Two classic routes for ski mountaineering
The guidebook “Scialpinismo a Madonna di Campiglio”, (“Ski Mountaineering in Madonna di Campiglio”, also available from the website of the local tourism authority) contains over fifty itineraries for skiers of all levels.
But, if you ask Adriano Alimonta — mountain guide and technical director of the 3Tre Committee — he will recommend two classics of ski mountaineering on two slopes on opposite sides of the valley. The first is the climb to the Rifugio Tuckett mountain hut before continuing to the Bocca di Tuckett (altitude of 2,648 metres) in the heart of Brenta, starting from Vallesinella; the second is the climb to Cima Serodoli (2,708 metres), which is reached by crossing a landscape of the purest white, leaving behind the fairytale scenery of Lake Nambino, where there is a mountain hut that opens even in winter.
Both itineraries are far from cable cars and ski lifts, so that your own hard work and toil will make the panorama all the more rewarding.
Entrambi gli itinerari sono lontani dalle funivie e dagli impianti da sci, dove la conquista del panorama con le proprie forze fa parte della soddisfazione.
The heart of beauty
For Alimonta, ski mountaineering is an endlessly fascinating pursuit, going back to basics in a quest for authentic experiences that is attracting more and more people.
In Campiglio, the fun continues after dark and into the evening, along routes created in collaboration with the cable cars inside the ski area.
Some use the cable lifts to make it to high altitude before setting off — for example — from the Grosté Pass towards Cima Roma at 2,837 metres (a high-altitude expedition that’s within the grasp of most skiers), or to reach the Bocchetta dei Tre Sassi before descending back into the valley through the wild Val Gelada.
Then there are the epic crossings: from Campiglio to Lake Tovel (in Valle di Non) or to Molveno (on the Paganella Plateau), taking advantage of the fact that ski mountaineering reduces travel time compared to summer expeditions, allowing adventurers to explore the mountain in the heart of winter when the days are shorter. But you must never underestimate the perils of the snowy mountain, which requires skiers to come prepared and with specific equipment.
