WORLD-CLASS SKIING THAT EVERYONE CAN ENJOY

The skiing in Trentino is dominated by two vast domains. In the east, three separate ski areas - Val di Fassa, Val di Fiemme and San Martino di Castrozza-Passo Rolle - are linked into the enormous Dolomiti Superski lift system. Offering a staggering 1200km of pistes, it extends into the South Tyrol and the province of Belluno, and is the world’s largest ski domain. You can ski it in its entirety with a single lift pass.

If that sounds like too much skiing for a single holiday, don’t worry. The Silver ski pass will allow you to focus on a slightly more manageable 390km section, set in the Val di Fassa, the Val di Fiemme and above San Martino di Castrozza. It serves up a mouthwatering array of pistes, from broad and gentle beginner and intermediate slopes to plunging blacks, set against a backdrop of magnificent mountain scenery. The crumbling Dolomite spires of Catinaccio and the jagged wall of the Pale di San Martino are amongst the visual treats.

Meanwhile, in the west, Skirama Dolomiti-Adamello Brenta gathers together eight ski areas and 400km of beautifully-groomed pistes under a single lift pass. At its heart lie the resorts of Madonna di Campiglio and Pinzolo, which sit beneath the western wall of the Brenta Dolomites, but it extends far beyond this rocky citadel to include the spectacular Adamello-Presanella and Ortles-Cevedale massifs. The western end of the area is characterized by high-altitude, snowsure slopes which reach 3,000m. As a result, you can ski here from November until late spring.

Pistes that everyone can enjoy

Intermediates in particular love to ski in Trentino. The Dolomites may be characterized by sheer cliffs and towering rock needles, but the pistes unfurl over much gentler pastures lower down, and they provide the perfect base for broad, confidence-building red and blue-rated runs. Many are dotted with family-run mountain restaurants, where standards are high and the atmosphere always hospitable. For the average leisure skier the mix of good food, stunning views and exciting – but not scary – pistes is irresistible.

But there are tougher challenges for those who want them. Trentino is well-known in the ski world for its long and plunging blacks – with the World-Cup 3Tre course in Madonna di Campiglio, the Vulcano piste in Val di Fassa and the 7.5km Pista Olimpia in Val di Fiemme among the most exciting. Meanwhile, freestylers will be delighted to know there are 25 snow parks in Trentino. The latest opened last year at Peio Fonti, but the big news for the coming season is the upgrading of facilities on Monte Bondone, near Trento. Here a boardercross course will combine with big slopestyle features to create a new hub for the freestyle community.

World-class snow-making

One of the most remarkable aspects of our ski resorts is their ability to make snow. 90% of our pistes are covered by snow cannons, so even when the weather’s dry, as it was at the start of the 2016-7 season, we are able to offer hundreds of kilometres of skiable pistes. It’s not just the quantity on offer that’s remarkable, but the quality. These days, the snow from the cannons is almost indistinguishable from the snow falling from the sky, and it’s groomed and managed across the region by an army of 1,540 piste technicians.

Increasingly, this snow-making expertise is winning international recognition. In 2016, for example, Josef Gummerer of the Ski Center Latemar in the Val di Fiemme was named “Artificial Snow Expert of the Year” by the German website, Skiresort.info - the world’s biggest ski test portal.

Sustainable skiing

We are also leaders when it comes to sustainability. In San Martino di Castrozza, for example, the entire lift system is powered by green energy, produced by seven hydroelectric power stations. Meanwhile, our snow-making facilities are backed by low-energy generators and purpose-built reservoirs which – in the summer – serve the farming community and local fire brigades. Despite the prodigious quantities of snow produced in some winters, the impact on the hydrological budget of the region is minimal.

Over 2,500 instructors

At the last count, there were 46 ski schools and over professional instructors in Trentino: 2,122 for downhill skiers, 400 for snowboarders and 169 for cross-country skiers. So wherever you are in the province you’re never far from patient and expert guidance. Teaching children is a speciality. Nearly all our schools have their own kindergartens and easy-to-use magic-carpet ski lifts. 18 have the gold seal of quality for their children’s programmes, awarded by the Collegio Maestri di Sci del Trentino.

But it’s not just children and beginners who will benefit from tuition. More advanced skiers and snowboarders can try freeriding and freestyle clinics, adventurers can learn the skills and safety procedures required for ski touring, and intermediates can fine-tune their technique so that their turns are smoother and more fluent. Whether it’s your first time on snow, or your 500th, our ski instructors will help you have a more enjoyable and rewarding experience.
 

Info: visittrentino.info//top-ski-areas