billyh, If you are happy on most reds I think you'll be fine. The runs are unlikely to be icy, although there maybe some areas that are a bit scraped. I didn't think any of the runs were narrow - at least not steep and narrow or scraped and narrow. If you have fresh the day you go it will be fab.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
billyh wrote:
Going away next saturday to San Cassiano and fancy doing the circuit but wondering if I've got enough experience? Early intermediate (7 weeks skiing) happy on most reds unless really narrow/icey. "Intermediate" seems to cover lots of skiers. :~
It does, but there is nothing on the circuit you can't do if you are "happy on most reds".
The steepest run on the clockwise (Orange) circuit is the one down from the cable car/gondola out of Arabba, but even that is pretty wide, and more likely to have mild moguls than ice.
I haven't actually done the circuit the other way, but I would guess the steepest bit would be the Danterceipes run down towards Selva - which is again pretty wide.
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?
billyh, You should be okay either way - there is nothing narrow or very steep. You may hit a few bumps but only on fairly wide runs.
You should also be fine for the Hidden Valley if that is on your agenda.
billyh, We went in January, Some good skiers and others 3rd week skiers. On the last day we took those 3rd week skiers who had been in ski school around the orange Sella Ronda. The only awkward bit was after Arabba, but that was mainly due to volume of people sat down in the middle of the piste than steepness. Everyone picked their way down ok. Take your time and you will have no problem.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Fantastic! Thats that decided then. Can't wait to go. How excited am I?
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I'll be in Ortisei on the 14th with a group of friends and we've hired a minibus so was going to drive to different areas each day and explore.Any suggestions for an itinerary that's not too full on?
Iain
After all it is free
After all it is free
Arrabba 27th -March 5th, Mountain hut night of 5th, Cortina 6th/7th
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
On Sunday 1 March our party of 9 are off to Pedraces. Our first time in the Dolomites. After reading all of your reports I can't wait to get there. Can Frosty the Snowman (and his group of 40 !! staying in Pedraces) let us know what to expect. We are with Colletts but not in his luxurious hotel. Eager for all information. Really want to make the most of our week. We have 4 keen walkers in our group so any information on walking gratefully received.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
MFC, I am in Arabba from the 1st to the 15th March
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Back, but still a bit of a sleep deficit, so brief notes for now.
I did 165Km and 108 lifts. Bev did 119Km but was suffering with her knee by day 3. Hippo, claims 124. We didn't quite make it to Ortisei, but nearly did. Andiamo, the Neilson's rep, had a big group that day and it came down to a choice between the 10k and lunch. No brainer then! We also got cloud and snow the day we went to Hidden Valley, though my Missions enjoyed the new snow.
The Alba area went down well and as it is gentle Bev was able to hoon around that without too much knee damage. Those wanting anything extravagant (like a turn, say) can try beating the cable car down the black, which I claim to have done, though it might not have been a fair start! We also went beyond Pozza to the little area above Pera called Catenaccia, I think, which is uncrowded and nice.
Even on the main Sella Ronda circuit, we found few and brief queues and often found ourselves alone on the piste. Half-term crowds again not a problem.
Our Hotel - The Gran Soreges in Campitello was very comfortable and we got upgraded to a suite, which was nice. We also enjoyed the sauna and the steam-room. We spent so much at the bar, I think we paid for the upgrade, but even so €4 for a big beer was good by some standards.
Belvedere is the area to learn in. It has wide, gentle slopes and always seems to be in the sun. I found myself frequently returning to the area for a warm-up, as it was cold all week. Snow conditions are very good, though there can be some hard patches where the wind blows the snow off.
Failed to meet up with Frosty the Snowman, as he was at the opposite corner to us and had a vast group to mobilise.
Might try to get a hotel in Ortisei for next year, though Hippo's, single status limits us a bit. Certainly have not exhausted the delights of the area, but getting about to the lesser known areas is a delight. Maybe a car next time???
