We are looking at this resort for next Feb as the snow seems somewhat guaranteed...
A couple of questions though...
The transfer time with Crystal states 3 hours...how accurate is this?
Are there any shops in the town...from the pics it looks a bit of a ghost town?
Would like a pretty village but with a couple of shops or supermarkets etc.
Any help would be great
I am taking my son 14, who will be learning to snowboard
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Would not call it pretty and at least a 3 hour transfer. Good place to learn though and now has a link to the prettier Ponte de Legno area since we went. Have you looked at Livigno? Long transfer again but a bit prettier and can be cheap.
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?
There are some shops but not many as I recall. I dont remember a supermarket, just a mini-market, but then we were fully catered so had no need to go looking.
The village is really strung out along a road through a pass in the mountains (the "Passo" in the name) and when we were there it didn't really have a sense of having a centre. The road is pretty busy as well. There is the odd road that runs parallel to the main drag so you can get away from the traffic. I wouldn't say it was "pretty" in the chocolate-box sense. Agree 3 hours is a minimum for the transfer.
There are lots of runs strung out along the side of the valley, indeed I expect these may merge together to some extent, but we were there Easter 2007 when the snow was poor (not just in PT but everywhere) so they were just ribbons of snow across the grass. There is also a glacier on the other side, and as HutToHut says, a cable car to Ponte di Legno as well.
Not pretty by any stretch of the imagination and not really much to it - usual mix of restaurants, bars and ski rental outlets and a big tourist gift shop.
You wouldn't be strolling arounfd the place of an evening window shopping.
Excellent resort for beginners and intermediates though.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
mmm. Maybe another one off the list then..
Thanks for the feedback though
I went to Passo Tonale in March last year and had a great time. That may have been because the snow was great (over 60cm fell while we were there), compared to the bare slopes of the Grand Massif in January.
I think the resort would be great for beginers as there are some really nice cruisy blues and can drop down into some tree cover if the visibility is bad. I didnt find the black runs to challenging and there was some really nice off piste because of all the powder.
The town isnt really that pretty, but IMO if your skiing in the day then your not in the village, and when you have finished its dark and you cant fully appreciate the look of the village. There were a number of nice eateries and bars to go to, easily enough for a week. Also, IIRC, as someone mentioned above you can get the cable car down into Ponte Di Legno in the evening and I think that runs fairly late.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Passo Tonale was one of the best holidays I've ever had. I wouldn't say the village was actually "not pretty". In fact, I rather liked it. Although it was pretty snowy, and I suppose that instantly makes places look prettier
Paul81, we were there in March last year too, great wasn't it?
One thing I will concede though: I can only remember seeing one supermarket.
After all it is free
After all it is free
I went to Passo Tonale in 2006. Plus points were good snow (I went at the end of March), large flatteringly easy ski area, great value for money, bus day trips to Madonna, most hotels very close to slopes. Minus points were dreary village strung out along a busy main road, hardly any bars/restaurants other than hotels, only a handful of shops, above the tree-line so very bleak looking and terrible visibility when the weather closes in (neighboring resort of Ponte di Legno does have some lower runs with tree cover).
The hotel I stayed in, whilst very clean and efficient, is possibly one of the ugliest buildings I have ever seen in a ski area. Basically a huge orange/yellow concrete monstrosity.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Hi ap96 (no idea how i get peoples names in bold)
It was a great week we had there last year. Great mix of heavy snow followed by great visibility and way too many beers in the Magic Bar. The best thing about this trip is that we both had some holiday owing and booked the holiday just over a week before travel and didnt really know what to expect. The snow gods took a liking to us and I learned so much about my skiing that week. Off to ADH in three weeks, hope the same luck befalls us.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Quote:
no idea how i get peoples names in bold
Paul81, click on the name of the snowhead concerned to the left of their post. It should then appear in your reply. Like this: Paul81, queen bodecia, ap96, etc., etc.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
sanman, Thanks for that.
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.
Transfer now is about 2.5 hours on a coach if you fly to Verona, sub 2 hours in a car. The resort is not pretty (as in not traditional), but it is snow sure, it has a glacier on the south side of the resort. Night life is limited, but local bars and hospitality is fantastic.
You will read varying comments about the reosrt, but they are poeples opinions, and until you experience it, only you will know whether it suits you or not
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
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
Just got back on the 12th. Positives are the people are friendly, pretty good infastructure most chairs are quads and fast some with bubbles, plenty to keep most beginers , itermediates happy in Passo, couple of nice cruise blues and flatering reds (not to steep, not to hard, not to red). The glacier was ok but limited obviously, but well worth the diversion across the road. the blue is a fairly gentle blast head down in the tuck and you make it back to the chair. the only Tbar we went on was on the glacier which was worth it as the red and black were both stunning. the black down to the road is do able by most with some ability or confidence for those with both its a stunning run back to the road. The runs at ponty down valley are a different kettle of fish, if your not confident on decent reds or blacks stay on the blue down to ponty, if your good to go, take the red, once in ponty all chair lifts except 1 Tbar which we never bothered with, couple of slowish 2 seaters hear and there but all okay. You catch the Gondola back to passo and then lift hop back to where you want to go to on the strip , can all be done in a couple of days if you really want to but still enjoyable every day.
3 or 4 mini marts in passo quite a few souvenier shop, and enough bars, pubs, cafe's and eateries not too use the same one twice. Magic pub for happy hour apres, never went though. On mountain bars, cafe, reasonably priced 32 different hot chocolate to try if you want, Glacier one is the best for views, although the one straight across the valley on top of the reds is also pretty stunning.
The away day to Madonna was excelent, conditions breath taking, and the slalom world cup piste was worth the trip alone, launch yourself out of the start gate and pretend a little as you make your way down to the finishing area.
Yes the transfer is 2.5-3 hours long but its not bad and you get to build the anticipation of getting to your hotel with mouth watering views we went with crystal and didnt get in resort until about 11 at night because of some muppet at the airport, on the return journey though we went for a walk around Verona for a few very cold hours visited the Roman Arena, Juilietes grave, and a brisk walk along the river.
Negetives its not pretty in the Austrian village sense, but it looked pretty stunning when we woke up with 6inches of fresh outside the window. And when its cold its cold, -24 on our last day made it a fairly quick one as we didn't wrap up enough and couldn't be ar$ed to go back out again.
Would I go back? Sure I go skiing, would I go for a relaxing summer holiday no.
If this is a learning experience I say its pretty good choice, ski schools seemed pretty well organised, didn't use then though, but others that did seemed happy. Don't bother with the area lift pass if your not going to Madonna, ponty is on the local pass. ask if there is anything else you want to know.
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