On the Alpine glaciers in search of the last snow that gives excitement
Italia. Val Senales: on the Ötzi glacier nature and history at high altitude
In the Schnalstal valley, the glacier is not only a (magnificent) theatre for skiing, but also a natural archive of Alpine history. Here, between the 2,000 and 3,200 metres of the Alpin Arena Senales, in a cosy, completely high-altitude ski area with around 40 kilometres of pistes, you can experience the mountains at close quarters, enjoying one of the widest panoramas in the Alps, with views of more than a hundred peaks over 3,000 metres between Italia, Austria and Switzerland. The Giogo Alto glacier is the skiable heart, highly appreciated for the training of the national teams at the beginning of the season and the last outpost (the lifts are scheduled to close on 10 May) for spring skiing: the ascent by cable car to the Glacier Hotel Grawand (the highest in Europe) is an experience in itself, on a par with a descent on the Leo Gurschler black slope or a stop at the spectacular terrace of the Bellavista refuge, directly on the slopes. Not to be missed is the ascent up the iron staircase to the panoramic platform Iceman Otzi Peak, at an altitude of 3251 metres: this structure bears the name of the prehistoric mummy, found not far away in 1991 and to whom an evocative gallery inside the cableway station is dedicated, and is the ideal starting (or arrival) point for those who want to savour the majestic nature of this place without skis on their feet. In fact, one can follow guided itineraries such as the Ötzi Glacier Tour between ski mountaineering and historical storytelling, walk with snowshoes to reach the enormous ice caves still accessible on the slopes of the glacier or visit (accompanied) art trails such as Olafur Eliasson's installation "Our Glacial Perspectives", which transforms the landscape into a space for observing time and climate. Finally, the end of the season in Val Senales is also marked by events such as the Ortler Skiarena Festival, scheduled for Sunday 19 April, which celebrates the end of winter with music and initiatives at high altitude. In the background, the theme of sustainability remains: between snowmaking and geotextile covers, concrete solutions are being tested here to slow down the (inexorable) retreat of the glacier.
