 Poster: A snowHead
|
Evening all
So counting down to the days to our first ever trip to the Dolomites in 17 days!
How are the pistes holding up at the moment? No sign of any fresh natural stuff in the near future. Are the temperatures cold enough to be topped up by the cannons (if even required?). We are only on piste (although we do like a bit of powder every now and again!) so just looking for lovely corduroy runs but it would be nice to not be skiing down any green fields.
We are in the Val Di Fassa.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
|
|
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?
|
No doubt someone who is out there will be along soon to provide an update.
From the link Albob provided you can see that the lower piste depth is currently 57 cms. The snow has compacted about 10cms since Christmas. I notice they are currently making snow, probably also on the lower slopes. I read somewhere that their target depth is 45cms so they are well ahead of the curve.
In 17 days time I would fully expect all runs and all lifts to be open and the pistes to be as good as anywhere in the alps. With some luck the weather will still be great for you. Lots to look forward to. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
The snow is still lovely on piste. Off piste is a different matter with any off piste that gets the sun looking tempting but more like hard plastic than soft snow. It might still be skiable if you go high enough or find someplace permanently in the shade.
We skied the Gran Risa piste this morning and the snow was soft yet still grippy making it nicest conditions to ski on I’ve experienced there in the last 5 years.
Today was the warmest day of the week and it should be a bit cooler tomorrow. The snow was very soft up by Club Morizino at midday but still not really slushy.
I wouldn’t worry about on piste conditions at all. With what they have already and their great snow making there’s almost certainly enough to last them the whole season, even if it doesn’t snow again.
This week has been perfect conditions and it looks like being very similar for anyone coming here next week as well. You should have a lovely time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
@olderscot, not generally thought of as an area that’s good for off piste anyway, even when natural snow is good??
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Thanks for your updates. I'm sure the pistes will be lovely! We really can't wait.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Just back from our 6 day trip to Colfosco. Pretty much perfect conditions, lots of sunshine and good snow.
Got around quite a few of the recommended day trips - so thank you @olderscot, @Peter S, @Wildsmith, @PeakyB and @luigi amongst others.
My favourite was a trip across to Val Gardena to do the La Longia run, which was excellent. The route there via the Sasslong was fantastic as well - I had a massive ear to ear grin at the bottom along with burning thighs. The red run down the Dantercepies gondola first thing in the morning was a joy as well. I could've easily stayed over by Seceda (top of the la longia run) and done a few more of the runs in the sunshine there, but time was limited. I was really impressed with the quality of the lift system - all modern and quick with minimal queuing.
I took a trip across to the Marmolada which was eventful. The top cable car was closed due to winds, so didn't make it to the top. I enjoyed the museum at the top of the second cable car, fascinating history. The views from here were plenty good enough for me as well with blue skies and great visibility all around.
The skiing was not that great, wind blown snow made it a bit patchy and a struggle at times. The real issue came when the Padon II chairlift to get back to Arabba was closed. They suggested going back up the Marmolada and trying again in a bit but when I got down to Malga Ciapela the Marmolada cable cars were shut down due to high winds which left me stranded. The ticket office didn't seem to be making any other arrangements and the local bus service didn't go to Arabba. Fortunately after a coffee and bit of lunch I managed to bag the last seat in a taxi full of Italians that got me back to Arabba for 10 euros.
Despite this it was a great day out. My mind is still blown by the distances you can travel on a pair of ski's and the incredible lift system - it all felt a little surreal at times.
The other trip was with the kids and other Dads across to to the Armentarola ski run from the top of Lagazuoi. Stunning scenery and a great adventure, especially for the kids. Stopped off at Scotinis for lunch about 2/3rds of the way down. No chance of getting into the restaurant so sat outside and had chips and pulled pork rolls from the snack bar. The ride back with the horse drag was good fun - although managed to go right up the back of the poor lady in front of me when the driver decided to randomly stop in order to shovel the horse poo-poo off the piste! 
The whole trip was easy, finding and getting the bus up was simple, it even had a managed queuing system that easily met British standards! Cost was 6 euros and the horse drag was 3 euros. I'd agree with previous comments that you need to be a confident intermediate to enjoy the run but equally if you're a determined, stubborn 10 year old beginner with a fear of missing out it can be done!
