It is the perfect skiing destination for beginners – and for non-skiers as well

A first ski holiday is a scary thing. No matter how many people told you that it’s “not that bad”, that there are tutorials and that everyone falls at first, in the end it’s a winter sport, with heavy equipment, low temperatures and huge mountains that constantly remind you who’s really in control here. And yet, something about Paso Tonla made all these fears fade away rather quickly, and be replaced by a sense of security, curiosity and above all a desire to continue surfing.

I came to Passo Tonla as part of a ski package from the Ski Deal company, a week-long package that included flights, shuttles, ski-pass, accommodation, daily training and close escort. In retrospect, this is exactly the right way to ski for the first time, and certainly when you arrive at an unfamiliar destination.

Like many other people, I put off my first ski holiday for too long. It always seems like something that is “for professionals”, people with expensive equipment, years of experience and the ability to surf without crashing every two meters. Then came the Ski Deal ski package to Passo Tonla.

The flight landed at the airport in Bergamo, and already there it was clear that this was not another normal winter flight. The plane was full to the brim with skiers: families with children, couples, groups of friends and also quite a few people who came alone. All with large suitcases, some loaded with ski equipment, and a small smile of excitement that appears in anyone who knows they are going to see snow. Not everyone continued to Paso Tonla, some went to other sites such as Sala Ronda, but the procedure was timed and precise. At the exit from the field, Ski Deal representatives were waiting, directing everyone to their bus, and the feeling was that someone had already thought of everything. No searches, no unnecessary questions, no need to figure out where you are going on your own.

The trip to the mountains takes a few hours, but is an integral part of the experience. The landscape gradually changes from urban roads to rising mountains, from green fields to endless white. At some point you realize that you are entering a completely different area, one where time feels a little different. Our guide, Idan, started already on the bus to explain about the week that awaits us: what the surfing days look like, what we do on the first day, who scheduled private lessons, who is in the groups, and where we meet each morning. The ski passes were distributed already on the way, a small detail that saves a lot of time and hassle on the first day. And above all, there was a feeling that there was someone who was really available, and not just “on paper”.

The bus stopped directly at the entrance of the Miramonti Hotel, and that’s where the real introduction to Paso Tonella began. This is a hotel located in the heart of the town, on the main street, and only a cross road away from the meeting point of the surfers, the training groups and the children’s camps. For a ski holiday this is a golden location. In Italian terms, the hotel is almost entirely ski-in/ski-out. No need for travel, no shuttles, no unnecessary carry-ons. You leave the hotel and you are already in business. Return from surfing and you are in the room, spa or bar within minutes.

Check-in was fast and efficient, and the general feeling is of a hotel that knows exactly who its audience is. Everything is adapted for skiers, from the atmosphere to the small details. Our room was in the newer wing of the hotel, with a full frontage of huge windows facing directly onto the central slopes. It is difficult to explain in words the feeling of opening the curtain in the morning and seeing the cable cars start to operate, the first skiers skating on the snow, and the sun reflecting in the bright white.

The room itself is large and spacious, with a double bed and a single bed, an excellent solution for both a family with a child and friends. The bathroom is clean, modern, and equipped with underfloor heating, a small addition that makes a huge difference after a whole day in the cold. There are very important blackout curtains, because despite the winter, there is a lot of light and sunshine. What is missing in the room is a kettle or a coffee machine. It is true that we are in Italy and there is good coffee (or hot chocolate) on every corner, but sometimes you feel like sitting in a room with a hot drink. On the other hand, the hotel’s bar allows you to ask for hot water. A reasonable solution, although not perfect.

At Mirmonti, meals are included. The breakfast is basic but sufficient: vegetables, cheeses, eggs, pastries and hot drinks. Just what you need before a long day on the snow. Lunch and dinner include local Italian dishes: risotto, polenta, soups and meats. The food is not pretentious, but for those looking for variety, the town is full of excellent restaurants and worth trying especially in the evenings.

One of the great advantages of the hotel is the spa area: wet and dry sauna, heated pool, gym and the possibility of treatments. This is where everyone meets after a day of surfing, exchange experiences, laugh about falls and tell stories. In the evenings, the hotel’s lounge becomes a social center: people sit, talk, get to know people, and friendships are formed naturally.

Passo Tonella is considered one of the friendliest sites for learning to ski, and not by chance. The site offers about 100 kilometers of trails, most of which are extra wide blue and red trails, and there are a few black trails, but not many. The structure of the slopes is open, without “bottlenecks”, and with a convenient connection between the different tracks. This allows a beginner skier to progress gradually from slope to slope, without a sharp jump in the level of difficulty.

The red routes in Paso Tonla are not too threatening, and most of them are continuous and flowing slopes, which are very suitable for surfers who want to improve their technique and not just “survive” the descent. In addition, the proximity to the Fresna glacier, which rises to a height of about 3,100 meters, guarantees high-quality snow throughout most of the season, a critical parameter especially for beginners, because good snow is much more forgiving of mistakes.

