 Poster: A snowHead
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what is not to be missed from there?
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My suggestions would be:
- Marmolada - Because it's there, it's big and it has to be done. Do it early though.
- The 'Hidden Valley' - A uniques experience with a scenic run down a valley with a horse drag at the end to get you back into the sella ronda.
- The 'City of Stones' (Citta dei Sassi) - A flattish part of the Sella Ronda but very different from the normal scenery with lots of natural standing stones interspersed with trees.
- The Gran Risa World Cup black run near La Villa - We all like to pretend we could go straight down it, but very few of us have a death wish.
The views are tremendous almost everywhere. Just remember to stop and look.
The Rifugios are nearly all great. There's another whole thread somewhere on here about the best ones.
Some of the Rifugios do an evening meal with a trip up in a piste basher. It's something different to do but in my experience maybe isn't as good as it could be.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| denfinella wrote: |
@mountainaddict, Valle Silver pass was fantastic for us for a week (see my March 2019 trip report - link in my signature) with access to about 10 different ski areas... But NOT the main Sella Ronda.
We deliberately wanted to leave the Sella Ronda for a future trip so that was fine for us. If this a once in a lifetime trip for you, get the full pass.
Enjoy! |
Valle Silver does allow you access to the Val di Fassa (Campitello-Col Rodella & Canazei-Belvedere) sections of the Sella Ronda, and the Sass Pordoi cablecar, which are probably the most spectacular in terms of scenery, but you can't drop into Val Gardena or down to Arabba, so denfinella is right, you can't complete the whole circuit. There are signs showing how far you can go either way.
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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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| denfinella wrote: |
If this a once in a lifetime trip for you, get the full pass.
Enjoy! |
+1, good advice, it's not much more for the Dolomiti Superski
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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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Really useful thread thank you all. Heading over to Colfosco on the 2nd Jan with a few families.
Hidden Valley sounds amazing and have been scanning piste maps to work out route. Looks like a good day out for all the family. However I’m skiing with mixed abilities and kids. On the map it looks like it might be possible but wanted to check.
Can those not confident to do the Lagazoui run just ski down from Armentarola to the horse pull?
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| skipig wrote: |
| Can those not confident to do the Lagazoui run just ski down from Armentarola to the horse pull? |
No (its basically flat). They could walk, taxi or possibly ride the cart. Also, if they are not confident to do the Hidden Valley red, they really might not enjoy it (its not hard, but it is "interesting", can be bumpy and is necessarily crowded, although familiarity with snow ploughing is useful for the run - the flattest black run in the world!).
It is a nice walk (IMPO - in my parent's opinion!) up to Scotoni's - you get to see the vista and frozen waterfall and the meat!) - so if they have given up skiing by that point in the week (!) then its a nice day out.
The run itself as you've read is lovely - only the first (and last) 200m or so are "hard" /where people struggle and it is quite wide there - possibly the issue is more whether the snow is good, piste is groomed and whether it is crowded. Definitely for intermediates though IMO - ie willing and able to get down a red (even if they don't enjoy reds) - the run is worth it though.
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@skipig, the other thing worth knowing, mentioned regularly on snowHeads.
At the Lagazuoi pass you are also right by the Cinque Torri ski sector. It’s small in terms of amount of piste but I found very enjoyable to ski. Pure skiing wise, better than Hidden Valley IMO.
With a reasonably early start, both HV and CT can be explored on one trip by intermediates. Many visitors to HV seem to miss out CT altogether.
Views from and hot choc at Rifugio Averau not too shabby.
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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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...
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Just adding to my point above though, the whole area is stunning... Colfosco is my favourite bit and there are plenty of adventures and things to do around there, including drinking plenty of hot chocolate... but you really won't miss out if you don't do the hidden valley. I would say it is also a great place if you want to split up (especially as some people would be most happy just tootling around Colfosco and the Edelweiss Valley for the day)... or go again in a future year!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks both for your replies, good to know, will plan accordingly. Getting some time in Cinque Torri would be great if we can get across early enough. Can’t wait to get back there and strap the skis on again.
