Passo Tonale

The largest continuous ski area in Lombard, Italy.

Formerly known as the Adamello ski area, Pontedilegno-Tonale is the largest continuous ski area in Lombard, Italy. The ski resort has terrain ranging from deep in the valley forests at Temu to the alpine area at Passo del Tonale and then another 1,120m vertical further up onto the glaciers at 3,000m elevation. Between the Trentino and Lombardy regions, 100km of connected slopes and 28 lifts connect the villages. We strongly believe that this ski resort has something to suit every taste.

This review will show you the essential things to know before booking a vacation at Pontedilegno-Tonale.

In addition, we will share some great tips that will help you make better decisions, save time and money and have an all and all more enjoyable vacation.

Passo Tonale fro Lombardy side

VILLAGE OVERVIEW

The Pontedilegno-Tonale ski resort consists of three major village areas: Passo del Tonale, Ponte di Legno & Temù. 

The highest village in the resort is Passo del Tonale, with an elevation of around 1,880m. The high altitude combined with an impressive snowmaking system gives it one of the Alps’ longest and most reliable ski seasons. A wide range of accommodation options is located close to the ski lifts, with several offering ski-in ski-out convenience. Tonale village provides direct access to the best alpine terrain. It is, however, exposed to poor weather and has a rather tired feel to it. 

Next, down from the Passo del Tonale to the west in the Val Camonica lies the town of Ponte di Legno. Literally translated to “Wooden Bridge”, Ponte di Legno is in the centre of the ski resort and has an elevation of 1,256m. It has a beautiful city centre with an iconic wooden bridge (as the name implies)! The ski lifts are a short walk or bus ride from the heart of town, from where you can access the high alpine via the gondola to Tonale and Temù.

Ponte di Legno

The “Wooden Bridge”

beautiful city centre

Further along the valley, Temù is the most western village of the ski resort. Temù is a colourful traditional village spread over the hillside on sunny stone terraces above the ski lift base at 1,155m. Here you find fewer accommodation options that are a close walk from the lifts. Temù is also the quietest of all the villages.

SKI PASS AND SKI SCHOOL 

For 246€, you can get a 6-day ski pass for adults in high season. That is extremely low compared to other ski resorts. The resort is rather small for advanced skiers, but we have several tips for you if you are an advanced skier with mostly beginners in your group. 

There are several extensions to the skipass. For example, if you buy a 5-7 days skipass for 36 euros, you can add one day of Skirama Ski Pass. Or, for 59 euros, you can get the full Skirama skipass, which includes all of the Val di Sole ski resorts, where skiers and snowboarders can explore 340 km of slopes.

As well as 150km of breathtaking slopes of the Brenta ski area, comprising of Marileva, Folgarida, Pinzolo, and one of the Jewels of the Dolomites, Madonna di Campiglio. The best option is to take a free ski bus, to Marileva 900 gondola or Daolasa gondola, from one of the four stations in Passo Tonale.

gentle slopes. no mogels

There are three ski schools in Passo Tonale: The largest one, Tonale-Presena,  offers a 6×2 hours ski course for 120€-130€. The meeting point is on the base of Valena chairlift (23), next to Redivale restaurant.

Tonale-Presena ski school office at the village centre

Tonale-Presena ski school meeting point near Valena chairlift

Tonale-Presena ski school meeting point near Valena chairlift

For people who stay on the west edge of Passo Tonale, there are three lifts next to the Grand Paradiso Hotel. There you can find the meeting point of the second ski school, Ponte-Tonale, with the same tuition prices. 

In the middle area between these lifts and the Valena chairlift, you can find Fantaski, the nursery area of Passo Tonale, used by both ski schools. If you take a right on the top of the Valena chairlift, it will take you to the Adamello snow park. For snowboarders, you have a specialized school named Evolution. 

Adamello snowpark entrance at the top of Velena chairlift

Adamello snowpark

SKI RESORT OVERVIEW

Pontedilegno-Tonale has an elevation of 1121m – 3000m with 24km of blue slopes, 61km of red slopes and 15 kilometres of black slopes. The resort has four interconnected sectors (Presena Glacier, Tonale Pass, Pontedilegno & Temu), each with its own character, strengths & weaknesses. The ski resort extends from the deep valley to the alpine glacier.

Tonale pass (orange), Presena glacier (blue), Pontedilegno (green), Temu (yellow)

24km of blue slopes

In Passo Tonale, most runs and lifts are north of the village, facing south. The runs in the middle of the ski area are rather short.

34 blue. Short beginner runs in the middle of Tonale pass.

You can find long runs and more options of lifts transporting you to higher altitudes on the south-facing side’s peripheral.

