I've booked flights to Innsbruck from 26th February to 9th of March and am planning to ski the back bottom off the Dolomites.
I've never been before and was wondering if anyone could recommend some routes or challenges other than the famous Sella Ronda?
I'm a piste skier, reds and blacks mostly and don't mind skiing hard all day.
Because the trip is quite long, am I better splitting my time between two towns? I've provisionally booked a wee hotel in Selva but could be convinced to move for a few days.
Any advice is much appreciated
Cheers
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Do the val de mesdi if you know what you're doing off piste, have the kit and a bit of mountain sense.
Did it last year with the missus and it was phenomenal. The hike across the plateau with the clouds occasionally coming in, not knowing until the last minute if we'd found the correct gulley was brilliant.
A forum search should bring up the details I used last time round.
HUGE DISCLAIMER
It appears that area has had obscene amounts of snow recently so I'm sure the avalanche risk is off the scale. Don't do the Val de mesdi.
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?
Quote:
It appears that area has had obscene amounts of snow recently
not all of it. A local guide would know where to take you.
Well if you don't mind skiing hard all day the Great War tour might just about be doable from Selva http://www.dolomiti.org/ita/Cortina/laga5torri/inverno/2479_Grande_Guerra_B.pdf
However I am not quite sure if it will be open because of the lift that gas been taken out on the Marmolada, when everything has settled down it will be more obvious.
If that is a bit too much then the Hidden Valley ( which is part of the red route on the above) is a must and also time permitting try and venture towards Cinque Torri whilst you are doing the Hidden Valley. That in itself would be a fair day out from Selva.
Then I would also recommend going over to Pedraces and skiing the piste that comes down from the top of Santa Croce a few times, my favourite run of all in the region, do this early in the morning before everyone else gets there and before it gets slushy in the mid-day sun. Then go back up and have lunch in the restaurant, which is the old Santa Croce chapel.
There's much much more to do and you can't really go too far wrong. These are just a few of my favourites.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Thanks Kel, looks good.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Parts of the WW1 tour are, or may be, possible (ie Arabba round to 5 Torri via Armentarola, Hidden Valley etc.)
Entire section from Arabba to Marmolada is essentially impossible, now. 1 chairlift gone, due to avalanche, and 1 drag lift pretty much demolished (although that's only needed when you ignore the sign pointing Arabba left, Marmolada right). I imagine it's out until next season.
Lagazuoi and Passo Falzarego was closed all last week.
Santa Croce was fully accessible, and definitely worthy of a trip (pick a sunny day, and if the restaurant is full and you cba to wait, there's another good one on the right almost at the bottom - descend past the 2 at the chair "mid station" and keep going until you see one more restaurant)
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Being at the Selva end of the loop, I'd suggest Ortisei, drop down the 10km long red (mostly blue iirc), cross town, go up and to the entire Alpe di Siusi / Seiseralm "loop", bus thru the forest from Saltria to Monte Pana, which brings you back out o the Sella Ronda near the Sasslong.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
How easy is it to get to Cortina from Selva?
Is it skiable or is a bus required?
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
sean1967, ski to Armentarola, then 2 buses, or shared taxi plus bus. then the same in reverse. or for the way back, bus then hidden valley, then horse tow back to armentarola, and ski back. It'll be a long day though.
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.
Bus required from the Lagazoui pass and frankly not worth the effort for the amount of time you would get there before you had to come back.
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
And of course as Andy points out you have to get the shared taxi to the top of the Lagazoui pass.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Cheers, sounds like a bit of a schlep.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
yeah, realistically that'd be for a quick slide on one remote section of Cortina.
Cinque Torri is nice area, not quite so distant. Limited, but a nice run down, and slightly less of a schlep. ie ski from Lagazuoi where the shared taxi drops you off, and ski back (if the required lift is running), or a 10min or so bus ride from the bottom (if that lift isn't running). Ski back from Lagazuoi via hidden valley.
Can give more exact details if required. We managed 5Torri from Arabba, which is pretty much the same distance as Selva.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
a lot of sella ronda has been closed, the marmalada is shut for the rest of the season...
