 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi Everyone, we're looking for suggestions for the next trip please! 4 of us going - me (nervous intermediate) + 3 more competent intermediates. We've been to Cervinia and Vaujany a couple of times and to La Thuile for the last 2 years. Loved La Thuile but fancy a change this year. We'd prefer Italy and would like a resort that offers a wide scope of runs (including some nice cruisey blues for me) with reasonable transfer times, quiet slopes and easy access to lifts. Would also be fantastic to have somewhere we could ski back down to without having to tackle tricky reds or blacks.
If anyone has any first hand experience of a resort with a few low-key restaurants/pizzerias (apres-ski not too important if there are some bars and eateries dotted about) I'd be very grateful for the information.
Many thanks.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hi, @First Timer, Selva in the Dolomites, may fit the bill,(possibly check out other Dolomite resorts too but haven't been). If you can move from Italy, to Austria, we are off with family of various abilities to Obertauern this Feb. This will be our 4th visit over the years. Pretty much all accommodation is ski in ski out. A little less skiing than Cervinia, and certainly not the vertical, but a nice resort for beginners to intermediate. We have a wide range of abilities, from second ski trip to over 50 years in my case! Obergurgl could also fit the bill. Obertauern and Obergurgl are both pretty snow sure for nearly all the season. You will be asked by others when you are going, as this may dramatically affect recommendations. If Jan-Feb a wide variety of resorts would come into the equation. December and April rather fewer.
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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 @twoodwar thanks for the quick response! I'll take a look at Selva. We haven't really considered Austria but will take a look at what you've suggested if it fits our remit. What's the food like in Austria?? Part of the draw to Italy is the food! We'll be going either last week of February or first week of March. 
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It's not in Italy, but Les Saisies sounds right for you - just don't go in French school holidays!
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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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It's not in Italy, but Les Saisies sounds right for you - just don't go in French school holidays!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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As well as selva, I'd look on the other side of the sella Ronda. Anywhere in Alta Badia would suit you well (Corvara, colfosco, la villa or San cassiano). Lots of cruisey blues for you to enjoy round there, but also loads of access to harder pistes for the others. The food, is amazing and all the villages have some nice spots as well as good huts on the mountain.
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Agree completely with Alta Badia. Only La Villa doesn’t have a lovely easy blue into it (need to take at least a bit of red to go there). Lots more reds around Selva. Lots of info on here. I’ve done a TR on San Cassiano, there is also a recent one from Colfosco and a discussion between myself and another poster (jimmybog) about the easiest and best blues. I’ll do some links. The scenery is incredible and the mountain huts and food are great.
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Thanks everyone. I'll take a look at the links @what...snow when you post them - sounds just what we need to compare.
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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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Overall Alta badia would be ideal. However I wouldnt say the transfer times are that reasonable. Quickest you could do it is around 2 hours from Innsbruck or 2 3/4 hours from Venice
Regarding somewhere to ski back down to: San Cassiano has the easiest slope; La Villa (as "what...snow" has already mentioned) has quite a flat blue section then a proper red section (that could be cut up at end of the day);
Corvara has three routes down to it (four if you include the Red coming down from the Campolongo pass) two routes (blue grade) have tricky steep sections and the other route is a proper red, though I woulnd't say its particularly tricky.
As a nervous intermediate you should be able to cope with either of the blue routes. They both just have a shortish section where its quite a bit steeper that the rest of the route. Depends really on your ability.
Selva has great beginner slopes in the village. Then its quite a step up to what I would call proper reds. The best progression slopes are at nearby Plan De Grabla, but to get there on skis you need to go up the Ciampioni gondola and down one of two proper red slopes (one of which has a horrible top section which is narrow, curved and steep, at least thats how I remembered it!!). Though you could catch a local bus to there which runs only a few times a day. You can then ski back to Selva, though I can't honestly remember much about this slope (wether it was steep or not, cut up etc). I will say though that Selva is easier and quicker for transfers as its nearer to the main motorway.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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La Villa or San Cassiano have an advantage in that the home runs are not part of the Sella Ronda and so less likely to be madly busy and cut up at 4 pm when everyone is heading home.
I thought the red to La Villa easier than either way back to Selva.
The home runs into Selva are both steep and can be very busy ...
Alta Badia is a haven of (mostly) easy blues and great mountain restaurants.
