 Poster: A snowHead
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Links to all trip reports
Feb 2014: Soll (SkiWelt), Austria
Jan 2015: Alpe d'Huez & Les 2 Alpes, France
Jan 2016: Les Carroz (Grand Massif), France
Mar 2017: Belle Plagne (Paradiski), France (no TR yet)
Jan 2018: Notre Dame de Bellecombe (Espace Diamant), France
Mar 2018: Ponte di Legno +Ponte di Legno-Tonale, Pejo, Monte Altissimo (Borno), Aprica , central Italian Alps
Jan 2019: St Gervais (Evasion Mont Blanc) +Cordon, Megeve-St Gervais-Combloux-La Giettaz, Les Contamines , France
Mar 2019: Varena, southern Dolomites +Alpe Cermis, Passo Rolle, Latemar, St Martino di Castrozza, Alpe Lusia, Pozza di Fassa / Buffaure, San Pellegrino / Falcade, Carezza, Jochgrimm, Catinaccio / Vigo di Fassa , Italy
Jan 2020: Abondance (Portes du Soleil) +Portes du Soleil main circuit, Abondance, Cret Beni (La Chapelle d'Abondance), Bernex, Praz de Lys, Thollon , France
Mar 2020: Embrun, Provence Alps +Les Orres, Foret Blanche (Risoul-Vars) , France
Jan 2022: Vizille, Grenoble Alps +Le Collet d'Allevard, Lans en Vercors, Alpe d'Huez, Alpe du Grand Serre, Chamrousse, Villard de Lans-Correncon, Meaudre, Autrans, Les 7 Laux, Gresse en Vercors , France
Mar 2022: Aosta Valley +Espace San Bernardo (La Thuile-La Rosiere), Pila, Courmayeur, Monterosa Ski, Skyway Monte Bianco , Italy
Jan 2023: St Jean d'Aulps (Portes du Soleil) +Portes du Soleil main circuit, Morzine-Les Gets, Roc d'Enfer, Praz de Lys , France
Mar 2023: Valtellina +Piani di Bobbio, Valchiavenna (Madesimo), Livigno, Bormio, Cima Piazzi, Santa Caterina, Ponte di Legno-Tonale, Valmalenco, Aprica , Italy
Jan 2024: Aravis & Tarentaise +Le Grand Bornand, La Clusaz, Valmorel, Arêches-Beaufort, Pralognan la Vanoise, Sainte Foy Tarentaise, Courchevel , France
Feb 2024: Trentino +Folgaria, Paganella, Monte Bondone, Rittner Horn, Campiglio Ski, Lavarone , Italy
This trip report
This is our second (and last) ski holiday this season after a sunny, warm late January trip to the northern French Alps. This time we're heading to Italy, specifically to the ski areas surrounding the city of Trento. Any tips (pistes / parking / restaurants etc.) or questions, please post below! (And the places we ended up visiting, as shown on the map below in the order we visited them, were:
1. Folgaria (2 days) - skip to report day 1 / day 2
2. Paganella - skip to report
3. Monte Bondone - skip to report
4. Rittner Horn - skip to report
5. Madonna di Campiglio-Folgarida-Marilleva-Pinzolo (4 days) - skip to report day 1 / day 2 / day 3 / day 4
6. Lavarone - skip to report
>> skip to cost breakdown
All but one of these areas are covered by the vast Skirama regional pass (which also incorporates Passo Tonale and more), but I've done the sums and it's cheaper to buy separate passes for each area, some of which also have weekday discounts. Campiglio ski area also operates a dynamic pricing policy, so we've booked those days already. Due to the wide geographical spread, we've two accommodation bases. Rovereto (south of Trento) for the first 5 nights, then Coredo (north of Trento) for the next 5. Plus a night near the airport before a morning flight home. We hope to do some local sightseeing too.
There's not a lot of snow around just now, with slushy conditions and some worn areas appearing even on pistes with snowmaking where they catch the sun. However, significant snowfall looks likely during the first few days of our trip, with coolish weather beyond, so conditions should be transformed by the end of next weekend. Should be a big contrast to our last trip, and looks likely we'll be using snow chains for the first time in over 100 days of hiring a car for Alpine ski holidays.
As always, I'll add photos and a cost breakdown afterwards.
Cima Paganella, Paganella Ski
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Fri 19-04-24 23:39; edited 6 times 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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 Your trip reports are the best thing on snowHeads!
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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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Agreed!
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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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Also agreed!
@denfinella, make sure you're in Andalo/Paganella on a clear day if possible as the views are truly fabulous.
When we were there and in Monte Bondone it was pre-Christmas and not many slopes were open, looking forward to hearing how they are when you can get around everything. I did a very short TR at the time if it's any use: https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=3320133&highlight=bondone#3320133
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Hurtle, @Valluga, @ElzP, that's kind of you to say. I do enjoy writing them too.
@ElzP, I'm not sure there will be many clear days but will do our best!  I remember reading your trip report at the time but will definitely have another look.
@Mike Pow, maybe, if we decide not to ski one of the days (or part days)!
@luigi, there were a lot of white stripes through brown hillsides on anything not north facing when I looked yesterday (though Andalo is north facing). Fortunately it should be completely different by tomorrow morning. I'm looking forward to some of these smaller places.
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Thu 22 - arrival day
Little to report from the Edinburgh to Malpensa flight this morning, touching down on time at 3pm. Both airports were very quiet and efficient, but for the first time in our three visits here, our flight landed in Terminal 2. A bit of a wait required for the shuttle bus to Terminal 1 to pick up our hire car. Goldcar gave us a Fiat 500X with snow chains for the amazingly low price of £35.92 for 11 days. It's covered in scratches and has 85,000km on the clock. Lots of photos taken.
