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Ski School and ski hire San Cassiano, plus some other questions

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hi again, Has anyone got any advice for these questions? It seems like there are 2 ski schools, Ski School Dolomites Alta Badia and Ski School San Cassiano/St Kassian. Children's group lessons are at practically the same times for the week and are the same price. Private lessons are €60/hr at both but one does them in hourly blocks and the other does 90mins. Checked on Googlemaps and 1 is on the road just below the Gondola Station and the other looks like it is just above it, on the edge of the piste. Any recommendations for either, or any others I haven't seen? We are going 17-24th Feb so should be post-Carnevale and not so busy (that was the thinking anyway).

The children will be 7 & 6 and have done 4 & 3 weeks abroad (France, Austria, Finland) plus a couple of days in Scotland (might manage some more this winter snowHead ) They are reasonably competent blue run ploughers now and will probably make significant progress as both are very keen to improve. Their lessons were only 90 mins/day in Finland so they're in for a bit of a surprise as group lessons finish with 2 full days!

Mrs WS is still ploughing slowly but has had 2-3 private lessons each holiday and actually volunteered to go down an (easy) red at the end of our last holiday and managed fine. Is 90mins enough for a private lesson? I think I've booked her 2 hour blocks previously. Any recommendations for either ski school? Our accommodation is 200yds into the village so I think I'll use the Ski Depot service, think they'll let me sneak in my own boots/skis along with 3 rental pairs? I suspect it will be a bit easier (and cheaper) to book lessons and hire equipment together but if anyone knows of any other rental option, that would be good.

I've done some extensive searching on here for the best/easiest starter slopes and think the gentlest from the top of Piz Sorega is down 28 then up La Brancia, then take 6 to Pralongia II (as it gets criticised for being flat) rather than Biok and 7 (which goes to the same place but is shorter and steeper). I think all the runs off Pralongia II are nice, is that right? Or are 8 and 21B a bit steeper? 33 to La Marmotta and 34 (the Pista del Sole) have been mentioned before as flat and nice. The other choice from Ciampai seems to be down Roby (& up Pre dai Corf 2 man?) behind Piz la Ila. I haven't seen anything about these runs on here so anyone know which is nice, easy and hopefully quiet for a first morning? The Mrs is quite happy with a slow lift just for 2 of us, more time to rest! What about the runs back into Ciampai (15/14, 29, 13 and 2Cool? I presume most people will take 28 once they reach the top of Sorega as that is heading to where the bulk of the runs are but is Ciampai then quiet in the mornings as people mainly use it to head back to San Cassiano in the afternoon or busy as it's the first lift you see at the bottom?

To get back to the top of Piz Sorega seems to involve Arlara and Pre Ciablun lifts then 15 to La Fraina or onto 14 and Ciampai and cut round Las Vegas somehow? It's not totally clear from the piste maps but that is my best guess. There is a visible piste but no blue line off Pre Ciablun. Otherwise you'd have to get 5B then another chairlift (Brada Fraida). I did see somewhere that the top of run 5, run 8 off Pralongia and (4?) at the top of the Col Alto gondola are a bit steeper and more liable to get chopped up. The map looks like there is a flatter dog leg at Col Alt to avoid the top section of piste so is that now quite gentle too? That would mean skiing down into Corvara would be quite doable as a Gondola and 2 chairs with blues between would take you back to the top of Piz Sorega, is that right????

Finally (at the moment snowHead ) which is the best way back to San Cassiano? 1 of the long runs off Pralongia (9A or B)?

Thanks you wonderful people snowHead snowHead snowHead
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"The map looks like there is a flatter dog leg at Col Alt to avoid the top section .." yes

9a/b or 10 back into San Cassiano.

You seem to have sussed it all out correctly

Have you got the 3d map - best resource available

https://www.dolomitisuperski.com/en/ski-area/ski-map
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Thanks. Yes I’ve got the 3D map. It’s really good on the app, probably easier to use than on the computer and very clear, but I’ve been caught out by piste maps that make things look as if they link in 1 way but actually on the ground it’s different so I like to check with those who have been before. If it was just me, I’d not bother but you’ve got to think ahead when with children and the less experienced. What would be 30secs of herringboning can easily turn into 30mins of tantrums/moans/strops so going the wrong way is to be avoided at all costs! Cheers
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Within my group a couple of years ago we had lessons with both ski schools and were happy with both. Adult group lessons were quite limited even though we were there carnival week (so busier than normal, but not too busy) and one of our group fell out the bottom of the lowest group and got some private lessons instead which suited them better. I think I remember both also having offices at the top of the gondola and certainly the meeting points for lessons are up there.
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Had a bit of time to look at piste map and work out which run is which!

