Corvara advice

A snowHead

While, of all things, playing Jenga with three Italian Army officers in Passo Tonale I asked their advice on Selva Val Gardena and other Italian resorts.
They all agreed that if visiting Italy again we should try Corvara.
While there is a bit I can find using Google I am looking for "real people" experiences and advice on there (Corvara).

Your thoughts will be greatly appreciated.

Ps Italian officers are pants at Jenga, my wife, a friend and I got hammered on their behalf Laughing

Regards,
DJ

A snowHead

Will be following this thread with interest as Corvara is our choice for 2016

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@Drunkenjoiner, What do you need to know. Great skiing and a beautiful place in the Dolomites. More skiing than you can shake a stick at. Do a search and you'll find lots of information but great restaurants, so you can't go wrong. There's a reason why the Snowheads BB has been in Arabba for years as it suits us for a convenient place for the Sella Ronda. Corvara is probably better for apres, so I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

You could of course do the 12th Birthday Bash next year in Arabba and enjoy skiing in Corvara as a bonus. Very Happy

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Stayed in both Arraba and Corvara. Corvara a little larger but both compact.

Arraba a bit steeper in my opinion.

If going back to dolomites I'd do corvara before arraba. But I'd do either over pretty much most other places. .

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

polc1410, +1

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Thanks guys,
I know a little about the area, though not ski'd there and while speaking to the Italians, expressed my interest in Selva Val Gardena (for access to the Sella Ronda).
He asked me about our party, around 7/8 intermediates (red run confident) and a couple of timid beginners, and ages, four adults, six'ish children, but when I say children ages from 16 to 21.
The timid beginners are my friend and I's wives and have two weeks under their belts but find some blues still a little steep.
The Italians thought that Corvara was though smaller than Selva a more typical and therefore beautiful traditional built village. He mentioned plenty of good B & B's and some nice restaurants for the evenings.
That said we usually prefer hotels, half board and spa facilities for the ladies.
With the ages of the kids a little, though not mental apre is on the required list too.
They said Corvara also had good potential for our wives skiing and obviously a multitude of options for the intermediates.

So advice really on thoughts for our party, the hotels (spa required) and the ski area would be great, with perhaps a little focus on the ski potential for the wives.

Kind regards,
DJ

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I've only stayed at Challet Verona with Collets, but I think they have access to hotels too. Not able to compare to Selva as haven't been based from there but Corvara is better for the 'girls' than Arrabba would be but leaves the rest of you on the Sella stuff. Seem to recall others who had alsk done Arabba commenting on return to Corvara that its good to finish on some gentle blues and that's not quite the same in Arraba.

There are a couple of blues in Arabba that your ladies would certainly think were more a shade if red. And if they went on one of the reds they might find it is darned close to a black. Nothing like that in Corvara.

I suspect there is more night life in Selva but it depends what nightlife you want. Nice food and decent pubs should be no problem in Corvara. Not sure about clubs. BUT in my experience people skiing in the dolomites seem to be there to ski so 4am finishes are not on the agenda. Think I was in bed by 10:30 every night!!

Opportunities for tobogoning(short bus journey), snow shoeing from Corvarra not sure about Selva.

After all it is free

Corvara is fabulous! I learnt to ski there about 11 years ago (34 of us went & I was the only non-skier!) & we've been again since. We stayed in a small b&b the first time & the second time we stayed at the Hotel Pallidi. More skiing than you can shake a stick at & a beautiful village with great apres & eating out- when we we're there the apres certainly went on until the early hours Toofy Grin

Funnily enough its on the radar for our group ski trip next year Very Happy

Corvara is perfect for a mixed group with some more timid members. The Pralongia area between Corvara and San Cassiano is where the easiest skiing is - a great area of nice cruise Blues, and lots of excellent mountain restaurants. But easy to get to Arabba and Selva for the more interesting skiing for the more confident people. Also, close enough for the more timid people to make it to the hidden valley, which is worth the trip for the scenery.

Some of the accommodation is a bit of a walk from the slopes. Several up-market hotels available, with spas etc. We stayed in th Arkadia, which is right on the slopes by the lifts, and has a decent spa (no pool, though). If you are looking for a pool, the Col Alto looks nice, but a bit more expensive and a little way from the slopes/lifts.

I think that Corvara is the most attractive village in the Sella Ronda (personal opinion only!).

Quite quiet on the Après front, but there are some bars etc. Selva is a bit livelier if that is more important, but I would think that Corvara will be better for your less confident skiers. Selva has some slightly tricky reds to manage before you get to its main area of blues, which freaked out one of our group a couple of years back.

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Went to Corvara for the first time this year in early Feb. WOW is all I can say, the skiing is the most extensive and varied to suit all abilities in my humble 20 years doing 1/2 trips per year, its better than anywhere else I have been for the variety of terrain available.

Corvara itself is mainly easy cruisy blues but there are one or two more challenging runs, for me and the missus (5 years exp) it was perfect. The runs down into San Cassiano and La Villa were great.

