Resorts with Summer Skiing - Italy

The Passo Stelvio summer ski area is actually named after the famous road that stands adjacent to the ski area. At an altitude of 2757m the Stelvio Pass is the 2nd highest mountain pass in the Alps (just 13m below the Col de l'Iseran) and it connects the resorts of Alta Valtellina and Alto Adige.

During the winter the pass is closed because of the weather, so it's opening heralds the coming of the area's summer ski season, which normally runs from the end of May to the start of November.

There are about 20km of blue and red pistes available, extending from the top altitude of 3450m at Punta degli Spiriti to the Stelvio Glacier, Livrio area and the 2760m summer ski base down near the pass. 2 cable cars and 6 lifts serve the pistes.

As you'd expect, it attracts many of Italy's professional skiers for summer training whilst there are also some pretty good summer options for Nordic skiing, with 3 tracks available, 12km in total, the longest being the 7km Pista Scorluzzo and the most demanding being the Pista Fondo Cristallo on the Stelvio glacier. And for snowboarders there's a snow-park.

One of Italy's most famous ski resorts, Bormio, is nearby and not a bad option if you're looking for somewhere bigger to stay with more summer activities.

Passo del Tonale is a ski resort situated next to the Tonale Pass, a road separating the mountains of Adamello-Presanella and the Ortler Alps. A popular destination in winter it also gives access to the summer skiing area up on the Presena Glacier.

It's worth noting that the summer ski options are not as extensive as some of it's Alpine counterparts and there are just 3 pistes available:
A 1km black run called Presena Sinistra from the Presena 3016m top station down to the chairlift at 2738m.
The 1km Presena Destra red also goes from 3016m down to 2738m.
And finally, the longest run, a 1.7km red called Presena Paradiso, goes from 2738m down to the gondola station at 2585m.
There's also a snow-park at 3000m called Snowmotion.

The glacier is served by 4 lifts:
The Paradiso gondola goes from Passo Tonale up to Paradiso Pass at 2585m.
The Paradiso-Presena chairlift goes from Paradiso Pass up to 2738m.
The top of Presena at 3016m is served by 2 lifts, Presena Destra and Presena Sinistra.

The summer ski season is not as long as some of the other larger European glaciers, running from the start of May to the end of June. However, the winter ski season usually starts in early October around the Ghiacciao Presena area and lasts well into April.

Interestingly, if you visit in winter their are special ski trails prepared where you can see the remains of cannons and artillery used from the First World War, as the area was witness to heavy fighting between Austria and Italy.