 Poster: A snowHead
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Never been, just booked it what should I know about it? Where are the best places to ski? How useful is a car? Can you get to the hidden valley easily?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It's not very challenging, if that's important. We specifically went because my wife is a motorway cruiser type, so it suited us. The town is not a hotbed for apres; it struggles to pass for a ski town at all. That's because the skiing is up on a plateau served by a gondola, there's no skiing down from one side of the valley. On the plus, the ski making is spectacular, so that's not a worry. For any hesitant skiers skiing the plateau, be aware that you have to go down a scruffy red slope to get out of the jumping off place at the top of the gondola. It's narrow and gets chopped up quick. Lots of ski draggers walking down the 200m to the flat bit. After that you're out into a really wide area with lots of reds which are at a mainly French blue standard.
We enjoyed it.
CG
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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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It’s a long haul from Ortisei to the hidden valley. It can be done, but you have to keep moving. Nice skiing on the slopes to the north of town. Long cruiser runs. Nicer town than most in the Dolomites.
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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 hidden valley is fabulous as is the whole cinque torre. But I wouldn’t worry about it. There is a huge amount of fun stuff between you and it, so just enjoy that
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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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Car not necessarily needed as there is a valley bus service. If you really wanted to do the Hidden Valley, bussing to Selva would save some time.
As well as the Plateau (Alpe di Siusi/Seiser Alm ) there is skiing on the other side of the valley (Seceda)
Also plans to open up a piste from Alpe di Siusi down to Ortisei
this posted elsewhere
"...Some news for the Dolomite resorts:
Val Gardena/Seiser Alm:
Work has begun on reopening of the Pilat slope from Seiser Alm down to Ortisei. This track will run from the top of the Ortisei-Seiser Alm Gondola and should open in 2021
https://www.skiforum.it/skinews/751-ortisei-via-ai-lavori-pista-pilat.html...."
Although it will not help you in 2020 !!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Regarding the exit out of the Ortisei - Seiser Alm gondola, isn't it a blue run that takes you down through the trees to just above the Adler lodge? Then from there do you not have to go down to the Mezdi chair and up to the Mezdi wall and then down the initial red/black steep section and then veer right onto the red that takes you down to the Sanon hut? I'm sure you cant ski to Sanon hut straight from the blue that comes off the Ortisei gondola station?? If you do have to go up the Mezdi chair to get to the rest of the plataeu then hesitant skiers may well freak out coming down the initial steep pitch off the Mezdi chair!!
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That was my point Jimmy; and even the blue through the trees is quite narrow for the hesitant. Your description was abit more elegant than mine!
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Thanks for all the information so far.
I'm happy on most pistes given half reasonable snow and probably won't find the odd steeper pitch to much of a problem.
I have been to the dollies before but stayed in Val di Fassa.
My question is really about whether I will find my car useful to access some areas and how far the drives are as Ortisei is a bit on the periphery, but a late flight into Verona and decent priced accommodation made it an attractive destination.
Will I need to get a ski bus to other bits or is the parking at some base lifts good?
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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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Well with a car the dollies are your Oyster !! :: cant comment on parking as have never been with a car..
The ski bus in the Gardena valley only runs as far as Plan di Gralba (just outside Selva). There may be busses to other valleys but I have no knowledge
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Giorgio Moroder is from Ortisei, 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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A car would be VERY useful. That will allow you to get to three great blue/easy red areas: Plan Gralba, a few kms past Selva; the Seceda (park at the base of the gondola in Santa Cristina; and of course, Alpe di Siusi, but with a caveat -- if you drive up to Monte Pana (a few kms) and take the shuttle bus to the Alpe, you wind up right in the middle of a ton of easy blues, and can avoid that nasty red off the main gondola from Ortisei. In all three cases there is plenty of inexpensive parking provided you get there by 1100 a.m. and even then there are always spots of some kind.
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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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Really noticeable how popular the Dolomites are becoming on this site. This page alone has five threads about Dolomite skiing.
It’s not really an area that has been marketed heavily to UK skiers yet the word seems to be out now 
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@Pasigal,
Thanks for the info
Just to make it clear I'm not particularly wanting to avoid tricky pistes if I come across them I come across them and try and get down.
It's just that Ortisei seems to be a bit on the periphery and I'm wanting to know if driving to other bits is reasonably feasible and worthwhile.
Eg Is it worth driving a bit to get to the Hidden valley and if so where.
I've looked up the driving time to Cortina and at about 1hr 40 mins it doesn't look worthwhile as I would have to go there and back but a half hour drive if it got me to an interesting bit of skiing with parking would be something I would definitely consider. My memories of Marmolada from Canazei are that there is a pretty bad bottle neck above Arraba with a two man chair which I would guess is even worse coming from Ortisei .Is there a way of beating the queue?
Are there worthwhile areas a short drive away that don't connect?
I will be going 8th feb.
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You know it makes sense.
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| albob wrote: |
Well with a car the dollies are your Oyster !! :: cant comment on parking as have never been with a car..
The ski bus in the Gardena valley only runs as far as Plan di Gralba (just outside Selva). There may be busses to other valleys but I have no knowledge |
Busses to other valleys of Alta Badia and Val Di fassa only run summer time from Val gardena. I think there is a public bus in winter that goes from Plan to Plan De Gralba but only a few times a day (certainly not hourly). I never understood why the ski bus stopped at Plan rather than continue to Plan De Gralba
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Peter S wrote: |
Really noticeable how popular the Dolomites are becoming on this site. This page alone has five threads about Dolomite skiing.
It’s not really an area that has been marketed heavily to UK skiers yet the word seems to be out now |
Agree, before I went on my first ever ski trip to Val Gardena, I'd never even heard of the Dolomites. On that trip I rarely heard another English speaking voice. On my last trip in March just gone, there were loads of Uk visitors in ALta Badia. Two years ago we were in Corvara in September and it almost seemed as if half the resort was English speaking. ALso noticed a lot of Americans/Canadians on this years ski trip and on our summer trip 2 years ago. Reading a recent news article, it said there were a lot of Arab visitors this summer to Alta Badia.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Jimmybog wrote -- " I think there is a public bus in winter that goes from Plan to Plan De Gralba but only a few times a day (certainly not hourly). .."
There is indeed - but you cant rely on its timings !
"I never understood why the ski bus stopped at Plan rather than continue to Plan De Gralba.."
Me neither, especially when improving beginners are moved from the Selva nursery slopes to Gralba..
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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^^That bus is kind of a joke.
Regarding the popularity of Val Gardena: I've known about it for decades but had always thought the French or Swiss or Austrian stations were much better. Then I got older and realized that a good lunch, with good scenery, is just as good if not better than a great piste...
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