Run 35 red. Long runs on the peripherals of Tonale Pass

On the west and south side of the village, you will find the Paradiso gondola that will transport you to the second area, the Presena Iceberg. In the summer, this area is used as a training camp for the Italian national ski team. 

Presena Ghiacciaio gondola

Beginners and intermediates, listen up! The only way you can ski down from the glacier is by taking the Paradiso black run or off-piste. Still, you can ride down the Paradiso Gondola. 

Paradiso black run and gondola.

 The runs from the south face and the north face, west of Passo Tonale, unite to a west face scenic red run that goes to either the mid-station of  Ponte di Legno-Tonale gondola or continues through the woods to the Sozine lift.

Right: to Pontedilegno-Tonale gondola mid-station. Left: to Sozzine chairlift

The Sozzine lift will take you to the Ponte di Legno area, characterized by red and black runs within the trees. All of them are north-facing.

Pontedilegno. north faced red and black slopes

The Temu area is actually an addition of 4 ski lifts further west than Pontedilegno, similar in nature but less crowded.

run 2 red in Temu. totally uncrowded ski area

In general, Passo Tornale is a beginner’s paradise with lots of wide easy runs on high sunny slopes. 

Ponte di Legno-Tonale gondola

The lift is impressive. Most lifts are 4-seaters with bubbles and coupling systems, enabling safe boarding and exiting at a plodding speed in the lift station and up to 5 m/s on the lift route. Perfect for beginners!

4-seaters with bubbles and coupling systems

The high number of school groups on these beginner slopes highlights how good the infrastructure, snow surety & terrain are for newbies.

a high number of school groups on many beginner slopes

The resort has many cruising blue runs, and even the reds and blacks are pretty easy. 

There are good mountain restaurants to be found with great prices.

There are good mountain restaurants to be found with great prices

However, this isn’t the best resort for expert skiers, although there are some good off-piste runs from the glacier.

The south face of Passo Tonale is the most crowded area, and the Temu ski area and Presena Glacier are the least crowded. But generally said, the whole ski area is not crowded, and there are no lines in the morning in Passo Tonale because there are many fast lifts ascending from the relatively small village.

The south face of Tonale Pass is the most crowded area, but even here, there are no real lines for the lifts.

RECOMMENDED RUNS 

We recommend Run 41, which is a wide, steep red on the Presena Glacier,  good snow is guaranteed and is never crowded. 

run 41 red

Another fantastic run is the Paradiso run 37, the most difficult run in the resort, with a length of 3km and an elevation difference of 737m. It is accessed from the Paradiso gondola lift and leads from the Passo Paradiso down into the valley. 

run 37 black (Paradiso)

Paradiso gondola base station( the run is in bkgd)

The Alpino run 20 is a 3 km long red slope that circles Monte Rodine and offers great views of the Adamello Massif and Ponte di Legno. From there, you can continue all the way to Ponte di Legno.

The longest run is the Passo Presena in Ponte di Legno, with a length of 11  km and an elevation difference of 1691 m. Starting at 3,000 m on the Passo Presena, 

it continues over the Presena Glacier(run 41)

and the Passo Paradiso run ( 39). Then ski Paradiso black piste (37),

take a left to run 38, and join the last part of run 18. 

The last part is curving within the trees on run 17  to the Sozzine chairlift at Ponte di Legno at 1,309 m. It is one of the longest runs in Europe.

Sozzine lift

You should also not miss run 22 red, here, you can enjoy some speed cruising with a breathtaking view of the Adamello Massif.

run 22 red

The runs above Temu and Ponte di Legnoa are also very beautiful if you love to ski between the trees. The runs in this area are almost always empty, except for the weekends.

Capana Restaurant at the lake. good prices. The lake is also a good spot for a picnic

We recommend you have a lunch break at Capana, on top of the hidden lake above Ponte di Legno. 

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Passo Tonale has developed into a vibrant winter sports resort from a stop-off point. Passo del Tonale and the Presena Glacier cater to a wide range of snow sports.

In Pontedilegno-Tonale, aside from skiing, you can go cross-country skiing, on winter hikes, snowshoe hikes and even take dog-sledging trips.

If you have a ski pass for three days or more, you can enjoy night skiing every Tuesday and Thursday from 8:30 pm free of charge.

Families, couples, and groups of friends can enjoy three ice skating rinks: one outdoor in Ponte di Legno, one at a high altitude in Passo del Tonale, and an indoor rink in Temù.

Children will love the tubes on-ice course, just west of the Statue in the middle of Passo tonale village.

On the other side of the main road, you will find carting on ice attraction!

