Lifts here Passes here – (2026) €245 (£215 or so) for 6 days, but worth an extra day getting to Madonna di Campiglio for €46 extra. Companies organise day trips for you charging for transport, but the free #5 bus with Michael the Romanian bus driver from Rome, from opposite the War Memorial on the 45 minute journey to Marilleva 900 gondola o get to M di C. (Buses back at 15:15 15:50 and 18:00)
As ever the Garmin (a taste below) wasn’t always switched on but the max speeds and distances under ‘Other’ give some idea of performance, in almost all cases the skiing technique was of course poor. 39 km/51 max kph/4218m descent; 53/69, 61/90, mdc 63/64, 64/48, 73/75. Night skiing stats amounted to 10 runs with a walk/slide there & back. My numbers are total distance and includes lifts.
‘skin of teeth’ check-in by Doug, is surely a challenge to ‘airport theory’.(a viral TikTok trend where travelers intentionally arrive at the airport just as boarding begins—often only 15–20 minutes before departure—to skip long waits.). So having had his own passport issues we arrived to light snow and the following day’s white out skiing. Over the week we enjoyed glacier skiing from 3000m, cold and windy at times but were rewarded with smashing night skiing and a first class sunny and cold final day. The Mint Tea Ski club didn’t do so well at the quiz, but Family Fortunes ‘name a celebrity chef’ Pete at the Red Lion was definitely a winner, with 18 random answers for unknown questions proving popular as well.
Hotel the Crystal Grand Paradiso has a Padel court but no room for lobs with a ceiling of no more than three metres, a pool/spa and an on-site ski-hire shop. Long term parking at Gatwick is reasonable
The hotel’s evening food was at times uninspiring and plain but at least provided a choice with good starters and desserts, although the restaurant manager was very touchy about seating arrangements. An evening in the Vinae restaurant downstairs for Stewie’s birthday was a welcome change but the complimentary wine remained as the £3 a bottle Cab Sauv. On the slopes the burger bar La Barraca was a favourite and the restaurant at the lake above Ponte di Legno churned out pizzas and Bombardino and Forst beer. A number of skis were tried with a Blizzard WCR 72 160cm the favourite with 115cm poles for next time we think.
A number of slopes were closed for childrens racing week but that didn’t really cause an issue.
The next years adventure could be Georgia or bust. Gudauri has 35km of slopes. For comparison in Tonale we skied around 40km every day.
