Day-trippers on one-way tickets spoil it for 'real' skiers

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.

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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 (about R575) 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.