 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi,
I'm looking forward to a week long trip to Arabba in the end of January - first time skiing in the Dolomites Superski area and expectations are set high!
I'm traveling with two fairly inexperienced skiers so I'm worried going the clockwise direction (orange route) might be too challenging for them. It looks like not being able to go that way from Arabba significantly limits our mobility through the whole Superski area.
I'm told the Porta Vescovo area on that route is the most challening part (and with no option to download) but there seems to be at least two options to choose from when going the Orange route through the area;
i) The big gondola from Arabba all the way up to Porta Vescovo and down long slope of Salere/Alpenrose
or
ii) The smaller Portados gondola half way up, then down short slope (Portados) to Carpazza chairlift up there and down the mid/lower part of Salere slope.
Which way should be easier or better pick for our group?
And also one unrelated question. The upper part of the Ornella ski slope (from Porta Vescovo to Pescoi) doesn't seem too steep based what I see on photos. Is it fair to say that it's not a really difficult red and not an obstacle when trying to access the blue slopes from Pescoi (slopes 8 & 9)?
Many thanks in advance!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Welcome to the forum.
Up Portados then down to Carpazza and up that is a bit easier than going up the main cable car or the Europa gondola (to the very top). The first main pitch from the top of the cable car is the worst, although it's not as bad first thing in the morning, when it's not mogulled and is usually grippy. From the bottom of that first steep pitch and from the top of Carpazza is red on the map but is basically a long mostly blue all the way to the next gondola on the Sella Ronda circuit. Just keep left at every junction.
To get to Blue 8+9 from Arabba, just go up the Europa gondola and get off at the mid-station. It'll be signed for Marmolada. The first blue going that way is an ace run to practice the edging.
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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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Hi Leifur26, I'm certainly no expert but I've skied the Orange route several times and thoroughly enjoyed it, generally starting in Corvara, beautiful part of the world.
It's difficult to assess what "fairly inexperienced skiers" means as a lot will depend on snow conditions and how busy the pistes are and I'd presume you'll spend some time getting your collective ski legs first.
My top tips are start early to hopefully grab the best conditions and avoid the crowds and if you and your group aren't feeling it, definitely cut out the steeper section at the top of Porta Vescovo as swinging out of there and cutting back right can be littered with nervous skiers so can be busy and unsettling to inexperienced skiers.
Have a great trip.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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The red run down into Compolongo can be a bit scraped in the afternoon in a couple of places. If you have an hour to spare, consider some nice cruising blue runs round Alta Badia as an alternative.
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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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We’ve done both routes a few times, I’m not a good skier but managed ok. As long as they can handle a red with a few cut up sections you’ll be fine. Most of it is straightforward cruising.
Araba has the steepest slopes so as you’re staying there you’ll soon work out the best way around that section.
One general SR tip, at various points you will see signs to the “alternative route”, these use some black pistes so are trickier but that isn’t really obvious on your first visit. Although the signage is generally good there are 2 places where we took these as we’d not seen any signs and thought we must have missed earlier arrows. One was at Arabba anti-clockwise, the other was clockwise approaching plan de Gralba. So if you see these just carry on your current route heading down hill and you’ll come across the easier route.
Enjoy, we’re back there for 2 weeks in Feb.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks all for the helpful advice!
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@leifur26, when are you going?
A load of us are there the last week Jan/1st week Feb.
Also, I've been to Arabba loads of times like others but I've never been all the way around. There are loads of days out without doing the circuit.
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@leifur26, ps welcome to Snowheads 
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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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@leifur26, welcome to Snowheads. If they can manage reds, they should be okay going either way round. As @brianatab, says, Red 22 down into Campolongo can get mogully and scraped in places in the afternoon. If they do struggle with reds, head over to the Alta Badia. Loads of nice cruisey blues.
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IIRC you can cut out the steeper parts of Red 22 down into Campolongo by going down Boe and then cutting across using the Pista di collegamento Boé - Costoratta.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Awdbugga - Thanks! I'll be staying in Arabba from Jan 23rd to the 30th, at Hotel Garni Bellavista, group of three guys from Iceland, me, my brother and my father.
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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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@leifur26, we arrive as you leave. I’m also staying in the Belavista.
There will be about 150 of us Snowheads there that week (Covid permitting).
If you do the Orange loop, be careful not to follow the “alternate” orange signs near Plan De Gralba. It takes you on a loop detour off the main route.
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Using Portados & Carpazza eliminates the upper section of Salere from Porta Vescovo which is a fairly steep wall that gets cut up and heavily trafficked. Keep left at each split along Salere to reach the chair up to Passo Pordoi.
There are a few other steeper red sections that get a bit cut up on both directions of the Sella Ronda, particularly as the day wears on, but the Porta Vescovo is the worst.
To get to 'Pescoi' and pistes 8 & 9, use the Europa gondola and get off at the mid-station, though it can be a bit bleak and shady over there. The Ornella no.6 from the top of Carpazza isn't particularly difficult, more of a rolling traverse.
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You know it makes sense.
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There are lovely blues in the section around La Vizza and Pralongia toward Armentarola & San Cassiano. Take them over there for some confidence building before hitting the steeper side of Arabba.
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