 Poster: A snowHead
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Looking at Madonna di Campiglio for 16th Jan for a week. I'm only a beginner/intermediate and this would be a first ski trip.
I noticed the weather looks to warm up with no snow fall scheduled either.
https://www.meteoblue.com/en/weather/14-days/madonna-di-campiglio_italy_3174326
Will this still be ok for someone of my ability?
Thanks
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sun 9-01-22 12:09; 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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Yes
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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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My first ever trip was to Folgarida, linked with MdC and Marileva in 1985. Plenty variety in difficulty of the the runs and by the end of the first week we had navigated our way to both ends of the piste map with our chain smoking, expresso swilling instructor. The only danger is that you end up hooked and spending an unfeasible amount of money for the rest of your life!
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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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Just to give some context, my only time skiing outside on real snow was in Cyprus for a day two years ago. They had around 4km of piste but I absolutely loved it! I suppose my threshold for satisfaction when it comes to skiing is probably quite low.
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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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@viciousvulture, will you be having lessons? With the experience you've described, lessons would probably help you get more out of the week. The instructor should work on both technique and advise on where you should and shouldn't try skiing at your level.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I would possibly think of getting a lesson, although I did one at Milton Keynes and found it horrendous. The instructor had no enthusiasm whatsoever! Being sporty, I feel like I could improve quite a bit myself
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Definitely get some lessons. It is hard to figure out the basics by yourself, and longer Alpine runs will be a very different environment vs what you experience in domes and in Cyprus.
Once you get the basics and want to improve, then yes, that you can probably do yourself if you feel confident. And even then, a lesson every now and then helps...
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I'm sure you'll be fine!
Madonna has a nice range of blue runs on both sides of the valley and a dedicated beginners area (which you probably wont need but is there just in case). There are a couple of very long blues which are good for confidence building. I emphasise as someone who started skiing later in life I found resort choice for our first few trips very difficult. However we found MdC had a nice range of runs for all abilities, plus it's a nice town and has stunning scenery. As mentioned above because it's joined to two other areas you can get a good day out exploringng these as long as you can manage a couple of reds. It shouldn't be too busy that week which will help keep the pistes in better condition.
We use the sci nazionale des alpes ski school and they've been good for private lessons but we have no experience of their group lessons. FWIW I think they are the same school as Crystal ski use so they are used to Brits.
https://www.scuolascicampiglio.com/en
Personally I can't imagine not having lessons as skiing is quite technical e.g. small changes to your stance seem to make a massive difference to how your edges grip and once you get into bad habits it's difficult to change. I'm intermediate and have 3x2 hr lessons booked for our trip to the same resort in a few weeks (cost Eur50 more than 6 x group morning lessons). My wife is a very good piste skier (50+ been skiing since teens) and still has lessons every trip to keep herself out of bad habits and tweak her technique.
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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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Everyone needs lessons if they are serious about improving. Quite apart from the speed at which you can progress, you also get much more skiing done - no fiddling around with pistemaps to find out where to go (and knowing where the best place to go is) and the joy of jumping the lift queues when it is busy.
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@viciousvulture, Did you make the trip? What ski school did you use? I'll be there a week from Saturday and looking to book lessons for my family.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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We just spent a week there and used sci school nazionale des alpes. Two people had group lessons and everyone else had a couple of private. Everyone was happy. They picked up the group lessons in a minibus every morning and took them to an appropriate meeting point and when the meeting point for our private lesson had to change due to high winds they offered to bus us to the appropriate lift.
If you book online there is a 10% discount for group lessons. So book, pay 50eur deposit and balance in resort to save eur23 pp. they are the same ski school that Crystal use. There are a few but we’ve always used these guys.
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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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We ended up going to Solden instead. Was an amazing experience, loved every second of it! I improved a lot, had a lesson on the 2nd day. Was doing reds reasonable well by the week and managed 7.5km vert on the last day. Now considering purchasing equipment but not sure what to get.
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Now chilling out after a first day on the slopes at MdC. Cover is pretty good on the pistes, considering how little recent snow there has been, but off piste is another story. This is the view from the Maghrette chairlift.
Most pistes are ok, decent snow, but there's a very hard base showing in places. Fingers crossed that the forecast delivers tomorrow and on Tuesday, that will make it very nice indeed.
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You know it makes sense.
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To be fair, that lift faces directly south
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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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| viciousvulture wrote: |
| To be fair, that lift faces directly south |
True, but other than a few favoured spots there's no more than a few inches anywhere.
Snowing now though, the sorry that improves a piste the day it falls. Hope for more later and overnight
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Poster: A snowHead
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we are going to Madonna on the 3rd of march, very worried there will not be much snow by that stage as weather outlooks do not seem to be sending much snow that way!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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[@goweje, also praying for more of the white stuff here! It's our 1st time to Italy since kids who are now 15, 12, 8 and we're heading to Folgarida on Sat. @alr1971, do you have any recommendations for quick not too extorionate lunch stops? Thanks
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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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| Mr Morse wrote: |
| [@goweje, also praying for more of the white stuff here! It's our 1st time to Italy since kids who are now 15, 12, 8 and we're heading to Folgarida on Sat. @alr1971, do you have any recommendations for quick not too extorionate lunch stops? Thanks |
Well, we've only had two lunches so far! I've been assuming that the self-service places are cheaper that the sit-down ones, and we haven't had a problem finding one so far.
If the two we've been to, Rifugio Graffer, near the top of Groste 2 bubble was cheaper than Rifugio Viviani Pradalago near the top of Fortini bubble. €11 for a bowl of pasta rather than €14. The Italians seen to stop at 1 for lunch so if you get in a bit earlier you'll have no trouble getting a table.