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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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| skipig wrote: |
Really useful thread thank you all. Heading over to Colfosco on the 2nd Jan with a few families.
Hidden Valley sounds amazing and have been scanning piste maps to work out route. Looks like a good day out for all the family. However I’m skiing with mixed abilities and kids. On the map it looks like it might be possible but wanted to check.
Can those not confident to do the Lagazoui run just ski down from Armentarola to the horse pull? |
The "Lagazuoi" piste is the run from the top of the cable car back down to the bottom - or you can branch off to the left to get to the Cinque Torri area. It's one of the best red runs in the area IMO, steep in places.
The Hidden Valley run is actually called "Armentarola" and ends about a mile from the place Armentarola where you would have picked up the taxi to take you to the Lagazuoi pass (if coming from the Alta Badia side). That last mile is almost flat but very slightly downhill, hence the horse tow, so you can't ski it in reverse.
Hope the above makes sense.
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| agw wrote: |
The "Lagazuoi" piste is the run from the top of the cable car back down to the bottom - or you can branch off to the left to get to the Cinque Torri area. It's one of the best red runs in the area IMO, steep in places.
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Left? - I think its right to go back down to drop off the red to cross the road to the chair towards the Col Gallina - well it was last year and it was pretty steep and quick 
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You know it makes sense.
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| CP wrote: |
| agw wrote: |
The "Lagazuoi" piste is the run from the top of the cable car back down to the bottom - or you can branch off to the left to get to the Cinque Torri area. It's one of the best red runs in the area IMO, steep in places.
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Left? - I think its right to go back down to drop off the red to cross the road to the chair towards the Col Gallina - well it was last year and it was pretty steep and quick |
Right at the top, yes, but the branch I was referring to is near the end as you approach the bottom cable car station. It's all well signposted.
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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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| skipig wrote: |
Really useful thread thank you all. Heading over to Colfosco on the 2nd Jan with a few families.
Hidden Valley sounds amazing and have been scanning piste maps to work out route. Looks like a good day out for all the family. However I’m skiing with mixed abilities and kids. On the map it looks like it might be possible but wanted to check.
Can those not confident to do the Lagazoui run just ski down from Armentarola to the horse pull? |
I think it's been covered, but Armentarola (basically just a small hamlet with a hotel by the same name) is slightly down valley from the end of the Hidden Valley run where the horse tow starts near the Capanna Alpina restaurant, so you would have to ski uphill to get to the horse tow!
It is very easy to fall over when the rope suddenly jerks on the horse tow and take other people out. The driver won't wait, just carries on. Small children or anyone without quick reactions should go in the cart/sleigh or get a minibus taxi back.
The taxi guys who service the area will take you anywhere between the 3 points...the layby next to Hotel Armentarola, Falzarego/Lagazuoi cablecar station car park and the car park at bottom of Hidden Valley run by the Capanna Alpina...if you pay them or fill a minibus. The regular route is up & down the main road between Armentarola & Falzarego, but a guy in the car park at Capanna Alpina will call in a minibus once there are enough people waiting. Also, queues can build at the cable car by late morning.
The Hidden Valley run itself is a rollercoaster red with some steeper sections. Confident intermediates would have no trouble, but I wouldn't take small kids or hesitant beginners.
With an early start from Colfosco you should have plenty of time to do the wonderfully quiet and spectacularly scenic Col Gallina/Cinque Torri area first, just check the vital Croda Negra chair return link is running first, the piste from there across to Falzarego has no snowmaking, so in poor snow years it suffers. There is a bus that comes up from Cortina and will take you from the bottom of Cinque Torri (Bai de Dones) back up to Falzarego, but they aren't super frequent.
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Thu 12-12-19 17:13; edited 1 time in total
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We’re heading out to Arabba on Saturday. Would love any info on how it’s looking - and should I be worried about it warming up next week?!?
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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As others have said, don’t miss Cinque Torre. It’s really scenic.
