Forca Canapine skiing: runs, lifts and snow

Forca Canapine: runs and lifts

The Forca Canapine lifts are idle. On the Marche side, the company that ran them announced in 2016 that they would not open for the 2016/2017 winter season. Since then the ski area has not resumed operations. Anyone looking for a place to ski in the Marche can look at the other resorts in the Sibillini, described on the page about ski resorts in the Sibillini Mountains of the Marche.

The lifts are in the municipality of Arquata del Tronto. The runs, which descend between Colle Cascina (1,610 m) and Colle Saliere (1,560 m), were served by 2 ski tows and a beginners' area, and covered about 16 km. Difficulty ranged from the beginners' area to black runs, suitable for expert skiers as well. There was also a cross-country skiing loop of about 10 km. Off-piste skiing was possible too, on a route with a natural half-pipe, along with freestyle and snowboarding. Among the ski tows was the Madonnina, with a vertical drop of 100 m and a length of 450 m.

On the Umbrian side there is a two-seat chairlift, Monti del Sole, which is not running because of bureaucratic issues. The Monti del Sole mountain hut, built in the early 1980s, was declared unfit for use after the 2016 earthquake and is the subject of a restoration project.

As for the future of the lifts, the "Forca Canapine 365" project involves the municipalities of Norcia and Arquata del Tronto, the provinces of Perugia and Ascoli Piceno and the BIM del Tronto. Five public bodies are working on a consortium that focuses on roads, mountain huts, outdoor activities and year-round tourism, no longer on skiing alone.

Forca Canapine: ski passes and prices

With the lifts idle, there is currently no ski pass to buy at Forca Canapine. Rates from past seasons are not a valid reference for planning a day on the snow. Before setting off to ski, it is worth checking the status of the ski area with the local authorities.

When the ski area was active, on the Marche side there was a ticket office, a ski school and a rental shop near the Baby Valletta ski tow. A useful detail in case the resort reopens: the Baby Valletta is a ski tow with a vertical drop of 27 m and a length of 150 m.

The pages on the Bolognola ski resort at Pintura, the Frontignano ski resort and the Sassotetto ski resort describe the other resorts in the Sibillini of the Marche. For these too, it is worth checking the status of the lifts before setting out.

Forca Canapine: weather and snow

The runs started from about 1,610 m, an altitude that exposes the area to cold and snow in winter. For this reason, and because of the decline in snowfall in the Apennines after 1995, the ski area had installed snowmaking. It covered about 3 km of runs. Its purpose was to guarantee skiing when precipitation was scarce.

In winter the area can be hard to reach. Even with no lifts running, anyone driving up to the pass in this season should check the forecast and road conditions before leaving. The view over the Pian Grande di Castelluccio and Monte Vettore remains the main reason to go up to Forca Canapine.

How to get to Forca Canapine

The area can be reached only by private vehicle. From the Via Salaria, near Trisungo, take the turnoff toward Norcia-Cascia. Alternatively, also from Trisungo, follow the signs for Arquata del Tronto and, at Borgo, continue toward Castelluccio di Norcia. From the Macerata area the route runs through Visso, Castelsantangelo sul Nera and Castelluccio. In winter this route is described as difficult.

The road was damaged by the earthquake. Provincial road 64 Nursina became fully passable again on July 11, 2025, after repair and safety work on the damaged areas. The stretch between the Umbrian border and the junction with the municipal road leading to the lifts had already reopened. The nearest highway, from the Adriatic side, is the A14: from San Benedetto del Tronto or Ascoli Piceno take the Ascoli-Mare expressway and then the Salaria toward Rome.