The buses from Naples arrive in a steady stream, unloading thousands of people in brightly-coloured ski outfits into the small town nestled in the mountains of central Italy.
Every weekend during winter, Roccaraso’s streets are filled with day-trippers, its small slopes packed with Neapolitans seeking some snow fun and a little fresh air.
“We don’t ski, but we have fun with sleds. Sometimes I even try with a plastic bag under my bottom!” laughed Anna Lippolis, a 58-year-old hairdresser in a retro pink ski jacket and silver earrings.
She took the 30-euro ($36) return bus from Naples on a recent Sunday to “get out of the house, to unwind a bit” after a long week.
Far from Italy’s high-end sites where the Winter Olympics take place this month, many Italians experience winter sports in more modest resorts like Roccaraso.
But the visitors have sparked tensions with locals, reflecting the difficulties of mountain resorts in managing surging numbers at a time of declining snowfall.
– Ruin the environment –
The only ski slope accessible by foot from Roccaraso, situated at an altitude of 1,200 metres (3,900 feet), has been closed for some time, the run now used by children.
But pedestrians can take the chair lift up the mountain to enjoy the view, before walking, sledding or taking the lift down.
“It’s my son’s first time seeing snow,” said Raimundo Di Bello, 68, in the half-hour queue for the lift. “It’s just lovely to be in the mountains.”
A 10-minute drive away is a real ski resort, Alto Sangro, boasting more than 100 kilometres (60 miles) of slopes going up to 2,100 metres, which draw 500,000 people a year.
There, many skiiers also complain about day trippers, noting that many seem more interested in sunbathing and drinking spritz on the slopes, where loud music pumps out from nearby speakers.
“People who don’t ski come and ruin the environment, nature and the concept of sport here,” said Kikka Misso Gentile, a 41-year-old from Naples who has a holiday home in nearby Rivisondoli.
The tensions made global headlines last year when more than 250 buses carrying some 12-13,000 people arrived in one day, after a TikTok influencer, Rita Di Crescenzo, urged fellow Neapolitans to visit.
Since then, authorities have imposed limits on the number of buses arriving, with a cap of 50 on a recent Sunday. Wardens have been deployed to manage the crowds.
Nicola Pitucci, a 46-year-old electrician with a house in Roccaraso, said he has seen “many more people” in recent years, while the snow is unpredictable.
“Everyone has the right to have fun in the snow”, but “limiting the number is right because the town can’t accommodate 50,000 people. It has no facilities, no infrastructure”, he said.
– Rising costs, less snow –
Many day-trippers told AFP they cannot afford to ski, which can easily cost 200 euros per person per day, taking into account travel, ski hire and the ski pass.
Skiing in Italy is traditionally cheaper than in France or Switzerland, but consumer association Altroconsumo warned in December that the price of ski passes were rising by up to 10 percent in some resorts, putting the sport further out of reach.
Yet the industry remains “very resilient”, according to Swiss tourism expert Laurent Vanat, with Italy recording its best ever seasons in 2022-23 and 2023-4.
This is despite declining snow cover due to climate change, which is shortening the season in resorts across Europe.
More than 90 percent of Italy’s ski slopes use artificial snowmaking systems, with Roccaraso’s the largest in the country, according to environmental group Legambiente.
But “artificial snow is not a solution, it’s a stop-gap”, and will become more and more difficult as temperatures rise, said Antonio Montani, the president of the Italian Alpine Club.
He told AFP that ski resorts must diversify, and argued that lower resorts like Roccaraso, which offer hiking and cycling, are better placed than others high in the Alps.
“The mountains in the Apennines are beautiful, they’re still wild, and at the same time they’re very rich in history, culture, and art,” he said.
Adventurous types can also look to Sicily for a rare experience — the chance to ski down an active volcano.
Mount Etna is growing in popularity, with tourists from around the world drawn to its extraordinary lunar landscape, local guide Mirto Monaco told AFP.
“Lava, snow and sea… it’s a truly unique experience,” he said.