It was dry when we touched down but heavy rain began falling as we drove away from the airport shortly before 5pm. Heavy rush hour traffic on the A4 skirting Milan, then thankfully quieter on the A35 across to Brescia (this runs parallel to the A4 but is nicer to drive). Beyond Brescia we used non-toll roads for the remaining distance to Rovereto, with a stop at a supermarket and Burger King on the way.
After an unpleasant last 45 minutes due to rain, patchy fog and flooded roads up the Adige valley, we checked in around 9.30pm. Our Airbnb (£46/night) is in the Borgo Sacco suburb of Rovereto (200m a.s.l.) amidst a warren of narrow, cobbled one-way streets. The building dates to 1700 and retains its original, stunning ceilings; there looks to be about 10 separate rooms though most are locked. WiFi, underfloor heating, double bedroom, and a kitchen fully stocked with supplies including homemade limoncello and a range of breakfast items. I wish we were staying for more than 5 nights!
We're heading to Folgaria tomorrow, where our hire skis are waiting for us and 30-50cm of snow is forecast to fall over the next 24 hours...
Last edited by After all it is free  on Tue 5-03-24 12:02; edited 2 times in total
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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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Fri 23 Feb - Folgaria (day 1)
Piste map here.
We woke up to the sound of steady rain pattering against the window. Driving time to Folgaria was about 40 minutes (including some Rovereto morning traffic) up a mountain road with several hairpins. We'd been inspecting our snow chains last night, but the freezing level ended up being slightly higher than forecast, with rain turning to sleet as we arrived in Folgaria (1150m) to pick up our hire skis.
When researching ski hire, all the usual aggregator websites seemed surprisingly expensive, so I emailed all the local shops (Folgaria, Lavarone and nearby lift bases) directly to ask for a quote. Tacconi Sport were the most competitive of those with reasonable reviews, though still pricier than all our previous trips at €116.80pp for 10 days. The equipment we were given is standard fare but seems fairly new - and our boots stayed dry inside all day despite the weather (see later). The shop opens at 8.30am so we couldn't quite manage first lifts, but we were at the Costa lift base - a few minutes' drive out of town - around 9am. At 1250m a.s.l. this was just above the snowline for most of the day. There's a free car park which was already full when we arrived, and one immediately adjacent which has a €2 charge 
Folgaria is the larger partner in the Alpe Cimbra lift pass region. We purchased a 2-day lift pass (mid-season rates, €95pp) which also covers the smaller, separate Lavarone ski area. Both resorts are also on the super-expensive Skirama regional pass, which may explain the surprising number of English-speaking voices heard (British and American).
Folgaria's own slopes spread across a large area of rolling, wooded hills, but the highest lift only reaches around 1800m. Runs are therefore quite short (especially anything with a steeper gradient) but offer a good sense of travel; there are no fewer than 8 separate lift bases, all with their own car parks, and a variety of different slope orientations. There are more pistes than you could ski in a single day; most are currently open, with only a few minor closures (e.g. blue 5b near Costa, red 13 to Serrada, black 22 above Fondo Piccolo). The lift system is almost entirely chairlifts: 6 fast quads, but the rest are slow and none have weather protectors. Francolini's old chairlift has recently been mothballed so it currently has a (closed) piste down but no way back up; I believe a replacement lift is planned, perhaps starting in Folgaria itself.
In the morning we explored the sectors above three of the lift bases towards the bottom of the piste map: Ortesino (some nice powder here), Fondo Grande (snow a bit wetter) and Serrada (deserted and served by a fast chair).
Ortesino chair
Fondo Grande from black 10
Black 10 from the Martinella chair
We also ventured up towards Fondo Piccolo, which has an annoying lift base layout with lots of poling required (Plagne Centre in miniature).
Fondo Piccolo from blue 9b
Fondolo Piccolo from red 16
Most of my gear was coping OK with the heavy snowfall, but my bum was gradually becoming wet from half-melted snow on all the chairlift seats, and my gloves were slowly succumbing too. So an early lunch at Calkera in Fondo Grande in a (failed) attempt to dry off. €9 for deer ragu pasta, €10 for goulash soup, €13 for a large sharing platter of 3 local (Asiago) cheeses, 3 cured meats, potato rosti cakes and horseradish sauce. All very tasty.
After lunch we ventured towards the top of the piste map. The ski area extends eastwards over a col (Passo Coe, and Costa d'Agra above) to Fiorentini. The snow around Passo Coe was of drier quality (44cm of new snow here by 1pm according to the lift company), but gradients were too flat for deep powder, and we were struggling to navigate a bit due to poor visibility where the trees thinned out. Eventually we made it to Fiorentini via a series of dull traverses. 7 lifts were required to return to our car from here, so we couldn't linger.
Blue 25b towards Fiorentini
Monte Coston double chair
Skiing back towards our lift base at Costa, snow was increasingly turning to sleet or even rain around Fondo Grande and Fonde Piccolo, and most of our clothes were now sodden. A slightly early finish around 4pm, changing shoes in the pouring rain, then a quick stop back at the ski hire shop to swap my poles for slightly longer ones.
Chair from Fondo Grande to Sommo Alto on the way back
Blue 1, returning to Costa
Dinner at home this evening courtesy of Eurospar. Our Airbnb's many radiators are being put to good use - our gloves and parts of our salopettes are absolutely drenched, so hopefully they'll dry in time for tomorrow.
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Wed 6-03-24 23:50; edited 3 times in total
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Hope you get some better weather tomorrow, @denfinella. I think I'd have bailed out before 4pm.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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That sounds soggy! I'd have copped out after the delicious sounding lunch.
How's the weather looking for the next couple of days? Hopefully a little drier for you.