You then have access to a stupid amount of skiing going one way to Selva via Colfosco takes about 30 mins for reasonable inters, and then you have all that Selva has to offer, definately worth going off to Ortisei from Selva, the run from the top down to Ortisei was the most fun I've had on skis for many years. Go the other way to Arabba and you have a wealth of slightly more difficult skiing.

Not to mention the full sella ronda trip which is awesome - we did the SR early in our trip and then we could pick out particular areas we wanted to go back to, in 8 days we barely scratched the surface.

Corvara itself is not lively, definately more going on in Selva, but for us just relaxing in the spa and having dinner and a few drinks in our hotel was perfect. We stayed in the hotel Villa Eden which was a 3 star but IMO was as good as any 4 star ive been anywhere in the world...It was approx 250m from both of the main lift bases, and an easy enough walk, we could then ski back to our door from the Col Alt which was great at the end of each day. Most of the hotels are brilliant quality, and yes while some are a good walk from the lifts they pretty much all have a shuttle service, oh and the resort circular buses are great too.

I can't recommend it highly enough, real pity hardly any british TO's go there, we had to do DIY, which is fine with me!

You will fins the resort has mostly German visitors, which again is fine with me, and probably one of the reasons why the quality is so high everywhere.

Oh and finally, the food, WOW again, superb quality everywhere and for about a third of the price of anywhere in France.

DO IT Toofy Grin

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A little tongue in cheek of course, but my last 2 trips to Val d'isere and Les Arcs we were paying on average €18-€20 for a main course and around €4 for coffee, whereas in Italy last 2 trips (Monterosa and Dollies) we were paying on average €8-10 for main course and €1.50 for coffee. My maths may be out but way better value...and I'm still happily visiting France by the way Smile

@neilkav, you did say it was a third the price of anywhere in France - if you had said it was way better value than Val d'Isere I'd have agreed but then almost "anywhere in France" is way better value than Val d'Isere. wink

Accommodation is probably, on average, more expensive in Italy and different - lots more hotels, fewer budget self-catering options. But yes, as I said, great place to ski! I like the brutal grooming, personally, but then my French area is brutally groomed too - everything but a few blacks groomed every night.

You know it makes sense.

@pam w, Good point as you say it's usually cheaper to travel to resorts in France and accommodation is almost certainly cheaper, one factored in there's probably not much in it.

I hadn't thought about the grooming, but yes you're right it was very very good.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Not skiied in Corvara, but had a week there last summer and *loved* it.

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Residence Vallon has a nice Wellness Centre

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Had a look with the TO's and can get a reasonable deal for the Hotel Greif (hope there is nothing in the name), but it is down as 800m from the slopes and ski school.
Not really a huge problem apart from the ladies in our party may not like that walk every day.
There is a shuttle bus from the hotel but does anyone know if there are any slopeside lockers that you can hire for the week?

Kind regards,

DJ

PS thanks for all your input.

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800m is too far to walk back and forth in ski boots, in my opinion. You might be better doing DIY and finding something closer.

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I much prefer Corvara to Selva. I did not like the busy road along with traffic fumes in Selva. Corvara has lots if easy slopes and access to a variety of slopes. Corvara has enough going on but choose your location well.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@pam w, the shuttle bus will be fine. Corvara isn't cheap but it is lovely

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@holidayloverxx, yes, I didn't mean somewhere else, but maybe there are more conveniently located hotels. As others have suggested, the TOs don't have much to offer there. Shuttle bus would be OK if it's easy to whistle up. I thought the Corvara skiing was terrific though I wouldn't describe the town/village as particularly picturesque - I drove through/around it a bit last year in the margins of the Birthday Bash and walked about a bit looking for a pharmacy for Raven. I don't think you go to the Dolomites for the picturesque villages - who needs them, when the scenery is so sublime and the skiing so extensive (and brutally well groomed wink

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Anyone stayed at the Hotel Col Alto in Corvara?
Just about to push the button for half term next year...

After all it is free

I've been visiting the area at least once a year for the last 15yrs, so I suppose that rates me as being reasonably familiar. wink

My preference will always be Selva, yes it is more of a small town than a village, but it's central location nails it. Every which way is easy out of Selva, it's on a 3 way junction for everything that is great in the area.
The après is good, but not 3V style rowdy. There is everything that one could need in Selva and it is extremely friendly.

@pam w, yes, I meant the skiing.

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@Drunkenjoiner, bad queues in Selva when I was there. I'd certainly pick Corvara

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Another vote for Corvara over Selva.

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The Greif is a bit of a mixed bag - the swimming pool and bedrooms are certainly 4 star but the dining room and evening meal are less good than either of the 3 star places I have stayed in at Passo Tonale. The shuttle to the lifts works reasonably well (particularly on the way back to the hotel) but on good weather mornings there can be a long wait to get skiing due to the limited capacity of the hotel minibus and the absence of queuing etiquette. I would choose Corvara over Selva but not by a huge margin. If you do pick the Greif make sure you order your breakfast coffee or hot chocolate from the small bar area in the restaurant, as what comes out of the self service machines by the breakfast buffet is barely drinkable. The freshly squeezed orange juice from the main bar open later in the day is however about as good as it gets...