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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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@First Timer, I would reccomend the Dolomites. Though I've skied there only once (Canazei) I have climbed there a lot during the summers and know the area really well. There are lots of blue and green pistes, a smaller number of red pistes and very few blacks. Being Italy the pistes are always bashed smoother than baby's bottoms.
The scenery is fantastic.
Of places to stay. I would suggest Canazei, (obviously), Wolkenstein, Corvara and St Ulrich. I was very impressed with St Ulrich during a visit this summer and particularly liked the moving pavements and escalators that take you from the town centre to the Seceda lift.
The drawback to these places is, however, that they are all big towns and you need to uses ski busses to get to the lifts and back from the end of the piste to your hotel.
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Cortina is lovely. lots of blues and lovely places to eat. Not as busy as the SR.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thank you so much everyone for all the detailed information you’ve posted; it’s really helping. Looks like I have another evening ahead looking at what accommodation is available. Corvara sounds like a good option. We prefer self-catering apartments so will start to trawl through & see what’s available!
Thanks again everyone for your time
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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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Hi,
would describe myself as nervous(ish) intermediate, we had a week in Canazei March last year. Really enjoyed the area, it was perfect for my level. The ski bus wasn't an issue and ran regularly, we used it to get to the three lifts from Campitello/Canazei to the various areas but all lifts had accomodation close to them. We really enjoyed the element of travel and there was no need to ski blacks, there was always a way around on easier pistes. We were lateish in the season so some of the bottle neck pistes were either full of moguls or very icey by the end of the day depending on weather. However it was easy to get a lift back into the valley and avoid the worst (evidently the run into Canazei was carnage at the end of the day so we never used it).
We will be going back to the dolomites this year but probably to the Alta Badia/Corvara/Colfosco 'corner' of the SR and in Feb rather than March. I feel this area would give us more options for different directions e.g. easy to get the regular bus to Cortina (correction previously said Cervinia !) for a day, or ski to the hidden valley but it is still on the SR. Each area has it's pros and cons but I'd say just get one near a lift with easy access to the SR and you can't really go far wrong.
Richard
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Mon 14-10-19 13:57; edited 1 time in total
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Poster: A snowHead
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| sheffskibod wrote: |
La Villa or San Cassiano have an advantage in that the home runs are not part of the Sella Ronda and so less likely to be madly busy and cut up at 4 pm when everyone is heading home.
I thought the red to La Villa easier than either way back to Selva.
The home runs into Selva are both steep and can be very busy ...
Alta Badia is a haven of (mostly) easy blues and great mountain restaurants. |
The run back to to Selva I was talking about is the one from the base station of the Piz Sella Cable car at Plan De Grabla. The slope brings you out near to the Ciampinoi cable car base station. Two thirds of the way back you can go up a short chair and onto a blue slope for the remaining part (at least you could when I was last there, though this may have changed). I can't remember too much about this slope apart from it was fairly busy but dont recall it being particularly steep.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| richb67 wrote: |
Hi,
I feel this area would give us more options for different directions e.g. easy to get the regular bus to Cervinia for a day, or ski to the hidden valley but it is still on the SR.
Richard |
Cervinia is several hundred miles away to the west and near the Swiss border. Do you mean "Cortina" ??
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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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| jimmybog wrote: |
| richb67 wrote: |
Hi,
I feel this area would give us more options for different directions e.g. easy to get the regular bus to Cervinia for a day, or ski to the hidden valley but it is still on the SR.
Richard |
Cervinia is several hundred miles away to the west and near the Swiss border. Do you mean "Cortina" ?? |
LOL, you're obviously right, I edited it. You can tell I've been looking at next years 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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| richb67 wrote: |
| jimmybog wrote: |
| richb67 wrote: |
Hi,
I feel this area would give us more options for different directions e.g. easy to get the regular bus to Cervinia for a day, or ski to the hidden valley but it is still on the SR.
Richard |
Cervinia is several hundred miles away to the west and near the Swiss border. Do you mean "Cortina" ?? |
LOL, you're obviously right, I edited it. You can tell I've been looking at next years trip... |
Ha Ha no worries
Though I don't believe there is a regular bus from Alta Badia to Cortina in the wintertime. Unless you catch the Cortina express transfer bus which only runs a few times a day.
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