Worldwide Ski ResortsItalyChiesa

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Overview

Chiesa is picturesque but disjointed; quiet and a very spread out village which requires the ski bus to access the two main lift stations at each end of the village.

Profile

Chiesa is picturesque but disjointed; quiet and a very spread out village which requires the ski bus to access the two main lift stations at each end of the village. Caspoggio has its own network of local lifts while the alternative is and the gondola at Costa Battaini. Overall the area is best suited to beginners and intermediates, while good intermediates and advanced skiers will find only a few challenging runs to get the adrenalin flowing.

Mountain Information

Chiesa’s ski area is divided in to two sectors, both some distance from the resort centre. The larger, known as Chiesa lies on Alpe Palù, is accessed by a cable car which departs from Costi Battaini, a hamlet about a kilometre from the centre of the village. It rises exactly a thousand vertical metres to the ski area itself, where four chair lifts and five drags serve wide sunny slopes, divided evenly between above and below treeline skiing. You can also reach the slopes by continuing for a further 4km (2.5 miles) along the road up to San Giuseppe rather than getting on the cable car. There you will find yourself at the bottom of the slopes proper and can take a couple of chairs in succession up to the same arrival point as the cable car. The second area is above the neighbouring small resort of Caspoggio, reached by a mountain road up from Chiesa, smaller with four drags and two chairs; the skiing is almost entirely within the treeline and on gentler slopes, rated blue or red. Beginners will get a lot of benefits from starting their skiing at Chiesa, the scenery is pretty, the attitude lighthearted, prices reasonable and the ski school with its staff of 50 instructors renowned for their professionalism. There are beginners’ slopes dotted all over the area, including the bases at San Giuseppe and Caspoggio, as well as at altitude up at Alpe Palù reached by the cable car, so snow cover should never be a problem.

There is also plenty to progress on, with long gentle blues. Intermediates will enjoy the fast cruising on these too, but also have slightly more challenging slopes such as the 6km (4 mile) long super G slope that descends the full 903 metre maximum vertical down from Sasso Alto to San Giuseppe. Another option is the high speed flying kilometre training slope ‘ Del Dosso’ down from Alpe Palù. Experts have more limited terrain options, but there are some exciting slopes and Chiesa has a reputation for having staged competitions and for a ski school that includes former Italian champions in its roll call of insturctors. Apart from Thoeni’s run from Sasso Alto with walls, canyons and moguls, there is one exciting descent at Caspoggio, a 5km run down from Dosso del Galli descending more than 1000 metres. The Sole 2 slope here is also worth a look; it’s normally used for racing or training. A third steep option is the slalom trail Costera beneath the two-seater chair that starts down at the village, and there’s a self-timer course for those who want to check their speeds. Those with transport can purchase the larger Ski Pass Lombardia, which covers more than 20 ski centres in the area served by more than 250 lifts in total. Cross-country in both Nordic and skating styles is well catered for in the Valmalenco region, with 15km (9 miles) of altitude tracks up at Lago Palù, in the forest around an alpine lake below Alpe Palù. There are also skating tracks for racers along the valley at San Giuseppe.

Apres Ski

The Caspoggio village is the best location for accommodation which close to the lifts, but there are only seven or eight hotels here, but it is a sunny, quiet location. Apres ski locally is quiet and informal throughout this beautiful, relaxing valley. There are a good variety of bars, restuarants and a small nightclub/disco in Chiesa Valmalenco. Excursions are alos organised locally to Bormio, duty free Livigno and St Moritz.

Italian Resort Guide

Resort Information • Chiesa

Resort Height Resort Height 1000m
Top Station Top Station 2335m
Bottom Station Bottom Station 1700m
Vertical Descent Vertical Descent 635m
Drag Lifts Drag Lifts 4
Chair Lifts Chair Lifts 4
High Capacity High Capacity 1
Opening Dates Opening Dates Dec - April
Rating Expert Rating Expert 7
Rating Intermediate Rating Intermediate 7
Rating Beginner Rating Beginner 8
Apres Ski Rating Apres Ski Rating 6
Snow Reliability Snow Reliability 6

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