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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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@Origen, @ElzP, @luigi, a better day today 
Sat 24 Feb - Folgaria (day 2)
Back to Folgaria today, to see what the ski area looks like with better visibility (hopefully). With no skis to pick up, we started from the Serrada lift (1250m) which has a direct road up from Rovereto. 30 mins' drive up a scenic, steep-sided valley, with light snow falling above about 900m. It was just starting to settle on the final incline up to the (free) car park at 8.30am.
Weather today was a bit of everything: intermittent, mostly light snow, ice pellets, patchy fog and occasional blue skies. In short: much more comfortable to ski in than yesterday! With slightly lower temperatures, snow mostly stayed in great condition, with trees retaining their white blankets.
We first skied across to Costa to try the lowest runs which were rained on yesterday, but looked a bit whiter today. We enjoyed blue 1 - a pleasant beginner cruise - and even tried the ridiculously short red / blue off the two-seater Dosso della Madonna chair.
Costa main chair from blue 1b
The pistes at Ortesino were still in great shape - I reckon they're some of the best in the whole ski area.
Red 4 from the Ortesino chair
Then a brief ski around Fondo Grande.
Fondo Grande from blue 9
Sommo Alto chair out of Fondo Grande
We then headed via Fondo Piccolo back to Passo Coe and Fiorentini, where visibility was a bit better than yesterday. I'm still not a fan of the obligatory traverses, but the few cm of powder on a pisted base was a dream to ski on, and a few lovely reds on this side.
Red 21 to Fondo Piccolo
Plaut fast chair from Fondo Piccolo
Red 25 from the Monte Pioverna chair
Blue 25b towards the Fiorentini side
Blue 25b
Huskies at the restaurant on red 26
Red 26 to the Monte Coston double chair
Monte Coston double chair
Chair out of Fiorentini
Uninspiring restaurant options in these sectors, so we skied back to the same place as yesterday in Fondo Grande for a late lunch. 20 min wait for a table, but worth it for excellent pizzas at €9 (grilled veg) and €9.50 (pepperoni and gorgonzola).
Blue 14b from Fondo Piccolo to Fondo Grande
After lunch we skied all the runs above the Fondo Piccolo bowl, most of which we didn't have time for yesterday. Red 21 and blue 23b / 19 off the fast chair to Plaut are both fun pistes of a decent length, red 15 on skier's left of the bowl is quite steep, while the ones in the middle are all a bit short and served by very slow chairs.
Blue 19 to Fondo Piccolo
Tiny church by blue 19
Fondo Piccolo from the Truagalait chair
Cima Spill chair, Fondo Piccolo
A quick blast down the Martinelli black to get the heart pumping again, then finished on a high with both the Serrada home runs, which were still lovely all the way to the bottom. Last lift at 16.45.
Red 11 to Serrada
Red 11
In summary: Folgaria is pleasantly scenic with a good sense of travel between different sectors, but I would hesitate to recommend it for more than a day for a keen skier in good weather. There just aren't enough genuinely interesting pistes; many runs are either flat traverses, or very short (checking topo maps, the longest skiable vertical in a single run is only 320m). And the lifts are poorly laid out around Fondo Grande and Fondo Piccolo, making passing through these hubs more awkward than it should be.
Fave runs in Folgaria: reds 26 & 28 above Fiorentini, red 21 & blue 23b off the fast chair out of Fondo Piccolo, blue 12 to Serrada.
The rain started again as we had a quick look around Rovereto (castle, museums, murals, narrow streets, river) after skiing (parking €1 for 1 hr).
Then back home for dinner again. Paganella tomorrow...
Last edited by So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much  on Thu 7-03-24 14:18; edited 4 times in total
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You know it makes sense.
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Watching with interest when I was 14yr 43yrs ago , gasp , went on a school trip to Monte Bondone , no snow very dry winter ,one chair and a Gondola? Actually bucket lift , open and three runs . Very hazy there was a nightclub by the lift station doubt it’s still there but I do remember for certain I did have my first ever snog with a girl from Liverpool .
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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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@Rob Mackley, Probably heading to Monte Bondone tomorrow, so I'll see how much it's changed!
Sun 25 Feb - Paganella Ski
Piste map here.
With a better forecast for today (very light snow) than most of the week, we headed for one of the "premium" Trentino ski areas. Paganella is 45 minutes' drive north beyond Trento, or a bit more avoiding the autostrada. The area got a decent top-up of snow overnight, and contrary to the forecast freezing level there was a dusting all the way down to the valley road at 300m! Fortunately the wiggly road up to the Santel lift base was clear, though we arrived to thick fog and more light snowfall. But with maybe 5-15cm of fresh powder overlying corduroy, surface conditions were amazing above about 1400m (and perfectly acceptable below that). The freezing level didn't rise much above the lift bases, so the snow mostly stayed "wintery", with some largish powder moguls developing on the busiest runs.
A day pass costs a steep €59 including online discount. The ski area uses the Axxess system for its passes (unlike the vast majority of Italian resorts, which use Skidata) so I'd loaded our passes onto old Portes du Soleil cards. The card's codes were accepted online but didn't work at the lift gate, so we had to visit the ticket office, where the cashier kindly issued replacement cards free of charge.
From Santel (1040m) a chain of three chairs leads up north-facing slopes to the area high point, Cima Paganella (2125m). On the this side, reds V and C are both superb with lots of bends and variation in gradient.
Meriz lift interchange
Red C (Dosso Larici)
Red V (Nuvola Rossa)
View up the slow top chair
It was foggy on the lower slopes and also at the summit for most of the morning, while the middle third of the area stayed in a pocket of good visibility and some blue sky. Then as the day progressed, holes appeared in the valley fog and cloud occasionally lifted off the summit - so we got some decently varied views eventually. We also had briefer, far-reaching views of the jagged Brenta Dolomites (west), Lake Garda and the pistes of Monte Bondone (south), and the Adige basin and Val di Non (north), but the shifting cloud banks didn't allow us a full panorama; I think this could be one of Italy's most scenic ski areas on a clear day.
