 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi! I'm planning to ski Madonna di Campiglio this coming winter. I'm looking at both trail maps and maps of the town, and am trying to determine the best resort location for my needs.
Here are some details:
We will only be skiing 3 days.
I've never skied Europe; in the U.S. I'm a strong groomed-blue skier.
Based on what I'm reading/seeing online, it seems the Cinque Laghi lift will be my best bet at MdC.
With the 3 day/4 night limit, it's really limiting my choice of hotels (most require 7 nights). one that I see available for 4 nights is across the "Conca verde" from Cinque Laghi. Will it be a giant slog (in ski boots and carrying skis) to get across the conca verde that seems to split the town in half? Is this green space shoveled in the winter for access across it? Is it easy enough to walk around it?
Thanks, in advance, for any insights!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@nnetchi, Not sure you need to restrict yourself to the Cinque Laghi lift base area. The Pradalongo might be better and there are plenty of hotels close to that
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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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Never stayed in MdC but I have in Pinzolo a couple of times and hotels there seem more flexible on shorter stays and often only a short walk to the lift. Or if you have a rental car free parking opposite the lift. Commute to MdC (5 Laghi)is just a gondola ride.
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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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Great stuff! Thanks so much.
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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 can walk around it, but your bigger problem might be the 4 nights limitation instead of a week.
If you'll drive a car, check Residence Ambiez located between Madonna and Campo Carlo Magno, right between 2 main gondolas, Groste and Fortini:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/fcANGUg7UnuuT3aQ8
It has excellent reviews and a strategical position.
Italian reds in that area are bashed and wide, me thinks you will enjoy them as well.
You'll need the car for dining in Madonna or shopping for food in the local supermarket or the nearby delicatessen store.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks so much for this additional information. We think we will have a car. We'll be coming from Parma, and that just seems to make the most sense.(Also, First I'm seeing "bashed" is in this forum; I'm thinking it means "groomed"??; LOVE IT)
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Hi. I’ve been to Madonna, just before lockdowns started, in February 2020.
I did a tr: https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=3549685&highlight=madonna#3549685
Alas the photo links were lost when that part of the forum was closed.
I even stayed at Residence Ambiez, as recommended above!
For me, some advice needs a bit of correction. This accommodation has good access to Spinale lift via run 55, which takes you right to the base, through a narrow valley. The walk to Groste/Fortini is fine in shoes but rather further than you would want in ski boots, carrying skis. I would rate Spinale ahead of 5 Laghi as access point for you. The 5Laghi is a very nice gondola but the top is very steep, easily the most difficult, exposed and off-putting of the 4 summits accessed directly from the town or valley. Pradolago has the easiest runs but Spinale is actually fine if you ski straight away from the gondola on 71, even though it starts as 73. You then have a few very long blues, even if you stop at Nube d’Argento. 66 below there is extremely flat, you will be poling along wishing you hadn’t bothered if you continue! Take 78 or 77 to the bridge and you’ll find the blues and reds around Pradolago and Fortini very nice and should be well within your capabilities. Beware of the sun turning the lower slopes to slush if it’s warm though.
There are a few restaurants well within walking distance should you not fancy driving. Le Roi and any others near this end of town are easily walkable on a pavement (sidewalk) in well under 10 minutes. Even easier if it’s open, see when Lago Montagnoli restaurant is doing dinner. It will be advertised. They pick you up from the car park below Groste in a piste basher. You need to book, by phone or by dropping by during the day. Zeledria also do this, but the pick up point is a bit further, up in Campo Carlo Magno.
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Thank you so much for this additional insight! I will most definitely read your trip report. These are exactly the kind of tips I'm hoping for.
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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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We've been 4 or 5 times so know the area well It's a lovely resort and works well for intermediates.
Your 3-4 days will limit you a bit on accommodation but it depends when you're going, we stayed 4 nights last January and had no problems finding somewhere central but peak times may be different. It's popular with Italians who often come up for the weekend so there must be a market for a few days. We used booking.com and stayed in a place called Villa Madonna which worked for us. It's very central and also had parking. The town is very popular so many hotels don't use the big booking sites during winter and you have to go direct or use an aggregator.
The area between Pradalago, Cinque Laghi and Spinale lift is pretty small and you can easily walk to any of those lifts, the park has well maintained footpaths and foot bridges that you can use to cut across from Cinque Laghi to Spinale. Often watching the Audi ice driving experience on the frozen lake in the middle which unfortunately wasn't there last year. I'm a 50 something guy and had no problems walking from the central Piazza to Spinale with skis.
As @what...snow says the top of Cinque Laghi is awkward, it's a bottle neck so not for nervous skiers especially later in the day when it gets cut-up, but after the first 100 m you can take easier runs into town. Both Pradalago and Spinale have easier starts and more options. We'd normally start our first morning on Spinale to get our legs back as there are some easy blues and reds with good lifts.
Some non-central hotels have their own shuttle bus and the ski bus works well for getting you into the centre so don't immediately discount places away from the centre. Also, assuming you're driving there are plenty of car parks including a multi storey on the edge of town with a ski lift on top and another right at the Groste and Fortini lifts.
