Madonna di Campiglio Skiing & Snowboarding
Whilst the surrounding peaks may look intimidating, the reality of Madonna di Campiglio is that nearly half the ski trails are at novice/beginner level. And whilst the longest of those is a healthy 8km, this is not a resort for serious on or off-piste freeride shenanigans as the 'inbounds' terrain is more complex and less free-flowing than it might appear on the surface. That's not to say there is little for advanced skiers & snowboarders. Some gloriously fast and steep trails plunge into the valley, perfectly complementing the easier terrain, but overall, there are better places for more experienced riders to let it flow.
A resort in two halves, the most spectacular, highest elevation & best snow quality area of is on the Spinale/Groste side. Surrounded by the jagged spires of the Brenta Dolomites, its heavily snow-laden, north-west aspect alpine terrain is pretty, but surprisingly lame; perfect for intermediates & beginners, less interesting for others. Reaching up to just over 2,500m altitude and despite the way it looks on the trail amp, the alpine terrain at Passo Grostè is sadly lacking in enough pitch, but you can still have fun hucking a few jumps in the ‘Ursus’ Snowpark (Ursus is of course named after the brown bears that inhabit the mountains here)or skiing fresh, low-angle untracked lines in powder a full day after the last snow! Monte Spinale has better terrain, albeit on a shorter skiable vertical (550m) back down to the village.
The opposite side of the valley (Pradalago/5 Laghi) is a huge contrast to the Spinale/Groste side. Accessed from the sitting Cinque Laghi gondola & the standing Pradalago gondola, the south-east facing slopes are mostly tree lined & sun-drenched. The views over the village to the Brenta range are amazing and a worthy distraction form the sliding. The piste trails are for all skiing abilities & stream wonderfully down the 500 to 600m vertical back to town. They are only spoilt by some long slow traverses in the lower sections which are not clearly indicated on the trail map. (Snowboarders beware!) The Pradalago/5 Laghi side of Madonna is the ‘go to’ piste skiers’ area with several pitchy black runs up high that are sharp, but short.
Check out the ski trail map for Madonna di Campiglio below.
Lift Passes & Terrain
Madonna di Campiglio is part of at least 3 lift pass regimes, with a few new ones thrown in recently for good measure. The most affordable local lift for the Madonna ski area only, appears to have gone by the wayside recently, but the best prices can be sought by pre-purchasing via their online ticketing system. The standard lift pass for Madonna now is the wordy Ski Area Campiglio Dolomiti di Brenta Pass. And then there is the SuperSkirama Dolomiti Adamello Brenta.
Madonna is the meat and Folgarida Marilleva & Pinzolo the sandwich in the Ski Area Campiglio Dolomiti di Brenta (Brenta Dolomites Pass) which interlinks the three resorts by ski lift, piste & pass. Peio is now also on the pass, but is not lift or piste linked (bus of rental car required to get there). The interlinked ski region (remembering we just said Pejo ski resort is not lift linked!) includes 58 ski lifts & over 185km of ski trails. The links are reasonably seamless, so if on a ‘local area’ lift pass, take note of where you are heading! Local lift passes are still available for the Folgarida-Marilleva & Pinzolo sectors.
See the Ski Area Campiglio Dolomiti di Brenta trail map (not showing Peio!) below.
For more diversity (including a glacier), & reasonable value if wanting to hedge your bets on a week-long jaunt in the region, the Skirama Dolomiti - Adamello Brenta pass includes all the aforementioned Brenta Dolomites areas, plus nearby Tonale, Pejo, Monte Bondone, and others (Paganella, Alpe Cimbra-Folgaria and Lavarone). Thats a total of over 150 ski lifts & nearly 400km of ski trails. Of course, skiing any more than one of these locations on the same day is problematic, so it may behove one to simply buy the more affordable local lift passes at each location! Some of the resorts (particularly Folgaria & Lavarone) are very low elevation.
See the Skirama Dolomiti Adamello Brenta ski resorts map below.
For international guests, holders of a Vail Resorts Epic Pass (Epic Pass, Epic Adaptive, Epic Australia Pass, Epic Adaptive Australia Pass Holders, & Vail Resorts lifetime Pass Holders) receive seven complimentary, unrestricted, and consecutive days, in total, of skiing and riding at Skirama Dolomiti ski areas. Upon redemption of all seven days, Epic Pass Holders can then purchase discounted lift tickets at 50% off the window price. Epic Pass Holders must present their valid season pass card and photo ID at any Skirama Dolomiti ticket office where you will be issued a magnetic key card upon validation and receipt of a €5.00 refundable deposit per card. The deposit is refunded when the key card is returned in good condition. Pawesome!
For Powderhounds
For powder seekers, Madonna di Campiglio has limited off-piste trees & high alpine bowls to explore for the adventurous (i.e. the Powderhounds!). The broad powder fields of the alpine area around Passo Grostè are low angle enough for anyone wanting to learn to ski powder. Steeper bowls & trees (larch & pine) prevail further down the mountain and provide the best off-piste powder opportunities in the resort. Dive off under the Grostè gondola line into steep untouched larch & pine terrain. A bit of local knowledge goes a long way here but dropping in anywhere off a trail around Monte Spinals after a snow-storm should reap some fine powder turns too.
Backcountry
Backcountry possibilities in the Brenta Dolomites are many & make for spectacular explorations. Passo Grostè is a good staging point to access some of the more epic backcountry freeride terrain in the region. A look at the local Tabacco Map number 053 (Dolomiti di Brenta) reveal the many options for adventure in the area. A major attraction is the descent of Val Gelada, but it may be a case of the early birds getting the goods due to tis popularity.
On the Pradalago/5 Laghi side of the resort, one can easily access some high alpine backcountry bowls below Monte Zeledria.
If ever in doubt, get a local guide or instructor to show you the way.
