 Poster: A snowHead
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Now, on another thought - is there any "resort to resort" route through the dolomites? It seems there's so many areas, all so beautiful, that it would make a great kind of piste ski tour, to go from resort to resort with a bag and a change of clothes for the evenings, staying in different accommodation.
Is this a "thing" I wonder? Might try and work my way through them over a period of time
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Planned to do SR green (anti cw) with a stop to ski some previously unexplored pistes around Selva but we were a bit late setting off (left Corvara ca 11) and was windy so decided to carry on and instead do diversion around some pistes in Arabba so we didn’t get stuck in Canazei area.
Pistes in good condition except for the leg from Arabba to Corvara which we hit after lunch so was busy, polished and bumpy with piles of man made snow at the bottom of each steep section to catch the unwary. No big queues, mainly a minute or two so think we got lucky.
@smudger, I’m sure pistes will hold up and you’ll have a great time. Think wind is more of a problem than a few warmer days as it whips the snow off the piste.
Last day today driving to Venice tomorrow for our late pm flight home.
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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.
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That is EXACTLY what I was thinking, thanks for going to the effort of digging it out. I was wondering would you just do it on your own and find accommodation online or in town as you arrived, but 590 euro for a week half board and a guide is insanely cheap, wouldn't be worth the hassle of DIY at that money
I'm just minded, and reading this thread reminded, that there are a lot of hidden gem corners of the dolomites
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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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| albob wrote: |
| @Pasigal, how did you find Seiser Alm ?? -- I've only skied it once, and just remember it being 'flat'.... |
We have stayed in Kastelruth - v near Seiseralm- for the last eight years. I love Seiseralm. The runs are varied - the blacks after the chondola lift to Pufltatsch (and which other resort in Italy has a chondola!!) are proper blacks, albeit at the easier end. But there are plenty of decent reds too in the area.
The mountain huts are some of the best in the Dolomites- great value and good food. The slopes are often relatively empty.
The whole of Seiseralm is predominantly German speaking which makes it culturally interesting and the bar at the bottom of the Seis gondola plays good German europop!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Half term week looks good. More dry, sunny cool and calm weather.
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The views, from Seiseralm, of the Dolomites in one direction and the Alps in the other, are truly breathtaking.
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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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We left Luton airport at 11am and arrived in Selva at around 3:30pm local time today. The town feels slightly warm and very busy... I’ll post tomorrow on ski conditions once we’ve had a look. Provisional plan is for a clockwise SR to see just how busy busy is...
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| Peter S wrote: |
https://www.bergfex.com/kronplatz/webcams/c15328/
Half term looks dry, bright and popular  |
I'm heading out on Tuesday with family, I'm hoping for a little more than the dusting forecast. Don't want much just a few inches, fingers crossed the forecast is wrong.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| pjd wrote: |
| albob wrote: |
| @Pasigal, how did you find Seiser Alm ?? -- I've only skied it once, and just remember it being 'flat'.... |
We have stayed in Kastelruth - v near Seiseralm- for the last eight years. I love Seiseralm. The runs are varied - the blacks after the chondola lift to Pufltatsch (and which other resort in Italy has a chondola!!) are proper blacks, albeit at the easier end. But there are plenty of decent reds too in the area.
The mountain huts are some of the best in the Dolomites- great value and good food. The slopes are often relatively empty.
The whole of Seiseralm is predominantly German speaking which makes it culturally interesting and the bar at the bottom of the Seis gondola plays good German europop! |
Staying in Kastelruth in 2 weeks time. Quick question pjd, where did you hire your skis from in the village? Or do you take your own? Thanks!!
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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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Predictably busy on the SR (orange) today, but no major bottlenecks other than the oh-so-slow Rodella. Snow was ok, if a little tired and floury in places. Didn’t really see any rocks/ice/bare patches, but a refresh will be welcome. The best skiing was probably in the Marmolada and Belvedere areas where the pistes are wider. The little chute down from the Piz Seteur restaurant was a narrow/bumpy/busy tester for the nervous - I had to ski around a lady who had decided to walk back up, she can only have been 50m from the bottom! A few clouds have materialised late this afternoon, but weather basically fine. Some implausibly brass-necked behaviour in lift queues; if you want it that way it’s fine with me...
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| 8611 wrote: |
That is EXACTLY what I was thinking, thanks for going to the effort of digging it out. I was wondering would you just do it on your own and find accommodation online or in town as you arrived, but 590 euro for a week half board and a guide is insanely cheap, wouldn't be worth the hassle of DIY at that money
I'm just minded, and reading this thread reminded, that there are a lot of hidden gem corners of the dolomites |
...and another one https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=3212235&highlight=#3212235 which was Colletts (I was on that trip and doing another one with them in a couple of weeks)
You could definitely do it yourself significantly cheaper but you would lose out on the guide/instructor, almost certainly lose your way occasionally, probably lose skiing time when moving from sector to sector, miss some hidden gems, and risk no comeback if you failed to make the next night's stop because of weather or route finding disaster (though it does look horribly warm next week if you had to sleep rough haha). But it would probably feel a bit more adventurous and the money you saved could bail you out of any trouble by using taxis/bribes! 
