Sledding on the new track in Madonna di Campiglio

Inaugurated in the 2017 winter season, the sledding track on Monte Spinale is enjoying great success. We are not surprised: it is 2.5 kilometers to be covered at full speed amidst wonderful panoramas! From Monte Spinale you descend along the meadows of malga Fevri, passing from an altitude of 2,070 meters down to 1,730 meters, at the level of the chairlift. Naturally, we went to try it for you to tell you what it's like and give you some useful advice in this article. Everyone ready?

At full speed along the Monte Spinale sledding track

Ilenia, our guest and blog editor, tells us about her experience.
“We get up early in the morning and after an energetic breakfast at Hotel Alpina, we pack our backpack for the day of sledding. We bring the bare minimum with us, dress in layers, and go down from the center of Madonna di Campiglio towards the frozen lake: in a few minutes we reach the Monte Spinale gondola. With great enthusiasm we book ski passes and two sleds for our day on the snow, rent a helmet for our child (4 years old), and slip into the dense crowd of skiers to take our place in the gondola.
The sky is a bit cloudy but a few flashes of blue let us guess that the sun is coming to warm up our sledding descents. Arrived at the top, we immediately locate the sled rental area, show our badge, and in a few minutes we take possession of our vehicles. These are sturdy wooden sleds, very different from the plastic bobs we are used to. Each one carries a number, so that it can be recovered at the arrival of the return chairlift.
The sledding track is marked with a sign a few meters from the slope, just below Chalet Fiat. Some boards show how to steer the sled: although it seems intuitive, we take a quick look, just to clear our minds. And here we are at the start.
We fasten our child's helmet well, put on our gloves, and off we go!
The first stretch of the track is quite steep, surrounded by a completely white, almost lunar landscape. Having faced the first curves with caution, we then find ourselves along a short stretch to be done on foot. A few steps later the descent starts again, this time in the dense woods, protected on the sides by wooden fences. This second stretch is definitely more adrenaline-pumping, we feel more confident and continue gaining speed. Some curves under the trees are a bit icy, better be careful.
We arrive at the end of the track very satisfied, our little one has red cheeks from the fresh air and smiling eyes. The sledding track was an excellent idea!
We load the sleds next to the chairlift and go up again towards Monte Spinale. At the top we realize it's lunchtime, so we decide to take a break at Chalet Fiat to have a sandwich and observe the beautiful panorama. So relaxing!
Right after lunch we throw ourselves into the second descent, this time in the middle of the sleet because in the meantime the sky has clouded over again. It starts to get cold, but the snowflakes give us a magical atmosphere: sledding through the woods is fun anyway. The third round unfortunately skips due to the weather. We are in the mountains, it happens like this.
During the journey back to the hotel, our little one smiles at us and forms a heart with his small hands: “Thank you mom and dad for taking me sledding! We are coming back again, right?!”. I really think so!
Did you like our story? Now we leave you some useful information about the sledding track:

Opening hours

The track is open every day continuously from 10:00 to 15:30

Where to take the Spinale cable car?

The departure of the Spinale Gondola is located in the valley below the central square of Madonna di Campiglio, above the small lake, about a 3-minute walk away.

How much does the ski pass cost?

The day pass ranges from € 18.00 to € 21.00 (depending on the season) and can include a free child (remember the ID document). If you already have a weekly ski pass, you don't need to add anything; if instead you intend to save a little, the “4 hours” formula could be sufficient. In this case, prices range from € 14.00 to € 17.00. The ski pass includes: 1 Round Trip on the Spinale gondola and unlimited rides (or for 4 hours) on the Spinale2 chairlift that you find at the end of the sledding track.

Good to know about the Monte Spinale sledding track

• The slope of the sledding track varies from 12% to 18%;
• The sled rental costs € 7.00 (single rate). You can rent the sled only at the ticket office at the valley station of the Spinale Cableway and collect it once you reach the top;
• If you don't have them, you can rent sledding shoes and a helmet at Noleggio Des Alpes next to the departure station of the Spinale Cableway;
• Private sleds: the use of wooden sleds and toboggans is allowed. Descending with plastic bobs or sleds is not permitted. In the village, shops do not have this type of sleds and recommend renting them directly at the ski lifts;
• During weekends and high-turnout periods, we advise you to get up early to secure your sled. They cannot be booked and for this reason it might happen that you don't find any available as early as mid-morning;
• Up to 14 years of age, the use of a helmet is mandatory;

  For more information, consult the dedicated page on the Funivie Campiglio website

  For telephone info: Funivie Madonna di Campiglio: +39 0465 447744