A special day with lake view: we're at Pian di Sole

Being in the snow with skis on the feet, looking to Lake Maggiore. It seems incredible but, few km above Premeno, on Verbania hills overlooking the town, lies the ski resort of Pian di Sole, at a height of little more than a thousand meters.

The temperature is delightful, the sun begins to be warm, and by leveraging the exceptional opening on Wednesday of the Carnival week, Giancarlo and I go to the discovery of Pian di Sole.

Far from the lake only few kilometers here there are ski slopes
Left Verbania, where you can already smell the Spring, we take the main road from Intra to Premeno. About ten km, and crossed the town overlooking Lake Maggiore, we travel even a few km to Pian di Sole. Few corners again and we reach the parking of the ski resort, placed right on board equipment.
A great convenience: you can park your car, prepare the equipment and, in a moment, you can reach the ticket office, with skis on.

The training, of the slalom national team.
Pian di Sole is the ski resort of Verbano: it offers easy runs, suitable for beginners, but also a pair of slopes with respectable inclination, enough to have been chosen this year by the Italian slalom national team and Switzerland for their trainings. A field school for juniors and a baby tracks served by ski-lift, and four more runs between red and blue are served by ski lifts, for a total of 3 km, make Pian di Sole a station suitable for practice and fun.
The landscape in which it is inserted is also fantastic, set among the woods of conifers and with a breathtaking view of Lake Maggiore. The temperature is certainly not that of the high mountain resort and the sun warms your face nicely.

Ski-pass ticket for families.
We take our ski passes, and the prices are very competitive: the holiday day cost 20.00 €, the early morning and afternoon 15.00 €. Residents in the town of Premeno can ski all day at 13.00 €, while for kids and children are even more discounted prices. At Pian di Sole you can ski on Saturday and Sunday all day, in the afternoon on Thursday and Friday. Holiday periods such as Christmas and Carnival, there are other openings midweek. Also on sale are the point cards, especially suited to children, novice, made a few climbs at a time.

A baby to learn to ski
We cross the field school and go down until the start of the ski lift baby. The track reserved for children is wide, with very little uphill and facing directly to the entrance of the station. Parents can sit quietly on a deckchair in the sun and follow closely the lessons of the children. We meet the ski teacher, and Roberto Notaris. He explains that in Pian di Sole, there is no real ski school, but at the station are on duty five teachers who lend their work as freelancers.
Roberto is teaching to a tiny skier, a child of three years. For the next year is planned to establish a real ski school.
This is confirmed also by the director of the company, Stefano Brusa, who also anticipates the intention to start as soon as possible a rental equipment shop.

From the summit overlooking the lake
We heat on the baby and then reach the start of the ski lift that will take us at the top of the station.
We are curious to see the view and, once on top, we are enchanted to see the lake. Despite the humidity and light fog, the view below is priceless, as are the mountains that surround us.

And now let's try the slopes!
We face the first track, the Rieno, called la Lunga. The snow is pretty compact and well beaten. The track is almost entirely at our disposal: there were few people, accomplice the exception opening week, and it seems almost unbelievable not having a crow at the ski lift and be able to wander the slopes!
We go back and this time we go down the track of the national team, the Muro. Here in recent months, the national slalom team came to get trainings.
How exciting tackle the 750meters track crossed by Giorgio Rocca! It’s slope with a good inclination, served by snowmaking and that the snowcats of Pian di Sole made even more technique, well bottom with the artificial snow.

But Giancarlo on the "Boschetto" doesn’t joke!
But we still have two tracks to be discovered, and so we go back to the ski lift. This time we face the side trail, the Boschetto.
It’s a pretty steep narrow, that next year will be enlarged. While I proceed with caution, Giancarlo leave me the camera, jumps and starts to have fun while I, for once, pay to be the photographer. I must say .... Truly a brilliant style.
Once again down to the ski lift for the final slope. Going down the slope Canalone, return to the training camp, even to talk to the teacher Roberto Notaris and Maurizio Scudeletti, one of the members of Piandosole sci.

And in summer .... grass skiing
We discover that in Pian di Sole you can ski even in summer! Maurizio shows me a grass ski and I’m explained that the big lawn of the school field, now covered by snow, in summer turns into an area suitable to practice this fascinating sport. And Stefano Brusa, the director, confirms that even on Saturdays and Sundays in summer at Pian di Sole, is possible to do this sport for free: the company also offers the equipment. We hope of course to return this summer to experience the thrill of the grass ski.

For lunch there is Genzianella
We say good-bye to Roberto and Maurizio, and let's have a coffee at the restaurant Genzianella, overlooking the slopes. We find Mario who explains that the restaurant offers a la carte menu with typical dishes of the area and that the skiers, with little more than 10.00 €, can refresh themselves with polenta accompanied by damp.

Pian di Sole, an evolving station ...
Pian di Sole is a really charming place, both for the environment in which is inserted the ski resort and for the warmth of an establishment managed by a group of fellow enthusiasts. A location that this year, accomplice the abundant snow and the reopening of second homes in the surrounding hills, is experiencing renewed vigor. The projects and proposals for next year are many, and we are confident that Pian di Sole will have a long life.

Photo gallery

Video Gallery

• 's blog
• 1211 reads
• Deutsch
• Italiano
• Calendar
• Versione stampabile
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•