 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi experts
I’m looking for the holy grail 
I’m a nervous advanced beginner - can parallel ski but start to panic on steeper terrain and am most comfortable on fairly wide blues. My husband is advanced but he’s 55 now and had a few knee ops so just wants decent reds and nothing crazy.
Our two daughters have the bug - blues and reds for them, the older one was doing blacks in ski school this year.
We are just back from Colfosco. My husband did the Sella Ronda but most days went to Corvara. He liked the skiing but was beyond frustrated with the lift system. Complained aboht bottle necks and it not being logical. He also put me off as said a lot of the blues were more like reds (it was very busy too being half term week).
We do like going to Italy skiing - more relaxed timings for ski school, not quite as busy as France and cheaper food. But at the moment my husband is declaring never to go to Italy again
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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If you're going at half term it's going to be busy. HT coincided with carnival this year in Italy which made it worse. A good chunk of the french resorts had significant lift closures at the start of half term due to the amount of snowfall so probably had more bottlenecks.
Pick somewhere small, unfashionable and hard to get to and you'll probably get less HT crowds, or go at Easter and accept it might be a bit slushy from mid afternoon on the lower slopes.
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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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Where else have you been, and what was good or bad about it?
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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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Check out Pila
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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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Having been to Corvara / Colfosco myself, as a mixed group, I can see where your husband is coming from. The area was stunning, the lift system not the most advanced, and the way it's all linked is haphazard but that's mostly due to geography.
For a similarly relaxed vibe in terms of lesson timings and atmosphere, but mostly for the variety of skiing which is so easily accessible, with no lift queues, advanced 8 seater heated chairlifts, fast gondolas etc, I would suggest Skiwelt in Austria. Stay somewhere like Ellmau which gives you a delightful little village with a few restaurants and bars but so much scope up on the ski area. 70+ mountain restaurants, ice bars, etc.
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Passo Tonale
Madesimo
San Martino di Castrozza
Pila
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| Quote: |
Complained aboht bottle necks and it not being logical. He also put me off as said a lot of the blues were more like reds (it was very busy too being half term week).
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Not sure how I ended up with half a post... the whole one is below
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Tue 3-03-26 12:36; edited 1 time in total
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He did say there were many gorgeous blues but the ones going back to Colfosco were unpleasant (piste 8 churned up and vey busy, piste 5 was the one he said was more red than blue). I think Top Gooner is right with it not being the lifts themselves but the geography meaning they don’t feel logical but not much can be done. I enjoyed pottering around Colfosco regardless.
Will look into all suggestions so far - many thanks.
Prev places we’ve been and worked for us have been Meribel (just v expensive) which we’ve been to twice. Montgenevre I liked but husband thought was a bit dull skiing wise (and didn’t make it to La Thuile).
I like the look of Alpe Di siusi but I suspect it won’t be varied enough for him.
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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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| Quote: |
Complained aboht bottle necks and it not being logical. He also put me off as said a lot of the blues were more like reds (it was very busy too being half term week).
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*Most* of Corvara's lifts are modern, well organised and the runs are anything but reds. The problem is getting to/from them. La Villa and San Casciano are much more directly connected (but off the SR). There are two routes up from Corvara (excluding those to the Pralongiá): start with Costes da l'Ega quad, from there it's – tricky blue, Gondola, blue road or red; or drag, carpet, drag, tricky blue, chair.
Coming back, you have to come down 5 (blue, but difficult, busy and with a red stretch) or take 6/6A/7 then 8 but that has a steep narrow section. Then when you get to the bottom there's a tricky narrow and steep stretch on the bridge off the road followed by a slight uphill stretch.
There is a red 4 variant off 5 but that's to the bottom of the Col Alto which may mean you have a bit of a walk.
If you can get past those, though are some great blue runs, e.g. 9B/10/11 down to San Casciano. 9B+11 is about 5km of wide gentle blue, best done in the morning on a sunny day. There can be queues in San Casciano to get back up the gondola but these should not be too bad in the morning.
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| TopGooner wrote: |
the lift system not the most advanced, and the way it's all linked is haphazard but that's mostly due to geography.