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.
MFC, I'm in Arabba from the 1st to the 8th of March.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
riverman wrote:
MFC, I am in Arabba from the 1st to the 15th March
Were staying at the Chalet Karin, where are u at?
ickabodblue are u skiing on the 8th or setting off home then?
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
MFC, setting off home on the 8th but I'll leave ya some snow
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Chris Bish wrote:
We didn't quite make it to Ortisei, but nearly did. Andiamo, the Neilson's rep, had a big group that day and it came down to a choice between the 10k and lunch. No brainer then!
Exactly the same thing happened with Andiamo in January! Wonder if he ever gets to go . Four of us went another day and had a morning beer stop, lunch stop and afternoon stop, so it's definitely possible for common or garden skiers like us .
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Chris Bish,
Quote:
I did 165Km and 108 lifts. Bev did 119Km but was suffering with her knee by day 3. Hippo, claims 124.
May be it is obvious to you is this the distance for a week's skiing of say 6 days?
I have in the past estimated an average skier would do 20 to 30 km per day. Think Sella Ronda is about 24 km skiing distance and so 165 km is going round about 7 times which would be a lot in one day.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
141 lifts
37145 m vertical
222 km
This included 1 day shadowing the youngest who tossed his skis and took up boarding. The ski mojo was a massive help and I must admit to being rather chuffed. The figures are greatly helped by the Pedraces home piste which is 700m vertical, and is a great thrash from top to bottom.
The youngest had 2 lessons at Castleford and 1 day at La Ros last year. He did the last two days on this holiday and by the afternoon on the last day was tackling the harder reds with gusto. Progress on a board is so much quicker than skis.
EDIT: 6 days
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?
Frosty the Snowman,
The figures are interesting as I feel about 150km piste is needed in a normal resort to prevent an experienced skier, able to ski anywhere, from getting bored. It would appear my estimate of an average skier doing 20 to 30km per day on average in a relaxing manner for the enjoyment of the mountains is not far off.
I am not encouraging skiers to clock up high mileage to reflect their skill but just trying to assess what we do normally.
The figures are interesting as I feel about 150km piste is needed in a normal resort to prevent an experienced skier, able to ski anywhere, from getting bored.
That depends very much on the skier.
Some people, even experienced skiers, don't mind at all if they do some runs quite a few times in a week, while others want someting new all the time.
For the latter group, I would agree with you. The former can often be happy with only 60 km, provided they are interesting runs.
And remember, I don't think we heard too much of skiers being "bored" 20 years ago, when there were nowhere near as many large linked areas as there are now. 60-100km was the norm for reasonable sized resorts then.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
alex_heney,
I have been careful in stating
Quote:
The figures are interesting as I feel about 150km piste is needed in a normal resort to prevent an experienced skier, able to ski anywhere, from getting bored.
saikee, I bet we did 70km of that total on the single home piste at Pedraces. Getting bored is for one-trick ponies who have little imagination and nothing to practice.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Frosty the Snowman, Did you get to meet up with Seldom seen kid, I think you were in the same hotel.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Chris Bish, Well I couldn't claim he was too far away
He is an old hand, and I bet returns next year. The Melodia del Bosco is a superb hotel. Although we chatted, we shared no sliding.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
saikee wrote:
alex_heney,
I have been careful in stating
Quote:
The figures are interesting as I feel about 150km piste is needed in a normal resort to prevent an experienced skier, able to ski anywhere, from getting bored.
It doesn't matter how "careful" you have been in what you stated, nor how you highlight certain words. (I was completely aware of what you had stated, BTW)
The simple fact remains that IT DEPENDS ON THE SKIER.
There are many "experienced skiers" around who simply don't fit your stereotype of needing different runs all the time to avoid getting bored, and it is pointless to try and pigeonhole people that way.
You may well need more than that, as will many others. But that does not mean all, or even necessarily most experienced skiers will.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Welcome back to all the half-term snowHeads!