For a first morning, if you have nervous skiers, a couple of loops round the drag lift codes at the top of piz sorega, to get the ski legs back is great. It's long enough to give a bit of interest, nice and wide and pretty flat.

I have a feeling that 6 was closed when I was there, and that 7 wasn't too bad to get to pralongia, but I maybe misremembered which one was closed, certainly they weren't both open and whichever one I did do had a few points with steeper shortcuts that could easily be avoided going round a longer route.

Once in pralongia I don't think I tried 8 or 21b, I did do 21 which had a slightly off-putting steeper start, but was fine after that. Again 9a was closed when I was there, so only did 9b (left hand one facing down) which is nice and long and very easy.

The run down from bioch to la ciampai was lovely, wide, and generally quiet, with a border cross track off the side which was pretty doable and fun. From la brancia down had a few choices, 14 (rhs of the lift facing down) was quite steep, busy and got quite mogully by the end of the day, I liked to cut off down the smaller piste under the lift on the left 15b? Which was a nice route through the trees, but it was easy to miss it as it comes off the steeper side of the piste so you have to watch out. I only did 15 once in a lesson and it had just snowed a fair bit, i fell a lot, but can't tell you if that was the pitch of the slope or my lack of skills on the powder. It was a lot quieter than the other side though. Also off that lift there was a nice piste 19 which has a slightly steeper start and then a nice flatter end, it wasn't generally too busy. 29 off the drag was ok too from memory.

Afraid I can't advise on the route back from corvara, I only did that once and got quite confused about where we were, both on the route out and back!
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Most questions already answered, here are a few others:

If skiing down to Corvara you have two main routes: one from Arlara down red 5 and then onto blue 5A. This is probably the trickiest route with several steep/steepish sections though most are short

Second route is from bottom of Pralongia II chair down blue 8. First section just below Pralongia II chair is quite steep and gets cut up mogulled later on, otherwise its mostly flattish all the way to Corvara

To get back from Corvara, go up Col ALto gondola, head straight down onto the blue cut around track and then onto the main slope, then towards the bottom, head left and over or around the mound to the Braia Frada chair and then up to La brancia hut area.


To get to Arlara from the La brancia/L Tabla hut area, you need to get the Braia Frada chair heading downhill (you can see the top section on the piste map has arrows pointing two ways) and get off after a short ride. Head left and down and up a slope and arrive near Arlara restaurant just where the blue and red slopes 5 and 5B begin.

To get from Arlara back to La Brancia/L Tabla huts, you can either go down blue 5B and get Braia Frada chair up or get lift 32 Pre Ciablun to roughly where you exited Braia Frada earlier and then you have to ski down blue 20 and get Roby chair back up

You can also ski from Arlara down to Pralongia II chair by joining onto blue 8


From La Brancia/L Tabla hut area down to Ciampai hut area, you could go down blue 15, though I think the first part is quite steep as I recall. Blue 14 is slightly easier, though as already mentioned, the first part is quite steep but doable if you keep to the right hand side. This will take you all the way down to Ciampai. If you veer off left onto 15A and then chair La Fraina, then this is also a good route but will be a bit longer

To get back to Piz Sorega from Ciampai just get chair 9 up to vegas hut and its a short flat trek to the gondola station


Blue 6 from La Brancia hut to Pralongia II chair has a sod of a uphill section at the start. In the right conditions you may be able to get enough speed up to get up the hill (I never made it once and had to walk the last bit). AFterwards its a flat run and several sections of poling near the end

Blue 7 from Bioch to Pralongia II chair I think is actually easier as no polling involved. The only steepish part is avoided by continuing round and dropping back onto the slope a bit further round/down (you will see where this part is when your there)

From Pralongia, initial slope, to left of Pralongia II chair (looking downhill) is a bit steep where it veers off to join blue 8. ALso initial part of 21B is slightly steep but not for long. Otherwise I cant think of anything to worry about on the remainder.
The end of blue 8 before the bottom of Pralongia II chair is also slightly steeper but quite wide, quiet and short

If you get a chance also try blue 10 from Bioch to join blue 9A further down and also try 10A from vegas hut to also join 9A further down


