Airolo

Ease of access is the first thing praised: the motorway exit sits a couple of hundred metres from the base, more than five hundred free parking spaces wait at the lifts, and the cable car reaches Pesciuem in five minutes. Price comes up constantly, since by Swiss standards the skiing here is cheap. Snow cover, the mix of runs, the rustic huts and the snowpark with its big air bag all get compliments.

The loss of sun draws criticism, as the slopes fall into shade not long after two in the afternoon. The lifts are the other sore point: there are few of them and reviews complain they are often not running. Closures are frequent enough that management itself acknowledged how hard it is to explain a shutdown when the snow is clearly there, whether the cause is avalanche risk, wind or warmth. Easy terrain is scarce, so novices struggle.