Cima Paganella, ski area high point
Red D (Panoramica) from Cima Paganella
On the northwest facing side of the hill, there's a larger area of reds (and straightforward black) extending down to Andalo town (1050m), served primarily by two long gondolas plus a fast chair to the summit. Everything is below the treeline except the top few hundred metres. Reds N, E and G were all interesting runs although seemed a bit busier than their counterparts on the Santel side.
Red G (Olimpionica 3) under the fast summit chair
Red N (Jana Granda) under the newish Dosson-Selletta gondola
Red N to the Dosson lift hub
Red M (Cacciatori 2)
Upper stage of the Andalo-Doss Pela gondola
Link traverse from the top of the Doss Pela gondola
The many long, wide red runs deserve their grading. We loved it, though our legs got a good workout! Those looking for longer blues should probably ski elsewhere, but there are a few further to skier's left below Passo Sant'Antonio. This generally seemed a quieter sector, a little bit removed from the main thoroughfares. There are also several beginner areas segregated from the main piste network, each served by their own chairlift.
Blue P (Sant'Antonio 1)
Blue P
Andalo itself is only reached by reds (or a blue from the gondola mid station only). Three modern gondolas provide impressive capacity to get out of town (though one - Baby Express - only serves a beginner piste, and seems a bit OTT for such a short slope).
Red S (Gaggia) to Andalo
Red I (Olimpionica 1) to Andalo
Blue K (Rientro) lower home run - all the pistes merge onto this one, but at least it's wide!
Andalo from blue U (Laghet)
Blue gorge return to the Doss Pella gondola
Doss Pella gondola out of Andalo
A day is enough to ski all the pistes and repeat the best ones, though we had a packed lunch on the lifts to maximise skiing time. Speaking of lifts - they're very impressive, with all the proper pistes accessible using gondolas and fast chairs with weather protectors. All these high capacity lifts did result in some busy pistes, despite negligible lift queues. This part of the Alps hasn't had many weekends with perfect snow conditions this season, so maybe the number of visitors shouldn't have been a surprise. 100% Italian language was being spoken, unlike in Folgaria yesterday.
We finished with a thigh-burning top-to-bottom descent of 1,100m vertical just before lifts closed at 4.30pm. Of course the clouds cleared properly on the drive back down the hill; the eastern route via Fai della Paganella has awesome views right down to the Adige river.
Edit: the restaurant we were planning to eat at tonight is closed on Sundays, so we had a takeaway from our local Planet Pizza. I wouldn't say the 4.6 rating on Google is really justified, unfortunately. Never mind - a very enjoyable day nevertheless, before the weather goes downhill again for the foreseeable future 
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Thu 7-03-24 21:02; edited 2 times in total
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Poster: A snowHead
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Interesting to see how snowmageddon goes for you @denfinella, super jealous!!
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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, glad you got at least a bit of those superb views!  Great little area, my main memory is that the runs are a lot of fun, so really pleased it's not rose tinted glasses.
That's a punchy day pass price though, think we paid 30E for partial opening so makes sense but still... guess it costs dosh to have all the nice infrastructure and perfect slopes!
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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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Nice to read about Andalo. I went there on my third ski trip which was a very long time ago (early 1990s). I remember a bit of easy off piste at the top that we did with our instructor and some nice tree lined runs lower down. Will hope to see some of your photos on this thread when you get back.
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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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@8611, this retour d'est setup is a bit problematic for this part of Italy - the heavy snow is focussed on the far south of Trentino but the resorts are a bit too low so there is a rain risk (especially tomorrow afternoon onwards). We're heading north from tomorrow anyway, where skiing altitudes are higher but less snow is forecast.
@ElzP, yeah I'd happily go back on a sunnier day! €59 is ok I guess but it adds up over a longer trip.
@snowymum, almost every time Andalo is mentioned on snowHeads it's by people who visited decades ago! Interesting how it used to be so popular with Brits. I'll definitely post pics when I get back, though they'll be a bit foggy / snowy
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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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Mon 26 Feb - Monte Bondone
Piste map here.
This morning we drove 50 minutes to Monte Bondone, a mini ski area perched on the mountain immediately west of Trento. The final pull up to the lowest village lift base (Vaneze, 1300m) is very bendy with numerous tight hairpins even via the easier Sopramonte road. On the way back down we used the alternative route via Sardagna which is bendier still. Not a route you want to be driving in snowy conditions; snow was falling when we were travelling, but the road was black.
We're having a whole bucketload of unsettled weather thrown at us this week, and today marked the arrival of another Genoa low. The snow / rain boundary is potentially going to be an issue later in the storm cycle, but not just yet. With a forecast for deteriorating weather as the day went on, we opted for a 4 hour pass (€37 including weekday and online discounts, and saving a bit on the full day rate). We passed through the first turnstile at 9.04am, so made sure to board the highest lift in the ski area at 1pm to get a good final ski down.
4 hours is more than enough for this pint-sized area. There are only 4 lifts excluding magic carpets. From Vaneze, a rickety 2-seater chair (3-Tre) climbs steeply through forest.
Vaneze double chair
Passing over blue M (Panoramica)
There are two reds back to base:
Red O (Pinot)
Red Q (3-Tre)
Both reds start from the second, Norge lift base (1425m), which has a modern, detachable 6-seat chair (Montesel). Along with the upper part of the 3-Tre chair, this serves pleasant but short runs in a partially wooded bowl, including the area's only two blues.
Montesel chair
View back into the bowl
Red G (Lavaman)
From the top of Montesel you can ski across to the third, Vason lift base (1655m), with an uncomfortable 3-seat chair (Palon) to the top (2090m), and two reds back down, above the treeline.
Palon chair
Red B (Canalon) in a rare moment of visibility
Stunning summit views(?)