Glad you had a good time and the snow was still good!
Vintage season this year!
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
luigi, indeed.
I have to say that the Hidden Valley is the most moving place I have been on skis. A faff about, but if you go on a blue sky day you may welll cry at the beauty of the place.
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.
alex_heney,
I am amazed by your unrelenting attack on my choice of the article "an" instead of may be "certain" in front of the "experienced skier" when my intention was just to assess what would be a reasonable size facility for a skier to select for his/her holiday. In order to be able to ski around a facility I have to assume he/she has sufficient experience/skill and that is all. We don't normally ski every run in a resort so there must be a relationship between the piste available and distnace we ski in a week in order to feel not being held back from enjoying the freedom. I would think other SH may be interested in such a relationship even it has no value to you.
Experts can spend the whole day on a run in Vallee Blanc or a small challenging area in La Grave or Grands Montet or even heliskiing in a virgin mountain for extreme skiing but I am just talking about an average skier/boarder going to a normal resort.
It is true that I can get myself into trouble as English is not my mother tongue but it is clear that I am merely offering an analytical angle to figures by collating the information from other SH. I would have welcome your own figures and facts to challenge my view. I am entitled to my opinion same as you are entitled to yours. You can enjoy the mountains your way and I can do mine. After all my statement clearly declares what "I feel" personally and hence I cannot understand how can it be interpreted as trying to pigeonhole other people into my stereotype.
This thread is about Sella Ronda which is the second largest linked facility next to 3 Vallees. There must a reason for skiers choosing to go there. I doubt if there are many skiers going there for a week wanting to ski every run of its 510km piste. So may be we miss an important point that in a bigger resort there can be more freedom for a skier travel around, more sceneries to behold and more different villeges to visit. The way they travel around just happened to be called skiing by us. May be they don't need different runs all the time but just to be able to get there.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Frosty the Snowman, Frosty sums it up perfectly. In a place that makes you yell out loud (me) or cry (him) with the sheer beauty of it all, why bicker about the details. 90 years ago the Italians and the Austrians were fighting a war over this place. How?
We are only on this planet for a brief while. Lets not fret about it eh?
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
saikee, Perhaps it is down to English not being your mother tongue.
In which case, I apologise.
But to me, it read that you were suggesting that ALL experienced skiers would need that sort of amount of piste to avoid getting bored (in a "normal" resort, whatever that may mean . If you had said "many experienced skiers", I would have had no argument at all.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
saikee wrote:
This thread is about Sella Ronda which is the second largest linked facility next to 3 Vallees. There must a reason for skiers choosing to go there.
Agreed. And I have no doubt that for a significant number of those it will indeed be mainly due to the size of the area.
Some will just be going for the scenery, or because it is where their friends are going.
Quote:
I doubt if there are many skiers going there for a week wanting to ski every run of its 510km piste. So may be we miss an important point that in a bigger resort there can be more freedom for a skier travel around, more sceneries to behold and more different villeges to visit. The way they travel around just happened to be called skiing by us. May be they don't need different runs all the time but just to be able to get there.
That is a very good point, and I am quite sure you are right that a lot of people do like a large area just to be able to "go" somewhere else on their skis.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Also just back from Canazei (though it's fading fast). We went with Judith's dad who has spent the last ten years, at least, visiting the same spot in Val Thorens. He never usually goes during school hols (well not since the late seventies!) and has zero tolerance for any kind of queue. His feedback [dolomites v. 3vals] could be summarised:
Scenery much better
Lift queues pretty good (considering)
Congestion on SRonda quite bad in parts but everywhere else pretty good.
Piste maintenance better
Getting buses rather than being able to ski straight from hotel worse. (Obviously depends on hotel)
Being able to go to meaningful places rather than just ski round the place on different pistes better. We fitted in: Alba<->Pozza area a couple of times plus skiing to Ortesei, Hidden Valley and Marmolada.