And speaking of beginner’s mistakes, the first day in Passo Tonla begins long before going to the track. Even before you feel the snow under your skis, you have to deal with a whole world of equipment, terminology and small details that you don’t always understand until you get there. At the site’s equipment rental center, which we arrived at as part of a Ski Deal package, everyone received skis, ski boots and a helmet. The ski boots, from the very first moment, make it clear to you that this is not a flattering sport, they are rigid, limit movement and make walking look quite ridiculous. But you quickly realize that this is part of the point: these shoes are the basis for controlling the skis, and every small movement of the foot translates into movement on the snow.

One of the great advantages of Paso Tonla is its accessibility. From the equipment rental center to the surfers’ meeting point, it is a very short walk, without complicated stairs and without the need for shuttles. Already at this stage you feel that the website was built with beginner surfers and families in mind: everything is wide, organized and not stressful.

The first steps on the skis are a defining moment. You stand on a white surface, slip, and find that your body has to relearn balance. In Paso Tonla, the learning areas for beginners are located on wide and very gentle slopes, with a gentle slope that allows practice without a sense of danger. These are classic blue tracks, wide, with excellent visibility, ideal for those who are taking their first steps on the snow. At this stage, you mainly learn basic things: how to stand with parallel skis, how to walk on a small incline, how to stop using a “palo” (a V movement with the skis in the shape of a pizza), and perhaps most importantly, how to fall correctly and how to stand up. It may sound trivial, but being able to get up on your own after a fall makes a huge difference in feeling confident.

One of the most important things you learn in Paso Tonla is not only “how to surf”, but why things work the way they do. You learn how body position affects speed, why looking ahead is more important than looking at the skis, and how reading the route correctly helps you choose a safe and flowing descent line. The instructors emphasize control and precision, and don’t push for speed before the base sits properly. At this stage, when you already understand the principles, surfing turns from a stressful experience into a fun experience. You start paying attention to the landscape, the wind, your pace. Suddenly the route no longer looks like an impossible challenge, but like a sequence of small decisions that you know how to deal with.

After a few days of surfing in Paso Tonla, something changes. You get up in the morning not only because you “need to go to the track”, but because you want to. The body already knows the movement, the falls decrease, and the snow feels less like an enemy and more like a partner. The site, with its wide tracks, forgiving slopes and high-quality snow, allows the beginner to go through a real process in a relatively short time, and even win a gold medal in the final competition.

Passo Tonella may be first associated with skiing, but the day there really doesn’t end when you take off your skis. On the contrary, as soon as the sun starts to go down behind the mountains and the cold gets sharper, the town wakes up to a completely different rhythm. The main street is filled with surfers with red faces from cold and a tired and satisfied smile. This is the stage where you look for a place to sit, warm up, drink something hot or strong, and process everything that happened on the track. One of the beautiful things about Paso Tonla is that everything is close and accessible: there is no need for taxis or long trips, just leave the hotel and find yourself within minutes in a bar, restaurant or small shop with the smell of melted cheese and mulled wine.

The food is an integral part of the experience, and as befits an Italian town, it does not disappoint here either. Beyond meals at the hotel, Paso Tonla offers quite a few local restaurants that serve classic mountain food: heavy pastas, polenta with rich sauces, warm risottos and meat dishes that are just right for a winter evening. In the middle of the day, between skiing and skiing, we stop at the huts on the mountain for coffee, hot chocolate or apple pie, and in the evening a good pizza or a real Italian meal. Those who prefer something simpler will also find bars with fried food, toasts and hamburgers, which feel like the most right thing in the world after a whole day in the snow.

The social side in Paso Tonla is just as strong as the culinary side. The après-ski here may not be as wild as in bigger and more famous sites, but it is warm, happy and full of character. On weekends there are parties, bars with good music and a relaxed atmosphere, and small events organized by Ski Deal’s attendants: beer evenings and games to social gatherings that create natural connections between people. Many of the guests come alone or as a couple, and precisely because of this, acquaintances and friendships are formed here with surprising ease. Everyone spent the same day on the track, everyone is equally tired and it connects.

And those who prefer to end the day in a more relaxed way, discover that Paso Tonla also knows how to pamper. The spa areas, even those outside the hotel, become a pilgrimage center in the afternoon. A hot sauna after hours in the cold, a heated pool and a snowy mountain view is a combination that is hard to compete with. In addition, there are quite a few attractions for those who want to diversify: snowmobile trips at night (NIS 150 per person), leisurely walks in and around the town, stops for coffee or hot chocolate in front of the mountains, and simply time to stop, breathe and feel the winter. Paso Tonella does not try to distract from the snow, it complements it, and lets everyone find the rhythm that suits them.