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The rest is opinion, but where the heck is the above coming from?? Where are the lift systems newer or more advanced? Dolomiti Superski's investment in modernising is unrivalled as far as I'm aware.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@tsgsh, This is due to geography and how the resort has evolved. I like it, it's character. An AI designed from scratch ski resort would not be for me. 
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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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| Mollerski wrote: |
| @tsgsh, This is due to geography and how the resort has evolved. I like it, it's character. An AI designed from scratch ski resort would not be for me. |
I do too, apart from the fact that the Col Alto is a walk away from anywhere when you get to the bottom of 4 after 4:15pm. Some skiers of a nervous disposition may not appreciate all of the character quite so much. However, Mrs.tsgsh is a skier of a nervous disposition and she'd go back in a heartbeat.
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| Mollerski wrote: |
| TopGooner wrote: |
the lift system not the most advanced, and the way it's all linked is haphazard but that's mostly due to geography.
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The rest is opinion, but where the heck is the above coming from?? Where are the lift systems newer or more advanced? Dolomiti Superski's investment in modernising is unrivalled as far as I'm aware. |
The Pralongià button or one of the nearby carpets, I expect. Not, for example, the brand new Braia Fraida chair that solves some of the geography challenges cleverly.
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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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@tsgsh, I do remember the bottom of Col Alt being a bit inconvenient. Being Selva dwellers, we take Col Alt out, but don't come back under it. We tend to come back to Selva via SR orange to dodge the 5km of lifts from Corvara to Dantercepies top.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Mollerski wrote: |
| TopGooner wrote: |
the lift system not the most advanced, and the way it's all linked is haphazard but that's mostly due to geography.
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The rest is opinion, but where the heck is the above coming from?? Where are the lift systems newer or more advanced? Dolomiti Superski's investment in modernising is unrivalled as far as I'm aware. |
I'm thinking gondolas like the Borest connection between Corvara and Colfosco as an example. Quite slow and small compared with the majority of lifts at Saalbach / Hinterglemm.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| TopGooner wrote: |
I'm thinking gondolas like the Borest connection between Corvara and Colfosco as an example. Quite slow and small compared with the majority of lifts at Saalbach / Hinterglemm. |
That lift is only 3/4 years old!  It's definitely not slow. I could Google the peeps per hour, but I can't be bothered. Maybe because it's horizontal, not climbing and long that it feels like you're in it a long while?
AI says- "The Borest gondola is a vital 8-seater connecting lift in Alta Badia that links the villages of Corvara and Colfosco. It is a horizontal, high-speed lift that allows skiers and hikers to transit between the two areas without using a car"
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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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I think it's fair to acknowledge that lifts and runs are often on the short side around Alta Badia, which does break up the skiing experience a bit. And yes, that's to do with geography.
And yes, Borest is horizontal so adds two lifts to your skiing day (if returning the same way) without any extra pistes.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Mollerski wrote: |
| TopGooner wrote: |
I'm thinking gondolas like the Borest connection between Corvara and Colfosco as an example. Quite slow and small compared with the majority of lifts at Saalbach / Hinterglemm. |
That lift is only 3/4 years old! It's definitely not slow. I could Google the peeps per hour, but I can't be bothered. Maybe because it's horizontal, not climbing and long that it feels like you're in it a long while?
AI says- "The Borest gondola is a vital 8-seater connecting lift in Alta Badia that links the villages of Corvara and Colfosco. It is a horizontal, high-speed lift that allows skiers and hikers to transit between the two areas without using a car" |
It's 5 minutes. Skied it both ways 3 times at new year and no queue of more than 2 minutes. I really don't think that's in dire need of upgrading (it opened in 2014 according to skiresort.info). The recent investment in Alta Badia is mostly modern chairlifts (and a forthcoming replacement for the Piz Sorega, I believe).