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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 would be great to have some info on conditions. Looking forward to some on the snow reports
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Not out there but the weather looks a bit overcast with a dusting of new snow. Super Dolomiti are reporting 351 lifts and 959kms of piste open this morning. Looks to be getting windy tonight but tomorrow the outlook is brighter and a little less cold. Should be good this weekend. 
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Fri 13-12-19 13:29; edited 1 time in total
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Snowing atm, not sure how much, but it looks like a stellar early season.
@joshua, usually the snow quality is good everywhere on the Sella Ronda; of course you can't do much about an extended thaw, and there are always going to be some home/linking runs that get cut up early, but IME you won't find better intermediate level piste skiing in Europe. It's groomed to within an inch of its life, for better or worse!
Given how much snow making there is, the default is what we call in America "packed powder."
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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thanks for that.
Does anyone have advice on timings to avoid the hidden valley run ? we're staying in Corvara w/c 8th Feb so were going to do the hidden valley first thing one morning, I like the idea of going to Cinque Torri but you then run the risk of hitting the Lagazoui cable car when there is a big queue. Any suggestions on what time to avoid ? we obviously need to allow time to get back over to Corvara.
Alternatively is it worthwhile driving to near the cable car, doing the hidden valley first and then spending the pm at Cinque Torri ?
cheers
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Snowed all day in alta badia & very cold
Good conditions on piste
Cannon(s) all running full blast
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| richb67 wrote: |
thanks for that.
Does anyone have advice on timings to avoid the hidden valley run ? we're staying in Corvara w/c 8th Feb so were going to do the hidden valley first thing one morning, I like the idea of going to Cinque Torri but you then run the risk of hitting the Lagazoui cable car when there is a big queue. Any suggestions on what time to avoid ? we obviously need to allow time to get back over to Corvara.
Alternatively is it worthwhile driving to near the cable car, doing the hidden valley first and then spending the pm at Cinque Torri ?
cheers |
I guess the rush is between mid-morning until lunch, as that's when the hordes arrive and they all want to have lunch at Scotoni, I've waited 45-50 mins at that time, usually worse if it's the first sunny day after bad weather. So first thing in the morning and afternoon are likely to be better.
If you have a car, drive up to Falzarego, do one trip up to Lagazuoi, do the Front Face red if it's open, then cross the road and play around Col Gallina/5 Torri for the rest of the morning, have lunch at Scoiattoli or Averau, then head up the cable car again for the Hidden Valley run. At the bottom, only one of you needs to catch a taxi to go back and fetch the car, while the others do the horse-tow and ski back to Corvara, you'll save a few €€ that way.
Graham Bell doing the Front Face of Lagazuoi: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/ski/articles/graham-bell-skis-the-lagazuoi-piste-in-cortina-d-ampezzo/
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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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| luigi wrote: |
I guess the rush is between mid-morning until lunch, as that's when the hordes arrive and they all want to have lunch at Scotoni, I've waited 45-50 mins at that time, usually worse if it's the first sunny day after bad weather. So first thing in the morning and afternoon are likely to be better.
If you have a car, drive up to Falzarego, do one trip up to Lagazuoi, do the Front Face red if it's open, then cross the road and play around Col Gallina/5 Torri for the rest of the morning, have lunch at Scoiattoli or Averau, then head up the cable car again for the Hidden Valley run. At the bottom, only one of you needs to catch a taxi to go back and fetch the car, while the others do the horse-tow and ski back to Corvara, you'll save a few €€ that way.
Graham Bell doing the Front Face of Lagazuoi: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/ski/articles/graham-bell-skis-the-lagazuoi-piste-in-cortina-d-ampezzo/ |
Exactly what we encountered a couple of years ago. We made it over to the cable car very early, no queues, then did the front face red and over the road to the Col Galina/ 5 Torri and skied a few hours intending to head back up the cable car. But around lunchtime we could see the queue was horrendous so we went back and had a nice lunch at Scoiattoli. When we got back to the cable car station it was clear. This was late March but I guess the same rules apply any time except the real peak season.
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You know it makes sense.