Getting to the top also lets you access the area's real gem: the 900m vertical, Gran Pista red, with a fast quad chair (Rocce Rosse) with weather protectors (hooray!) back up. Gran Pista is perhaps my favourite run so far this holiday, and we must have lapped it at least half a dozen times. It has everything you could possibly want from a red piste, no junctions to get in the way, and almost no other skiers to share it with. In fact all the reds were almost deserted, and snow conditions were perfect almost to the very bottom - powder on corduroy again, plus any tracks being filled in again by falling snow. Unfortunately visibility was pretty crap: mainly foggy with occasional gaps. On the reds off the 3-seater chair in particular, we were struggling to see where the next pole was - I almost fell off the side of a very steep slope a couple of times because I couldn't see the edge of the piste.
Red D (Gran Pista)
Red D
Red D
Rocce Rosse chair
Rocce Rosse chair
We were content finishing at 1pm, having skied every run at least twice, and by which time the snowfall had become quite heavy.
Vaneze from the car park
Down the hill to Trento, where we found free parking next to the river. We had a late lunch at a place called "F*cktory Burger" (but without the asterisk) - yes, really! - which was probably just supposed to be a pun on "Factory" but it was still amusing Decent enough junk food though not particularly cheap: €8-13 for a burger, add €4 for fries and drink. Then we spent a few hours looking around Trento, which is a lovely town / city. Majestic palazzos, grand cathedral, several large museums and plenty of shopping. Not too touristy, at least in late February.
Tonight the ski areas around Trento are receiving yet another heavy fall of snow, but it's likely to turn to rain to maybe 1600m for much of tomorrow. That's too high for this region, so we're planning to escape north, where there'll be less fresh snow but also less rain...
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Thu 7-03-24 22:43; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@denfinella, sounds like the Burger restaurant aren't fans of Rishi, Liz, Boris et al.
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Trentatré Trentini entrarono a Trento, tutti e trentatré, trotterellando
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@swskier, @Origen,
Tue 27 Feb - Rittner Horn
Piste map here.
How much fun can be found at a resort with only three lifts? Answer below!
Check-out day from our Rovereto accommodation. It snowed more heavily than expected across Trentino overnight, down to around ~1000m. Nearby Brentonico Ski reported over 50cm by morning at 1200m, with more heavy precipitation to come along with a rising snowline. The amount of snow caused predictable road and ski lift issues; Monte Bondone only had a single lift open for most of the day, and the chairs on one of the top station webcams at Lavarone looked like they were half submerged by the depth of snow on the ground. We therefore decided to head north, where snow was forecast to be lighter and altitudes better for minimising afternoon rain issues. Destination: Rittner Horn, above Bolzano. A 90-min drive in torrential rain up the autostrada and onto mountain roads beyond.
Rittner Horn is still in Italy, but falls within a majority German-speaking region and seems to have a Swiss attitude to transport. Visitors are strongly encouraged to leave their car in Bolzano, take a cable car to Oberbozen, then a train to Klobenstein, and finally a bus to the lift base! Tickets are inexpensive, connections are synchronised, and it seemed a fun way to reach the ski area - but the plan fell apart when I discovered that parking at the cable car costs an extortionate €20
So we drove up to Klobenstein instead, by which time the rain had lightened and turned to snow, then took a return trip on the train to Oberbozen just for the sake of it. (With smaller ski areas, it's sometimes nice to ski a bit less and do some other stuff too.) The narrow-gauge railway dates to 1907 and is the last in Süd-Tirol. I was hoping to get one of the original carriages (which are still in operation), but our service was a modern one. 8 stops each way, €3 flat fare, through gently falling snow and a white-cloaked landscape; a pleasant way to spend 45 minutes. Parking was free for one hour, which was fine for us.
Klobenstein
Oberbozen (cable car station beyond the train)
Then a short drive on mostly clear roads to reach the Rittner Horn lift base (Pemmern, 1540m) just after 10am. A careful manoeuvre into the car park, which had a powdery covering. €39.50 for a day pass, with free skier parking.
From the lift base, a two-stage gondola climbs to the Schwarzeespitze (2070m).
View from the gondola
Schwarzeespitze
There are three mostly tree-lined runs back down: an easy black (top part only), easy red, and long blue which has an annoyingly flat start.
Upper red 2 (Olte, left) & black 3 (Nule, right) either side of the gondola middle station
Lower blue 1 (Pemmern)
Lower red 2 to the gondola base
The flat blue piste also accesses a secondary hub where you can take a drag lift up a glacier-like dome to the Rittner Horn summit (2260m). Blues back down, or another benign black to a second drag lift (Pennleger) up a pretty side valley, returning to the secondary hub (with its own red run).
Upper blue 1, linking to the summit drag
Rittner Horn draglift
Blue 4 (Oberhorn) from the summit
The pistes are on the easy end of their gradings and small in number, but perfectly enjoyable. The special part of the day was the snow - almost empty pistes and constant light / moderate snow, so fresh tracks on every run. Definitely the quietest powder day I've ever experienced, and the best snow quality on this trip so far - it keeps getting better! Most of the pistes face south, and although this made little difference today, it would obviously have impacts on snow reliability in a typical spring. The ski area officially closes for the season on 10 March. Visibility wasn't great, but the fog wasn't as thick as yesterday. Occasionally we could sort of see some of the surrounding hills.
There are - surprisingly - 8 mountain restaurants. We had a long lunch at the Unterhornhaus on the upper slopes; €15 for an enormous Wienerschnitzel and chips, €15 for a goulash stew with speck dumplings (pasta dishes also available for €7.50).
The Pennleger sector had been closed when we tried to venture that way earlier on, but had opened after lunch.
Black 5 (Rennpiste Pennleger) into the side valley
Pennleger sector from red 6 (Pennleger)
Pennleger lift
We skied nearly until last lift at 4.30pm, by which time the snow was starting to feel suspiciously like rain at the lift base.
