Livigno is only known to a few freeriders. Although you rarely find steep slopes here, there are other delicacies waiting for those who make the arduous journey. One of these highlights is the freeride variant into the Vallaccia valley. Whether with a short ascent or directly from the lift, the well-traveled freerider can expect a leisurely slope that promises fresh tracks even days after a snowfall.
The huge, three-kilometre-wide, east-facing flank of Monte della Neve can be reached directly from the two chairlifts. Wide, undulating, mostly moderately steep alpine slopes lead into Vallaccia and invite you to enjoy solitary turns. And the best thing is that you can ski down into the valley at almost any point. Even moderately experienced freeriders will immediately spot this descent at first glance in the ski area, but it is comparatively little used.
The special thing about this easy variant is the relaxed atmosphere far away from the overpopulated northern congestion areas. The slope is so huge, so easy to ski and at the same time there is often hardly any traffic. This combination is rather rare these days and therefore worth a full-blown TouringTip. If this is not relaxing enough for you, you are well advised to treat yourself to the pizza, paste and coffee specialties in Livigno - or simply load up your car tank with cheap, tax-free fuel. Both are good enough reasons to pay Livigno a visit. The relaxed freeride variant Vallaccia is just like the crema on a fresh Italian coffee!
Ascent and descent description
From the chairlifts below Monte della Neve, ski directly right to the piste barrier. Here you can see part of the beautiful, gently sloping meadow slopes into Vallaccia. You can choose a route as you wish on the gentle terrain crests. Further north, the slopes become steeper and further south, even with a slight ascent to Monte delle Mine (2883 m), they are flatter and even less frequented than they already are. At the bottom of the valley, push north to the pass road. Walk along the road briefly to the bus stop for Colombina or, if you have missed the ski bus (runs regularly until around 4 pm), continue to Trepalle or ask at the inn for a shuttle service (for 2 euros per person).
Information on the freeride situation
According to the information available to PG, freeriding should be permitted in Livigno and should not be penalized. Unfortunately, we keep receiving reports that, contrary to the official information from the ski resort, various authorities are penalizing this type of skiing. Many thanks at this point for the information from the team at www.powder-magazin.de, Giuliano Bordoni (mountain guide and book author) and the Mottolino ski area). If you would like to follow this tour, please ask the institutions or local freeriders about the current situation beforehand, if at all possible.
Information
Difficulty (5-level scale): *
Special dangers: ---
Average steepness/Maximum steepness: 28°/ 45°
Exposure: O
Altitude start and finish: 2.700 m | 2,023 m
Altitude difference uphill and downhill: 0 to 100 m | 700 to 800 m
Duration: 1 hour
Best time of year: December - April
Accommodation: Various, often beautiful, comparatively inexpensive accommodations in Livigno
Addresses:Mottolino Bergbahnen, 0039 0342 97 00 25, Tourist information Livigno, +39 0342 05 22 41
Topographic maps: Swisstopo ski touring map 1:50,000:Ofenpass, Zernez, Livigno, S-charl National map (CH) 1:25,000 1238 Piz Quattervals / 1258 Val Strett
Book tip: Freeride in Lombardia, Giuliano Bordoni, Paolo Marazzi, Versante Sud, Milan 2010
This freeride tour can be found in the book "PowderGuide: The best freeride areas in the Alps" (pp. 242ff), order book
