Aprica, skiing between Valtellina and Val Camonica

The ski area extends between 1,181 and 2,300 metres above sea level and offers 50 km of alpine skiing pistes, served by 16 lifts. The ski area consists of the Campetti, Palabione, Magnolta and Baradello sectors, all interconnected with ski-to-ski access. According to official tourism data, the offering includes 8 blue, 8 red and 4 black pistes, with around 40 km of runs covered by snowmaking.

Campetti is located in the centre of town and is the main base for children and beginners. Moving carpets, drag lifts, short pistes and ski schools make it possible to learn in a convenient setting that is also easily accessible on foot from the hotels. From this sector, skiers can progressively connect with the rest of the ski area.

Palabione forms the heart and largest part of the ski area. From the upper station, the lifts ascend towards Valletta and Dosso Pasò, reaching the highest elevations in the resort. The pistes are varied and include wide runs for intermediate skiers, panoramic links and more technical descents such as Benedetti, one of Aprica’s best-known black runs.

Magnolta, generally more exposed to the sun, alternates the open slopes in the upper section with runs descending through the woods towards the town. Its signature run is the Pistone della Magnolta, a black run around 2 km long, steep and challenging, especially in its lower section. The sector has been extensively renovated with the 10-seater Aprica–Malga Magnolta gondola and the Piana dei Galli four-seater chairlift.

Baradello is the most modern sector and offers one of the resort’s greatest vertical drops. The detachable four-seater chairlift, equipped with protective bubbles, quickly carries skiers from San Pietro to Piana dei Galli. From here begins the famous Superpanoramica del Baradello, a 6.5-km blue run descending to the town with 810 metres of vertical drop. The run is floodlit and, on some evenings during the season, allows skiing and ski touring at night. More advanced skiers can instead take on the Direttissima and Valscesa runs.

The lift network has a variety of characteristics: alongside the modern gondolas in Magnolta and Palabione and the fast, covered chairlift in Baradello, there are still fixed-grip chairlifts, drag lifts and moving carpets, which are particularly useful in the learning areas. The modernisation process is continuing in the Palabione sector with the new Palabione–Lago Palabione automatic four-seater chairlift, equipped with bubbles, capable of transporting 2,400 people per hour and completing the ascent in less than five minutes.

Aprica is particularly suitable for families and intermediate skiers, who will find numerous wide pistes, intuitive links and descents with consistent gradients. Experts also have several challenging black runs at their disposal, including the Pistone della Magnolta, Benedetti and the Direttissime in Baradello. The possibility of starting from several points in the town helps distribute skiers, although the main lifts and connecting routes can be busier at weekends.

The base elevation is not particularly high, but the favourable exposure of much of the ski area and the extensive snowmaking network generally make it possible to keep the runs back to town open. The upper part of Palabione offers more wintry conditions, while on the lower runs snow quality can be affected by mild temperatures, especially towards the end of the season.

In addition to alpine skiing, Aprica offers snowshoeing and ski-touring routes, areas for bobsleighs and sledges, and cross-country skiing at Pian di Gembro and Trivigno, when natural snowfall allows the loops to be prepared. The resort also has numerous mountain huts and refreshment points spread across the different sectors, as well as services, shops and venues directly in town.

Aprica is also an active destination during the summer, with more than 200 km of trails suitable for hiking and, to a large extent, mountain biking. Among the most interesting destinations are the Pian di Gembro Nature Reserve, the Valli di Sant’Antonio and the Alpine Eco-Faunal Observatory, while cyclists and hikers can reach Trivigno and tackle routes linked to the Mortirolo. Children’s activities, summer lifts and areas such as Baradello Wild Park complete the family offering.

Aprica’s main strength is the combination of a genuine mountain town and a varied, compact ski area interconnected ski to ski. It does not offer the high-altitude scenery or the size of the largest Alpine ski areas, but it provides a good vertical drop, pistes suitable for every level, lifts undergoing progressive modernisation and the convenience of having accommodation and services just a short walk from the runs.