Above the clouds (sort of) for our last descent (blue 1)
As I type this we're driving to our next Airbnb over the Mendola Pass (1350m), with snow piled high at the roadside but light drizzle falling and 1°C. The local one-piste ski area is lit up for night skiing. Our accommodation is in Coredo (850m), a hilltop village just off the main road up towards the Val di Sole and Marilleva / Folgarida / Madonna di Campiglio (where we're skiing for the next 4 days). It's not the most convenient base for this ski area, but affordable accommodation was hard to find for this part of the trip.
Fave piste in Rittner Horn: Black 5 (Rennpiste Pennleger) from the summit to the lower drag lift. Really just blue / red gradient, but almost untracked powder on every run.
Last edited by After all it is free on Fri 8-03-24 0:55; edited 2 times in total
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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, another enjoyable TR, thank you. Will check back for photos. If you want any tips or advice about Madonna, let me know. I was there for a week (in February 2020  ). Will you have a lift pass for Madonna only or the larger area covering Folgarida, Marilleva and Pinzolo?
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Sounds a great day, @denfinella, glad you struck lucky with the snow.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Looking forward to Madonna review. I think its been number one on my hitlist for about ten years now and it has just got completely dumped on so hopefully wearing its best clothes.
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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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Sounds like a great trip so far. The Madonna area is superb I am sure you will love it
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You know it makes sense.
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I’d recommend the Orso Bruno restaurant on that side. It’s the only one we went to over there as kids had lessons finishing at the bottom of Groste all week but was great. Top floor for the pizzeria. Local Brenta beers. Guess you’ll have started in Marilleva. Don’t worry about the architecture when you get to the top of the gondola, it all gets better! Great runs through trees to that mid station and into the lifts out of Folgarida. Views get even better when you head towards Madonna. Leave Pinzolo for a day on its own.
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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, sounds lovely! At the end of the day it's all about the snow - if that's cracking then who cares how many runs there are! Looking forward to hearing about Madonna as well, on my list for 'at some point'.
Trento is such a nice town, notwithstanding oddly named burger joints. Worth a weekend in its own right, there's a great museum with tons of information about the mountains/geology etc.
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Poster: A snowHead
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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, we stayed in a ski in-out aparthotel (off the Fortini-Spinale link run) so quite often went home for lunch but I remember the pizzas and beer because we had an extra day skiing so I had the kids with me all day and they wanted to go as far as we could get, hence we went to Folgarida. Even though the resort doesn’t look that big on a piste map, getting from 1 part of the ski area to another takes ages, because the runs are generally very long.
There’s quite a few steepish blacks, nothing crazy but reasonably interesting. You’ve got to do 90 with good style as it finishes in town with an audience. Handy for supermarket and pharmacy shopping. It’s a World Cup slalom course.
57 is probably the easiest. This whole area (5laghi/Pradolago) gets the sun all afternoon so if it’s sunny go here first.
70 finishes with the Schumacher Strief, the steepest bit so save something for it. It’s always in shade.
The longest black is over in Pinzolo. It’s called Tulot.
The nicest gondola is 5 Laghi and there are quite a few long interesting runs over there, but try and get there earlier if you can.
The nicest chairlift was Nube d’Oro, not just a cover, heated seats and designer! The slowest was Vagliana, reminiscent of a less battered Braveheart. Nice quiet red down.
1 big recommendation is to avoid the lowest section of 66. It’s really, really flat. To get away from the Groste area, take Nube d’Argento up, even though it’s not fast, then the red down to Groste/Fortini.
Great view and good coffee at Chalet Fiat (top of Spinale). Well worth 10 minutes to assess the view. Spinale is a very busy lift at 10am as most ski schools meet there.
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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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Wed 28 Feb - Campiglio (day 1) (Madonna di Campiglio, Folgarida, Marilleva, Pinzolo)
Piste map here.
Checked into our Airbnb in Coredo yesterday evening; the village had a covering of snow but it rained all night and should all melt in the next few days. Our apartment (£41/night) isn't as palatial as our Rovereto one but still has a separate double bedroom, useful large hallway for storing stuff, full kitchen and spacious bathroom. But no WiFi.
We have lift passes booked for a big league ski domain for the next 4 days: Skiarea Campiglio, comprising Madonna di Campiglio, Folgarida, Marilleva and Pinzolo. Big prices too, despite booking them before Christmas with dynamic pricing: €483 for 2 people, working out at €60/day per person. I've never paid this much for a lift pass before, even as a walk-up price!
<40 mins' straightforward drive to the nearest lift base at Daolasa (810m). In the rain, again, though there is currently snow lying right down to valley level. The main car park costs €5 but there's a free one with about 10 spaces just around the corner. Daolasa is a nifty wee place: the gondola station is integrated with a railway direct from Trento (the platform is directly opposite the lift turnstiles), plus major bus interchange, ski lockers etc. When this holiday was initially conceived, we booked accommodation in the town of Cles next to its railway station, and could have ditched the car for these 4 days. Alas, the reservation was cancelled by the host.
From Daolasa a two-stage gondola rises to the middle of the Val di Sole area, which forms the northernmost third of the wider domain. To skier's right you can head over Monte Spolverino (2090m) to the purpose-built resorts of Folgarida 1300 and 1400, while to skier's left, Monte Vigo (2180m) gives access to monstrously ugly Marilleva 1400 (with another gondola up from the valley). Monte Vigo is also the start of the link to Madonna di Campiglio, and the (larger) middle third of the domain.
