Passo Tonale located on the border of Lombardy and Trentino, between the Stelvio National Park and the Adamello Brenta Natural Park, surrounded by majestic mountains. It is a quiet ski resort that is part of the ski region DolomitidiBrenta... The Passo Tonale Valley, where the resorts of Tonale and Ponte di Legno are located, stretches from north to south. Seven highest points rise above the valley, including the Presena glacier (3,069 m), on which you can ski in summer. Picturesque slopes, from where a magnificent panorama of the mountain range with peaks - "three thousand meters" and glaciers opens, the possibility of off-piste skiing on slopes of medium difficulty, a mountain lake at an altitude of more than 2,500 m - this is the Tonale ski area.
Passo Tonale is a resort with exceptional quality snow and skiing opportunities all year round thanks to the Presena glacier and snow cannons.
The center of the resort is the small town of Tonale (Tonale, 1,883 m), stretching along the highway, and almost entirely consisting of high-rise modern hotels and residences. The city offers all the traditional set of evening entertainment - discos, bars, cafes, restaurants, cinemas, bowling. There is also a sports center and an outdoor ice rink.
Ponte di Legno is a quieter place, a traditional village with very cozy small hotels and apartments.
Vertical drop: 1257-3010 m
Lifts - 28
Snow cannons - 150
Good opportunities for beginners: many blue slopes and four ski and snowboard schools, a ski kindergarten.
There are a couple of interesting difficult slopes in Ponte di Legno where the skiing height is lower, so in this region, with trails laid in the forest, it is possible to ski well even in snowfall. One of the few places in the Alps where heli-skiing is possible - excellent off-piste slopes starting on the glacier, at an altitude of 3,500 m, with an altitude difference of about 2,000 m. Snowboard park in Tonale, border cross track and half-pipe in Marileve.
The region stands out for its altitude, glacial zone and the presence of difficult trails with large differences in altitude and variable relief. It is interesting for experienced skiers, including those who like non-extreme off-piste skiing and beautiful landscapes. A good option for family skiing, as well as for companies with different levels of training.
The resort has two ski areas: southern and northern.
The southern zone is popular with experienced skiers. An excellent "black" track descends from the Presena glacier. The extreme track "Paradiso" also passes here. The snow in these places does not melt even in the warm season, so summer skiing is possible.
Easy trails and trails of medium difficulty are located in the northern ski area. This is the perfect place for kids and beginners alike. Lovers of virgin lands and snowboarders also come here.
We advise you to purchase a single ski-pass, which allows skiers to ski in the resorts of the entire Dolomiti di Brenta region (Madonna di Campiglio, Pinzolo, Val di Sole, Paso Tonale, Peyo and Monte Bondone), which unites 260 km a wide variety of tracks: from "super-black" to simple "blue".
Apres-Ski
Tonale has 7 discos, bars, cafes, a cinema, 14 restaurants, bowling, game rooms, shops. Ponte di Legno is a quieter place: one disco, but many small cozy cafes.
Sports opportunities in the region
Cross-country skiing, snowboarding, ski-touring, off-piste skiing, evening descents on the trail with torch lighting, heli-skiing, ice rink, dog sledding.
At the end of March, during school holidays, we visited a new place in the Dolomites: Passo del Tonale, in the Adamello-Ski ski region. I took a few pictures on my phone, especially for the report: sorry for the quality, and please don’t express it!
The choice was made according to the following criteria:Overall impression: Passo Tonale differs from other areas of the Dolomites: different mountains, little forest, often clouds are at the level of the village, as a result, there is thick fog on the streets, but there is visibility at the top. It turned out that this weather occurs not only in spring, but also in January-February.
- The resort is located at an altitude of 1880 m, the snow lasts until May, the official season closes in mid-April.
- The length of the tracks, according to the official website, is about 110 km, which is not very much, but enough for a week, especially taking into account the weather.
- The resort is not very popular, tours to Passo Tonale have risen in price due to the crisis, but much less than other resorts in Italy or France, the ski pass is also cheaper.
Similarly to the January trip, we met a lot of Poles, and Marileva and Folgarida are not far away, they belong to the Vermillo commune, just like Passo Tonale. IMHO local authorities have their own ties with Poland.
As everywhere in the Alps, disabled people ride, sometimes unaccompanied. But there was also a group of skiers with mental retardation, in bright, noticeable vests. It was scary to get on the lift with them, but there were no problems!Passo Tonale is a typical alpine village on the side of a mountain, of 2 streets, with hotels, shops and restaurants, small and cozy. In the lower part there are several new high-rise buildings, but in the evening 2-3 windows were shining in them, it is possible that they have not yet been fully populated.
There is a museum of the "White War" (Guerra Bianca): during the 1st World War, in 1918-1919, great battles took place in the Vermillo and Passo Tonale area, as a result Italy captured South Tyrol. In addition to the museum, there are monuments to the victims in the mountains: Austrians and Italians, together. In our hotel, on the walls were enlarged old photographs of that time: with ruins and destroyed houses, the same photographs and posters are even in bars. Everywhere a lot is connected with the war, it commands respect, but a heavy, sad impression remains.There are 3 ski areas: Passo Tonale, Presena Paradiso, and Ponte Di Legno, which are very different.