Didn't make the Sella Ronda this time, next year. This was my second year and despite the intense efforts this year I don't think I've even scratched the surface of what is available here. Already planning next years trip. Thanks again all for your excellent advice it really added to the enjoyment of the trip.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@skipig, Sounds like a great trip, we're in Selva starting Feb. 8. La Longia and Seceda are two of my favorite spots, just for general lack of crowds and scenery, although the gondola back up La Longia can have big queues. Unfortunately my family doesn't share my enthusiasm.
Seceda is great for technique; steepish reds and 2 short blacks with little to no consequences if you crash....and great food and views.
I've done Saslong/La Longia back to back and it's a thighburner for sure.
One of these years I'll actually do full ronda, but I keep getting sidetracked if I find a nice stash of snow...my goal this year is to explore more of Colfosco/Corvara...or maybe Arabba...
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Final day today in Corvara and we did the trip up to Marmolada. The snow on piste was perfect and no wind to speak of so we were clearly very lucky.
Even at 3,000m and in the shade the snow off piste was so hard you’d just sit on top of it. They do need a decent snowfall to keep any off piste fans happy (and there is actually quite a decent bit off off piste in the area, it’s just more of a local secret rather than anything most people head here for. Maybe because it’s so reliant on recent snow to be any good.)
For on piste skiers though it’s a wonderful time to be here. One regular I chatted with was saying it’s the best January conditions he can remember in the last 10 years. Enjoy!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
High pressure remains centred near the alps over the next 4 days. Sunny days, light winds, cool nights, dry air 
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Jimmybog put a link to a Kronplatz webcam in his very first post for this thread.
Here it is again -- Kronplatz under the Full Moon : could be Daylight.... !!
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Sun 12-01-20 0:00; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@albob,  great pic!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
Wow amazing! Skiing under a full moon is wonderfull
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
@alasdair.graham, Added to my bucket list.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
@PeakyB After many years of staying at the Alpenrose Hotel in Arabba (which is highly recommended), we have started staying in Corvara as our base. I think it is well-located for most areas and although some of the hotels are pricey, the mountain restaurants are of a high quality and very good value for money (especially compared with French resorts - we had a week in Courchevel before Christmas and had forgotten just how expensive it can be!). We stayed in Colletts Chalet Angelo last January and are back there again in two weeks' time. It's not fancy, but very comfortable and only a few minutes' walk to the piste which takes you down into the centre of Corvara or you can hop on the Arlara chair at the end of the road and head up onto the Pralongia plateau. Hope this info is helpful.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
| alasdair.graham wrote: |
| Wow amazing! Skiing under a full moon is wonderfull |
I did it back in the late 1970’s whilst cross country skiing in Norway. Way above the tree line, in the back of beyond. We were sleeping in snow holes. Wonderful experience.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Kronplatz are running their Snow Cannons.. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
| PeakyB wrote: |
@olderscot, thanks for updates, sounds like an excellent week. How’s Corvara been as a base? Looked great to me when I’ve skied there and Colfosco. My impression is it’s quite smart and upmarket??
|
Yep. We do like Corvara as a base (which is why we've been there 5 years in a row now).
The hotels and accommodation do seem to be mostly smart and upmarket rather than cheap and cheerful and everything like ski hire does seem that bit more expensive than other nearby bases.
The main thing we like though is just the sheer beauty of the dolomites, the wonderful skiing there, the places to explore, the lack of lift queues, the friendly people, the sunshine record and the great places to stop for some food and drink. As a base for intermediates looking for an enjoyable overall experience it's hard to beat the alta badia region and Corvara is central to that with good links to the other valleys for exploring a bit further.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Hard to think of a more beautiful place to ski than the Dolomites, and a more enjoyable day's set piece skiing than the Sella Ronda
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nice one
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Some new snow today, mainly on the eastern side of the Sela Ronda (more on Corvara less in Val Gardena) 1-2 cm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Conditions look fabulous on the webcams. Anyone out there able to comment about the skiing surfaces today ?