The morning was disappointing. Drizzle up to 1800m, fog low down and high up, and the fresh snow rapidly becoming sticky. We began skiing over to Madonna di Campiglio first but found almost the entire area shut except for the link lifts, presumably due to avalanche risk - there is well over a metre of snow on the roofs of buildings at mid mountain. So back to the Val di Sole side for the morning, along with seemingly the entire population of Trentino. Queues at every lift (even the isolated ones such as the Ometto double chair), busy and mogulled pistes, sticky snow, fog and intermittent drizzle. Blue 11 / red 23 from Monte Vigo to Marilleva 1400 was a nice long run, but the lift queues for the gondola and chair back up were enormous (though the gondola could be avoided by using the slow Marilleva chair). A lot of skiers struggling with the tricky snow conditions, but also generally being a bit useless - standing around in the middle of narrow pistes, faffing at lift turnstiles, people out of control... you get the picture. It's always a culture shock returning to a big resort after spending time at the smaller ones. The lift system in the Val di Sole sector is generally fast - mostly gondolas and detachable chairs - but capacities could be improved. Most of the chairlifts are only 4-seaters and the gondolas are a bit dated; for a big, busy resort, it could be better. A few pics from the Marilleva side:
Orso Bruno chair
Red 23 (Panciana)
Ometto chair & blue 30 (Ometto 2)
I'd been keeping an eye on MdC's lift status webpage; a progressive opening was underway, though some areas such as Grostè remained shut. At 12.30pm we skied back across, coinciding with the rain / snow stopping, fog starting to break and everyone else heading for lunch (we brought sandwiches with us today). The afternoon was therefore much more pleasant.
Red 45 (Genziana)
Genziana / Malghette hub from red 45
We stayed within the Pradalago sector, one of 4 sectors encircling MdC. Still many busy, bumpy, heavy pistes but no more lift queues, and skier traffic helped break up the sticky top layer. Helicopters and explosive "booms" audible from the Grostè sector across the valley.
Blue 49 (Zeledria)
Red 52 (Pradalago Provetti)
Red 53 (Pradalago Diretta)
Not sure I could name a standout run on the Pradalago side, but they were all pleasant intermediate cruises. 45 (Genziana, red) was quite nice and a bit quieter; 57 (Amazzonia, black) was a nice long run but hardly deserves its grading. The main lifts are two base-to-top gondolas of ~600m vertical, plus a fast chair higher up, so there are some fairly lengthy descents available before having to get on a lift again.
Fortini Express
Fortini / Grostè lift hub seen from the Fortini gondola
Black 57 (Amazzonia) from the Fortini gondola
Pradalago gondola from black 57
Madonna di Campiglio from blue 56 (Skiweg Campiglio)
3pm came around quickly so we skied back across to the Val di Sole side, wary of being delayed by more queues. Happily, the link lifts were surprisingly quiet
Malghette chair - the key return lift
Our speedy return gave us time to do the lovely long (but busy) blue 2 (Azzurra) down to Folgarida 1300. Quiet gondola back up, only to dump us in another big queue for the unavoidable Spolverino chair
Folgarida mid mountain hub from blue 34 (Bamby)
Blue 2 (Azzurra) to Folgarida 1300
Spolverino chair
Then back to Daolasa, with a nice long (and somewhat mogully by this stage in the day) red to the gondola mid station, then a download.
Blue 9 (Della Rocce) to the Daolasa top station
Red 32 (Mastellissima) home run
Railway station at Daolasa
We drove back mostly in sunshine(!). A relaxed evening tonight, and for the first time this trip, tomorrow's forecast is for sunny intervals. So we're hoping for some uninterrupted views and manageable crowds...
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Fri 8-03-24 13:22; edited 2 times in total
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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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@what...snow, just seen your latest post - thanks! Will see if your descriptions match what we find over the next few days
Everything was soggy and increasingly bumpy today we found slope orientation didn't really matter, but steeper runs were better early on (gravity helping to overcome sticky snow) and gentle ones later (less bumpy).
Assuming more "normal" conditions tomorrow along with the best weather of the week, I'm planning on Cinque Laghi first thing, then Spinale / Groste. Sound sensible?
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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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@denfinella, you can avoid Spolverino by taking Bamby (the baby lift beside it), then ducking under the lifts at the top and into the forest. The track takes you to Brenzi, another slow chair (3 person IIRC) but likely to be quieter! I mentioned the awful queueing (and queue management) in my TR 4 years ago. Sounds like nothing has changed. Worth it for the runs down to Folgarida though, the black is decent, worthy but not very steep.
At 5 Laghi, the blue cat track is awful later on, take either of the black choices! 87 on the left is steep but very short before dropping you onto the blue then it’s a mostly red descent. 86 isn’t as steep, but much longer. The blue you then join is a bit dull IMV and you have to cross lots of traffic to get to the Patsacoss chairlift (where I saw the worst queue creation ever ). Definitely seek out the Pancugolo chair, guaranteed to be quieter. Only problem is it’s a bit short but serves a good black and longer red. You have to get to Pradolago to get back, mostly very nice but expect slush at base.
I’d recommend going to Spinale rather than Groste next.
Groste is another very old gondola with no headroom. If it looks like there’s a queue, take 55 to Spinale (looks like there is a run on the other side of the valley but I can’t remember using it). Spinale is faster, newer, better and the runs are more interesting up there too.
There’s a great choice of reds and blacks, and you get to take the best chair in the whole resort back (Nube d’Oro) or the steepest long black or a long red back to the base of the gondola.
You can ski over to the chairlifts up to the highest point in the resort from the top of Spinale. The only benefit of Groste is you can see the queues for the various chairlifts on the way up.
O the way back, don’t take 66 as I said before. Flat as a pancake. Also Fortini has been upgraded and they’ve moved the bottom so I don’t know if that’s sorted the queues there, it was always pretty busy IME (it was a 6pack chair).
Vagliana chairlift, a step back in time
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@what...snow, that's a good point re. Bamby and Brenzi. Bambi was actually shut yesterday, but could come in handy later in the week.
