Why the remote Italian resort of Livigno welcomes off-piste skiers and boarders

Matt Carroll makes tracks in Little Tibet

Air we go: Mottolino is perfect for boarders (Claudio Foco)

“Bend zee knees! Bend zee knees!” Last time I found myself in Livigno, these were the words that echoed off the mountain sides as my careworn instructor, Marco, screamed at me in a bid to get me snowboarding.

It was millennium new year – the start of a new epoch – and at that time anything had seemed possible: including getting a lanky, mal-coordinated Englishman to ride a snowboard for the first time. After days of failed attempts, which included mistakenly riding “switch” before I'd realised I was “goofy” (right foot forward) and not “regular” (left foot forward), not to mention an incident where I'd interpreted the meaning of “drag” lift a little too literally, I'd finally managed to make my first turns.

As anyone who's ever learnt to ride a board will tell you, the first few days are among the most exhilarating you can have. For the rest of my week I'd strolled Livigno's streets like a kingpin (“I'm a snowboarder!”), despite the fact I barely left the baby slopes.

Much has changed in this sweet Italian ski town over the intervening years – including the resort's attitude to off-piste skiing. Tucked away in the Italian Alps, Livigno was always renowned as a beginners' playground with miles of mellow groomers spread over two sides of a wide, open valley. Those who ventured under the boundary rope in search of powder risked incurring the wrath of the Italian authorities.

This has changed since the opening of the new free-ride area, giving powder junkies the chance to indulge their habit with a clear conscience. Located on the Mottolino side of the valley, it gives you the whole back side of the mountain to play with. This may look modest in comparison with the resort's 115km of pisted runs, but you could easily spend a good few months here exploring the alternative side of Livigno, and never ride the same lines twice. I only had a week, but made the most of it.

Having booked myself a local guide who hooked me up with the requisite avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe, we hopped on the local bus for the free five-minute ride from the village. Conditions were perfect for this return visit to my snowboarding launchpad: an overnight dump of spring snow had coated the mountains with pillows of fresh powder, waiting for us to scribble our names all over them.

After the cable car up to Mottolino hut, we took deep breaths, strapped in and set off down a short red stretch, before slipping through the gateway that led into a wide, expansive powder field. A reassuring beep as we passed through the gate announced that our transceivers had triggered the sensors which log skiers in and out of the off-piste area – another safety feature designed to ensure that everyone has the proper equipment. Now the fun could begin.

Spread out before us was an open area of fresh fluff, untarnished like the icing on a newly-baked Christmas cake. As the “guest”, I got first dibs and pointed the nose of my board straight, sending a rooster tail of snow cascading out behind me as I banked left and caught a face-full.

No matter how many times you do this, the buzz is always the same; an involuntary grin spread across my face as I floated down the mountain. It was still bucketing down, limiting visibility, but on a good day you get a cracking view out over Mottolino, Monopoly houses clustered into the nooks and crannies of the valley below.

In total there are five free-ride routes to choose from, each entered through gates from the main slopes. My favourite follows the valley down from the Valfin chairlift, perched at the top of Monte Della Neve, at almost 2,800m. From here you cruise all the way down to the village of Trepalle (2,086m) – Italy's highest, so I was told – where a chairlift will take you back up the mountain for more. Veer too far to the right, however, and you'll need a taxi home. Worth remembering.

For those who prefer their snow with a corduroy texture, Mottolino has miles of cruisy blue and red runs; unlike many other mountains, here you can ride from top to bottom as an intermediate.

After spending my first day scribbling lines all over Mottolino, the next morning brought clear blue skies as we headed over to Carosello on the other side of the valley. In all, Livigno has 78 runs to explore, all bar 12 of them red and blue; on my first visit here all those years ago, I had no idea all this existed. As we made our way up in the cable car I felt like a child who'd been allowed to sit in the front seat for the first time.

With my legs getting achier by the day, that evening I booked myself in for a massage at the Hotel Lac Salin, where a patient masseuse ironed out the knots. An hour later I was floating down the village's main street, ruddy-cheeked and reinvigorated. Although referred to as Little Tibet by locals, such is its remote, mountainous location, Livigno has shops stocked with the latest lines from the world's biggest brands (including every variation of Ray-Ban you could possibly imagine), all tax free.

Resisting the temptation to blow all my pocket money, I soaked up the views of Mottolino's omnipotent peaks, now stained the colour of strawberry ice cream by the setting sun, the air thick with wood smoke. Behind me, a gaggle of newbie snowboarders trudged their way back to their hotel, chattering excitedly with their instructor about what tomorrow would bring. It was like millennium new year all over again.

Getting there

Crystal Ski (0871 231 2256; crystalski.co.uk) offers a week's half-board accommodation at the Hotel Cristallo from £785pp. Children from £643 (sharing a room with parents). Flights from Gatwick and transfers are included, while direct flights from other major UK airports are available for an extra £20.

More information

livigno.eu

skipasslivigno.com