Just to correct one of RCAV's comments "so only did 9b (left hand one facing down)", left hand slope facing down from pralongia is 9A, right hand side is 9B

The 3D map I find is an excellant tool and makes it easier to understand where the slopes, lift exit points and huts are, especially in the Arlara, Pralongia and La brancia areas
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jimmybog wrote:

Just to correct one of RCAV's comments "so only did 9b (left hand one facing down)", left hand slope facing down from pralongia is 9A, right hand side is 9B


Thanks for the correction, I knew I'd get something wrong, was going off an old piste map and memory so was bound to get confused somewhere. Puzzled
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What Rcav said about the drag lift (Codes) and run 30 a few times first off. I think there is a bit of a walk/pole back from the top of the drag to the area outside the gondola (which in my experience was where you actually meet your instructor for lessons) but nothing too major.

Mrs SteveM had private lessons last season with San Cassiano school and was happy with them. As they have ski rental and locker deposit on the same site not far from bottom of gondola then I would think you can store your own kit there as well without much bother. Worst case you end up paying them for an additional locker. The only thing to note is you have to walk past gondola station and uphill a little bit to get to their place. But it is convenient slopeside at end of day if skiing back down (again if you download on gondola you would have to walk up a little bit of hill). Google streetview will show you this.

After the drag lift I would be quite tempted to just take 9+11 back down to SC. Nice easy run, slopeside coffee stop along the way if you want. There is a little bit of a dip into it at the top but that's it. Also it does not tend to be that busy. I suspect I have a video of it somewhere.

In the group that I was with, the next preference was down 28 as you say and then take Bioch lift up and come back down 13 (again as Rcav mentions).

While talking about that area, yes to return to SC if you come up Ciampai lift then the route 10A never seems to be open, so you turn left and ski along the ridge towards Las Vegas hut then just keep going past the front of it to go down number 9 or decide to download on gondola. Not marked as a piste on the 3D app at all but all easy.

To get across to Pralongia then as you say, the 7 from Biok does have a little bit of a steeper section close to the start where it also twists a few times then heads to a rolling flat run to the Pralongia chair - the trouble tends to be that people slow on the steeper bit and dont carry enough speed into the flatter rolling section and so end up walking/polling in parts. I have not done 6 very often but I think the one time I did so it was really flat and so you need to be careful not to get stuck with walking/polling.

Off Pralongia 2 then to get to 9A or 34 you have to walk a bit uphill (not much really but a bit) so a nice loop is down 33 to Marmotta (bends and twists a bit following a valley), turn left and carry on down to bottom of Maserai, then decide - either up the old Vizza chair (slow) and back down the run to the bottom of it and then up Maserai chair for run 34 (Sole) or just skip the Vizza chair excursion. Sole is a rolling cruiser.

At the top of Pralongia 2 then I would go for 8 not 21B, unless you are heading for Trieste restaurant (but also 21B has often a few fun children things on it such as ducking under bars, things to hit as you go past etc). Where 8 and 8B all funnel together just above the bottom of the Pralongia 2 chair is where sometimes conditions are not so good, can get scraped and icy or bumpy. Of course if you are heading homeward from Pralongia 2 then either 9A or 9B are straightforward.

From La Brancia, yes down 19 and back up the Pre dai Corf chair and back down 18 to Roby is good too - see above ref 19 and 18 starts narrow but widens out into a big triangle shape. Also has a timed 2 person slalom you can go on (not a steep one) and you can collect a video online afterwards.

In summary first morning I would focus on 9 back to SC and/or take bioch chair up and back down 13 to get Ciampai chair and then back down to SC. Lunch/coffee stops at Bioch or Las Vegas (or anywhere else frankly). You'll get a feel for the area and then can branch out from there.

When you talk about getting back via Arlara and Pre Ciablun, that really depends on whether you have headed down in towards Corvara. Standard route to Corvara is La Brancia, short ski down past same named rifugio then take Braia Fraida chair half way (it is a 2 way chair at that stage). You must get off at half way station. Short straight run down, no turns as you need the speed to get up out of the dip on the other side and turn right when out of the dip before you reach Piz Arlara rifugio following run 5. Follow 5/5A down (yes there is a bit more steep at the start) and then as you say you can come back up Arlara chair and ski down 5b to get onto Braia Fraida going the "other" way from earlier. Or you might have to get Pre Ciablun, do a U turn and then head down to 5b for Braia Fraida, but I don't think so.