APRES-SKI AND NIGHTLIFE

Here are a few bars we found to offer good après-ski in Passo Tonale straight after the slopes close: Redival,  the newest, next to Valena Chairlift, In the middle of Passo Tonale

La Baraka, 100 meters west of Redival, on the foot of the slopes, is another nice apres ski bar and lunch option,

and Gazana, On the east side of Pass Tonale:

However, it does get quieter later on in the evening as most skiers retreat to their accommodations for dinner. As far as it goes for nightlife,  El Bait Cantuccio and Nicos are friendly, relaxed pubs for after-dinner drinks.

Nicos Bar, in the middle of the main street

If it is partying you are after, then Passo won’t be for you.

HOW TO GET TO PONTEDILEGNO – TONALE 

One major advantage of the Tonale ski resort is its proximity to Milan. The drive from central Milan is a mere 2½hr (160km) via Bergamo & Edolo and doesn’t involve high alpine passes if staying in Temù or Ponte di Legno.

 The international airport Milan Malpensa (MXP) is a 3-hour (216km) drive to Passo Tonale. Visitors coming from Europe or the UK could utilise either of the other two Milan airports, Milan Linate, with a drive of 2hr40 (174km) or even better, the Milan Bergamo, with a drive of 2hr and 10 min (127km). Another option is to travel from Bolzano Aiport (BZO Aiport), with less than a 2-hour drive (110km) southwest.

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Pros

• Snowsure ski destination
• good value ski resorts
• Modern & efficient lift infrastructure with no lift lines
• ’Ski in and out’ accommodation is available
• Not crowded
•  A lot of sunny days and south face runs ( in Dec- Feb)
•  A lot of outdoor winter activities for a small village
•  Free night skiing for ski pass holders.

Cons

• Relatively small resort
• Extremely popular with school groups.
• No nightlife
• A lot of sunny days and south-face runs (March)
• Although it is great for beginners and intermediates, there are no full-day ski courses.

CONCLUSION

Since Passo is above the tree level, the resort can look rather bleak at first. However, after weighing off all the pros and cons, you might still want to consider Passo as your next ski destination. The high altitude, uncrowded slopes and relatively affordable ski resorts won us over. 

The village itself is purpose-built, which means all of the hotels are within walking distance of the many lifts and amenities. Passo Tonale is one of Italy’s highest snow-sure resorts, which is an excellent place for beginners and intermediates since it has a wide range of slopes. 

RATINGS 

And before we come to an end, here are our ratings for Pontedilegno-Tonale:
Beginners: 9

Intermediate: 7.5

Advanced: 6

Snowboarders: 8

Freestylers: 6

Free riders: 6.5

Apres-Ski 6

Nightlife: 5.5

Value for Money: 9

Resort Charm 

Passo Tonale: 6.5

Ponte di Legno: 8.5

Our total score is 6.9

INSIDER TIPS 

1. If you are a mixed group with more advanced skiers, Ponte di Legno would be the ideal place to stay. If you have many beginners in your group, we recommend you stay in Passo Tonale. 

2. However, if you don’t end up staying in Ponte di Legno, we highly recommend you take at least one afternoon to explore the beautiful village. This place is a hidden jewel.

3. Between the old town and the ski slopes, a huge state-of-the-art thermal spa will be open in the next future.

4. Another good idea for advanced skiers in Passo Tonale is to do a Snowkite course. You can take a 1-hour trial for 50 euros or a full 3 hours private course which costs 150€. 

   Note: If you bring your skis or snowboard, Nikite Snowkite School will provide you with the kite and Trapeze.

5. Inside the new Redivale public building, the new escalators will ease your morning walk from the main street to the level of the lifts.

The new escalator from main street to slopes

Suppose you are a group of advanced skiers. In that case, we do not recommend you to come for a week’s holiday to the Pontedilegno-Tonale ski area.

But if, for example, you are taking your children to learn to ski here, or you are advanced skiers with a group of beginners, you want to hear about our next tip:

6. There are several extensions to the skipass. For example, 5 to 7-day skipass Pontedilegno-Tonale skipass holders can add, for 36€, one day of Skirama Ski Pass. Or, for 59€, you can get the full 6 days Skirama skipass, which includes all of the Val di Sole           ski resorts, where skiers and snowboarders can explore 340 km of slopes.
Note: You have to do these extensions before you begin to ski.
We recommend the 150km of breathtaking slopes of the Brenta ski area.
To get there, take a free ski bus to Marileva 900 gondola or Daolasa gondola, from one of the four stations in Passo Tonale.

If you want to learn more about Madonna di Campiglio and the Brenta ski area, we recommend you watch our thorough review of Madonna di Campiglio.