Warm up riding
Livigno
Insert: 04.01.2015
Sometime in early December 2014 called me Ráďa Blazek that he is going to Livigno, Italy. Looking out the window, I asked him so discreetly if there will be snow. I was told that there is some snow and a it will fall. After a few years when my season started in mid-January at least, I thought, why not.
After the organizational phone calls became clear that it would be a family trip and the final number of participants, including children, will be the 11. Thus, on December 13 we moved to Livigno in two multivans. The logistics in CZ took us several hours, so the path took unpleasant 13 hours. Even before the tunnel to Livigno, we were surprised for the number of cars arriving with Czech, Slovak or Polish registration sign. Upon arrival and the first evening observation of Livigno, it looked like in Spindleruv Mlyn. Price of the event lured many people from czech.
The first day we decided to discover the resort. It was cloudy weather and snow was hard off the slopes. So the only considearation was tour de lift across the resort to see, where we can ride when the powder come. The resort of Livigno is divided into two parts, Mottolino and Carosello, see map. In the Carosello is more lifts and more or less there you can ride off the slopes only between the lifts.
Most of our time we spent just stay in the second part Mottolino. Here are the official designated freeride zones, which are accessible directly from the lifts or you can a little hike up the first peak without any special equipment.
From the second day we rode mostly in designated freeride zones, because the visibility and stability of the snow were not ideal. However, the rest the week show was falling in the night and visibility in the day was ok. After the first day we formed a group composed of me, Doctor, Blaza, Jaros and Fogl. The first test drive we took under clear sky, but that was all of the sunshine until the last day. Whole week we were discoverong0 the terrains without tracks and rode the powder. In designated zones alternate short steep sections with longer flat sections, for start of the season or for beginners it is great fun. The third day we met a bunch of other Czech guys, Zezin + Vana with splitboards and agreed to hike up the nearby peak Della Neve. Well after the initial hiking of the first peak from the gondola, the weaker half (Me, Fogl a Doctor)splitted off and the rest of the group went in group Blaza, Jaros, Zezin and Vana. We rode the terrains towargs village Trepalle and then back to the top station Motollino.
Midweek started blowing north wind and south slopes began to appear unstable and sometimes it happened that the steeper parts ripped into smaller slabs. Fortunately, at the penultimate day came a slight warming and on the last day the snow was definitely more stable. The last day of riding we again teamed with a pair of Zezin, Vanya and we hike along the ridge from the top station Mottolino. Most of the party went on splitboards except skier Jaros. Our goal was again the peak Della Neve. Unlike previous days, the weather was better and constant sunshine. During the last meters of hiking splitboards without crampons were not enough, we had to put the boards togehter on a backpack and the go without the splitboards up. Only Blaza had crampons on a split and without problem was going to the top. After we chill a bit we rode with direction Trepalle. The ride took approximately 15 minutes and most of the way we had powder snow, so everyone was happy. Due to warming and 6-daily exhaustion, we decided better not to go again. So we ended the event with beer at a supermarket in Treppale on the way to the lift.
Gallery HERE
Tomas Zelinka
