up on the pass road. Getting between the 2 livigno ski areas requires a little planning but both sides are nice. If there is good off piste snow Id stick to the other 3 areas and cheaper pass but if not then livigno would be worth the effort. Nice off piste options in all 3 areas although the snow was not ideal on my visit. Definitely base your self in or very close to Bormio as this the nicest place to stay by far. Free buses around the town so best to get near to a stop on these routes to save a walk or paid parking at lift station.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Looks like a plan is coming together.  I've got options on 3 hotels with Baita dei Pini the front runner at the moment. For some reason most of the hotels haven't opened up availability on line for next February so it is all being done via email and therefore a bit slow.
easyJet don't release the schedule/fares for February half-term until mid-May so weighing up the benefits of waiting to see what a direct EDI-MXP flight will cost against booking a flight now via Paris, Amsterdam or Brussels.
This seasons price for a 9 Day Santa Caterina, Bormio, San Colombano & Livigno Pass was €292 compared to €259 for the 3 area pass. Not a big jump to give us another option.
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To be honest when we stayed in Bormio we did do a day in Livigno but felt the skiing in and around Bormio was far better and it is a bit of a trot to get there.
You have a lot of vertical in Bormio and you can ski the same lines several times over and over but ski them differently each time? We did enjoy Bormio but were only there for 5 nights.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I've just come back from Santa Caterina. I love it there. I guess it depends what you want out of a resort but Bormio is a good base to explore the area. Santa Caterina has been on the men's downhill circuit for the last two years so even though it's a small resort it has its challenges.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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In terms of a week, only limited if your imagination is limited or there is low cloud. English Champs are well-organised and if as usual then the social side is good too.
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Just back from our 9 night/8 day trip to Bormio. We flew out on 9th February to Malpensa and then picked up a hire car. It was a bit of a faff as easyJet fly in to T2 and most car hire is in T1. I left my wife and son at T2 while I jumped on the transfer bus to T1. The drive to Bormio is not the best. It is a mix of dual and single carriageway and with a few exceptions, it isn't particularly attractive. The SS38 is a slow, boring drive with limited opportunities to overtake the many trucks plodding along.
We eventually decided on the Albergo Baita dei Pini and what a great choice it was. We had a 2 room family suite that was perfect for us. It is about a 10 minute walk from the Gondola but there is a bus stop just across the road from the hotel. However, the busses didn’t start until 8:30 and my son needed to meet his coaches at either 8:00 or 8:30. Getting a 9 year old to carry skis and boots plus other kit up a slope wasn’t an option so we rented a heated locker at the OkGo ski hire shop directly opposite the bottom Gondola.
The races were very well organised. Mostly they ran to time and the kids had some great courses set. The U10/U12 GS was almost the full length of the Stella Alpina and the fastest kids were doing it in just under a minute. Most of the kids had never experienced a race piste that long and there were some tired legs at the end.
We enjoyed good conditions all week. It snowed all day the day after we arrived and it helped top-up the snow that had fallen the week before. From Saturday onwards we barely saw a cloud. It was very cold at night and it made the pistes very hard but by lunchtime the sun had soften it up a bit. Sitting outside at Girasole at Bormio 2000 was very pleasant.
After about 5 days I was getting a bit bored with skiing the same pistes. Going to Santa Catarina or the other resorts wasn’t going to work as we had to collect the kids at 14:00 and we felt that it would be too tight. On our last day we took a drive up to Santa Caterina and it looked excellent. Unfortunately my son had hurt his knee when he fell during the combi and after another fall the following day he said it was too sore to ski so look was all we did.
Having only skied in France in recent years it was an absolute pleasure to discover that the Italians don’t try to fleece you at every possible opportunity. €2 for a coffee and €4 for a 0.4l beer in mountain restaurants was very welcome. We found a brilliant Pizzeria across the road from our hotel where the delicious pizzas were between €6 and €7.
We are almost certain to go back and I would recommend Bormio. The skiing was good, albeit limited, and the lift pass about 50% of what you’d pay in France.
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You know it makes sense.
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Gaza, did you get San Colombino (Le Motta etc) great skiing there could do it all day long. 10 mins bus from bormio 'towards' livigno.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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SHHH!!
We're trying to keep it quiet, there are so many more lovely ski areas in Italy and the general cost of living is remarkably less than on the hill in France.
2 weeks ago we were on the top of an out of the way hill(Lagazuoi) which is the start point for the hidden valley, so if there were to be high costs for good given the inconveneience to stock the bar it would be here, 2 coffees and 1 bottle of water . . . €4.00! I have paid that for one item in France.
A couple more for you to try, Madonna di Campilgio, Cortina, anywhere on the Sella Ronda, Madesimo. In fact anywhere really and I have always found the locals to be most welcoming and friendly.
N.B, Austria aint bad either!
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