Madeso, Italy March 15-23, 2024
~7 nights lodging 4-star hotel with daily breakfast and dinner included
6-day lift pass included
~Two hour guided snowmobile ride to Splugen Pass on Swiss border
~Four course wine-paired dinner at our friend Dario’s restaurant
~Private charter bus transfer to/from Milan airport
~Optional: Backcountry skiing for experts with a heli day led by local mountain guides
$1,699 double occupancy
single occupancy +$189 single room OR double room used as sngl: $299
For deposit and payment information : Logistics page
Madesimo, Italy is a small village hidden near the Swiss border. It is a snow magnet.
Uncrowded slopes, huge off-trail guided skiing for experts (including heli), local cuisine that is among the best in the Alps….what’s not to love about Madesimo?!
Hidden gem is an often – used cliche, but it fits Madesimo. This small village north of Lake Como, on the Swiss border, is virtually unknown to American skiers. In fact, 11years ago, we brought the very first group of American skiers to Madesimo. The resort has 4,600 feet of vertical and twelve lifts. By Alps standards, Madesimo is not huge, but it skis big. There is plenty to keep intermediate and beginner skiers happy for the week. For experts, it is spectacular. There is a huge amount of off-trail guided skiing and heli-skiing. An added bonus: There is a spectacular 2-hour snowmobile ride up to the Splugen Pass on the border with Switzerland. On one late afternoon, we will all jump on snowmobiles and do an easy guided ride to the top of the pass. It is included in the tour and it will be something you will never forget. Bottom line: immense off-trail terrain and heli-skiing, uncrowded slopes and well-groomed trails, one of the warmest and friendliest villages Skiman has visited in 54 Alps ski weeks, outstanding local cuisine, a wonderful family-owned 4-star hotel…. Madesimo is indeed a hidden gem.
Guided backcountry skiing is virtually unlimited, offering huge terrain and no people! A group of our guided skiers waits for their taxi (helicopter) on a guided heli-day.
Yep: at least one heli-day is being planned for the expert groups.
Included in your week:
~Snowmobile* afternoon ride to the Splugen Pass. We did this with our first group and it is a do-over. We will take a late afternoon off from skiing and jump on snowmobiles for this guided ride up to the pass. The scenery is beyond description, the road is easy to ride on, and the memories of this will be lifelong. And it is included in our tour.*Note: based on two riders per machine. If you want your own snowmobile, +$80.)
Some of our skiers in Madesimo enjoy the nice snowmobile ride to Splugen Pass. We are including this event in our tour.
You won’t believe Dario’s restaurant. Deb gives him a well-deserved kiss for the great meal we had. You will experience Dario’s when you enjoy your 4-course-wine-paired dinner one night on the tour…. included.
LET’S GET PERSONAL: Deb’s first Morningstar trip as Skiman’s wife was in 2013. After our ski weeks in France and Austria, we took a train to Milan and drove to Madesimo for a scouting trip. We had heard about quaint and lovely Madesimo and we went to see if it would work as a ski week. It turned out to be one of the most warm and friendly villages Skiman had visited in his many Alps tours. Everyone greeted us with open arms and we were treated royally. No American ski group had ever come to Madesimo and they were excited to have us. Dario went overboard at his restaurant and prepared an amazing dinner. The heli company flew us around to show off the backcountry terrain (Deb’s first heli ride). The family of the Hotel Andossi welcomed us as family. The case was closed… we were coming with a group, and we did. The ski week the following season was superb and memorable. Everyone mentioned the unique warmth and friendliness of Madesimo. Everyone loved the skiing and the snowmobile ride. At the end of the week, I went to the ski school office to pay them for their guiding services. They gave a case of local wine as a thank you. It made the farewell party that much more fun! What a place.
We love Madesimo…. and so will you.
On our scouting trip to Madesimo in 2012… the beginning of a love affair.
Deb’s first heli ride…it was a love-hate experience!
The Skiing: As previously mentioned, there are no crowds at Madesimo. It is just remote enough and just difficult enough to get to… perfect. There are plenty of trails for intermediates and the backcountry is huge. The guided expert and heli will be excellent. We will repeat a great day-long adventure where we ski backcountry all the way to another village, have a great lunch, and take a train back home at the end of the day. Also, heli is on tap for one day, weather permitting. Another unique feature of Madesimo is an in-bounds expert run called Caneloni that is like an off-trail run in bounds. Madesimo is not a huge resort but it skis big. And the lack of crowds is priceless.
Huge backcountry terrain will bring big smiles to the guided group skiers. 
Morningstar skiers enjoy one of the inbounds ski runs that skis like an off-trail run. Unique!
Speaking of guided backcountry skiing:
We will offer backcountry skiing led by local Alpine Guides. The off-trail backcountry skiing in the European Alps is as good as it gets and there is nothing quite like it in North America with the exception of heli-skiing. If you are an expert, you need to do this with us. The guided skiing in the Alps is always THE highlight of our ski season. It is the reason why Dan the Skiman has returned to ski the Alps for the past 28 years. The guides are masters at educating and keeping folks safe. The terrain is unrivaled. The beauty of the Alps with no one around… no words. The challenge going solo to Europe and skiing the backcountry is that the guides are expensive. But by having other skiers to divide the cost with, it becomes very affordable.
NOTE: Heli-days in the Alps are spectacular, offering long runs and zero skiers. The scenery and the terrain make for BIG days. Only Italy and Switzerland allow heli-skiing. We are going to both countries this March, and we will fly one of our guided days if the conditions allow.
Want to see how excellent the backcountry of the Alps can be? Have a look at a couple of photo galleries from ski weeks past.
Photo gallery of our 2015 Grantz Glacier run to the Matterhorn and back
Photo gallery of skiing on our 2018 tour to Monte Rosa
Skiman : Why I love skiing the Alps
Our home for the week: 4-star Hotel Andasi / Famiglia Masanti
Andasi is four-star hotel owned and operated by the Masanti family. It is impeccable. They Masantis and their staff will make you feel like a part of their family by the end of the week. Deb and Skiman felt so welcomed here on our scouting trip years ago. The first thing Titiana (your Italian mom for the trip) did was offer us something we had never had: an aperol spritz. It has become one of our favorite drinks and every time we have one, it brings back memories of Andasi. The kitchen prepares excellent local cuisine daily for its guests and you will enjoy a superb breakfast and dinner daily, included in your tour.
We love this hotel, its owners, its staff. You will as well.
The Andasi offers a very nice spa facility with hot tub and indoor pool.
Small gallery of Andasi photos here
Deposit and payment information : Logistics page
Air to Europe: Everyone will have to get their own air from their U.S. gateway city. You will leave the U.S, on March 8, 2024, arriving in Zurich airport before 1 PM March 9. RETURN: do not book anything earlier than 11 AM on March 16. Do NOT buy air until our minimum trip size has been reached.
Doing both ski weeks: We have many of our skier friends that want to make the most from their airfare and stay for both ski weeks. If you have the resources and the time, this is a great idea. You have to pay to fly over to Europe and back, so the longer you stay, the more value you are getting out of your ticket. Contact us for the details. Note: There will be a surcharge for the transfer between the two ski weeks for those doing both weeks
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Do NOT buy trip insurance until the minimum participant number has been reached and we have given a go-ahead on the purchase of the trip insurance and your air purchase.
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