 Poster: A snowHead
|
Hi everyone,
I will be spending 3 full ski days in the Dolomites in February. I am staying in Cortina. I know is a bit far from Alta Badia etc. but wanted to stay in Cortina at least once in my life so don't judge me...
On-piste skier on any groomed pistes.
The Itinerary below, I know, is super aggressive. But it is just in a perfect world depending on weather and how tired I am etc.
Please let me know what is a more realistic Itinerary for 3 days in the Dolomites. I am not driving. Thanks so much in advance.
Day 1
Ski Cortina
Faloria in the morning.
Tofana - Pocol in the afternoon (*Priority to ski the Olympia piste. I've seen it too many times on TV with the Women's Downhill)
Any mountain Rifugio/Hut for lunch to recommend?
Day 2
Ski Cinq Tori in the morning and Lagazuoi in the afternoon with the hidden valley Armentarola piste. (*Prority Cinq Tori view and Armentarola with the horse carriage to Armentarola)
Lunch at Ristorante da Aurelio. (Not sure if there is time)
Day 3
Ski Sellaronda or part of it weather permitting. (*Priority piste with best view and lunch at a great Rifugio/hut. I don't need to ski the whole route)
Lunch : Jimmy Huette/ Rifugio Comici / Friedrich August Hutte / Fienile Monte / Baita Rodella Hutte ... too bad I can only pick one and depending on the route. Any suggestions?
My concern with Day 1 is the connection between Faloria and Tofana. I suppose the ski bus is quite frequent within Cortina?
My concern with Day 2 and Day 3 is the transport and time.
With day 2, I am not sure if the Cortina Express pick up at hotel Armentarola back to Cortina is close to the end of the Horse Carriage ride? Actually, I am not so sure where the Horse Carriage Starts and Ends.
With Day 3, I will need to take the Cortina Express bus again back from CORVARA.. The bus leaves CORVARA autostazione at 18:10 back to Cortina.
Also, since getting to Alta Badia involves skiing the Armenarola Hidden Valley so I am thinking if I should do it together with the Sellarona or just take a bus direct from Cortina to Corvara on Day 3. Since I've skied it already in Day 2.
I am a bit inclined to skip Day 3 all together and stay at Cortina until next time when I am actually staying somewhere in Alta Badia. Not sure..
Thanks for your suggestions!
Calvin
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Sounds great. Much will.depend on weather/ lifts / queues.
The place to the left of the road at Cristobella in Cortina is great.
The Sella Ronda isn't the best way to utilise one of your days - much of it is travelling sideways on lifts.
Do you have a car ? It's so cheap in Italy at the mo.
If.it were me.Is do the Great War ring. Souch quieter than the SR and much more scenic. Get the bus timetable.thoygg to save wasting ski time waiting .for the buses.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
Thanks Cameron! Yes, it seems like most of the time you'll be on the lift doing the Sella Ronda..
Let me check the Great War route out!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Best done anticlockwise with a switch back top to bottom at Alleghe. If you don't hang about and spend too much time eating you can get marmolarda in too.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Marmoarda glacier looks tempting.. The Great War route seems better too if I am staying at Cortina as the anticlockwise ends at Passo Falzarego- somewhat close to Cortina.
I see there are 2 bus rides to link the route. One from Malga Ciapela to Alleghe and then another one from Pescul to Fadare. Are the bus stops far away from the end of the slopes? I saw the bus schedule and they seem quite frequent. I am just a bit worried about finding them.
Thanks!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
@hkgyvr, As you are in Cortina for such a short time, I would do day 3 in Cortina as the slopes are really nice on Tofana and IMHO deserve more than a cursory half day. There is a very nice and quiet area in an amazing bowl called RaValles which should be experienced. Also not to miss is the piste down from Lagazoui back down to the lift- simply stunning!
The pistes are some of the best that I've experienced anywhere.
Cortina is not really ski convenient so you need to learn the bus timetable if you don't have transport, we found it easier to set off on Tofana from Socrepes especially if the sun was out.
