 Poster: A snowHead
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Yep, not the ideal end to your trip.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Good luck getting back
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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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Good luck! Fingers crossed you get it back in time...
Otherwise - that sounds like a great little area. Glad you had a fun day. 
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@T Bar, @Hurtle, @pam w, @ozski, @ElzP, thanks, and yes a bit of a rushed last few hours!
Update from Malpensa: after "driving like Italians" and also taking a whole series of backroads between Lecco and Arosio, we made it back to Malpensa at 9.25pm. I think the Goldcar grace period is either 29 or 59 minutes, so we may be OK, but no-one was around to check the car with, so who knows...
Flight back is tomorrow morning so we're booked into the Idea Hotel tonight (£55) near Malpensa Airport, similar to last year's trip. Walkable from the free inter-terminal shuttle bus, WiFi... overall a bit better than a Travelodge.
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Tue 14-03-23 12:22; edited 1 time in total
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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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Very much enjoyed these reports. Do you feel prices in Italy have increased as much as they have for things in general as they have in the UK?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@alasdair.graham, good question. Hard to be certain, as I don't visit Italy regularly enough to have a good handle on how much things cost, and I never go back to the same area. However, I think lift passes and accommodation have noticeably increased, while day-to-day spending (supermarkets, restaurants) have maybe risen less than in the UK.
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Mon 13 Mar - departure day
Stunning views from our flight back to Edinburgh yesterday. We passed right over the sunny Aosta Valley and the Swiss Valais, with many ski resorts easy to identify including Bielmonte, Monterosa Ski, Cervinia / Zermatt, Verbier, Crans Montana, Villars & Leysin... with the perfect view from a right hand window seat near the back of the plane.
Back to Edinburgh 30 minutes early to be greeted with torrential rain and high winds. Welcome home  My hold bag was sopping wet when it arrived in the baggage hall, and even some of the items inside it were damp!
Trip summary
Good: In the context of another low snow year, I think we lucked in again, with perfectly acceptable snow on piste, mostly sunny weather and not-too-mild temperatures. A few very light snowfalls to refresh the pistes (no rain), and a slightly bigger one for our second day in Livigno. Good visibility 90% of the time, and only one slightly breezy day. Combined with excellent Italian snowmaking we were able to explore all the ski areas in full. Good value, excellent restaurants (probably the best I've experienced in Italy). Accommodation / lift pass logistics worked well.
Not so good: Prices for lift passes have increased, unsurprisingly. Ski areas around here are quite widely dispersed so some long drives required. Busy road traffic occasionally.
The skiing: Great variety, and I just love visiting new ski areas. Friendly, pretty, lower-altitude domains (Piani di Bobbio, Valmalenco, Aprica, Cima Piazzi) to open, high-altitude terrain (Livigno, Santa Caterina, Bormio) and some having a bit of both (Madesimo, Ponte di Legno-Tonale). Some remarkable pistes - generally one or two each in most of the diffierent ski areas - see reports above for details. Five of the ski areas approach 3,000m altitude which was good for snow coverage. Excellent piste grooming and snowmaking everywhere, as we've come to expect from Italy. Mostly good lift systems. Favourite places: Livigno, Cima Piazzi (the biggest and one of the smallest respectively!). Was a bit underwhelmed by Santa Caterina - was expecting to like it a lot but didn't quite "do it" for me.
Cost breakdown
Prices are for 2 adults, 12 days (halve for per person prices). Not included: food costs, insurance.
Flights (EasyJet EDI-MPX, 1 hold bag) £155
Car hire (Goldcar 11 days, snow chains, + fuel (no tolls)) £73+98
Accommodation (2-person Airbnb apartment in Primaluna, 2 nights; 5-person Airbnb house in Mazzo di Valltelina, 8 nights; 4-person Idea Hotel room in Malpensa, 1 night) £54+£374+£55
Lift passes (3 days Bormio-Cima Piazzi-Santa Caterina (advance discount); 2 single days Livigno (1 peak season, 1 Saturday promo); 1 day at each of Piani di Bobbio (weekday promo, online discount), Madesimo, Ponte di Legno-Tonale (advance discount), Valmalenco (weekday promo), Aprica £740
Ski & boot hire (10 days) £122
Total: £1671
This was our most expensive trip to date, and "cost per skiing day" (£84) is also significantly up on previous years. This was almost entirely down to lift passes and accommodation, both of which were approximately double our usual figures. Basically - this is not a particularly cheap area to stay in or tour around. Other prices roughly "normal", with good deals for car / ski hire. We always try to do these trips for a lowish price, so any questions about deals etc. - feel free to ask.
