Sant'Ambrogio, Immacolata, and for the Milanese (but not only) it is bridge time. And bridge, in December, is synonymous with mountains and winter sports. Economic crisis and snow permitting. But we can swear that many will not give up the opening of the ski season this year either.
First bows, first ski passes, first chains on the car tires (always to remember) and off we go. Fresh air away from the smog and stress of the city.
Despite the fact that in Milan in the meantime it is celebrated the inauguration of the Teatro alla Scala (event, however, for very few elected), and despite the fact that the Institute of Biometeorology of the Cnr announces that the first real cold (and therefore the snow) will arrive only after 10 December. So we will have to settle for artificial snow, even the one at risk given the slightly too high temperatures. In the end, someone will choose to cross the border into neighboring France and Switzerland, equipped with more advanced snow-making systems.
And then there is the crisis: Federturismo in fact forecasts a drop in overnight stays of 1,7% due to the snow, to which is added a -6% due to the economic crisis. Overall, the Italian ski sector will achieve, on the occasion of the Immaculate Conception holiday, a turnover of 338 million euros, against 353 million last year (-4,5%).
Ma despite this, all ski resorts, from the Alps to the Dolomites, will be open. Just hope and ingenuity. And many operators, in order to start off in the right gear, focus on promotions. Especially in Lombardy. TO Bormio, Livigno and Santa Caterina Valfurva those who book several nights during the Immaculate Conception holiday in the affiliated facilities are entitled to a free ski pass. In Bormio, then, they offer ski-spa packages "Bormio Pass Ski and Spa”: with the same ski pass you can ski, where possible, and then go for a hot bath.
And then there is the whole universe of alternative mountain, which is not only high-altitude skiing, but also spas, clean air, exceptional food and wine, even alternative sports, which can also be practiced with little snow and at no cost.
In fact, this year the boom in cross-country skiing and snowshoes: of the estimated 3,5 million snow sportsmen in Italy, almost one million now practice these alternative disciplines, with strong growth (+5% for cross-country skiing, +27% for snowshoes). These are activities little known to the youngest, but extremely suitable for a family audience and for all age groups, with the possibility of interpreting them as real hard sports but also relaxing and pleasant walks in nature, in places that would be difficult to reach with the traditional ski.
So, no snowboarding or descents this year: expensive and dependent on snowfall. The real fun is in the valley, and it's not just relaxation and families. For those looking for adrenaline, freestylers (+11%) and ski jumpers (+18%) are also on the increase. Very little snow is enough there, and a lot of courage.
And Italian resorts are increasingly equipped to these new trends: a In Livigno there are 30 km of cross-country ski trails (and also a very famous school), in Santa Caterina, snowshoes on, you enter the wonderful Stelvio Natural Park. Other than the usual up-down cable car-descent.
And then, at worst, you eat. And he drinks. And not just any stuff. In Alta Badia there is the absolutely affordable Michelin-starred restaurant “Sciare con gusto”, with the best South Tyrolean wines on the table. For those who want to savor the thrill of fresh fish at 2.000 meters can choose between Cervinia and Val Gardena (at Tuktu and at Rifugio Comici). Not to mention the famous “Carousel of the Malghe” of S. Martino di Castrozza: between one descent and another, you stop in the gourmand refuges where you can taste the local dishes. In Valtellina then with pizzoccheri and sciàtt you can never go wrong: from the Chalet La Rocca in Bormio to the Sunny Valley in Santa Caterina.
In short, what a bridge it is: there are promotions, maybe not snow, at worst you can console yourself with a hearty lunch to digest with a nice snowshoe.