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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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Yes, cover is very good on piste, but as I said yesterday there are some very hard patches which can be hard to deal with if you're as good as me on a snowboard. But today it has been snowing lightly since late morning and that has left decent accumulations in places. You could really feel the difference on some pistes, especially less tracked ones. If we get the forecast snow overnight it should form a new softer base that might be good for a couple of weeks. But it all depends on temps not getting to high.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@alr1971, Thanks! Very helpful to have these updates. Please keep us posted as it looks like it should snow through tomorrow AM. About 20cm forecast in total.
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This morning.
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Oh wow, lots of snow! Apologies if this sounds stupid as I'm new to skiing but how long would this "last" for? I'm heading out March 19th. When do people usually start looking more closely at conditions? Thanks
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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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@viciousvulture, For a March 19th 2022 trip I would probably start looking at the conditions in about April 21......not sure if that is usual though!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@viciousvulture, the dolomites are in the prevailing rain/snow shaddow. So they are set up not to rely on natural snow and can make what they need.
However, it's even prettier if there is loads of natural stuff everywhere. If it doesn't snow again then I would assume the south facing slopes and town will start to brown by the time you go. The pistes will have enough snow.
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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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Boy what a day out! I'd say there has been 20cm in town at Madonna and at least 30cm higher up.
We went out early up onto the pistes around Laghi lift and found lots of untracked powder. The wind was very light this morning so it just laid there, except in a few high up places where it was blowing about a bit. After a few runs there we went over to Pinzolo, my theory meeting that the clearance d would arrive there first, but it was mainly windier than the West facing slopes. But we got in plenty of good runs, there were untracked patches to be found all day on the more obscure pistes. Took the black down to Tulot, which was fab at the top but slushy at the bottom where it was raining.
Lunch at the snack bar at Tulot was 6.50 for a veggie burger and we had the place to ourselves. The self service up on the hill was rammed already at 12 as everyone else tried to avoid the snow that was still falling hard. A special shout-out to the loos at Pra Rodont that were actually adequate to the number of punters wanting to use them!
Then back to the hill and discovered a very windy top at Dos Bel Sabion, where it must have been blowing 60 knots over the ridge.
Snowboarding was impossible with the combination of zero visibility, gentle slope, howling wind and six foot drifts randomly popping up on the track. So I walked a bit to where the slope was better. Beyond was more marvelous untracked powder that almost made it worth it.
Back then to Madonna as the snow eased around 1500 and be 1600 the sky cleared and the sun even came out.
 After the storm, from the top of Patascoss Express chairlift by Andrew Roberts, on Flickr
Whatever they get pisted overnight will be fab in the morning, but there's been so much snow I can't see them getting all the slopes done. Either way, this is a great addition that will keep us in snow until we leave at the weekend.
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Tue 15-02-22 22:32; edited 1 time in total
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Oh, and there were no queues anywhere all day, only the truly m̶a̶d̶ keen, and the ski schools, were out today. And no-one told us to put a mask on, unlike yesterday when there were staff posted at some lifts telling people to mask up.
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You know it makes sense.
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@alr1971, That (AUDI) Tulot is a great run top to bottom when conditions are good. We used to park near the bottom Cafe/station. Often the only other people we saw on it were the kids and instructors from the local club. There's a great little family run refugio/restaurant at the top of the area somewhere. Name escapes me but basically a large wooden hut. Their food was superb. And a very warming grappa too.
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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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Wow, great photos Andrew. Watching the live webcam from Madonna on my computer in work today & have been checking it and giggling at the snow!! Praying we all have negative rapid antigen tests Friday.....
Anyone staying half board hotel? Do the Italians have a dress code for dinner??! We always done catered chalets before or SC
The kids inky own school trousers and trackies 
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Poster: A snowHead
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We're staying hb at the Savoia, more luxury than I'm accustomed to. You get the odd couple dressed up a bit, but most folks are smart casual. There's one guy in a hoodie, he hasn't been chucked out yet!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Nice out today.
Surprisingly hard first thing, but quickly chewed up by all the skiers. Some massive moguls by mid afternoon, to be expected I suppose. But find an obscure piste and it was still in great nick
Lunch at Malghet Aut, 10 for a plate of pasta, cheapest so far.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Ooo, nice!
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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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Windy on the mountain this morning, and warmer than in the valley. Could get a bit melty, but a little more snow now forecast Friday into Saturday.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Not a great deal to add to that, it got very warm in the wind this afternoon, and I can hear them blasting the slopes, there was a lot of spindrift high up.
For those tracking the lunch thread, €10 seems to be the cheapest for a plate of pasta. Pizzocheri at Rifugio Doss del Sabion was yummy.
Oh, and having skied the Pizzolo slopes in the snow on Tuesday, skiing them in the sun was like having another new area of resort to play in!
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Any updates on the conditions? I'm heading out 19th. Looks like temps are warming up, will that pose any problems? And I don't think there has been any snow since mid Feb.
A few of the runs in Pinzolo always seem to be closed.
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We got back yesterday. The pistes are mostly fine, a bit cut up late afternoon at busy spots. The last couple of hundred metres of 54 and 66 were getting a bit bare but we always try to avoid 66 anyway as you have to pole and 50 is an easy alternative to 54 with better snow. The snowmaking and grooming really is superb. They do a fantastic job of keeping pistes open and have over 1600 snow cannons, although we've never seen the reservoirs looking so empty......
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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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Thanks for the update. Fortunately it looks like there’ll be some snowfall before we go and temperatures to drop back down.
Any other tips and best pistes, we’re intermediates? Thanks!
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