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Thu 16-03-23 21:40; edited 2 times in total
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Great work, have throughly enjoyed reading this. I would agree that day to day spends haven't risen too much, but lift passes and accommodation have rocketed. I think Livigno prices are also being affected by the run up to the 2026 Olympics. Looking forward to the photos.
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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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Was in Cima Piazzi today, warmer than yesterday which made skiing much more enjoyable as pistes soften up nicely to leave near perfect piste conditions. Wouldn't say it was dead but definitely low stress skiing with plenty of runs nearly to myself.
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It comes alive with the photos - that was a beautiful church! Your prices admonish what the rest of us end up paying. A hard act to follow, @denfinella.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@pam w, thanks. Have just finished uploading the final batch!
@ozski, sounds excellent! Bit of a hidden gem, Cima Piazzi, I think.
@element, cheers. You could be right re. the Olympics.
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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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@denfinella, enjoyed your report. Shows what amazing value is available if you’re willing to stay lower and drive about. I love the fact that €47 for a 5 person house is the most you’ve ever paid for acommodation!
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@denfinella, I got hit with an on-piste shark, need to avoid the brown snow! I'll need to do a small base repair. Bit worried about trying any off-piste now, doesn't look like much covering the rocks! In Bormio today, nice and warm but not too warm. It's looking like it's going to be a fun days skiing. Parked in underground carpark where is the free 4 hour parking?
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You know it makes sense.
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@BobinCH, glad it was a good read. The driving part isn't for everyone, but we're quite happy to do it. As you say, staying in the valley is often cheaper and usually makes driving times shorter if visiting multiple resorts (up and down each day, rather than down, up, down, up!).
@ozski, oh no, that's not good! Apart from the sharks... good day skiing? The free 4 hr car park is opposite the cemetery: https://maps.app.goo.gl/LcY2FRHKRm8XcjdP8.
I you need a whole day, I think there are also about five unlimited-time spaces next to that car park too. These look like they belong to the adjacent houses, but they do have their own blue P sign, so I reckon they'd be OK! Have a look and judge for yourself.
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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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@denfinella, thanks for parking tip. Yes a good day in Bormio yesterday, slopes had more fresh snow higher up as there is 700m above Cima Piazzi's toplift. I'd say near perfect piste conditions in Bormio and really didn't soften up too much on quite a warm day.
Found some nice off-piste also once you are careful to pick areas that don't see much sun. Had lunch at top of mountain where cable car is located, good restaurant with great views.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@denfinella, absolutely brilliant report, thank you so much!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@denfinella, just love your reports, and the detail of the runs, lifts etc.
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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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@denfinella, as always, glorious pictures and great report. The pictures make most of those runs look so enticing! Had a chuckle at the 20 kph speed limit on one of the blues... (they don't call them roads for nothing!) 
Interesting that the cost was high compared to your Aosta valley trip, which has more what I would perceive as 'big name' resorts. Is it just easier to find discount passes at the bigger places? Accommodation is going up everywhere, we've struggled to find value on our travels this year.
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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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@denfinella, thanks for a great report. Shows that it's worth exploring smaller resorts. Pictures were lovely.
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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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@ozski, sounds great! 3,000m altitude is nice to have with this warm weather.
@Hurtle, @Pamski, @stevew, thanks for the kind comments. Smaller ski areas can definitely be just as enjoyable as large ones!
| ElzP wrote: |
| Interesting that the cost was high compared to your Aosta valley trip, which has more what I would perceive as 'big name' resorts. Is it just easier to find discount passes at the bigger places? Accommodation is going up everywhere, we've struggled to find value on our travels this year. |
We had a serendipitous combination of ski passes around Aosta last year. Plus only 9 skiing days there, 10 this time. And then general inflation... possibly exchange rate too?
