Canazei where to ski or go elsewhere?

A snowHead

I went with my wife and friends to the Dollies for the first time last year and had a great time based in Canazei.
We were with some friends some of whom were near beginners which limited our exploration somewhat though we did three non immediate local skiing days.

We are returning to the dolomites this year with friends who we regularly ski with and will probably want to explore a bit further.
Based on last years trip the Marmolada is a 'must' and we will probably do a day going round the Sella.
The Hidden valley sounds like another must do and a trip to Cortina sounds interesting I am not sure how well placed Canazei is for these possibilities, can they be done from here?
If not where else should I consider basing? A major constraint is that we don't land in Venice till 5pm and want a short trip where possible, The Val DI Fassa looks like a good bet for what we want and has the advantage of me knowing it a bit already but does anyone else have any other suggestions. Alternatively are there other must do places to see.. The other really good day was a trip to Ortisei last year but it looks a much longer drive from the airport.

Thanks in advance for suggestions.

A snowHead

@T Bar, If both you and your friends this time are reasonable skiers then you could move a bit anticlockwise round the Sella Ronda and base youself in Arabba (where sHs have their Birthday Bash). It's convenient for the Marmolada but a bit closer to Armentarola for the Hidden Valley and also Cinque Torri (which is well worth a visit). Also I would have thought getting to Arabba from Venice would be slightly quicker than getting to Canazei/Campitello

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@T Bar, Arabba is good for Sella Ronda access and very handy for Marmolada. They can be done from Canezai but Arabba is right on the circuit, so you can go both ways easily. Good also for getting to the Hidden Valley and Cinque Torri. You can get a bus to Cortina from Cinque Torri but that's a long trek for a day out. Night life isn't a big thing in Arabba though but there are a couple of bars and hotel bars.

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@Alastair Pink, Snap. Very Happy

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Thanks both we are self catering and there does not seem to be much available the week we want in Arabba (school week)

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@T Bar, Corvara and Colfesco might be alternatives. Both not bad for Marmolada and Hidden Valley.

After all it is free

@Alastair Pink, We make a good double act. Very Happy

@T Bar, I have stayed in both Canazei and Arabba, and both have their pros and cons for access:
Arabba:
* Santa Croce
* Hidden Valley
* Alta Badia

Canazei:
* Val di Fassa
* Plan de Gralba (park and trees)
* Ortisei

Both are good places to start the Sella Ronda, and both are fine for the Marmalada, though it needs a good early start from Canazei. The Hidden Valley is probably a bit of a stretch from there.

Note that the link from Arabba to Canazei does close in strong winds, though I've never seen it closed in the other direction, snowmageddon notwithstanding (others may know better though).

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In recent years the transfers from venice seem to have preferred the route up via Cortina. I think it is about 2 hrs to get there.
Which means that Cortina itself could be considered as a base. Not sure that I would base myself there, though. But from it you can certainly get to the Cinque Torri and Falzarego/Lagazuoi (hidden valley) areas.

Or stop at Alleghe - just about 2 hrs from Marco Polo in theory.

Coming in via Cortina then then the first place on the Sella Ronda that you'd get to is San Cassiano - it has self catering places, good access to Cinque Torri and Falzarego/Lagazuoi (hidden valley) areas and reasonable access to Santa Croce or even a day trip across to Kronplatz (connect via bus). If you have beginner friends then there is easy skiing from the start (but I have just re-read your OP and realise you are not with the beginners). It is not so good for Marmolada - if it is a nice day then by the time you get round to Arabba the queues will have built up on the lifts to get over the Passo Padon. It is probably about as much time to get there as to get to Arabba from the airport. A bit further then to La Villa, Corvara, Colfosco ....

Personally, if you like to get out and explore, I agree with @geepee and @Alastair Pink about Arabba. There are some residences at Passo Campolongo on the way over to Corvara. No town to speak of so you are quite limited at night but it provides good access.

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As a not very fit intermediate (get down easy blacks) I did the hidden valley from Canazei on my first trip to the dolomites. Was only tight(ish) because we got lots in the blue spiders web on the way back and it was softish so even the instructors had to herringbone up some of the lumps on one of the interminable blues we somehow did about 3 times before finding the way out!

Very well placed (on) the Sella Ronda, which we used as a means of transport to do other bits.

Fine for Ortisei and La Longia - we got sidetracked by Sasslong a few times and got back quite early.

Cortina struck me as more of a be seen place with unlinked lifts around it and you'd probably want a car.

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Saw this morning that Plan di Gralba has started laying snow down for the season which would indicate to me that they are forecasting cold weather for a substantial amount of time otherwise they wouldn't have bothered starting yet!

I like Arraba Hotel Malita is excellent but I have also rented an apartment.

http://www.hsarabba.it/en/apartment-melaster-n-7

They have others on offer.

Not much nightlife but the highest village on the Sela and the closest resort to the Marmolada.

You know it makes sense.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

This one gives a good info about the trips you can do - but there are many others.

http://www.altabadiaski.info/pages/mp.php?getpage=skitouren&se=E

A snowHead

OK
We have booked to stay in Pozza Di Fassa Feb 11-18.
Where do people recommend we ski from here and how busy will the different areas be this week?
Is a trip over to Maddona Di Campiglio worth it, and can we get to the hidden valley and back and of so which way?
Skied here last year but low season so not knowing quite how busy it gets.
Thanks in advance.

A snowHead

Maddonna is a considerable distance from Pozza

Not sure about getting to Hidden valley and back. Ive done it from Canazei, but Pozza is further down the valley. There is a new lift in Alba, so skiing to there from Pozza would give you access to the Sella Ronda

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Another way of doing the Hidden Valley from Val di Fassa would be to do the WW1 circuit anti-clockwise from Passo Fedaia, you can drive over there from Canazei and park there, as long as the pass is open.

