Some of you may know the Splügenpass from trips to Italy. Even then it's more of an insider tip. In winter, however, the place is even more lonely, but all the more magical. The Splügenpass is not cleared in winter and is therefore usually closed from October to May. From Chiavenna, however, it can be easily reached in winter until Montespluga. The Italian village at 1,908 m is the municipality furthest from the sea in Italy. But who needs the sea when you have this landscape. Montespluga in winter dress is absolutely magical.
For us this place is mainly a starting point for freeride tours. Here you usually have snow from December to April - sometimes even until the end of May, like last year.
So what do you do if the pass isn't cleared? Well, you do snowboarding, of course.
One of our favorite tours is in Val Loga, reaching the Bivacco Cecchini at 2,773 m. From there you have a fantastic panorama of Valle Spluga, which is worth every effort. The ascent, especially with snowshoes and a snowboard on your back, is tough. Every time he pushes us to the limits. Up there, however, every effort is forgotten. Convince yourself.
And of course the descent compensates again. For us snowboarders, the last stretch to Montespluga is a bit difficult because the valley is relatively flat. You just lack speed. Nevertheless, the tour remains on our favorites' list. And for the very ambitious, further ascents are possible from the bivouac, e.g. to the Cima di Val Loga 2,967 m or even to the Pizzo Zoccone 3,091 m. The exact route is described here on my website about the Valchiavenna.
See here some impressions from our last tour to Bivacco Cecchini.
Montespluga also has a lot to offer for those who are looking for other activities than freeride. Snowshoeing, kiteboarding, snowmobile tours or just enjoying a cappuccino in the sun at the Albergo Posta. As the place is not that easy to reach, it is not too crowded and retains its charm and silence.
You can find more information about the Valchiavenna following the link:
