In the Alps, a ski resort designed without ski lifts Opening in January 2023, Homeland ski resort was designed without lifts. And this is the first in Europe. Homeland. With a name like that one first thinks of the famous American television series of the same name and it is difficult to imagine where this broadcaster is located. Yet it is located in the heart of the Alps, in Italy. To get there by car from Milan, you need to head north, along Lake Como and after more than two hours and thirty minutes of driving, you finally arrive at the town of Montespluga, a few kilometers from the border with Switzerland. Homeland opened in January 2023 and if it is attracting so much attention it is because it is considered the first resort without ski lifts in Europe, reports the Financial Times.
A concept that germinated in the heads of two Italian skiers Tommaso Lazzuna and Paolo Pichielo, during the Covid-19 pandemic. It happened while I was reading an article about Bluebird Backcountry, a ski mountaineering resort in Colorado, USA. Their approach is ecological. This project represents a more sustainable alternative to traditional energy-intensive stations.
Without ski lifts you have to go up the slope
The official website of the resort sets the tone, explaining that the area surrounding the Italian village "thus becomes an immense slope to climb and descend, both independently and accompanied by mountain guides". There are 11 climbing routes marked in Homeland. And then the descent is free in a vast 36 km² off-piste playground. The resort does not neglect safety by offering skiers a complete kit (large mountaineering skis, splitboard, backpacks containing avalanche receivers, 4-season sleeping bag and shovel).
A first package for 55 euros per day
An adventure aimed more at expert ski mountaineers. The resort also offers introductory days for beginners and a specialist company runs safety courses. To try the experience you will have to spend 55 euros per day for a set of skis and boots or 65 euros for the complete avalanche kit.