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You know it makes sense.
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We are thinking of skiing the Hidden Valley tomorrow, but I have a vague recollection of reading about a road closed due to a landslide..? Does anyone remember this, or have recent experience of the HV? I haven’t been there for years.
I know the queuing will be hideous, but I expect it’ll be the same wherever we try to go.
Anyway, any info relevant to skiing the Hidden Valley from Selva would be extremely welcome.
Thanks in advance.
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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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richb67 skied it on Friday - no mention of landslides etc -- have a look at his posts a page back
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
Anyway, any info relevant to skiing the Hidden Valley from Selva would be extremely welcome.
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Did it a couple of years ago from Selva, only advice is to get is to get to Dantercepies for 8:30 and get on the first bubble up! i.e. get to Armentarola for the bus up to Lagazuoi as early as humanly possible. When we did it, our kids were in ski school and we didn't leave Hotel in Selva until c.9:15 so realistically it was 9:30-9:45 before we were on the bubble and prob past 11 when we got to the bus stop. We then had a 30+min queue for the bus, then a 45min queue for the cable car and it was, frankly, a bit of a waste of time.
Kids not in ski school anymore and managed to get c.40km out of them today by getting then down to Ciampinoi for 8:45! Did SR green with a few diversions in Belvedere and Arabba and a fantastic lunch at Pic Pre Hütte just above San Cassiano
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@jimmybog, enjoy Kastelruth. Some of us had our own skis but the ones that didn’t hired them from Fils sports shop in the town. V good. They also have a place at Compatsch, at the top of the Seiseralmbahn and will carry them up there for you on the first day.
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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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Ps Fils give guests of some hotels/ apartments discounts. They also give all guests a free ski locker at the top of the Seiseralmbahn. A mixed blessing as some in our group left stuff there overnight which meant we had to return there the next day rather than cab it to eg. Dantercepies!
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| pjd wrote: |
| Ps Fils give guests of some hotels/ apartments discounts. They also give all guests a free ski locker at the top of the Seiseralmbahn. A mixed blessing as some in our group left stuff there overnight which meant we had to return there the next day rather than cab it to eg. Dantercepies! |
Thanks pjd. Our hotel has discount with Fils but I dont know how much it is. I can get 20% online with them or with Alpinsports. Both will provide a locker at their mountain station shops. Just looking at the example models on offer, it seems as if ALpinsports do provide this years models whereas Fills look like last seasons.
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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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| albob wrote: |
| richb67 skied it on Friday - no mention of landslides etc -- have a look at his posts a page back |
No landslides or long queues when we did it on Thursday, think the landslide was on the road from La Villa earlier in the year.
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Any recommendations for touring ski hire in Cortina? Looking for pin bindings particularly. Thx
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Hidden Valley was great today. A tester of a queue for the Lagazuoi cable car, replete with people vying aggressively to improve their positions. But the highlight was a child asking questions in a loud, piping voice; “Daddy - how much can you take out on your special credit card? And how much can ordinary people take out?”. Daddy looked ready to bury himself - or the offending child. You reap what you sow...
Quite warm again today, 9c at the bottom of the Boe. Snow was pretty good everywhere, although the higher-up runs under the lift ladder back up the Gardena pass had cut up into slightly spiteful bumps late in the afternoon. The runs were busy and not easy for inexperienced skiers, so a degree of carnage ensued. Two sets of medics operating as we passed through. The other side down to Selva was lovely in the late sun. A good day!
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I sometimes wonder if getting to Armentarolla around midday might be better than 9 - 11am? Seems like everyone thinks "hmm better get there early so there arent any queues", only to find 200 people who thought the same thing!
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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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| shiva_71 wrote: |
| I sometimes wonder if getting to Armentarolla around midday might be better than 9 - 11am? Seems like everyone thinks "hmm better get there early so there arent any queues", only to find 200 people who thought the same thing! |
You might have a point there. Also Scotonis has become a victim of its own success imo. Next year, if we go back to Alta Badia I'll definitely do the Cinque Torri area first and have lunch there before going up the cable car.