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
Off to Corvara on Sunday, so I am also very interested in the condition of the pistes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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 am also arriving this weekend in Canazei.
How are the pistes looking, especially after the little freshen up at the weekend? I see there is potentially another light dusting Friday night as well? Bit worried that the pistes will start to get icy, especially with the slightly warmer weather this week and cold nights?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recent report from another forum says the slopes in Val Gardena are in top condition with no ice but a little hard snow at the end of the day. But not so good on the Sella Ronda after 11am "due to many humps" (their words, not mine!!)
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
Just back from our first Dolomites ski week (we skied from 12-17 January) - which was absolutely brilliant. We had such a fantastic time
We stayed in Vigo di Fassa, which was great. Small but very pleasant and excellent access to the various ski areas using our hire car. Managed to try out a fair few areas - and loved them all. Details as follows:
Day 1 (PM-only ski as we arrived very late the night before and ended up buying a half day pass): Catinaccio (the small local area at Vigo di Fassa).
Day 2: AM at Carezza; PM at San Giovanni di Fassa. 20 minute drive in between.
Day 3: Sella Ronda from the cable car at Alba (not Arabba, as I originally posted....)
Day 4: AM at Alpe Lusia; PM at San Pellegrino.
Day 5: From San Giovanni di Fassa, via Alba cable car (not Arabba, as I originally posted....) to the sightseeing summit at Sass Pordoi; then to Marmolada and back.
Day 6: AM at Alpe Cermis; PM at Latemar (15 min drive in between). At Latemar we skied to Obereggen and back.
In summary:
- Loved the scenery – it’s just amazing.
- Six days of blue skies.
- Scale of the skiing available on the Dolomiti Superski Pass is incredible – and everywhere we skied had an impressive (fast/modern) lift system. We must’ve ridden only about four slow lifts all week.
- Fabulous cruising runs overall – and some pretty decent black runs too.
- Loved skiing the Sella Ronda (clockwise). A really enjoyable day out - though that day (midweek) was easily the busiest pistes we skied and the only day with queues of more than about 30 seconds. Otherwise, we had a lot of runs (and sometimes ski areas!) to ourselves.
- Snow was generally very good to excellent – especially as it hadn’t snowed for about three weeks. The snowmaking set up across the whole of the Dolomites is so impressive. In the main, we skied good, grippy, hardpack, topped up with snow making. The only exception was late afternoon down to Arabba on the day we did the Sella Ronda (runs very slick/challenging) due to the volume of traffic; and the afternoon that we went up to Marmolada. The one run down from there was pretty awful – about 1500m vertical of relentless, polished snow. Crowded too – so not much fun at all to clatter down the piste. On the plus side, at Alpe Cermis, we were very impressed to be skiing down to 800m on excellent snow. In the week overall, a few moguls here and there by late afternoon - but nothing excessive.
- Impressed by the number of mountain restaurants – from modern to lovely rustic – and the prices for coffees etc on the mountain (eg from €2.00 for a cappuccino).
- Visited Verona on our arrival (lovely city) and Bolzano/Oetzi the Iceman museum in Bolzano (brilliant) on the way back to the airport.
In six days of 6-9,000 metres vertical per day, we only just scratched the surface – so just can’t wait to return in the future.
And here are a few, assorted snaps - to illustrate snow conditions and keep matters on-thread  :
Amazing Scenery:
Good snow cover:
Fantastic skiing on quiet slopes:
Lovely mountain restaurants:
Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Sat 12-11-22 14:35; edited 3 times in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
@mountainaddict, oh stop it! As if this week could go any slower! Can't wait!
PS: looks flipping amazing
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
@mountainaddict, brilliant, glad you had a great 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?
|
@mountainaddict,
So pleased you finally got to the Dollies and enjoyed it ! It’s hard to come to terms with the amount of skiing available. I think you’ve visited more areas in 6 days than I have in 10 years.
The Weardale refugio is going to seem a bit downmarket from here
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Deleted duplicate post... 
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Sun 6-09-20 13:48; edited 2 times in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
nice write up
by Arabba cable car, I assume that's really the Alba (or maybe Campitello) cable car? or did you really drive over the Pordoi pass and back?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