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
sella ronda full loop was open both ways again at the end of last week. but yes, at least one off-shoot (Marmolada) from the Sella Ronda is closed until whenever a new lift can be built/repaired.
I'd certainly recommend checking the Dolomiti Superski website (or app) to see which lifts are open/closed.
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?
Looking at the rather confusing Arraba.it website I have kind of worked out that the chairlift that is accessed from the mid-station of the gondola that comes out of Arabba is open (are you with me so far !!). However the only piste that is open from the top of this lift is the nursery slope back to the bottom of said chairlift. Everything beyond the top of this chair is then closed, i.e. the whole of the Marmolada side. Is this correct ?.
Beyond that chair from the Arabba gondola midstation (in the Marmolada direction) the only thing that is open is one drag lift from Malga Ciapela carpark up to the flat bit where the demolished 2nd drag lift is. ie a drag that accesses a green path with barely enough gradient to ski on.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
That's a whole lot of business those restaurant owners are missing out on, on the Marmolada side.
Personally I don't care too much for the Marmolada, I think it's the 3 cable cars in succession and everywhere else is just so much more stunning, scenery wise. I just hope that with this area being shut it doesn't crowd the rest of the area out too much.
Don't expect rest of SR to be crowded as a result.
Only 8 weeks of season remaining, and then Malga Ciapela (and indeed most of the Dolomites) are very much a summer walking, hiking, mountaineering, via ferrata etc. destination. Was going to go mountain biking there in summer, and the youtube vids show the place heaving with walkers. So yes, definitely loss of business in the short term, but it's not a 3 month winter-only trading resort. Hotels will ship people down to Alleghe to ski (I guess)
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Yep I've also been in the summer, prefer it in the winter though.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Just got thus email, it's official the Marmolada is out for the rest of the ski season
Beyond that chair from the Arabba gondola midstation (in the Marmolada direction) the only thing that is open is one drag lift from Malga Ciapela carpark up to the flat bit where the demolished 2nd drag lift is. ie a drag that accesses a green path with barely enough gradient to ski on.
No I was wrong Looking at the open lifts from my post above, I can now see that lift No 11 on the Arabba piste map is open, which must mean that piste No 8 is open and that is as far as you can go on the Arabba side.
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Ski the Net with snowHeads
It is now. Nice blue run that, iirc. Open it up and get the edges working.
Not sure if they'll open the shonky 2-man Padon chair and run back down. It's one of those chairs that really ought to be upgraded, but if they did then marmolada could be far too busy (if it were open). Can get some impressively massive queues for Marmolada cable car, given that 90% of the skiers have used that slow 2-man.
Chair that got taken out was #13 on my map.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
How do I get from Selva to the Hidden Valley?
The name suggests it's difficult to find.
Am I likely to encounter an old Chinese wizzard sporting a FuManChu who will send me on an exciting quest of some sorts?
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.
Hidden Valley looks like it is still hidden from the Alta Badia side as the pass is still closed for safety reasons - avalanche risk presumably
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
It depends on what transport you have. If you have a car, drive to the Falzarego pass where there is a car park. There are buses but I'm sorry I can't give you details - it's two years since I last did it. There are also semi-organised taxi trips up from Arabba and other places but I don't know about Selva.
'Hidden Valley' is basically the run down to Armentarola from the Rifugio Lagazuoi. You get the cable car up to Lagazuoi from the Falzarego Pass. It's then a ski down as far as you can go. depending on weather / snow, it is a horse drawn sleigh with ropes off the back to pull skiers / boarders along the last bit (I think it costs €1 or €2), or else a taxi. This can take you to Falzarego or to San Cassiano or wherever. It depends on how you reached Falzarego in the first place - car or public transport.
Definitely recommend checking lift status until they sort out all the snow, before venturing too far from the Sella Ronda.
Think it was €6 per person for shared taxi from Armentarola up to Passo Falzarego (ie Lagazuoi Cable Car), and €2 per person for the horse tow to get from end of hidden valley back to Armentarola. From Selva, it's all pretty easy to ski and navigate.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
Looking at the open lifts from my post above, I can now see that lift No 11 on the Arabba piste map is open, which must mean that piste No 8 is open and that is as far as you can go on the Arabba side.