Folgarida

Tour Operator : Equity, Hotel : Picolo Sole

Folgarida is (or at least was in 1996) a one horse town. It does not have a great number of bars or places to go but we were here for the white stuff. The ski area is not too large but is linked with the much larger Madonna di Campiglio. For beginners however it is ideal with a few runs that even experts should enjoy. The centre of the ski area is reached by a cable car from town. From here you can take the main chair up to the top of the mountain and then onwards to Marilleva or Madonna.

Although I had once went on a weekend trip to Aviemore this is where I learned to love skiing. Unless you give it at least a week to get into - you may think that this is a stupid sport for mad people. Once you get past the beginner stage it becomes much less like hard work and more like fun. Skiing is a bit like being on the amusement park rides but without the safety bars.

There are a few good runs to be found red 10 (on the way to Madonna) being one of the best but it does get cut up later in the day. On the left at the top of this run there is another run that we nicknamed the 'whoosh'. It may be run 12 but it is obvious. A decent dropoff and then a long straight where nerves of steel are required. There is some uphill so don't apply the brakes too early.

There are three ways back to town Black 1, Blue 2 and the cable car. If you have tired beginners or small children you can take the car back down.

The runs both start near the cable car exit and finish in the same place as the car at the bottom. As the bottom is a very small area it is a good place to meet if you split up.

Blue 2 is a large run which should be a red in places but they need the advert of a blue back. We came back this way as beginners but it can be tough going at the end of the day.

The black, which we ventured onto later in the week, is a must if you are up to it. As a first black it is fantastic. It has all the steepness that you would expect but there is no dangerous parts. There are no moguls (bumpy bits) and no edges. Just take your time and enjoy it.

The round trip to Marilleva is well worth it but don't leave it too late as it gets busy late on. There are quite a few good runs around this side and a few short blacks. There is one at the top which has a steep exit from the chairs followed by sharp bends - well worth it.

Madonna is linked with either a full pass or a daily upgrade. This is a much larger resort with wide open motorway pistes. These will probably appeal to the less experienced skiers but it is a red to get there !

The Hotel was cheap and cheerful.

The food was not that great but this was an extremely cheap introduction to skiing for us. The pizzeria across the road comes highly recommended.