Sport, Wine and Food - Piemonte Feel

Nature and the mountain are the perfect pair for anyone who plays sports during all four seasons. Thanks to the particular layout of their mountains, the Orco and Soana Valleys are a reference point and a school for alpinists; different levels of difficulty are in place to scale the mountains - some for beginners to learn the basic techniques and other more difficult and fascinating levels for more expert mountain climbers. The Orco and Soana Valleys are also a true and proper test ground in the development of new styles of free climbing, thanks in part to the Orco Valley’s good southern exposure that makes it possible to climb “solar” granite plates from April to November at elevations ranging from 1,000 to 1,900 meters. During the summer, wind-surf lovers can practice their favorite sport at an elevation of 1,582 meters on the waters of Lake Ceresole. Even during the winter, the possibilities are extensive: guided alpine skiing to the most striking destinations: La Cialma, Punta Cia, la Rossa, Vallone di Piantonetto (from Locana), Colle Gran Paradiso, Bocca di Noaschetta (from Noasca), Colle del Carro, Levanna Orientale, Aiguille Rousse, Punto Galisia, Punta Basei, Punta Foura, Becca di Monciair, Colle della Terra, Col Perdu (from Ceresole), etc.; back country snowboarding (scaling up the mountain and snowboarding down it) over the same trails; telemark skiing; and downhill skiing, thanks to the ski lifts installed in Locana, Alpette, Ceresole Reale, and Valprato Soana. Cross-country skiing is also available in Ceresole Reale and in Campiglia di Valprato Soana. In Ceresole and in Piamprato, there are also areas for ice skating.

To end the perfect day spent in nature and sport, a taste of the typical cuisine from these valleys is advised. The simple and substantial dishes from mountain culture, such as polenta, are found at the area’s eating establishments. Other traditional dishes are: cabbage soup, Ceresole risotto, potato soup, chestnut soup, breaded and fried mushrooms, and stewed mushrooms. Some of the typical products are: milk, butter, alpine toma cheese, goat cheeses, brus (ricotta cheese with black pepper which can be aged or eaten fresh), burrina (liquid cream taken after the whey’s first boil), potato salami, mocetta (a cured meat traditionally made from goat and presently made from beef - usually), frisse lettuce, chestnuts, mushrooms, sanguinacci (pork blood sausages), lardo alle noci (lard seasoned with nuts), and quaietta (pork seasoned with herbs and spices), honey, and marmalade.