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| agw wrote: |
| shiva_71 wrote: |
| I sometimes wonder if getting to Armentarolla around midday might be better than 9 - 11am? Seems like everyone thinks "hmm better get there early so there arent any queues", only to find 200 people who thought the same thing! |
You might have a point there. Also Scotonis has become a victim of its own success imo. Next year, if we go back to Alta Badia I'll definitely do the Cinque Torri area first and have lunch there before going up the cable car. |
you might find you're lapping quite a bit if you get there early and then want to ski to lunch - there's not the most amount of skiing in that sector. The restuarant up the hill from CInqui Torre, near a peak called Nuvolao has an amazing view from the terrace - really special but get there early if you want a spot in the sun. The food is pretty good too...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| bertie bassett wrote: |
| agw wrote: |
| shiva_71 wrote: |
| I sometimes wonder if getting to Armentarolla around midday might be better than 9 - 11am? Seems like everyone thinks "hmm better get there early so there arent any queues", only to find 200 people who thought the same thing! |
You might have a point there. Also Scotonis has become a victim of its own success imo. Next year, if we go back to Alta Badia I'll definitely do the Cinque Torri area first and have lunch there before going up the cable car. |
you might find you're lapping quite a bit if you get there early and then want to ski to lunch - there's not the most amount of skiing in that sector. The restuarant up the hill from CInqui Torre, near a peak called Nuvolao has an amazing view from the terrace - really special but get there early if you want a spot in the sun. The food is pretty good too... |
Yes, Cinque Torri is nice but quite limited. We took the approach of arriving earlyish evaluating the queue at the cable car and then making a decision on whether to ski Cinque Torri before or after the hidden valley but we were driving so it was easier. I think there is a bit of pot luck with the queue, if you happen to arrive after 2 coaches have offloaded then you are in for a long wait but the twice we have arrived ca 2-3 pm there were no queues so I'd arrive early (before 10) or after lunch.
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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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Looks busy on the webcams again. All lifts and runs open as usual. Surely this season must be heading towards one of their most commercially successful on record ?
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Snowing lightly in Selva at the moment. Be nice if it keeps going for a bit but looks quite bright out to the West...
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You know it makes sense.
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| jma wrote: |
| Snowing lightly in Selva at the moment. Be nice if it keeps going for a bit but looks quite bright out to the West... |
radar shows the main band will clear through quite soon. Shame, could have done with a few hours more 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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Poster: A snowHead
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Hi Ian, no 
I was just thinking that in terms of starting a week early, having everything open almost every day since Christmas and having fabulous weather for skiing so far, their ticket sales must have been good ? Also since the weather and the snow hasn’t been very good in the northern alps I could imagine a lot more German skiers travelling south this year.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Decent theory. I will ask the owner of our hotel tomorrow. He will know for sure!
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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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That would be interesting to know.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| IanTr wrote: |
| Decent theory. I will ask the owner of our hotel tomorrow. He will know for sure! |
Would hotel occupancy be that good an indicator though? I thought most of the hotel accomodation in the main Dolomite towns is at full or near full occupancy levels throughout the season regardless (apart from maybe start of the season). I remember struggling to find accomodation in Corvara in Mid March once, which is low season for them. Usually at the end of the season, the SKi Dolomiti company will release some kind of figures of lift pass sales, so either way we should hopefully find out. If I had to take a guess, I suspect sales have increased this year due to the excellent early season conditions. I suspect a lot more locals skied the area in early/mid December than in previous years. Also from various reports it sounded as if mid to late January was busier than usual in places. Though what we dont know is how busy the less popular areas have been this season, like Carezza, San Pellegrino, San Martino, Obereggen etc
On the weather front, possibility of some snow showing up for the 26th onwards. But this is still 6 days away so plenty of time for this to change. But the good news is the temperatures now look like dropping to average/below average from the 26th as well with fairly agreement so far.
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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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| jimmybog wrote: |
| IanTr wrote: |
| Decent theory. I will ask the owner of our hotel tomorrow. He will know for sure! |
Would hotel occupancy be that good an indicator though? |
No, but a hotel owner / businessman / local councillor whose extended family are everywhere in the valley will have the very best sources of information! I will ask him this evening and report back.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| IanTr wrote: |
| jimmybog wrote: |
| IanTr wrote: |
| Decent theory. I will ask the owner of our hotel tomorrow. He will know for sure! |
Would hotel occupancy be that good an indicator though? |
No, but a hotel owner / businessman / local councillor whose extended family are everywhere in the valley will have the very best sources of information! I will ask him this evening and report back. |
Yep, fair point. Will be interesting to hear back. ARe you staying in Val Gardena currently or elsewhere such as Arraba, Alta badia or Val Di Fassa??
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Nice picture of Dolomites some of you will be recognise on bing home page today
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@richb67, Lagazuoi provides some magical images
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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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Another 4 sunny and warm days to enjoy then a bit of snow possible. Looks as though this incredible spell of weather since the end of December may finally be coming to an end. March is looking rather more unsettled ?
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He said: In overall terms it is likely to be a good season for the region. The early snowfall encouraged bookings so hotel occupancy levels and rates have been sustained at high levels. However, the lack of a decent proper snowfall since then has meant that “local visits” have not reflected this strength - partly because off-piste opportunities have been so limited. Without another snow event - and because of the timing of Easter and the end of the season - it is possible that a weak finish will undo the strong start. That said, he is sure that there will indeed be at least one more decent dump and that will ensure that 2019/20 will be good overall. In summary a better season for businesses than for skiers at this point, but the season is not done yet.
@jimmybog - I was in Selva, we are lucky to be frequent visitors in winter and summer.
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