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Perfect conditions today. Bluebird powder day, if yesterday's 10cm counts as powder
Colfosco snow very was the pick of the day
Very quiet on piste
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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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| CP wrote: |
| luigi wrote: |
I guess the rush is between mid-morning until lunch, as that's when the hordes arrive and they all want to have lunch at Scotoni, I've waited 45-50 mins at that time, usually worse if it's the first sunny day after bad weather. So first thing in the morning and afternoon are likely to be better.
If you have a car, drive up to Falzarego, do one trip up to Lagazuoi, do the Front Face red if it's open, then cross the road and play around Col Gallina/5 Torri for the rest of the morning, have lunch at Scoiattoli or Averau, then head up the cable car again for the Hidden Valley run. At the bottom, only one of you needs to catch a taxi to go back and fetch the car, while the others do the horse-tow and ski back to Corvara, you'll save a few €€ that way.
Graham Bell doing the Front Face of Lagazuoi: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/ski/articles/graham-bell-skis-the-lagazuoi-piste-in-cortina-d-ampezzo/ |
Exactly what we encountered a couple of years ago. We made it over to the cable car very early, no queues, then did the front face red and over the road to the Col Galina/ 5 Torri and skied a few hours intending to head back up the cable car. But around lunchtime we could see the queue was horrendous so we went back and had a nice lunch at Scoiattoli. When we got back to the cable car station it was clear. This was late March but I guess the same rules apply any time except the real peak season. |
Glad the advice was sound!!
If you got there early, like Graham you could have a few turns of the Front Face until the queues start to build, then head over to 5 Torri. You would have to repeat the runs a few times to keep you busy until lunchtime, but the rollercoaster from Averau down to Bai de Dones past Scoiattoli is a blast, as well as the sunny piste over to Fedare and it is usually blissfully empty, even on a sunny day in mid-Feb during UK half-term. Snowboarders will curse the flat blue from Falzarego down to Bai de Dones though!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Loads of useful info for us to go at here  - thanks all!
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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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back home after a fantastic long weekend in Alta Badia.
Snow and weather were both perfect.
Cracking area for piste skiing
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@red 27, Which Hotel/Village did you use ?
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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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| Quote: |
back home after a fantastic long weekend in Alta Badia.
Snow and weather were both perfect.
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It's great to hear the conditions are good from someone who's been out there.
The forecast looks like there could be useful top up coming at the weekend. Could be as much as another 40cm up the mountains.
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So here are the latest snowline predictions for this weeks precipitation:
Tuesday: 1700/1900 m ASL
Thursday: 1700/1900 m ASL
Friday: 1600/1800 m ASL (lowering in the late afternoon/evening)
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@albob, I was in the usual haunt in San Cassiano.
Lovely village and really gave me a chance to thoroughly explore the Alta Badia area
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@olderscot, There is A LOT of snow... Coming over from Cortina the road was bounded by walls of snow 1.5m high
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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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We're in Selva this week, loads of snow everywhere, frankly conditions are similar to what I've had on bashes in February previously.
No concern about snow levels anywhere around the sella ronda, we did the circuit today and it is really nice skiing.
Overnight temperatures seem to be pretty cold, and other than a sunshine day yesterday it isn't warm skiing around the mountain so can't see the snow going anywhere. Forecast does seem to be more coming at the end of the week, but so far predictions have been pushing back a couple of days around here.
Anyone got suggestions around the ronda with good soup? I remember good dumpling soups from trips to Arabba before but so far all a bit watery and not very filling.
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@Digger the dinosaur, Saslonch is generally reliable on the goulash soup front iirc. Ski off ciampinoi to the point where the black down to Selva diverges from the route towards the Sasslong.
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FAQ
cinque torri and the hidden valley are dramatic and great skiing. See the gun emplacements on the Lagazuoi as the cable car climbs the rock face. That is where the Alpini clung on for two years right underneath the Austrian summit position. Kronplatz is too far from where you are staying but worth a day trip in future, for incredibly wide and fast pistes and surely some of the best black runs in the Dolomites. The volcano down to alba and the red down to pozza are superb in good snow.....Oh and the Gran Risa..... and the saslong.....not to mention the Sella Ronda......
