Livigno the sportsmen kingdom
From the 17th to the 19th of July the Pill team, together with more than 40 journalists from all over Europe, had the chance to experience the Livigno mountain town at 100% thanks to the press tour organized by the Tourist Board together with the local mountain guides and some sponsors, including Scarpa for the trekking shoes, Smith for glasses and bicycle helmets, Osprey for the backpacks and Masters for the poles. Materials necessary to best face the routes proposed by the Apt girls, Martina Bormolini and Michela Martinelli, who have created an ad hoc package of experiences for us, thinking about every details, from the welcoming, to the transfers, to the individual activities. Together with them also the GoNuts team, a communication agency based in Milan, engaged in making us test the material available for the two days.
Livigno offers a lot and not only to the professional athlete, but also to all the mountain lovers of any age and level. The upper Valtellina has a network of paths and mule tracks that covers about 1500 km which really meets all tastes, from the most experienced to the family with children. Both in winter and especially in summer there are many activities to be practiced and for us they have thought as a first approach to a really winning combination: the bike&hike. From the Hotel Concordia, in a very central position, we started off by e-bike together with two renowned mountain guides from Livigno, Bruno and Mario Mottini, the latter a deep connoisseur and lover of the local flora and fauna, and we headed towards the Forcola pass, with the final destination at Monte Breva.
After about an hour by bike between the cycle track and paths, we arrived near a bridge, where we left our two-wheeled vehicles and from where we started to reach the Breva. Following this path, that initially is enough decided but never too steep, in less than two hours we have reached the Lago del Monte, situated to 2600 meters, ideal destination for a pleasant picnic and where we have made a short break. The weather forecast was not the best that day and for this reason most of the group decided to return first to the hotel, while a dozen of us continued to the snowfield in the direction of the viewpoint on Bernina, leaving aside the idea of reaching the Breva summit.
After a quick descent, riding our bikes, we reached our hotel; just the time for a relaxing shower and a tour of the village and we were ready again for an happy hour and dinner at the Cip&Ciop Refuge, a real treat for the mouth. Here pizzoccheri and sciatt have reigned. And after a nice and pleasant walk in the woods to reach Piazza Placheda, we said good night excited for the experience of the next day. The alarm clock rang before sunrise and the Carosello 3000 cable car opened its doors at 6 a.m. especially for us. The Golden Day was waiting for us together with Laura Liduma, yoga teacher and expert in meditation techniques who silently guided us on a gentle route to the Madonon, making us focus on our body and our breath and on the impressions generated by being in contact with nature.
A meditation aimed at getting to know better ourselves and to interact with the surrounding environment, able to give us wonderful moments and enchanting views. Once we had reached our destination, a nice hot tea with alpine herbs and a super “Healthy” breakfast were waiting for us on our way back to the Carosello refuge. From here on, a good part of the group opted for the hotel spa, while we were curious to discover the new destination, so we joined the group of German journalists and we walked for about 20 km to discover the Val Federia, descending first to the homonymous hut for a short stop and then climb up on the opposite side, alternating a series of ups and downs. A tour, guided by the mountain guides Emanuele Tizzoni and Mario Mottini, which runs halfway up the hill and crosses the entire valley offering beautiful views of the mountains all around. A valley that stands out for its Tee that blend perfectly with the surrounding environment. Our hiking day ended after about 5 hours at the Calcheira refuge, located at the very beginning of the Federia valley, where we concluded our press tour. Nothing to say except that Livigno is really the sports kingdom and the mountain is its queen.