The town is full of nice wine bars and lovely restaurants. Take your time and smell the coffee!!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@northantsred, Thanks! You are right. I am really now more inclined to stay in Cortina on Day 3 and just slow down and enjoy more skiing and the view rather than just taking more time commuting around. I think I will get a good sense of how I like the Dolomites and next time I will stay in Corvara or the other towns around Alta Badia.
I suppose the free ski bus within Cortina is quite frequent right? I mean between Tofana and Faloria?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@hkgyvr, We stayed in Corvara one year and Cortina twice the following year and subsequently Cortina has become a favourite of mine, I just love the feel in and around the the town. I may add that I have been to many different resorts in all the European Alpine countries and do know it's not everyone's cup of tea but it floats my boat.
The bus does run frequently so rest assured but if you manage your itinerary as above you'll only need once on the first day?
There is more than enough skiing for you in this area for three days together with Cinque Torri and the Super 8 before you attack Lagazoui and the hidden valley. Depending on your timing you could also ski some of the Alta Badia area from Armentarola which is where you finish on the horse tow.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
Welcome to snowHeads @hkgyvr 
Simple truth - the area is so vast, 3 days is not enough.
Quite frankly, we're in the area 2 weeks each year (for the PreBBWUW and the Birthday Bash) and that is not enough.
By trying to cover too many areas, you risk spending more time on buses and wasting opportunities that are close at hand.
I'd say stick to the stuff that is close to Cortina: there's easily a week's worth before you even get close to the Sela Ronda.
Then do another week... and another.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@admin,  Thanks for saying Hi!
Of course. I would love to stay for 2 weeks or even a month. I mean who wouldn't here in this forum... but life is life. I couldn't at this point in my life to spend 2 weeks in paradise.. hopefully one day I could.
You are completely right. I shouldn't waste more time just waiting for buses and commuting back and forth. I will stick close to Cortina. I am not used to busing around. I was actually a bit confused when I looked at the piste map of the Dolomites area because it is just so spread out. It took me like a week to figure out where everything is on the map..
I've spent 3 days each in Val D/Tignes, Zermatt, Ischgl in the past couple of years and other than Zermatt, I really don't need to use the bus.. I grew up skiing Whistler/Blackcomb and just really used to 1 mountain or interconnected mountains..
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
@northantsred, yeah, that is why i really wanted to stay in Cortina at least once. My wife might skip a day of skiing so I need to make sure there is something for her to do and not just in an isolated place somewhere.
I probably need to take the bus to Socrepes from Cortina? It seems a bit far out from town.
I think your suggestion is perfect. Depending on the weather, probably pick the best day to do Cinque Torri/Super 8/Lagazoui..
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
i would add to what some are saying, you could do 5 torre hidden valley and a nice down in alta badia/arabba depending on what kind of slop you have.
also i get you wanting to chose a resturant in this part of the world i really don't think you should worry too much.
in 4 years we have only had one bad meal up the mountain in alta badia most are amazing.
i would also say get a car it will be no more than your transfer.
we stay in corvara but drive round to armentarola get the first ski taxi to the the top to miss the queues and if you just to hidden valley you get first tracks which is brilliant - ski in alta badia all day and finsh back in armentarola.
have fun whatever you do.
we haven't been anywhere else since we discovered the dolomiti
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hi All, so I came back from Cortina last week and had a great time. So below is actually what I did and hopefully would help those that are planning their time in Cortina.
Day 1:
I've spent the whole day at Faloria. I stayed quite close to the Church in Cortina around Piazza Roma so it was a relatively short walk to the Funivia Faloria Gondola. It was a perfect sunny day with only a few people in the morning. Blasted down a few of the red and black runs there. Perfectly groomed. I then headed over to Rio Gere side. I love the Rio Gere area. Again great red runs for carving. I started at 9am and back down to Cortina at 1pm. I picked up my wife and did the same thing again in the afternoon. I might have gone to Col Druscie in the afternoon but my wife is not as strong a skier so I think Faloria area is great for her to get her legs back a bit. Maybe the Pocol/Socrepes area is great as well but the connection to there means is best done in the morning I think.