Passo Tonale
The zone is similar to Kirovsk: a wide, smooth mountain Monte Tonale, 2600 m high, on which there are parallel lifts going to the very top, or up to half of the mountain, through one. All long chairs with wind protection, which is needed in strong, damp winds. The trails are separated by grids, but you can find passages and ride along the traverses in any direction. Basically, the tracks are boring, straight, without relief, differ only in slope, are oriented to the south, are illuminated by the Sun all day, and the snow is wet by the end of the day. Some trails are lit for evening skiing, until 11 pm, but not every day.On the sides of Monte Tonale there are more interesting places... On the east side is the Gorge of St. Bartolomeo, which goes to the Contrabandieri Pass ("Pass of the Smugglers"): before the 1st World War there was a border between Austria and Italy, smuggling was carried through the pass. A monument to the fallen soldiers of the White War is erected in the gorge. From the pass there is an interesting red trail, also called Contrabandieri, the weather is always better than on the main mountain.
At the beginning of the route there is a very interesting rock, according to local legend, this is a carabinieri, which was petrified in an ambush, tracking down smugglers.On the western side, there is the Blays pass, from which there is also an interesting, long trail to the very bottom. Below, near the track, there was no more snow, crocuses were blooming: very beautiful, but they are not visible in the photo.
Every morning, the track is always filled with cannons, and wasted, but after lunch, under the Sun, Bottom part turns into a very deep, dense, wet porridge!Presena Paradiso
Located opposite Passo Tonale, on the other side of the river, very interesting area! The gondola rises to the Passo Paradiso pass, at an altitude of 2585 m, the Paradiso trail goes down, a real black, difficult, steep, always hard: the slope is oriented to the north, until lunchtime in the shade.
But by the end of the day, it is packed with a crowd, scraping down, in the afternoon, large mounds form.
Near the gondola station, there is a gallery pierced in the rock: during the White War, there were cannons in it, which fired at the valley below, the embrasures can be seen from the gondola. The gallery houses a part of the museum's exposition, but it does not work in winter: the door is covered with snow, several meters deep.
Above the Paradiso pass there is the Presena glacier, you can climb on a chair, then on a drag, to the summit of Chima Presena, 3070 m: from there there is a very wide steep slope, always obliterated, but not very hard.
Freeride routes diverge to the sides, there is also a local freeride school and backcountry. Some of the routes go to the other side of the mountain, where ski touring to Madonna Di Campiglio is possible, but this is a long, difficult route.
I climbed into the virgin lands very carefully: after all, there was more than 4 m of snow, this is a lot for station wagons, and in some winters it can be up to 7 m! You can ride on the glacier in summer: the lifts are open until June.
In the lower part of the glacier, along the chair, the slopes are gentle and even, there is a lake under the snow, a monument is erected on the shore, but only the upper part is visible in winter.Ponte Di Legno
This town, much larger than Passo Tonale, is located below, at an altitude of 1250 m, already absolutely without snow. But above it there is a large, interesting ski area, the tracks are filled up to the very bottom. To get to Ponte Di Legno, from Passo Tonale, one has to go upstairs, follow the traverses to the other end, and take a very long gondola. There is an intermediate station on it, where you can also exit from the Presena Paradiso zone.
The gondola arrives at Ponte Di Legno, where you have to sit on a chair and go up to the Valbione circus: from where the lifts diverge, on 2 sides.
Here are typical Dolomites, a lot of forest, the tracks are always well prepared: despite the spring, there were no bald spots or stones! The slopes are steep at the bottom, but there are lamps for evening skiing. There is a chapel upstairs in memory of the fallen soldiers.
There was also a very strange chair lift: from below, from the Passo Tonale side, but from a place where there was absolutely no snow, and there are no trails! It is not known how to get there on skis, and no one climbed from there, but an empty chair works all day!In general: not all plans were realized, especially for ski safari, but the trip was interesting, anyway. I liked Passo Tonale, despite the warm weather and low clouds.
For family vacation and rest with children, it is ideal for beginner skiers. Located on the border of Lombardy and Trentino, but is part of the region (region) of Trentino-Alto Adige.
Passo Tonale how to get from the airport
If you are using an airplane, the easiest way is to get to the following airports closest to Passo Tonale:
- Milan airports - Milano Malpenza (hereinafter - transfer 3 hours), Milano Linate (hereinafter - transfer 2.30 hours)
- Bergamo Airport - Bergamo Orio al Serio (further travel time - 2 hours)
- Verona Airport - Verona Catullo (further travel time - 2 hours)
- Brescia Montichiari Airport (further travel time - 1 hour 45 minutes)
Transfer to Milan, from Milan: prices, reviews, booking
Numerous low-cost flights from various cities in Italy and Europe arrive at the airports of Verona and Bergamo. For a more convenient winter shuttle, a dedicated shuttle bus leaves every Saturday from these airports in Passo Tonale, taking skiers to the resort. Tickets can be booked by calling tel. 0461 391 111.
Passo Tonale how to get there by car
From Trento, take the A 22 (Brennero-Modena) motorway in the direction of Brennero, then take the San Michele all Adige exit; then follow Strada Statale no. 43 towards Passo Tonale. At the Bridge of Mostizzolo (4 km after Cles), take the Strada Statale no. 42 and then continue to Passo Tonale. Distance Trento - Passo Tonale 90 km.
From Milan take the A4 motorway (Milan-Venice) towards Venice. Exit at Seriat and continue on Strada Statale no. 42 towards Lovere-Valle Camonica-Passo Tonale. Distance Milan-Ponte di Legno is 180 km.
Passo del Tonale Italy hotels: service, prices, reviews, booking
How to get to Passo Tonale by train
From Trento there is a train in the direction of Male (Trento - Male), then by bus to Passo Tonale.
From Milan there is a train to Brescia, then you need to change to a train to Edolo, and from the train station. From the train station in Edolo, take a bus to Ponte di Legno - the closest ski village to Paso Tonale.