Practicing sports on the snow is a deep-rooted tradition in Appennino Tosco-Emiliano
Several skiing resorts known at a national level gravitate around and in the territory of the National Park. Among them, Cerreto Laghi, in the Municipality of Collagna, that in the latest years has invested a lot in improving its structures and ski-lift facilities: it offers about 30 km of mountain ski slopes with various difficulty levels. The local sport facilities also include the big indoor ice stadium, with Olympic rink.
Febbio skiing resort, in the Municipality of Villa Minozzo, with its "2000" track situated at the altitude after which it has been named, includes 25 km of tracks.
This area rich in opportunities is completed by resorts like Ventasso Laghi and Prato Spilla.
Great attention has been recently paid to the promotion of cross-country skiing: a reference point is represented by the Center «NeveNatura» in Pianvallese, a few steps from Febbio, where it is possible to practice cross-country skiing - with a 3.5 km certified ring-route - cross-country ski touring, winter walking, Nordic walking, and snow rackets walking. The very cosy structure is situated at the edges of a precious high-mountain peat bog. It is provided with dressing rooms and equipment rental service, and offers the possibility to attend lessons and courses. Further cross-country skiing tracks are situated in many wonderful locations: the main ones are Pratizzano, Succiso, and Lake Pranda ring-route.
If you love ski touring, you will have the opportunity to try various summits, among which Mt. Prado (2,053m), Alpe di Vallestrina (1,930m), Mt. Cusna (2,120m), Mt. Cavalbianco (1,853m), Mt. La Nuda (1,893m), the group of Mt. Casarola (1,979m) and Alpe di Succiso (2,017m), Mt. Marmagna (1,851m), and Mt. Tondo (1,781m). It is recommended to bring all the necessary equipment, including safety equipment (shovel, avalanche beacon, and probe), and to require detailed information on the snow and weather conditions.
If you are not familiar with skis, you can enjoy the direct contact with the snow-clad Apeninnes thanks to snow rackets, called here "ciaspole". Tours with snow rackets, also at night under the moonlight, are organized during the winter by the mountain huts and the cooperative I Briganti di Cerreto. The northern slope of the Park is scattered with structures where it is possible to rent snow rackets and find information and material on the best itineraries to appreciate the environmental and landscape features of the territory.
If you are not satisfied with climbing on foot or barehanded towards the sky and you want to soar, you can enjoy with hang gliders or paragliders.
Ideal places to carry out these sports are the summit of Cusna and the summit of Mt. Prampa: usually on Saturdays and Sundays. During the summer, it is possible to reach the best take-off areas by taking the ski-lift in Febbio, whose chair lifts work during the summer weekends and every day in August.