Then you ski down to Malga Ciapela, get the bus to Alleghe, ski across the Civetta area to Pescul, catch the bus to Fedare, ski over to Passo Falzarego where you get the cablecar to Lagazuoi that is the start of the Hidden Valley. At the bottom you get the horse-tow back to Armentarola where the lift system links across to Arabba. Up the gondola to mid-station, over Passo Padon and down to the car park at Passo Fedaia. It's a long day and you pay for the buses & horse-tow, but I did it last year from Alleghe with my 10yo second-weeker son (but he's already quicker than me!)

WW1 Skitour map...

http://dolomitistars.dolomiti.org/uploads/Zone/Ski%20map%20ski%20tour%20Grande%20Guerra.jpg

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@Hyst, I just noticed your location is Copenhagen...how true is what I've read that Canazei is very busy with Danish families in February school holidays? Is it a real problem getting on the gondola in the mornings? Are there any workarounds?

I guess the new Funifor lift at Alba might relieve matters this season. snowHead

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@luigi, Is there any good overnight refugio in Civetta up in the mountains accessible on ski? I know of one - should go by taxi and I know of Fedare, but would like on on top in the Civetta. Sad

After all it is free

@luigi, Yes, but the Alba lift has made it better however I once got stuck there late morning - lots of people.
And Yes in Danish school holidays first language in Canazei is Danish. wink

This year English half term and Danish schoolholidays are the same week - so I go same where else.

It is you with the house down here right? Near Mamolada?
Edit: No Casa Alfredino or something like that, sorry - is the flat land the very flat land?

Thank you all for the info.
@luigi,

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The Hidden Valley is perfectly possible from Canazei the only problem is that by the time you get there (late-morning at best) it'll be very busy - we did it from Selva last season (admittedly at 1/2 term) and had a 20-30 minute wait on the bus from Armentarola up to Lagazuoi, and then a 45min-1hr wait to get on the cable car. The run itself was beautiful but also very busy - even crowded in some places where it was narrow and/or steepish and people had become stuck (which was surprisingly frequent)

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@jma, That is why you should stay in Lagazuoi overnight - and take the run ind the morning - you can do it several times, if you want to. Very Happy

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You know it makes sense.

Come early to the Funifor at Alba - before Sella Ronda people want to do the Buffare run.
The black in Alba has got peoples atraction now with the new link.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

The bottom stations in the val di fassa are fine -- IF you avoid ski-school times !! ; start before 9/9.15 or have a lie in and go after 10.... Wink

One thing to watch for would your return to the valley. Campitello, you have to download : Canazei, it is possible to ski to town but many people download : Alba, download only

Valley bus service is very good and even includes a 'Noddy' train.. Smile

A snowHead

We stayed in Pozza last year (early March) and being our first time in the Dolomites, had a big list of places to go and runs to do. As it turned out, we really enjoyed the local area (both Buffaure and Pera). Areas around the Sella Ronda we found to be a lot busier and not always better skiing, though admittedly we did enjoy days in Selva and doing the circuit clockwise. The Alba link was great for getting to the circuit but we did run into queues here in the morning and often skiied longer locally than planned, waiting for them to die down. The day we tried to go up the Marmalada, there was a massive queue for the glacier lift so we aborted and caught the drag lifts back towards Arabba.
If you don't have a car I would certainly recommend a bus pass, especially for getting back from Canazei at the end of the day (it's worth having a couple of beers in the village and waiting for the last bus to avoid the crowds). Some of the less heralded areas in Val Di Fassa were also enjoyable and quieter (San Pellegrino/ Falcade). Whatever you do, I'm sure you will have fun but my advice is to enjoy skiing locally rather than putting your mind to getting somewhere a long way off and being thwarted by queues or bad weather.

A snowHead

We're also staying in Pozza this year, anyone have an estimate on how long it would take to ski to Marmolada given the usual delays expected in March?

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If there are no queues and you get going early, you could get there in under 2 hours. Having read my report from 4 year's ago I think we were hampered because there had been a lot of snow, so the crowds were out.
Depending on where you are staying in Pozza, you can either catch the bus round to Canazei and get straight up the gondola there, then another lift to the anti clockwise SR route, or (my choice), ski over Buffaure to Alba and get up the lift which bring you out near to the linking run down to Arraba. Either way, I would definitely recommend an early start.

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We're staying 10 metres from the Buffaure lift so we would defo go the Alba route. Thanks for the info.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@dodson666,
I don't know about March but we did the Marmolada on the trip above and there was significant queuing. Which there hadn't been in my previous January trip.
The worst queue was the low capacity two man chair from Pescoe above Arabba. There were also queues for the cable car at Malga Ciapela, based on this I would try and get access early to the Alba cable car by bus or car if you have one to try and beat the hordes coming from Val Gardena.
I'd have thought a couple of hours should be plenty of time if the queues weren't bad.

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No car so looks like a takeaway breakfast from the hotel and on the first lift Cool

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We stayed in Alba last month (last week of Jan) which is traditionally quieter.

From first lift at Alba to the top of the Marmolada it took us 3 hours at a decent pace. We had to wait 25 mins at the aforementioned two man chair and then another 30 mins at the cable car to get up to the glacier.

Coming from Pozza. I would catch as an early bus as possible.

After all it is free

Makes sense, if we get the earlier bus from Pozza we can be at Alba for the first lift at 8.30 and save an hour - I guess one early start won't hurt Crying or Very sad

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Canazei where to ski or go elsewhere?

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