Pinzolo isn't as popular and is cheaper, the same applies to Folgarida so hotels there are probably more flexible. Pinzolo is a nice little town but the immediate skiing isn't as good and it's lower so sometimes you can't ski back into town, IMO Folgarida is not as nice but has some lovely skiing through the trees. Both are joined to the MdC central ski area.
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@nnetchi, ummm, why Madonna? I mean, it's perfectly fine but e.g. Monterosa's a bit closer and, IME, a better experience?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| under a new name wrote: |
| @nnetchi, ummm, why Madonna? I mean, it's perfectly fine but e.g. Monterosa's a bit closer and, IME, a better experience? |
Having been to both I'd say the offer different experiences. Madonna to me was more family friendly, quite a compact area with a lot of runs and probably not as tough, probably no significant off piste to speak of but perfectly groom runs. Monterosa is more widespread but only a few but significantly longer runs.
The town centre of Madonna is lovely and quite sophisticated. Gressoney, the only spot I've stopped in in Monterosa is very limited.
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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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| richb67 wrote: |
Pinzolo isn't as popular and is cheaper, the same applies to Folgarida so hotels there are probably more flexible. Pinzolo is a nice little town but the immediate skiing isn't as good and it's lower so sometimes you can't ski back into town, IMO Folgarida is not as nice but has some lovely skiing through the trees. Both are joined to the MdC central ski area. |
My working assumption would be gondola download at end of day at Pinzolo. The tree lined runs there are quite attractive IMV and it is a lot quieter than MdC itself as it's on the fringe of the greater area. I must admit I've never really got the attraction of the main Groste area at MdC - it's all pretty much constant pitch on the same aspect. No doubt this makes it good for offpiste dabbling if you get lucky on snowfall but the pistes over to and back from Monte Vigo/Mastellina are more interesting particularly when bumped in afternoon sun.
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Thanks to all for this additional information. I am delighted to have found this forum.
@underanewname, the way we found MdC was we asked ChatGPT for Italian ski mountains similar to Snowmass in Colorado  . After some actual research it does seem to be a good match for us, but I really appreciate hearing about nearby alternatives.
@daveofthemarmottes, Thanks for the bit about the main Groste area. My reading about that had me on the fence about trying it; your extra detail is very helpful.
@richb67, I'm delighted to hear about the well-maintained paths to cut across from Cinque Laghi to Spinale (and all of your other great tips).
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You know it makes sense.
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@nnetchi, interesting.
I've done a few trips to MdC for work and it's perfectly fine, but I think Monterosa's more interesting. Although I am a tad biased as Mrs U's father came from Champoluc.
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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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@under a new name, It's horses for courses though. More interesting also comes with higher altitude and more windswept/closures due to storms. And some rock hard wind polished pistes and offpiste as a result IME. There's some pretty spicey groomer pitches in Monterosa which aren't a natural fit for a blue groomer skier, whereas nothing in Skirama is that steep IME.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
| richb67 wrote: |
Pinzolo isn't as popular and is cheaper, the same applies to Folgarida so hotels there are probably more flexible. Pinzolo is a nice little town but the immediate skiing isn't as good and it's lower so sometimes you can't ski back into town, IMO Folgarida is not as nice but has some lovely skiing through the trees. Both are joined to the MdC central ski area. |
My working assumption would be gondola download at end of day at Pinzolo. The tree lined runs there are quite attractive IMV and it is a lot quieter than MdC itself as it's on the fringe of the greater area. I must admit I've never really got the attraction of the main Groste area at MdC - it's all pretty much constant pitch on the same aspect. No doubt this makes it good for offpiste dabbling if you get lucky on snowfall but the pistes over to and back from Monte Vigo/Mastellina are more interesting particularly when bumped in afternoon sun. |
we normally like a trip over to Pinzolo as it's a nice area with some great views but last year we came back early because it was heaving with what Mrs B referred to as "******* nutters"! For the first time ever it was really busy.
generally agree re Groste but depending on your level it's great for practicing turns and our favourite end of day run is from Top of Groste down into Madonna via the short Boch lift and the mini canyon from the bottom of Fortini to Spinale.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Dave of the Marmottes, on steeper yeah good point. wind problems? not so much that I've noticed. But I'm a sucker for a nice lunch 
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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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Stayed in both MDC ( hotel Alpina..really good) and Folgarida..I liked MDC a lively town but it can be a bit of a treck to the lifts but it does depend on where your accomodation is ,,the run from MDC to Folgarida can be a bit hairy especially late in the day ..but if you are driving Folgarida is a lot easier than MDC and there is a great restaurant there down from the lift and the hotels aren't far from the lift station
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Madonna is a pretty nice place, where most hotels are of good standard - In my experience, any 4-star and up hotel, will have a shuttle-service to any lift in town, and you just call them when coming down the hill, and they will pick up. Essentially just check of the hotel have a shuttle service. They are free to use, but pick-up will be a lot faster, if you remember to to give the driver a few euros
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FAQ