I wonder if people know about the "extension" to the Alba to Pozza route. If you catch the skibus from the bottom of the bubble at Pozza, it will take you to Pera and the foot of an ancient two-person chair that climbs slowly up the other side of the valley. Be patient,as it soon delivers you to another ski area which is as delightful and uncrowded as Alba. There are a range of side-by-side blue red and black runs up there as well as a swooshy ski down to the bottom again.
You can also get down to Vigo from the top of the area, from where, I think, there are buses back to Canazei. On the other hand, you could always reverse your journey and go back to Pozza (this was by "Noddy train" when we did it) and find you way back to Alba again, Don;t miss the new Tellytubbies style pizza place buried in the hill just above Alba. A pizza big enough for 4 is €16! Don't eat too much though, as you end with the magnificent black beneath the cable car at Alba. The game is to race the cablecar down. It takes just over 3 minutes.
After that it is only 5 minutes on the frequent buses to get back to the huge-capacity gondola in Canazei and you can be back into the sun at Belvedere and working round the circuit again to wherever you are staying.
If you are heading for Alba from elsewhere, I would suggest going down the Pecol Gondola to get to the bus. You can ski down to Canazei from Belvedere by going straight on at the bottom of "Wacky Races", or, from the other direction, turning off down a nice red from the route down to Lupo Bianco, but you end up with a bit of a walk through the town. This is well-signposted to get to the lift, but might take time.
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?
Hi Snowheads
About how far is it from Selva to the Lagozuoi cable car from Selva, I saw the cable car from somewhere between Colfosco and Danciepies and it looked about 25km, line of sight, from Selva would it be 30km
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Frosty the Snowman wrote:
[
Code:
b]Chris Bish[/b]
, Well I couldn't claim he was too far away
He is an old hand, and I bet returns next year. The Melodia del Bosco is a superb hotel. Although we chatted, we shared no sliding.
Chris Bish, Frosty the Snowman, Apologies for my late response I have been too busy catching up with work to spend much time on
s (gotta pay for this holiday and save for the next somehow). We did have a few chats in the bar but, unfortunately, as we had a car and Frosty's gang were relying on the hotel bus we were skiing in different areas. I was really jealous leaving Frosty's gang with an extra day's skiing as we left for the airport on Saturday. An interesting drive, a sportily late departure combined with getting stuck behind some very slow Slovenians over the passes meant a high speed charge down the Autostrada to Venice only to be met with the airport exit being blocked by roadworks!! (always happens when you are late). Luckily I was able to follow the examples of the locals, ignore the traffic cones and use the airport exit (only in Italy!)
BTW I can vouch for Frosty's enjoyment of the red at Pedraces it is a cracker for practising your technique.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Google Earth thinks it's 19.8km from the red dot in the middle of Selva to the top of the Laguzuoi. The line looks to go up and down with terrain so maybe not line of sight. Dolomiti Superski server says we did 31km of skiing from Canazei and back. (Significantly less than 'relaxing' days above Alba, and that excludes the black run down each time because the last run isn't registered (unless you re-stamp your card at the bottom (which I didn't))).
We did catch the first lift up but even with the wait for the bus and the Laguzuoi telecabin we were back at the bottom of the HV for lunch.
Yes, Chris, I forgot to put in a cheer for the giant rotating piza place on the top of the hill above Pozza. We would have done the Rose Garden extension but, as I say, Judith's dad has an aversion to queuing, even for jolly trains. (Also it was -15 even at the bottom so keen to keep moving).
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.
Thanks paddywwoof
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Been reading this thread with interest, booked to go to Selva next February half term, first time in Italy, and am fascinated to know how people know their skied distance, is it something that you work out yourselves, or do the ski passes allow you to measure your ski distance?
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
. Four of us went another day and had a morning beer stop, lunch stop and afternoon stop, so it's definitely possible for common or garden skiers like us 
.
. If you had said "many experienced skiers", I would have had no argument at all.