And another for Corvara over Selva. Queues, very nasty bit off the Ciampenoi lift which is scraped and bumpy within the first hour, PITA to get across the road. plus points though are proximity to Ortisei and St Cristina

You know it makes sense.

I'm with Mollerski in prefering Selva.

"PITA to get across the road" They now have a traffic light system at the crossing to allow skiers to cross

"bad queues in Selva " - I've never experienced 'bad' queues in selva (staying in canazei is a whole different experience regarding queues.....)

"very nasty bit off the Ciampenoi " -- not very, just nasty Smile

Plus points - more going on, as it is a larger village than Arabba/Corvara (Ice rink/swimming pool etc) ; livelier Apres (for Italy) ; very wide/large Nursery piste ; Saslong world cup downhill ; etc

The Worlds Best Aftershave named after it !!! http://pourmonsieurblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/acqua-di-selva.html

I am a bit biased tho' - first went there in 1985 (when it rained on me...............)

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

We went on the birthday bash for the first time this year. We headed to the Corvara area every day, except one, when we did the Sella Ronda. Corvara has the most beautiful, confidence giving runs and as others have said, it is within esy reach of more challenging runs for those wanting them Smile

Refugio Saraghes is lovely to head to if you do go. Amazing hot choclate Wink

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@skiluvva,

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@albob, you see, I wouldn't want any of that selva stuff. Driving through Selva on route for arabba I was struck by how big and sophisticated it seemed compared to the small french resorts I'm used to. I would much prefer corvara, though that too is bigger than my local french resorts. Selva was busier too, on the pistes.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@pam w, ( SECRETLY - I don't want any of that stuff either at my age, but feel the need to defend my favourite resort..!)

I would like to stay in Corvara, having visited all the other resorts in the Dolomites. Corvara has a really good position, the Ronda on one side and Alta Badia on the other.

I'm in Les Arcs on the 14th, will it be more sophisticated than Italy ???!!

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@albob,

I couldn't be bothered.

Let the Brits pile off to the one man and his dog bend in the Sella Ronda and we'll enjoy the fine sophistication of Selva along with the Italian beautiful people. wink

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@pam w,

The road through Selva is rarely busy, trust me I used the Flora for years, which is on it at the bottom.
Judging Selva by the main road will give a very distorted view of the place. Take 50 paces off of it and you'll hardly meet a car.

Ciampinoi and Dantercepies to a lesser degree, are high traffic Sella Ronda pinch points which can chop up. However, there are three routes out of both areas, less accomplished skiers have easier ways off of those areas should they wish to take them.

I will concede that Selva is not great for nervy, beginners. From the nursery slopes to Risaccia is fine, to progress from there on requires a huge step up to the sometimes challenging red of Dantercepies, which is more than some can manage. There are cruisey blues beyond Piz Sella/Piz Seteur, but you have to either catch a bus/taxi to Plan de Gralba, or tackle Ciampinoi.

Selva is awful! Corvara is great!! Eh Bob? wink

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I'm a big Corvara fan, particularly for families. If you're going as a group or family the best way to do it, IMHO, is to fly, drive. Ryaniar do amazingly cheap car hire if you fly with them to Treviso and the cars come with winter tyres and chains (Now law for car hire in Venetio) Innsbruck is just as close too. Easyjet do similar deals.
The drive up is fabulous - Fill up with supermarket essentials in Belluno to save money at resort.
If you have a car you can go up to Chinque Torre, Cortina, Kronplazt,Civetta as well. If you have an early morning flight, Stop of at Zoldo Alto or Alleghe (depends which road you take) and ski Civetta for the afternoon. It's stunning and quiet.
The SR side of Corvara can be busy but there's also vary long easy runs downs from the Selva side which are great beginners / early intermediates. Just around the corner is Arabba which has the highest and steepest skiing in the Dolomites if you want something more that way. Alta Badia prides itself on dining on the mountain where they've put several top chefs in Refuges. Check out their website for details. It's reasonably priced too.
If you're all reasonable skiers then do the Hidden Valley and horse drawn lift. It's a bit flat in places with lots of polling but certainly a memorable experience. Accomodation won't be the cheapest but flight and car hire will

After all it is free

@Mollerski, - wrote "...Selva is awful! Corvara is great!!....."

In fact the whole of the Dolomites is complete rubbish - too low, no scenery worth looking at, awful food :: everybody should go to Bulgaria instead Wink

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cameronphillips2000 -- sounds like a good plan for next year, thanks for the suggestions

[quote="albob"]
In fact the whole of the Dolomites is complete rubbish - too low, no scenery worth looking at, awful food :: everybody should go to Bulgaria instead Wink

Absolutely!!

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+ 1 @Mollerski, I have skiied all over the big 4 European ski countries and The Dollies are junk. I don't recommend it to anyone except my ski pals.

We stayed at Hotel Greif in Corvara. Last minute booking and it was the only place available. Whilst it wasn't up to the ridiculously high standard of Hotel Grones in Ortesei it was still very good and compared to the 3V amazing value for money.

Help!!

Corvara advice

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