Over 3,000 passages to the village, 800 registered participants, and 400 participants in the experiences organized with the Alpine Guides of Bormio and the brands present. Between Skimo School, ARTVA camps, training activities, and themed evenings, the festival confirms its role as a reference point for ski mountaineering in Italy.
Conclusion of the third edition of Skimofestival
Three days of great enthusiasm and full sun were the ingredients of the third edition of Skimofestival which, from March 6th to 8th, enlivened the snow of Santa Caterina Valfurva, in Valtellina. The first ski mountaineering festival in Italy presented itself as the culmination of the discipline that made its debut at the Milan Cortina Olympic Games this year, arousing curiosity and passion. In this sense, the experiences offered by the organization in collaboration with the Alpine Guides of Bormio allowed experts and new enthusiasts to experience this discipline in full, with routes of various levels, but also with film screenings, meetings with snow experts and mountain professionals. Therefore, not only sports, but culture and philosophy of a slow and conscious movement in the mountains, where exploration and fun go hand in hand with respect for the environment. This is what makes Skimofestival an event capable of exciting and convincing everyone: enthusiasts, athletes, companies, stores, media, and local partners. 
What’s new at Skimofestival 2026
Among the novelties of this edition, a large tent set up in the test area became the home for all the registered participants, who found hot tea and mulled wine here, as well as a pleasant refreshment with typical products. Moreover, the tent structure served as the gathering point for all the briefings with the Guides, but also as a place for presentations and screenings to give participants the opportunity to experience everything that ski mountaineering has to offer on-site. Furthermore, this year a partnership with the Meteomon carabinierit was activated, who carried out snow study activities with practical tests by participants in the Valle dell’Alpe area, a transit area for experiences ascending towards Sunny Valley and Sobretta. 
And again, an activity was organized that simulated a Base Camp at high altitude, with overnight camping in the environment, which concluded a technical ascent and anticipated the ascent to the summit the next day, followed by a descent. Skimo Peak & Base Camp, designed for experienced ski mountaineers, was supported by Ferrino, which also provided tents to all participants, as well as by Lyofood with its excellent and tasty high-quality outdoor meals. 
Finally, on March 8th, International Women’s Day, a special outing was organized, sponsored by the brand LaMunt, designed by women for women, which honored each participant with a thermal shirt. 
The ARTVA Camp by ARVA and the Skimo School were confirmed with great enthusiasm, as well as the test village where participants could try the latest equipment innovations, from boots to skis, to apps like NIVA and PeakVisor. From Friday to Sunday, the Patagonia Worn Wear was present, a mobile tailor shop that gave a second life to broken or damaged technical garments through a free service. The Skimo Party organized at the Terrace was also a huge success, with a pasta party and a DJ set that was sold out. 
The experiences
The core of the festival was the guided ski mountaineering and splitboard outings in the Stelvio National Park, which were sold out even before the event. In total, 13 Alpine Guides managed three Skimo Schools, several ARTVA camps, and nine experiences of different levels and elevations. The Skimo under the stars by La Sportiva kicked off the activities, taking 40 participants on a night excursion up to an altitude of 2000 meters, in the Plaghera area. Other experiences started from La Fonte (or with approach by chairlift) for Monte Sobretta and Sunny Valley refuge supported by La Sportiva, PeakVisor, SCARPA, and Fischer. Among the other outings proposed was also one in collaboration with the Stelvio National Park and with naturalist Marta Tognetti, who illustrated the local flora and fauna. 
Equipment testing
Some of the best ski mountaineering brands brought their collection products or previews to the test village. Enthusiastic Skimofestival participants had the exclusive opportunity to preview products and brands and provide feedback. Significant numbers for the tests carried out, declared by the present companies, which were able to present or showcase their novelties to a diverse audience: from beginners without equipment to experts curious to try something new. 
Entertainment
Various collateral activities were proposed starting from the daily entertainment in the Village of Santa Caterina Valfurva. On Friday, March 6th, there was an evening by Patagonia. 150 people attended the screening of Le Moulin des Artistes, which tells the story of Peter and Anati, who transformed a 16th-century mill in the Chamonix valley into a workshop where artisanal skis are built, paintings are made, music is played, and a community is created, and of Simple as a Turn, a tribute to the essence of snowboarding for Nicholas Wolken. On Saturday, there was a double appointment in the afternoon with the screening of the docufilm by Giulio Ballardini Cycle to Summit – a bike to ski adventure across Lofoten Islands, and with the talk “Winter Mountain: knowing the risk, choosing safety” by CAI and ARPA Lombardia, both inside the tent in the village, while the evening represented the most anticipated moment thanks to the Skimo Party at the Terrace with dinner and DJ set. Before starting the party, Marco Colombo from Alta Valle Spa Multiservice Company intervened to present Stelvio Natural Skimo Trails: a project that brings together various actors in the area towards a shared goal: to propose ski mountaineering routes, with ascent in the woods and descent on the slopes. 
What is Skimofestival
The project was born in 2024 from the idea and winning synergies between the MagNet group (publisher among others of Outdoor Magazine and organizer of the Outdoor & Running Business Days in Riva del Garda) and Altracom Sas (with Outdoortest.it, a reference portal for outdoor action enthusiasts) with the aim of giving a “home” to a constantly growing community.
A special thanks to all the brands and partners of Skimofestival 2025
4Outdoor, APF Valtellina, Arva, Cimalp, Municipality of Bormio, Municipality of Santa Caterina, Alta Valtellina Mountain Community, El Camös, Faction, Ferrino, Fischer, Bormio Foundation, Alpine Guides Bormio, Kästle, LaMunt, La Sportiva, Majesty, Lyo, Niva, Panorama Diffusion, Stelvio National Park, Patagonia, Pro Loco di Santa Caterina, Santa Caterina Impianti, SCARPA, Alta Valtellina Ski Club, Ski Trab, Alpine Rescue, Alta Valle Spa Multiservice Company, Mountain Sports, Van Deer. All photos are available at this link.
