 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello my wife and I am off to Corvara for a week on Saturday and I have seen the Serrai Sottoguda on the internet/youtube and fancy heading over to it to ski down it (if its open to skiing that is) as I think it would be something my wife would enjoy.
However my wife is a timid intermediate and is not very confident with steep sections she doesn't know (or even steep sections she does!, she is perhaps even worse!!), I think I may be able to get her over to it (as far as I can see there would only be a steep section coming out of Corvara towards Arabba at the Bec de Roces) but I am a bit wary of taking her back up to the Passo Padon and back down to Arabba as I have read that it can be a bit tricky.
My question is - Is it possible to get a bus or taxi from the end of Serrai Sottoguda back to Arabba or Corvara, I think the return from Arabba to Corvara will be within my wife's capabilities. Ideally I would like to continue on from Sottuguda/Malga to do the rest of the Great War circuit but I think this would be out of the question, time and confidence wise, for my wife. Thanks for any info.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Bec di Roces is not a desperately steep red run. As you rightly say, its the return which is more spicy. The runs over will really not cause a problem, even the run down from Padon which is a little narrow, is not a hard red. But in reverse you have to at least negotiate the run down from Passo padon towards Arabba which steep, narrow and has a certain vibe to it which is a little intimidating. That said, that section os not massively long, maybe 200m? Perhaps you could ask the lift attendants if you'd be allowed to jump on the lift down if you felt the need? The Serrai itself is pretty steady. Its narrow but you can easily snow plough a lot of it. It does get busy though, but as far as it not being a piste? Well as long as its not first thing in the am after heavy snow you'll be reet. From the bottom, you walk down through the village and there you could easily return back to Malga Ciapela and the lifts to Padon.
To get back via taxi, I'd say will be the only practical option. There are buses which you'll find looking at either Dolomitistars or dolomitibus websites. But they are not frequent so you'd need to be well prepared and get there on time. Ski bus down to Caprile and then taxi or bus back to Arabba would work. Don't ask me what a taxi would cost, not cheap though as its a 25-30 minute drive. Easiest way back really is the way you came...
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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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Thanks for the info. It might have to be the getting the lift back down to arabba option.
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@Duklaringy, There are two options when going from Corvara to Arabba. when you get off the Boe bubble you can take the travellator up a slight rise or just walk up and over and you end up on a red which gets a bit narrow and icy with lots of bumps and quite intimidating for a timid skier. The other option is to turn left from the bubble and ski down past the rocky outcrop on the right and take a right turn just past the outcrop. This leads you on a narrow but gentle run towards the bottom of the run into Campolongo. It is a bit steep and gets bumpy on the first bit down to the rocky outcrop, but after that it's easier than the other route.
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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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Thanks for the heads up because from looking at the top of the Boe bubble on google maps and youtube I was going to give the straight on option a go as the other way (left past the outcrop) looked narrow with a drop to the side. I was thinking of missing that bit out entirely by going from pralongia to churz? as that looks like its blue all the way. Obviously when we are actually there we will just have to see what the reds look like on the ground it may be that my wife takes everything in her stride, I'm just trying to limit exposure to something off putting early in a trip that may need her to go down something she doesn't like the look of later e.g coming back down to arabba. She can ski a slope a few times no problems but then ski something that she doesn't like and then wont be able to ski the slope she's been skiing fine.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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going to the straight on to the right of that rocky outcrop is steep and narrow. mainly a problem at the end of the day.
going to the left as if you're heading back to Corvara and then hanging a right immediately past the rock, is wide until you hang a right, and then it's a flat wide enough green cat track. which comes out after the steep narrow bit.
took us years to find that. only found it because of the year they did that night XC race and had closed off the normal piste.
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I would echo the advice from Andy on the Boe bit and not take the straight on route. The Cherz route is longer, but easier (and is especially so on the way back).
You can usually get a taxi from the village of Sottoguda - we have done that a couple of times to speed up the Great War circuit (you can wait quite a long time between buses if you time it wrong). It would not be much further for the taxi to go to Arabba instead of Alleghe. I don't recall cost, but it was not too much.
If you do go back on skis from Malga Ciapela, the Passo Padon red is steepish at the top, but as said above, very short and usually pretty empty. Then the skiing is all easy except for the red or black run immediately into Arabba from the Marmolada side - you will have easy blue until you reach the mid station of the gondola (where you will have got off on the way out) - I can see no reason why you should not descend on the bubble for this part.
I would not discount the possibility of doing the Great War Circuit. There is nothing difficult on the route in the direction you would do it - in fact, the bit on the Boe referred to above is probably the hardest bit, and you will avoid all the tougher skiing between Malga Ciapela and Arabba on the way back. A couple of very nice blue/easy reds in the stunning Alleghe/Civetta area to Pescul, bus from Pescul to Fedare, and the route from Fedare to Lagazuoi is also easy (indeed some of it is rather flat), as is the Hidden Valley. From Corvara, it is really quite easy to fit in a day, if you start early and especially if you take a taxi from Sottoguda to Alleghe to save a bit of time. If you find yourself running out of time, you could always abort at Lagazuoi, skip the Hidden Valley and get taxi back to either Amentarola, San Cassiano (just 2 lifts and 2 blues to Corvara) or even all the way to Corvara (or could do the same from the bottom of Hidden Valley).
The Serrai itself is stunning, but not a very exciting ski (more of a slide, really). To find it, when you arrive at Malga Ciapela, go straight across the little road where the piste ends (where you take your skis off by the cable car/lift office) - there is a little wooden cabin that you pass by to your left and then usually a pretty obvious ski track to the entrance, and usually some signs (you may need to take your skis off for a bit if snow is thin, as you briefly ski along a bit of road). It is a gentle meander through the gorge, although can be quite icey - many people just do it in a gentle snow-plough all the way, taking time to admire the icefalls (and the people climbing them), and the little chapel etc. Watch out for people walking in the other direction. Depending on the snow, it can be quite a long walk from the end of the gorge through Sottoguda to the bus stop, which is back on the main road the other side of the village. There are a couple of hotels/cafes where you could stop for a chocolate. There is sometimes a taxi waiting at the exit (it might even be worth organising this in advance).
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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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Thanks for all the info. I can't wait to get there and see how we get on!!
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@Duklaringy, Please report back as I am planning to take my wife there next season .
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@blockhead, will do i'll put a report on this thread. Thanks again everyone.
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