Formazza’s ski lifts seek a new operator as winter approaches

Formazza is racing to secure a future for its Sagersboden chairlift and Valdo ski lift after the collapse of the local operator left the valley’s small but strategically important winter infrastructure without a stable manager. A technical meeting in Turin on 17 November is now the next chance to find a workable solution before the season.

The immediate issue

The municipality of Formazza owns the Sagersboden chairlift, the Valdo 1 skilift, two beginner “magic carpet” lifts and the snowmaking equipment serving the Sagersboden and Valdo areas. The facilities had been managed by Vigezzo & Friends (V&F), which entered judicial liquidation in July.

The court-appointed administrator has put the operating business up for rent, with a reserve annual rent of €54,000 across three lots: €18,000 for Piana di Vigezzo, €6,000 for Formazza and €30,000 for the La Lanterna restaurant. The Formazza package includes the lifts, snowmaking systems, the Valdo bar and the currently suspended Riale camper area.

Why Formazza matters

Though modest in scale, the Formazza system is central to both winter tourism and summer access to the upper valley. The Sagersboden chairlift, built in 1999, is 1,170 metres long and can carry about 902 people per hour; the Valdo 1 surface lift, installed in 2001, serves a 350-metre beginner slope.

In winter, the lifts support alpine skiing and a children’s learning area at Valdo. In summer, the Sagersboden lift gives walkers, snowshoers and ski tourers easier access toward the Alpe Vannino and mountain refuges, making its shutdown a blow beyond the ski season.

A wider financial crisis

The problem is not isolated to Formazza. V&F also managed lifts at Piana di Vigezzo and Cheggio in the Antrona valley, and its financial troubles have left three Ossola mountain communities exposed.

The company’s concession for Formazza ran from October 2023 to September 2038. In return for a symbolic annual fee, the operator was responsible for ordinary and extraordinary maintenance—an arrangement that has become difficult to sustain as major refurbishment needs emerge.

Element Status

• Sagersboden chairlift Owned by Formazza; operation disrupted after V&F’s liquidation.

• Valdo 1 skilift Part of the municipal ski area now being offered for interim management.

• Electricity supply Disconnected on 19 June 2026 because of unpaid bills; a new operator must arrange reconnection.

• Auction rent €6,000 annually for the Formazza lot, within a €54,000 total reserve for all three lots.

• Municipal position Formazza has sought revocation of the concession to limit economic damage, while also considering a bridge-management solution.

The political response

The regional “snow system” technical table is scheduled to meet in Turin on 17 November at 10am. It follows an October meeting that ended without a resolution, and it will focus in part on whether a public-private partnership can keep the facilities running.

Formazza’s mayor, Bruna Papa, has pushed to detach the municipality from the wider insolvency process. The aim is to prevent further economic harm to a valley dependent on mountain tourism, while the court administrator has resisted an immediate termination because creditors’ interests are still being assessed.

What happens next

The immediate test is whether a credible operator comes forward for the Formazza lot—or whether the municipality can assemble a temporary public management arrangement. The auction notice makes clear that the successful bidder must bear the cost of restoring the electricity connection, including reconnection charges, deposits and electrical inspections.

For residents and tourism businesses, the stakes are practical: a functioning Sagersboden lift supports winter sports, summer hiking and access to refuges; its absence weakens the valley’s visitor offer and adds pressure on an already fragile alpine economy.

The 17 November meeting will not itself reopen a lift. But it may determine whether Formazza enters the winter with a manager, a public bridge solution, or another season of uncertainty.