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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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Borest runs at 5m/s whereas the lifts departing from the village in Saalbach (Kohlmaisbahn, Schattberg X-press, Schönleitenbahn) all run at 6m/s. (I only compare to Saalbach as I was there most recently but I'd swap in Skiwelt / Kitzbuhel for a similar comparison)
I don't know whether 1 metre per second slower is significant but I do remember it feeling like it took an age even though it's only 4.40 minutes 
It's just an example. My opinion is that the runs in the area are fairly short before you find yourself on another lift compared with other resorts I've been to.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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That said, you cannot beat the area for beautiful scenery. I was there in September for a hiking holiday for that reason.
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| TopGooner wrote: |
| My opinion is that the runs in the area are fairly short before you find yourself on another lift compared with other resorts I've been to. |
Apart from the long ones, for example:
- Marmolada back to the bottom of the cable car 8.1km
- Hidden Valley 8km or so (including the horse tow)
- Seceda to Ortisei 7.4km
- Saas Bece to Arraba 5.2km
- Pralongia2 to San Casciano 5km
- Seceda to the Gardena Ronda Funicular 5km
- Dantercepies to Boret 4.5km
- Dantercepies to Ciampinoi 3.2km (although the last bit is flat and dull and then you have to take your skis off to cross the road)
- Altin down to La Villa 3.1km
Then you have World Cup Downhill/GS courses like Saslong and Gran Risa
I haven't skied all of these but the ones I haven't are on the list.
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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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@TopGooner, I think horizontal lifts feel slower than steep ones!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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TBF, most of those runs are a decent distance away from Corvara if you're trying to meet your blue loving other half for lunch.
I also think runs like down from Pralongia towards San Cassiano/Piz Sorega feel a bit weird because you're not easily lapping them...at least not if you aren't massively familiar with the area.
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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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You do know that this is the Sella Ronda? There are maps for each corner. Leave out the two off the Seceda then, and the Marmolada and Hidden Valley as "special trips", you can be at most of them before 10am. Saslong and Saas Bece would take a bit longer: 11am? There are other long runs to Corvara: from the (black, Vallon) top of run 1, it's over 4km, and a similar distance off the Pralongià 2. You can also take the blue variant to La Villa from La Brancia (4km again, joins the Altin for the last km or so). Then there are also longish pistes in Corvara running from the top of a lift to the bottom: two routes off the Masarei both over 2km, (21+33 or 34) or the Piz Sorega A (12 red), which is 2km or the Gran Risa (17 black) over 2km.
Long runs just need a bit of planning.
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| Quote: |
Long runs just need a bit of planning
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I agree.
Most picturesque ski location I've have had the good fortune to ski. I've done the sella ronda in both directions.
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You know it makes sense.
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I am currently in San Vigilio. Second visit this year. It would fit your skiing criteria but can be less easy to get to. A hire car is a huge advantage and that opens up other options - yesterday we drove to Armentarola and skied San Cassiano for the day. I recommend a DIY trip with flights to Innsbruck if not too expensive. Stay in self catering apartments and eat out fairly cheaply
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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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| JHS wrote: |
| I am currently in San Vigilio. Second visit this year. It would fit your skiing criteria but can be less easy to get to. A hire car is a huge advantage and that opens up other options - yesterday we drove to Armentarola and skied San Cassiano for the day. I recommend a DIY trip with flights to Innsbruck if not too expensive. Stay in self catering apartments and eat out fairly cheaply |
if you want something that has a variety of runs, is easy to navigate, has some longer runs and has good lift infrastructure then Kronplatz/St Viglio is a good option. The downside is that there isn't a great variety of runs in that resort.
We've done several mixed ability groups to Alta Badia but have stayed in la Villa as you can either take the Gondola down or a blue, IMO it's much easier to get home at the end of the day than Corvara or Colfosco.
The other place we've had successful mixed ability groups is Madonna di Campiglio.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@richb67, I thought it seemed older than that.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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90% of the Corvara / Colfocso / San Cassiano lifts are excellent in my experience of 3 long weeks in the last 24 months. Some are as good as it gets. The lone bummer was making our way from the lift opposite Hotel Arkadia to Passo Campolongo, we wanted to ski all of the Pralongia, starting in a heading north direction …. it took an age to get there to get started. Some drag lifts.
Booked for next January already.
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