 Poster: A snowHead
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chesterblade, chesterblade, chesterblade,
Sorry Str Aga
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Came back from the Sella Ronda last weekend. Best place I've skied so far. Managed the Saslong black 3 times, Marmolada Glacier once (last day), and the beautiful run from St Cristina, round the back, down the valley to Ortisei. Only blight of the hols, was staying at the Hotel Wolkenstein, with it's inedible tinned veg, missing food courses at evening meals (run out) and the weekend disco 'til 3am (midnight on weekdays!. We moved out after 2 days. Good sunny, well groomed pistes, although some were badly cut up by the days end, and mostly quick lifts. We'll be back!!
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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?
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chesterblade, most helpful and appreciated 
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Just back from a blissful week of sunny skiing, based in Arabba. Re Hidden Valley, if skiing from Arabba or Corvara areas then def recommend: v early ski to Armentorla, taxi-bus to Lagazuoi (e5 per person), up the cable car then down the red to take you to Col Gallina, then cruise that area down to Cinque Torri.
We took lunch at Rif Averau - excellent and good value. Best meals (never a bad one) were last day pizza at Hotel Pordoi (underneath the gondola that takes you back from Lupe Di Bianco towards top of Belverdere above Canazei/Arabba) - not a wood burning oven but one of best pizzas I've ever had in Italy and weighing in at e6! Great sun terrace too with loungers. But best pasta I've ever had on (maybe off) piste was at Hotel Lech Da Sumpont which is in Badia area - to the left of the red piste that heads down into Badia (piste 27) - look right just before the bridge - it is the right hand building. No terrace but terrific food and again great value (pasta e9). The ravioli with chestnuts, radicchio and onions in a light cream sauce - incredible. The antipasto plate of meats was voted our best of the week. A real gem right off the beaten track and well worth finding.
We also had a good week skiing....
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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DoubleBombardino, thanks for the tips, all much appreciated and which we'll be following up when we go back to Arabba in March. Cheers for sharing!
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We're just back from a fantastic week in the Dolomites, based as usual in Canazei. Did a *lot* of skiing: all the usual haunts such as Sella Ronda, via San Cristina to Ortisei, Alba/Pezo/Vigo, Marmolada, and the Hidden Valley (almost 50 miles round-trip from Canazei - you've got to keep going!). Conditions on the main Sella Ronda route would best be decided as "firm" and got very scraped by mid-afternoon, but elsewhere the cold temperatures meant the piste were good.
Did a bit of off-piste: conditions very variable depending on the aspect and how much sun had been on the slope - found some especially good untracked snow in the trees above Selva.
We had a bunch of Gtrek GPS trackers with us, and could post links to the routes if anyone is interested.
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We are in Selva over half term and according to the tour operators timings should be in resort a little after lunch time. I wondered if there are any free ski lfts we could jump on to get our ski legs back, we've been to LDA and they have a few free pomas on the nursrey slopes.
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RobW, we'll be there for a week at the end of February, based in Canazei. This is our first time there, and I'd love to make it to Hidden Valley. What route do you take from Canazei to get there? And do you think it would too much to tackle for a low intermediate? 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Will be heading towards Arabba in 5 hours and 37minutes 
Coming from Innsbruck via Brenner pass on Saturday am, would people think the best route to get there by car is: head towards Brunico/Bruneck on SS49, then south on SS244 to Badia/Corvara, then SS244/SP244 Passo Campolongo to Arabba ?
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idlehands, I posted a link to a Google Earth track on your other thread, but have repeated it below with a few others. As I've said before, it's a long way to the hidden valley from Canazei: if you can get to Armentorola before 10.30 then you should be fine - or even 11.00 as long as there is no queue there.
Route is basically to follow the Sella Ronda circuit anti-clockwise to Passo Campolongo, then head for Pralongia for the long blue down into Armentarola, from where you get the bus/taxi (5euro) to the Passo Falzarego. Up the Langazoui cable car and down the hidden valley. Two-thirds of the way down, Scotini (www.scotini.it) is the usualy place to stop for lunch, but it gets very busy inside if the weather is not good enough for their terrace. At the bottom of the run, you get either the bus/taxi or horse tow back to Armentarola (2 euro), from where a short drag allows you to get back to San Cassiano for the gondola. Then head back to Passo Campolongo to pick up the Sella Ronda circuit (clockwise) back to Canazei.
There are two problems for a low intermediate doing this: firstly the sheer distance, you really need to be able to ski long runs almost non-stop, and secondly the return route involves the run back down from Porto Vescovo above Arabba, which at the end of the day is usually either very very glazed or full of bumps (or both!).
For anyone considering the Hidden Valley from Canazei, I'd strongly recommend doing the Sella Ronda first: if you can do that *easily* in a day (and by that I mean be back in the Canazei valley by 2pm), then you may be able to get to the Hidden Valley and back in a long day. One alternative that I have looked at before is doing the Hidden Valley in two days: both the Langazoui and Scotini huts have rooms where you could stay overnight.
