One of my favourite Italian ski resorts for off-piste, Pontedilegno-Tonale ski resort’s greatest asset is the high altitude Passo Tonale sector. Starting at around 1850m elevation, the snow here is reliable and the terrain diverse, hence I came here during the ‘warm’ March of season 2024. And it paid off with some stellar off-piste skiing.
At the top of the resort is the Presena Glacier (top lifted point is at 3,000m ish). The actual glacier itself is quite small these days, but there is good skiing from the top station at Presena 3000, and better skiing in the easy-access sidecountry to skiers’ right of the gondola. The piste trail at the top is rated ‘black’ these days, but any intermediate skier of boarder will do it easily. It is a shame that the on-piste run from halfway at Cappana Presena (2,753m) is quite flat and uninteresting. Point your skis/board or you will be pushing.
The better option from the top is the 1,100m vertical Cantiere freeride descent. On this snowy March day it would have been a peach, but very low visibility held me back from it. I have never had any luck with visibility up high here! It will be worth coming back for this (and its interesting tunnel exit to get back to Passo Tonale), plus other freeride lines in the sector as they provide some of the easiest access (i.e. lift & not much skinning/bootpack) big mountain skiing in Italy.
Further along, the piste run from Passo Paradiso (the top station of the Paradiso gondola) back down to Tonale is usually marked as ‘Experts Only’. It can be challenging, and a fall in the upper sector could be nasty, but on this day, it was a comparative doddle, albeit a tad bumped near the top. Past the ‘S’ the bowl opens up either side of the piste for wonderful freeride skiing on a powder day all the way down to the return trail to the road & gondola base. A freeride alternative is the nice, broad couloir descent called Canale del Diavolo, which runs on cold, north-aspect terrain back into Passo Tonale. A traverse & short bootpack to Passo del Diavolo is required from the southern side. If the conditions don’t suit, then one can always ski out via the easy southern slopes and link into the same exit as from the Cantiere route. It’s good to scope it all out on the way up or from the road before getting on the lift.
The other sector I enjoyed on this visit was on the sunny side of Tonale below the Bleis & Nigritella chairs. The lower 300m vertical in particular (under & around the slow Nigritella quad), with its glades is great fun in powder, and perfect for low visibility days.
Whilst I visited the resort on a fresh snow day, temperatures down below Passo Tonale were such that skiing anything less than 1,750m elevation was too warm. The lower elevation pistes of the Temu & Pontedilegno sectors were definitely not on my radar.
Another thing I enjoy about Tonale is that day parking is everywhere and its free. I parked directly opposite the Paradiso gondola station, but just as easily could have gone elsewhere.
If you have an Epic Pass you can ski here for free. If not, the lift pass price and all other costs in the region are still incredibly reasonable. The village at Passo Tonale is not pretty, but it is convenient to the best skiing in the area. If you have a car, staying down in the valley toward Fraviano/ Ossana / Peio is a good alternative. For the ultimate 5-star indulgence with some fantastic pools & hot tubs, check out the Hotel Chalet Al Foss located by itself on the road between Fraviano & Passo Tonale. For a more down to earth mountain lodge experience, head to Albergo Alpino in Fraviano.
In full winter conditions Pontedilegno-Tonale has a helluva lot to offer the powder hound. Keep it in mind if looking for a big, but less famous Italian ski resort to ride.
For more on the pros & cons, see our Pontedilegno-Tonale overview page.
