 Poster: A snowHead
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Anyone been to Madesimo recently. Is it a nice resort with reasonable good skiing for early intermediates for 4 days...
It looks a bit isolated and maybe bleak? A bit worried that it may limited lift wise as well
Looking for good scenery, nice food as well as a few blues and reds
Any feedback appreciated.
Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Very nice improvers resort.
Lift system great - all chairs and one gondola, no drags
Busy at weekends, deserted during the week.
Night life somewhere between quiet and moribund.
Nice pizza restauraunt by the river though and a reasonable bar name like sun/sunflower
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Thanks T-Dub.
Does the area have some charm or is it a purpose built resort?
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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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My cousin Ian stayed there a few years back and he said it was very pleasant.
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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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Definitely not purpose built.
Quite limited with one monster run, the Canelone, 5 kilometre unpisted run, probably too much for an early inter which is a shame.
Enjoy the journey up past lake Como
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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 All.
If anyone could recommned affordable and preferably self catering accommodation I'd appreciate it.
Re the Canelone 2 of our party of 5 are confident or at leat brave intermediates so they'll be taking it on. not me though 
We are travelling mid march so I'll report back after that.
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Hi
Madesimo is a great resort, I'm heading back for the third time this year.
It is very quiet, both on piste and in terms of nightlife but this is all part of it's charm. The Pizza restaurant, The Soldanella, is a great place to eat and you can stay for 300 euro a week. It is close to the slopes although everywhere is, it's a very small resort!
Very limited for self catering though. I did stay here last time http://www.rentintheslopes.com/ski_holiday_rental/Apartment/Italy/Madesimo/695/Madesimo_-_La_Zoca. It was far from cheap though but very nice.
Transfers are an issue though. The MTBus company no longer runs from Malpensa so car hire is really the only option for you.
The runs themselves are stunning. Not difficult but mostly tree lined. You can ski directly to Motta as well which does improve the scope. You will have covered all the runs in a few days but there is a great pleasure factor in re-skiing the same runs and finding your fav. They are normally very empty too with no lift queues.
Any questions, give me a shout!
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We've been a couple of times. Lovely resort. As others have said, it's a great improvers resort. I'd say on our last trip there we'd skied every run after 3 days.
The pizzas at the Larici mountain restaurant are lovely. The Ferre hotel does nice food too.
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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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HI
we are about to go back next week for 5 days, our 3rd trip!
we love it. Great little italian town, dead during the week but does liven up at weekends when the milan set come up for the weeked. So we normally arrive weds or thurs and have the slopes to ourselves for a day or so, then when people start arriving the bars get livlier in the evenings (all 3 of the them!) and plus they have night skiing on saturday nights which is good. To be honest though unless you are there over an Italian holiday it still dosn't get anywhere near busy as other resorts in france/andorra we have been too....
Food is excellent pretty much everywhere and not pricey at all.
We have stayed in the Soldanella and obviously eaten there its great, run by Barbara and her family the place is immaculate and perfectly placed for the lifts, the main gondolla is about a 50yds walk from the soldanella front door, but having said that you can walk the main high street (pedestrianised) from one end to the other in 15 mins, so no matter where you stay it isn't a problem.
We have also found thier snow record to be amazing, they currently have a base at the top of 210cms, which isn't unusual. we have skied there in April without too much trouble in the past!
Transfers can be a bit of a problem though, we've hired cars in the past but because there is a large group of us this year we've booked a minibus for £40 return each which is pretty good.
Not a massive amount of runs but all served by fast and semi covered lifts and the piste are kept well groomed.
They have a very good website with webcams and also and interactive piste map that even has videos on different runs on it! pretty impressive for a small italian resort..... go for it, you won't be dissapointed!
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Oh --- and as for 'charm' --- well its typical small italian town, certainly not purpose built, cobbled pedestrianised high street where most of the hotels sit, very italian and very pleasant.
Also another thing, there is an outdoor ice rink as well as snowmobile hire which is good........ we can't rate the place enough, if it was only a bit bigger we would definately go for a week.......
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I am thinking about going in a few weeks (around weekend of 19/20 Feb) to combine it with a trip to see the White Turf in St Moritz, how do you find and book accommodation, can't find a nice online booking system like other resorts have.
Also looking at staying in Chiavenna as cheaper, is it far down the valley?
Also anyone know is there much off-piste potential and can you hire guides here?
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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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Hi peter,
there are two very famous semi-off piste runs from the top of the moutain, you can get a guide/instructor in the resort.
Chiavenna is cheaper, but not by much.... if you go onto the valchiavenna website (google it) it should list the hotels.... although i can recommend any of the following;
Soldanella -- only 2 star but punching way above that, about 50 euros a night for h/b, food great, hotel immaculate and in the best location (about 50yds to gondolla) we have stayed here 3 times.
Meridiana -- 4 star i think right next to gondolla although about twice the price of the soldanella and to be honest no different!
K2 --- 2 star, again good, opposite gondolla
Emet --- we are staying here this year, in middle of pedestrianised main street, 4 star, again very good.
Alecchino --- opposite bottom of learner slope and chair to mid-mountain other end of street to the others-- never stayed there but has a pool if that's your thing....
Ferre --- again 4 star i think, very nice but pricey compared to the rest, not stayed there but the only time we have come across other brits (only once!) they were staying there and highly rated it.
To be honest i could list about another 4 hotels but its such a small town it dosn't really matter where you are as all main lifts are no more then a 10 mins walk.
If you google any of the above they all have thier own website and all are used to weekend or short bookings if that's what you're doing.....email them and they will all come back to you, OH, and don't panic if it takes a few days to come back to you, this is normal!! they don't rush ! lol
if you need any other help let me know... 
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cbowls30, Thanks, so I'll need to check with each hotel re availability?
I want to go to the White Turf races in St Moritz on the 20th Feb so want a resort within striking distance without the expense of St Moritz. Madesimo seems to fit the bill as transfer not too long if I hire a car although the train would also get me to Chiavenna for €6 from Bergamo although would require two changes and about 2 hours travel. I also looked at Bormio and Livigno but they are longer drives and further from St Moritz.
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You know it makes sense.
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yeh, madesimo will fit the bill by the sounds of it, i think you maybe able to go through the valchiavenna tourist office (think there is a link on the webpage) although we've just emailed them directly!......... we always fly into bergamo and hire a car, can get up there in under two hours......... although this week (as in tomorrow!) we have prebooked at minibus for us....... will give a full TR upon our return!
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Thanks for all the help,  it seems that mid-term is later this year so prices aren't over the top in Feb, I'll send off a few emails.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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