Hotels near Alberto Tomba (Piste No. 9)

Piste No. 9, marked Tomba on the Bansko Ski Resort map and named after Italian racer Alberto Tomba, is the single black-graded run in the ski area and the reason strong skiers book a week here. It measures 2,567 m with a vertical drop of 925 m, the biggest single drop on the upper mountain. The line begins near the top station of the Todorka six-seat chairlift at 2,527 m, runs through open ground, then tightens into a steeper pitch above Banderishka Polyana.

Snow quality decides how this piste skis. The north-facing aspect keeps it cold and around 400 snow cannons cover most of the terrain, but the steep middle section glazes over by mid-afternoon once traffic has scraped it back to hardpack. Bansko Ski Resort has staged Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup racing on this flank of Todorka since 2009, including parallel giant slalom rounds on 17 and 18 January 2026, and the course setters use the same fall line. Piste numbering, grading and lift specs are published on the official Bansko Ski Resort site.

Pro Tip: Make the Alberto Tomba run your first descent of the day. Ski lifts start at 08:45 and the groomed corduroy on the steep section holds for roughly 90 minutes before it turns hard.