Thanks for all the run descriptions - we did all the ones that were open in those sectors today and I agree with your characterisations.
The new Fortini gondola is a proper queue muncher and we haven't had to wait there at all so far, so that side of the hill seems to be sorted. (Grostè is another matter.)
Very envious of the blue skies in your photo...
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Thu 29 Feb - Campiglio (day 2)
Today's weather forecast had looked like the best of the week for a while, so it had been reserved for all the other higher parts of the central, Madonna di Campiglio area: Cinque Laghi, Monte Spinale and Grostè. Last night it was downgraded a bit to sunny intervals before lunch, then a cloudy afternoon. In the end, even that was a bit optimistic: blue sky above Pradalago on the ski across soon gave way to leaden skies, with cloud hanging on the high Brenta Dolomite peaks. It snowed (or rained below about 1900m) a bit at the start and the end of the day, but the dreaded fog had mostly vanished, at the 7th day of asking.
At Cinque Laghi, only the gondola was open to start with - I think the lift company are still catching up on piste prep after the big snowfalls earlier in the week. The hillside here is quite steep and narrow, with a more sporty feel than the other parts of the area we've explored so far; the only blue (85 Cinque Laghi) is narrow, steepish and probably only graded blue to make the hill look more accessible to early intermediates than it really is. The slow Miramonti chair opened belatedly, letting us ski the full length of the floodlit Miramonti black (91) - steeper than Amazzonia for sure. The two upper mountain chairs stayed shut.
Blue 85 (5 Laghi)
Upper 5 Laghi sector from blue 85
5 Laghi, mid mountain
Black 91 (Miramonti)
Over to Monte Spinale which has a very steep side overlooking the town. The front side black (Direttissima, 70) was only open to the chairlift midpoint; it's not fearsomely steep, but another step up compared to the other blacks skied so far. Piste bashers were working on the lower part later in the afternoon, attached to a winch cable - not something you usually see during skiing hours.
Blue 50 (Pradalago Facile) on the way across to Monte Spinale
Black 70 (Direttissimma) from the Spinale II chair, Monte Spinale
We'd managed to avoid big queues up to this point, and I was hoping the Grostè gondola would be quieter over lunch. It ended up being a 20-25 minute wait, with the line extending much further around the back of the building (where it ballooned in width) than we could see from the entrance - we avoided that lift after that! Once seated in a cabin, we had our packed lunch on the 20-min journey up to Passo Grostè; at 2500m, this is the highest we'll get on this holiday. The gondola and a six-pack chair serve exposed, easy, glacier-like slopes which had decent snow but rather flat light, and some ridiculous crowds! A bit further down, red 64 (Lame) was an enjoyable ski, as was the short but quiet Vagliana red off a slow chair. Blue 66 (Pizza Vecchia) back to the valley is very gentle but scenic, with the last, virtually flat section avoidable by taking the antique Nube d'Argento chairlift.
Blue 60 (Graffer) at the top of Grostè
Grostè scenery
Blue 60
Blue 71 (Boch)
Vagliana chair
Grostè gondola scuttling along under the Nube d'Argento chair
Back to Monte Spinale to tick off the remaining runs, and a trip on the area's poshest lift: Nube d'Oro has sports style backrests, heated seats, a bubble and a swish colour scheme - it was also very quiet, and seems a bit wasted in that position! Also a nod of approval to blue 79 (Grotte) to the Spinale gondola; it looks like nothing on the piste map but passes through quite a dramatic mini canyon.
Black 74 (Nube d'Oro) & its fancy chair
Nube d'Oro chair
Blue 79 (Grotte)
The low cloud had also been delivering a light layer of Saharan dust to the slopes, especially in the Grostè / Spinale area. I've experienced this once before a couple of years ago and it wasn't nearly as bad this time, but gave the snow an orangey tint and probably didn't help its skiability. The pistes had been pretty heavy going from mid morning anyway, and I had quite a painful, and spectacular fall when one of my skis entered an area of what felt like glue on red 73 (Spinale Diretta). Nothing serious enough to stop the skiing though (edit: my ribs are still sore a week later...)
Back to Folgarida for the last hour, via an almost untracked red 47 (Variante Genziana) which had been closed yesterday and has an easy-to-miss start. Blue 3 (Belvedere) was a lovely run down to Folgarida 1400 - I really like the pistes in this sector despite the number of people on them.
Blue 3 (Belvedere)
Blue 3 with the Val di Sole beyond
Mid mountain chaos under the Spolverino chair
Weather-wise, this afternoon's spots of rain / snow may gradually intensify over the next 2-3 days, but nothing extreme in this neck of the woods. Edit: We'd planned to have a takeaway pizza this evening, but the shop was closed, disaster! Fortunately the village had open restaurant: a weird Italian-plus-curry house hybrid, inside a hotel. We opted for curry - OK but extremely mild (maybe normal in the Alps?), including a vindaloo which was about as spicy as a UK korma. €37 for a 2-person "tasting menu" incorporating pakora starter, 3 curries (chicken, lamb, beef), plus seemingly unlimited rice / naan.
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Thu 11-04-24 12:20; edited 2 times in total
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How come its so busy, I would have though peak season over now?
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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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| 8611 wrote: |
| How come its so busy, I would have though peak season over now? |
All that new snow ??
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@8611, @albob, I suspect 3 factors:
1. on Wednesday, Madonna di Campiglio and Pinzolo had lots of lifts closed, so everyone headed over to the Val di Sole side
2. Thursday was the first day for ages with fresh snow and some sunshine forecast (even though it didn't end up being sunny in the end)
3. I think the ski area is genuinely just quite busy all the time, so it doesn't take much to tip the balance towards having queues everywhere
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads on Fri 8-03-24 0:58; edited 2 times in total
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FAQ
) Agree about Trento, would like to spend some more time there in the future.