Italy’s Ski Areas Open Early
Friday, November 7th, 2008
Five Italian ski areas are now open for the winter following huge snow falls across the country.
Passo Tonale is the latest to switch on its ski lifts, opened today, Friday November 7th, for the weekend with 1.8m (six feet) of snow on the glacier.
It joins the summer glacier resorts of Passo Stelvio and Val Senales as well as the other main Italian resorts open, Cervinia lift-linked to Zermatt and the twice Alpine Ski World Championships venue, Bormio.
Bormio opened last weekend, a month earlier than planned, after snowfalls of more than 60cm (two feet) blanketed the upper slopes. Two lifts are currently running there serving five kilometres (three miles) of piste.
Other Italian resorts yet to open are sitting on huge pre-season snow bases following recent falls. Madesimo has received 70cm (28 inches) of snow I the past week. And the Monterosa region above Champoluc, Gressoney and Alagna has had 85cm (Just under three feet) over the past nine days according to skiinfo.com.
©