If you head further down than the Arlara chair into Corvara, keep right and come back up Col Alt gondola. As stated by albob, you want to take the dog leg to the left from the top before heading for Braia Fraida chair. The start of 15 as stated is a bit steep and does get shopped up (right hand side not so steep from memory) then keep right on 14 to get to Ciampai chair or turn right to stay on 15 (quieter) and get La Fraina chair up. As you say, gondola and 2 chairs, plus blue runs.

They don't call this area "blue run heaven" for no good reason! But this reminds me that I don't take the red Col Alt run from top of the gondola to the bottom very often, must correct that this season.

If you come up Roby then the La Fraina rifugio has a nice outside terrace and tends not to be too busy. Not necessarily the best of the rifugios around for food, but quite peaceful. If you come up Pre dai Corf and then can put up with the flat polling towards the Piz La Ila gondola there is a good pizza place along that flat bit opposite the Bamby lift. The La Brancia rifugio does good chocolate/coffee.

The red 16B is not a bad red from memory if somebody wants to try one. Likewise red 23 down from Piz Sorega.


This video shows you run 15 down from La Brancia.

This video shows you run 34 (Sole) down from Pralongia to Vizza/Maserai chair.

This video shows you run 33 (Incisa) down to Marmotta and Vizza/Maserai chair.

This video shows you run 8 down from Pralongia II.
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Wow. That’s really detailed. Thank you for taking the time to post. Going to have to read that with the piste map in front of me to get my head round it all. Currently freezing beside a football pitch Sad
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Rcav wrote:
jimmybog wrote:

Just to correct one of RCAV's comments "so only did 9b (left hand one facing down)", left hand slope facing down from pralongia is 9A, right hand side is 9B


Thanks for the correction, I knew I'd get something wrong, was going off an old piste map and memory so was bound to get confused somewhere. Puzzled


I stand corrected RCAV. You were right all along. Piste map is incorrect. 3D maps and Youtube videos show right hand slope facing down as 9A!!. Apologies
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Oh and by the way,
here is wizzywig's video of the piste 25 from Cherz back down to La Vizza. Note that if you do this one and then want to get back on the Maserai chair up to Pralongia then keep speed up at the bottom to go round the valley station of Vizza chair and go across to Maserai. Note also Maserai can be cold and long if the wind is in your face on a snowy day. Hot choc stop at the top.
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Some great info in this thread! thanks!

Does anyone have any info on the red run 17 that runs down to La Villa (blue 24 runs in to it half way down) as my OH has an aversion to red runs on maps. Just wondered if its a proper red or an easy red in keeping with the rest of the slopes nearby?
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Hi @Sweedish, I don't think I have ever skied the top bit of 17 red before it crosses the black, but have skied the bit from the black down to the blue. Recollection is that it is a reasonable red, but I have to say I normally do the Gran Risa black 17 rather than the red option so recollection may be hazy. Certainly the red flattens out at the bottom when it meets the blue.

One thing to note if you take it at the end of the day is not to miss the last run of the little chair at the bottom which lifts up to car park, otherwise it is a bit of a slog up that hill on foot.

By reasonable I would say it is similar to the red down to bamby lift from plz la ila (16b), more difficult than 16a.
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@ Sweedish, just got back from a fabulous trip to the area. The blue 24 is very easy but there can be a lot of poling on a couple of sections before joining the red run so need to keep up speed

The top part of red 17 crosses the Grand Risa Black 17 and is quite steep but fairly wide, the bottom half of red 17 has a couple of steep bits but again is fairly wide so plenty of room to turn. Be aware that the bottom of the run has a fairly sharp left turn which can catch you out and you definitely don't want to have to walk back up to the car park should you miss the little chair which stops @ 1630hrs, hope this helps
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thanks for the heads-up on slope 17 guys, i will check it out before send the mrs down there!

Fabulous sounds promising Gazza...i take it the snow was good then? what was your favourite long crusing run that you found? any other suggestions.

Am off at the end of the month for a few days...can't wait!
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 Poster: A snowHead
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@Sweedish,
Red 17 can also get a bit lumpy in the afternoon on a warmer day, but in the morning it should be a good confidence booster.
The thing about the colour grading of pistes is that it's such an inexact thing so your plan to ski down the run first is a good one - tell your OH that it's just a colour on a piste marker and reward her with a bombardino in the bar next to the car park at the top of the short chair lift - you'll have to take skis off to walk to the gondola anyway Very Happy
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Thanks for the advice agw!

