Description

Okay, Monte Stivo might not be the very first ski touring destination that comes to your mind! It's a really nice summer hike up to the peak for tasting good local food and sipping a fresh cold beer at Rifugio Altissimo but yes, it is also a classic ski touring route in the southern part of the Trentino region and it offers a landscape that you won’t probably find anywhere else around here - an extraordinary 360° panorama that will indeed leave you breathless: Lake Garda, Vallagarina, Val d’Adige, Val del Sarca and, further on, the Brenta Dolomites group. How often did you ski a mellow face straight above the waters of Lake Garda? To get to the start of the skin track you first have to reach Passo S.

Barbara, which is either accessible from Arco or from Vallagarina.

If you start from the lake, you will climb all the way up from Arco for approximately 12 km before then getting to the parking lot Rifugio Altissimo.

From here - if you are lucky enough with the snow conditions - you can already start with the skis on your feet but often a little walk is required before being able to put the skis on.

Following the track you will first cross a forest before then reaching the face you are going to ski later, which faces SE.

At the top of it you’ll find the hut which is often open in winter too.

The descent starts straight from the hut and, even if not too long, it’s a pleasure for your eyes as you admire the scenery.

If you are not satisfied enough, you could skin up the upper part again for a second lap.

It is not always about scoring the best snow here - even though it is often possible to find light blower the day after a snowfall or some really nice corn - but it is more to enjoy a different experience than your usual mountain landscapes.

In an area with a vocation for climbing and, more generally, for summer sports, this unusual trip will give you a taste of off-piste skiing.