Cruising the Alps:
Sports Facilities
Ponte di Legno
Pearl of the Camonica valley
Ponte di Legno is a lovely little town which has known how to maintain the
charming qualities of the past, while perfectly integrating the needs of
modern tourism. It is one of the oldest winter resorts in all of the Alps:
a happy oasis, which prefers understatement to mundanity. It is situated
in the middle of the wilderness of the Stelvio and Adamello Natural Parks.
Called the "Pearl of the Camonica valley" it is framed by two
of the largest mountains of the Alps: on one side there is the Mts. Adamello/Presanella
and on the other the Ortles/Cevedale.
Tonale is the skiable area of Ponte,
where one can practice summer skiing with the certainty of finding
good snow on the crevice-free, Presena glacier. During World War I this area
was the scene of terrible battles.
The slopes
Tonale offers slopes of various degrees of difficulty, all of which run
through the woods and are equipped with artificial snow machines and three
ski-lifts. The extremely technical and demanding Corno d'Aola slope,
runs for 7,3 Km with a gradient of 650 meters, and ends in a very narrow
trail among the woods. It is the most sought-after run and in the past was the theater of
national and international
races. The most technically demanding slopes of the Tonale are: the Direttissima,
which runs from the Paradiso Pass, curving through hills and mounds under the cable-way and
continuing on down for 2700 meters with a 710 meter gradient; the 4500 meter long Alpino
slope which has a 725 meter gradient; and the
5 km long Valbiolo-Tonale Occidentale slope, which has a 620 meter gradient.
One can also ski on the Presena glacier while enjoying a magnificent view
of the Adamello. The trails, which range between 2600 and 3100 meters in
length, are wide but extremely bumpy.
Break-points
The Faita alpine shelter, situated along the road of the Negritella
ski-lift which runs up to the sunniest slopes, is the ultimate skiers' meeting
place. Its sunny terrace is the place to see and be seen. It has a romantic,
rustic restaurant where the Valtellina and Trentino specialties can be tasted:
"strangolapreti" (spinach gnocchi), "polenta taragna"
(buck wheat and corn polenta with the local magnuca cheese) and "pizzoccheri"
(buck wheat noodles with cheese and potatoes).
On the Ponte di Legno slopes
(the most difficult in the area) the Valbione restaurant/alpine
shelter is the most skilled skiers' destination.
  
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