She fixates way to much on the colour rather than just giving it a go, even though whenever she has had to do a red in the past she has managed perfectly! She will never do one out of choice though!! She'd be more tempted with a gelato Laughing
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Sweedish wrote:
what was your favourite long crusing run that you found? any other suggestions.

There are several blue cruisers I mentioned in the earlier posts, I won't repeat here. This focuses more on the reds.
In my humble opinion around the Alta Badia part of the area:

Go out to to Pedraces and take the two lofts up - lovely little church and mountain refuge at the top (La Crusc), then cruisy run back down. Good places for food/coffee there as well (see other threads).

Take the Boe gondola up and come back down to Corvara. The bit at the top of this can get chopped up and turn into an offputting pitch so better to do it earlier rather than later. If it is early and your other half looks at that top pitch and says "no" then take the run down to Passo Campolongo (red 22) but again note that as the day goes on that becomes another bump fest, at campolongo take the chair Costoratta back up and so avoid the top of red 1.

The Edeilweiss valley above Colfosco offers a reasonable cruise straight back under the gondola to the bottom (red or blue 46) and then can be augmented by the chair up to the side (Forcelles) and ski all the way back to gondola base station.

Take the Gondola up to Jimmy's Hutte and then you can go down the red (40) from there to the road, cross road and then back down to half way station of gondola or all the way down to Colfosco - a bit flat towards the bottom. If you are just going up the Frara gondola to come back down, I don't think it is worth then going for the 2 chairs to get you up to Danterceipies (Passo Gardena), but see below for Dantercepies run itself. Possibly take just the first chair.

Dantercepies is generally popular - sometimes too popular (hence we prefer the "black" Cir). But with Dantercepies there are various options you can take which may well get you away from crowds (eg coming down the first pitch, turn right just after Panorama hut and that variant is less busy).

Further afield, depends how far you want to go really!
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Cheers Steve, i'll take your advice and head up to La Crusc as its behind where we were staying and it looks like a good little detour one afternoon, I also like the look of pist 1 out of Boe (the red) so will check that out too!! noted about going early to avoid the top of red 1 getting choppy around the Crep de Munt. Little Angel
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Snow was absolutely fabulous through very cold during the day minus 15 to 20

My favourite cruising run was blue 9A from Pralongia to San Cassiano, very flattering terrain with a few easy drop away bits but nice and wide, lovely refreshment stop half way down on right hand side
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Yes i had 9a on our scopes to get some hopefully long uninterrupted practice! good to hear!

wow that is cold...must dig out the cold season jacket!! I looked on the webcams over the last couple of days....more moody than sunny http://www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/alta-badia/webcams/ and to be fair it could be a lot worse like in the Valle d'Aosta or France/Switz where resorts are currently closed. The dolomites look like they are still getting a fair bit of snow though Madeye-Smiley
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This thread is full of amazing info - hope you don't mind if I revive it to ask some more questions...

Ski hire and ski storage: if we book a cheapy bnb or apartment in the centre of town (San Cass), of which there seem to be plenty for our trip of 17th-23rd March, which either doesn't have storage or it's too far for our lazy bums to carry skis there and back to the gondola, do the hire shops do ski lockers, or is there another place to store them near the gondola? I've seen mentions of ski depot/lockers but would love to know if you have to book these, what the deal is, etc... and if anyone has any preference on the ski hire, that would also be appreciated!

Also - to hire a car or to get the train/bus - we're flying to Innsbruck, and don't land until after 5pm on the Saturday. Any opinions/advice?

Thanks!
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The ski hire shop at the bottom of the gondola on the right has lockers, there's a bar upstairs in the same building. No need to book in advance I think (we were there a busy week and didn't pre-book) just showed up first day and got ourselves lockers for the week. We didn't even hire from there, as we'd got a better deal on price from a small shop more centrally.

There is (or at least was) a skibus round the village and out to Costededoi which some accommodation providers include in their prices.
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Amazing, thanks so much. I've spotted a couple of places round near the museum which seem to be very good value to stay, but we are so lazy (and have been spoiled with ski in/out on our last three holidays... wink )

I've now found the website of that shop with the lockers, and alongside it the ski school - ideal!

Cheers!
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