Links:
Gogle Earth/Map route: http://www.midlandski.org.uk/gtrek/MSC-TW2010-RW-Wed.kml
Profile (altitude, speed): http://www.midlandski.org.uk/gtrek/MSC-TW2010-RW-Wed.pdf
Original GPS data: http://www.midlandski.org.uk/gtrek/MSC-TW2010-RW-Wed.gpf
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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andy, Yes that route sounds best. But if there has been snow Friday/Saturday then if you can first check Campolongo is open: it normally is, but if not it is a *very* long way round, as the other nearby passes are likely to be closed too.
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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.
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Other than calling hotel, are there any websites or something that has the status of the passes?
http://www.arpa.veneto.it/bollettini/htm/dolomiti_meteo_en.asp seems to suggest no or little snow friday/saturday, as does skiarabba website. Dolomiti superski says it hasn't snowed since 10th Jan - is that right?
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andy, maybe try calling the South Tyrol Information office (www.suedtirol.info) ?
Piazza Parocchia/Pfarrplatz 11
I-39100 Bolzano/Bozen
phone: +39 0471 999999
info@suedtirol.info
open from Monday to Friday 8.30am-6pm
Phone numbers:
From abroad use the prefix +39 (and do not omit the initial '0' of the phone number)
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| andy wrote: |
Other than calling hotel, are there any websites or something that has the status of the passes?
http://www.arpa.veneto.it/bollettini/htm/dolomiti_meteo_en.asp seems to suggest no or little snow friday/saturday, as does skiarabba website. Dolomiti superski says it hasn't snowed since 10th Jan - is that right? |
It doesn't look like a heavy snowfall is forecast, so you should be OK, the Campolongo is the lowest of the Sella Ronda passes too.
The only experience I have of pass closure is one morning leaving Selva for Venice, wanting to go the 'scenic route' over the Sella and Pordoi and down past Arabba to Belluno etc., rather than the motorway past Verona. There had been an overnight snowfall and the road up to the Sella and Gardena was closed beyond Plan de Gralba, I think it was a temporary closure while they ran the snowploughs through and probably opened up later in the day.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Hi StanBowles
Yes, I've skied the Mesdi. It's not the longest day out....but worth it.
We were blessed with a foot of fresh powder about 6 years ago and booked an instructor/guide from the local office in Arabba for a lesson in the powder off piste on the Marmolada. It was amazing! We wanted him to check that we would be OK for the Mesdi. We got the thumbs up and he put us together with some other people who had registered an interest at the office, so it kept the cost down.
We warmed up with an off piste run in the Pordoi area. I can't remember the name, or the lift but it was quite a large old cable car, there was no actual pisted run down from it (perhaps there is now?)
We went up it again, and the guide cut tracks for us, traversing around the plateau over to the start of the Mesdi. It was quite hard work (for my little legs) but we just took our time. I wish I could give you a better idea of time....i think it was more than 30 mins but maybe not an hour. We got to the top of the Medsi and had a really pleasant ski down. It's not the longest or trickiest off piste day out but I was glad I'd done it.
It didn't fill the whole day, but he took us on a few little other bits and pieces on the way back to Arabba.
I'm back there on the 20 Feb and am so excited. Have skied all over the place but I can't help going back to the Dolomites. It is THE BEST.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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gallabar, thanks for the reply. I'm off on 13 Feb and staying in San Cassiano. I guess the local guide's office in Arabba is the best place to go. I might e-mail them in advance to register an interest as I will depend on being about to join some others as I will be solo (none of my family or the others will want to do it).
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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?
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| Quote: |
But best pasta I've ever had on (maybe off) piste was at Hotel Lech Da Sumpont which is in Badia area - to the left of the red piste that heads down into Badia (piste 27) - look right just before the bridge - it is the right hand building
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sorry guys - my left hand does not know what my right hand is doing - or something like that. Ehem, what I meant to say was just spotted my earlier message was a bit wrong - for that great hotel restaurant look LEFT just before bridge, then of the two you see tis indeed the right hand building....over and out
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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We are staying in Ortisei in half term week and really want to do the hidden valley. We have a hire car so can anyone tell me the best way to get there please? Should we drive to Armentorola?
Thanks
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Mike3000, choose a nice sunny day, drive up to the car park next to the Dantercepies gondola in Selva, you can do it from there and back in a day if you're good intermediate skiers.
An approximate unhurried timetable would be:
0900-Dantercepies
1030-Armentarola
1100-Cablecar
1200-Hidden Valley
1230-1330 lunch at Scotoni
1400-Horsetow
1500-Corvara
1545-top of Dantercepies
1600-Reward yourself with a nice cake at Villa Frainela
There's a bit of an unknown in queuing time for lifts, especially on a busy day of a busy week as everyone arrives at about the same time, I've allowed 40 mins for the Hidden Valley cablecar, but could be more.