That 20kph blue run is actually quite a good piste! All the way to the bottom of the Mottolino gondola.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@denfinella, makes sense! Definitely feels like odd day pass prices are rather high from what we experienced in Austria - though we we're buying last minute mostly.
Also reinforces my suspicion that the Aosta valley is bloody good value all round.
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Was in Santa Caterina today, decided on a ski change after struggling on my Salomon Stance 90 in the off-piste in Vallone sector in Bormio, skiers left off top of cable car. I underestimated how deep the snow would be in that bowl and the Stance 90 a little too stiff and narrow for enjoying that run, they are great on shallow powder but difficult when it gets deeper. Perhaps a better skier might manage Ok!
So today switched my bindings over to my 100 under foot Coreupt Candide Pow skis. Immediately feeling much more at home on the deeper soft stuff. Although started with a few piste runs to warm up including the Deborah Compognoni black which I think was the women's downhill at the ski world champs previously. Piste not too firm by mid morning when I got there. Actually amazing how well pistes hold up all day for mid March in fairly warm weather staying firm right down to bottom lifts. Certainly not like St Antons home run mogul fest. Actually haven't seen many moguls here, not even one mogul field like there would always be in France or Austria.
It's remarkable how few off-piste sliders there are compared to France, Austria etc. The snow is pretty decent really especially high up above the gondola middle station, with lots of untouched snow everywhere. I saw a sign today saying off-piste is not allowed but on the Bormio website it promotes it's off-piste sectors with maps and route descriptions?
I reckon in Santa Caterina lots of reds could be blues. In Bormio perhaps some reds could be blacks. Perhaps they only have one pole colour available? Today's visit was also a check to see could my 3 year old come over here. It seems the Valle d'Alpe area could work well for him as can travel by gondola all the way there and a modern chair once over there on a run I think he'll manage with a little help especially once snow softens as day warms up. None of those drags that would be very difficult for me to keep hold of him on like in Cima Piazzi, but there is a nice magic carpet beside restaurant. Great views of high peaks and snowy Stelvio National Park on this side of mountain.
So a good day out and it even started to snow a little this afternoon. Plan to go back tomorrow with my son.
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@ElzP, I think smallish Austrian and Italian areas have always had relatively expensive lift passes, and yeah you don't get the multi-day savings if you're touring around.
@ozski, glad Santa Caterina worked out for you! As a piste skier I have to admit I was a little underwhelmed - it's just a little bit small with not enough different lifts. But I could see the obvious appeal re. snow quality and off piste opportunities. Agree that the back area is nice and gentle and the reds off that bubble chair could be blue!
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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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@denfinella, true it is quite small but a good addition to Bormio skipass. Was back today, was full of Czechs which created a bit of atmosphere, else place would be dead. The back side in the Sunny Valley definitely suited our beginner son, can get gondola over, magic carpet at the restaurant and a nice piste with a fast chair and no particular challenges. Actually I'd say it's better here for a beginner than Cima Piazzi as there to progress up mountain you need two drags from beginner area and valley run to pink gondola quite steep.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@element, that last picture is perfection. 
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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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@element, mmmm, those pics do indeed look fantastic!
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| Quote: |
that last picture is perfection
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Fantastic
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You know it makes sense.
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It was a bit special and a rare treat as someone who takes what they get on their 1-2 weeks a year. Apologies for the quasi thread hijack, just had to share the stoke
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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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@element, please continue to hijack - I'm back home now so there's no other current use for the thread!
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Poster: A snowHead
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@denfinella, how many kms driving did you clock up? I was driving from our base in Isolaccia beside Cima Piazzi pink gondola down to Bormio and Santa Caterina, enough driving for me and maybe could have just taken the bus on days in Bormio as parking, boots on and getting all gear organised adds extra faff time. Actually adjacent to the graveyard on the southern side there is also free parking off the road beside the 4 hour free parking area you used.
On Wednesday this week after check out with time to spare went up to nearest petrol station in Livigno to fill up tank, is quite a drive! Surprisingly seemed to hardly use any fuel all the way back to Bergamo, just added 2.5 litres just before airport to bring fuel gauge level with full.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@ozski, we did about 1,500km! But only €98 worth of fuel due to cheap Livigno petrol stations.
Livigno to Bergamo is all downhill
Thanks for the parking tip.
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FAQ