Day 2:
I went to direct to Cinque Torri from Cortina Main Bus Station. The Dolomiti Ski Bus is really good and on-time all the time. It is part of your ski pass. It took around 30 minutes from Cortina to the bottom of the Cinque Torri area. It was around 10am when I was at the bottom of Cinque Torri chair. I wanted to cry when I got up to Cinque Torri. It is so beautiful up there. I spent some time skiing the great red runs there and then started to do the Super 8 tour. The Fedare lift is really nice and it gets you up over the ridge and then you ski back down towards the Falzarego area. I then ended up at the Falzarego Pass at around noon. The choke point is the Falzarego gondola. The ride is great up to Lagazuoi but I waited for an hour in line to get up. It was Thursday at noon. I am not sure if the traffic is less in the morning but if you want to transfer from Cortina to Alta Badia then this is where you will spend most of your time.. - in line at the Falzarego.. Eventually, I got up and wanted to ski the red run back down the station but decided not to because I will need to get inline for an hour again to get back up because I need to do the Armentorola hidden valley run down to Armentarola. The Armentarola run was beautiful. It was a sunny day again and with the Dolomites all around you, you only think what all the non-skiers are missing out. I skied all the way to where the horse carriages are where you get pulled by 2 horses to Armentororla which connected you to the Alta Badia area. It was around 3pm when I got there. I did stop for lunch at Capanna Alpina. I took the shared Taxi system from Armentorola Hotel back to Falzarego pass. It was 6Euros per person. It was a fair price as it was quite a long ride back alost 10-15 minutes through the mountain. I then skied back from Falzarego to the bottom of Cinque Torri. There is a pretty flat blue run and takes about 10minutes. From Cinque Torri I took the ski bus back to Cortina. It was only 4:30pm when I was back in Cortina. In time for some apres ski.
Day 3:
I took the Ski Bus from Cortina Bus station to Socrepes. The bottom of Roncato lift. It was a bit of a walk through the parking lot to the lift but they have installed these people movers so it does help a bit. The area is all blue runs and crowded. It seems like the ski school mainly operates in this area. It was great for my wife but I got a bit bored here. I then got up the Tofana Express and then up to Duca D'Aosta then up to Pomedes. Now, this is where the fun is. I came to Cortina in part because of the Olympia run. It did not disappoint. I went down it 3x. I then made my way towards Ra Valles and then up the gondola to the top of Ra Valles. I had lunch there and then up the Bus Tofana chairlift and skied the red runs there. It is a great area with a number of speedy red runs high altitude. I think the highest in Cortina. At the top of Bus Tofana you get quite close to the cliff face of the Tofana di Mezzo mountain. Unfortunately, it was the only cloudy day I had in Cortina. I bet the view is amazing up there. I wanted to ski the Forcella Rossa back over to the Duca Aosta chair buy my wife said no so we took the gondola back down to the midstation and then skied our way back to Tofana Exress. We did some more skiing there and then took the bus back to Cortina at the bottom of Sorepes/Roncato chair. It was a bit of a walk through the parking lot again back down to the bus stop.
Tip1: I don't think a car is necessary. The Dolomiti Bus is very efficient and on-time. It stops at a number of stops around the area so you can pick and choose where you want to stop and where you want to come back from. If you have a car, you are almost fixed to the same starting and ending point to pick up your car. Also, it wasn't too busy when I was there but I bet parking will be an issue if you are there in the peak.
Tip2: Cinque Torri is a must do. If I had another day, I will go back and just ski there. It was not busy and great long runs. Conque Torri is magestic. You could almost touch it.
Tip3: Transfering to Alta Badia is pushing it with the choke point at Falzarego. I would spend more time skiing around Cortina than going over there now with this experience. If I want to ski Alta Badia, I will stay at one of the many villages there.
I have loads of photos/videos. Maybe I will post them later.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
@hkgyvr, thanks for the detailed report. Sounds excellent - looking forward to visiting myself one day, hopefully.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