You do need to be back to Corvara to get the lifts back up the Gardena pass by 1530-1545 at the latest to be safe.
Just to whet your appetite:
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Just got back from 1st time in Corvara. Had a fantastic time. Just a short note of appreciation to all the snowheads with their helpful hints/info re all my questions, everything was spot on- Thank you.
Louis
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Luigi, thanks for that. The picture is fantastic, can't wait.
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Mike3000,
Thanks for asking that question, and thanks Luigi for the directions - also in Ortisei half term - have one of my daughters friends with us, so I think its a question of checking the standard of her sking before I commit - which I hadn't planned on doing until I read this! She said she was fairly good!
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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.
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skimark, I took some good second and third weekers over to the Hidden Valley from Selva, they coped well, there are only a few red pitches, but they got tired and it was a bit touch and go getting back up the Gardena pass before the top chair closed.
Just make sure your party can cope with red slopes and they're all feeling fit for a long day's skiing and you'll be OK.
If you're all fast skiers, you could do the Cinque Torri-Averau circuit before you hit the Hidden Valley.
It is a really enjoyable day out, jaw-dropping scenery, the unique horse-tow and you end up 35 km by road from your start point and then ski back again, so it's a real sense of travelling on skis.
Another photo, the run down to Armentarola:
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Oh my God, can't wait! 17 days and counting.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Bartezski, if you are in Selva you can (or could) buy single tickets for Ciampanoi gondola and get in a few runs. I did that one morning while waiting for a 12.30 transfer back to airport.
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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.
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Cheers Ghost Dog any idea as to how much the tickets cost, is it like a half day pass, and do you know if there is any night skiing in the area, sorry for all the ? but starting to get a bit excited 
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Just looked it up and 9 euro in the gondala and 4 euro on the chair for a single ride, looks like it could be a possibility 
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You know it makes sense.
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luigi, That is one fantastic photo - one day I will ski down to Armentarola and it will look like that - I have never seen it look so good. However I have never seen it look bad either, although you did get the run on a busy day by the look of it
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Can some of you Sella Ronda experts help? im trying to sort out a family holiday for this easter and as usual we all have different things on our wish list, My wants are, a big ski area with a lot of good black and red run skiing and some good off piste, which going by the reports in this thread is all ticked off . My wife however wants a pretty village, nice views and some blue and green runs served by drag lifts!? is all this a possibility and if so which village? any help would be greatly appreciated.
Dave
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Poster: A snowHead
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| DaveMcSki wrote: |
Can some of you Sella Ronda experts help? im trying to sort out a family holiday for this easter and as usual we all have different things on our wish list, My wants are, a big ski area with a lot of good black and red run skiing and some good off piste, which going by the reports in this thread is all ticked off . My wife however wants a pretty village, nice views and some blue and green runs served by drag lifts!? is all this a possibility and if so which village? any help would be greatly appreciated.
Dave |
DaveMcSki,
Only done this area once, last month, but without fear of contradiction, Colfosco for your wife. Plenty of dead easy slopes in fantastic surroundings. Only one drag, but in a lovely spot top of the valley behind Colfosco.
If so, you'll probably motor off on the Sella Ronda anti clockwise towards Selva/Val Gardena which is not that far. Not too sure where exactly the off piste round there is.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Val (di) Mesdi is the main (tourist!) off-piste run in the Sella massif. It finishes in Colfosco.
I've been itching to do it for some years: may get a chance this year as we're there just before Easter and it should still be in decent condition then.
Other than that, there are masses of opportunities between the pistes: even after a week or so without new snow we finding un-tracked snow two weeks ago.
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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?
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Do any of you know the Val di Funes? I have stayed in the most beautiful spot there, a village called Santa Maddalena, a few times in the summer (it's a brilliant base for walking) and it's very easy to drive to Selva and Ortisei from there. I was wondering whether it would be practical to use that place as a base to ski the area in winter. Not sure what the roads are like in winter, it's many years since I skied in the Dolomites and then it was without a car.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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luigi, I had a feeling the roads might not be good in winter. That little chapel is a but a stroll away from Santa Maddalena. SO-O-O beautiful! Must return soon...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hurtle, Colfosco is a pretty spot and most accommodation is ski-in ski-out to the Sella Ronda 500km linked ski area:
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luigi, mmm, very nice. I shall bear that in mind. Honestly, is there anything more beautiful than those mountains? I doubt it, myself.
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Does anyone know where the best piste maps are for Sella Rhonda area, need to start planning and plotting for next week 
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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.
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Just wondered if anyone had any pension /appartment recommendations for Colfosco or Corvara for the end of March. we won't have a car so need easy access to lifts etc. Thanks
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FAQ
