 Poster: A snowHead
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Will soon be booking BA Avios flights to Innsbruck for early March next year (355 days in advance...)
Usually go to Mayrhofen or Obergurgl, or Ischgl - resorts with skiing at a decent altitude given the time of year. OH sometimes comes too, but she only walks (she liked Mayrhofen valley for walking, Obergurgl a bit boring).
An alternative from Innsbruck is the Sella Ronda - great for walking in summer I believe. Where is a good base there for both me as a skier - preferably ski in/ski out, or pretty close to being that, and somewhere that's a good base for OH to walk? Never been to the Sella Ronda or Dolomites in general. Suggestions please?
The snow record in the Sella Ronda hasn't been that good over recent years - is there decent skiing to be had in early March?
Most hotels I have seen are B&B - is half board not much of a thing in Italy?
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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"The snow record in the Sella Ronda hasn't been that good over recent years - is there decent skiing to be had in early March?"
Yes there is, (bear in mind that the Dolomites are not particularly high) mainly because of their snow making facilities : Walking - not sure, Corvara probably ?
"Most hotels I have seen are B&B - is half board not much of a thing in Italy?" Not sure where you have been looking, but most Hotels etc do half board (I always do half board on my visits..)
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Hotel Armin in Selva is great for half board. Whilst not ski out (Ciampanoi maybe 5/10 min walk) they have a mini bus that drops you at lift of your choice and never been kept waiting more than a few minutes. You can ski back to either across the road or not far behind the hotel.
Seen lots of winter walkers at Alpe Di Suisi- OH could get bus along and you could ski there. Ortisei is good for a stroll about too
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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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| MCL wrote: |
Hotel Armin in Selva is great for half board. Whilst not ski out (Ciampanoi maybe 5/10 min walk) they have a mini bus that drops you at lift of your choice and never been kept waiting more than a few minutes. You can ski back to either across the road or not far behind the hotel.
Seen lots of winter walkers at Alpe Di Suisi- OH could get bus along and you could ski there. Ortisei is good for a stroll about too |
Seem to be quite a lot of hotels near the Ciampanoi - seems like a good location with supposedly ski in (north facing so a good chance I guess). Just got a price back from one - seems like Saturday-Saturday is a thing around there
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@buchanan101, yes that's a good location. You can use a few little lifts near Ciampanoi and a walk over a bridge to access Danterceipes but quicker if your hotel has a mini bus to drop you. If you come down Danterceipes you can ski through nursery area and pick your way almost to the main road until you run out of pisted snow.
We always thing Selva is a great base as you can head off in various different directions and have full days out
Been mid March and snow wasn't a problem due to their great snowmaking and pistes always well maintained. It's an area for high mile cruising 
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we like Corvara because it's easy to find ski in/out (or a 100m walk) and has lifts in 4 different directions. We were there for 2 weeks this year and at the weekend there were quite a few walkers around the AltaBadia area. During the week we saw a number of small groups snow shoeing by the piste so there must be organised tours.
The only downside is that Corvara is quite small, there isn't much for a non-skier to do during the day (same for Selva?). If you need somewhere a bit bigger Ortisei is a nice little town. the centre is off the main trunk road, it has a pedestrian area decent shops etc and gondolas up either side of the valley, one going straight to Seiser Alm which as @luigi says seemed popular with walkers on our mid-week day trip there. The only down side is that it's not right on the SR. You can ski to the SR but if you have a hire car it's only about 10-15 mins drive to Selva or St Cristina and parking by the lifts isn't a problem. It all depends what you'd like to compromise on.
Half board is definitely a thing in Italy. In fact we've found it to be ridiculously good value compared to B&B at the same hotels.
FWIW from a ski perspective I don't think you can go wrong with either Selva/Ortisei or Corvara/Colfosco, it's the walking which makes life a bit more complicated.
We visited in early March a few years ago, everything was open as the snow making is amazing but it got a bit slushy late in the day, pretty much as you'd expect.
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@richb67, OH is quite happy walking by herself - she walked round the lake twice in Zell am See last week and from Zell to Kaprun and back. She found a number of walks in the Ziller valley (and went on an organised snow shoe walk there). Best walking she said was in Lauterbrunnen where there were loads of walks up both sides (Wengen and Murren). So all she needs is some suitable paths..! She's not worried about shops!
Selva or Corvara look well positioned, thanks
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| MCL wrote: |
@buchanan101, yes that's a good location. You can use a few little lifts near Ciampanoi and a walk over a bridge to access Danterceipes but quicker if your hotel has a mini bus to drop you. If you come down Danterceipes you can ski through nursery area and pick your way almost to the main road until you run out of pisted snow.
We always thing Selva is a great base as you can head off in various different directions and have full days out
Been mid March and snow wasn't a problem due to their great snowmaking and pistes always well maintained. It's an area for high mile cruising |
Just looked at googlemaps satellite again - yes there's a blue track down from the Danterceipes with snow making.
No need to walk to Dantereipes for access...the Costabella lift looks much closer - I assume that's what you meant. Does look a good location, some very nice, but quite expensive hotels, but nothing more than you'd pay for similar quality in Austria
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@MCL, I booked the Hotel Acadia - right next to Nives T bar. Only place I could find right now with 100% free cancellation (most do 30% due if cancelled). I know I’d need to do a couple of T bars to get moving in the morning but it’s right on that corner by the T bar…
For this week next year, so a few days to wait to get the Avios flights to Innsbruck. At least car hire prices next year seem to be returning to normal.
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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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Hotel Acadia is a good spot, very handy for the skiing. It's at the base of the nursery slopes. You can grab the nursery drags (Nives, then Biancaneve) outside the hotel to get up to the Dantercepies gondola or ski down on the blue that winds through the village to the main road and the Ciampinoi gondola on the far side of the road. Coming back from the Ciampinoi/Plan de Gralba/Sella Pass area, you catch the Costabella chair, that gives you enough height to ski back past the Dantercepies base station, under the road, down the nursery slopes, back to your hotel.
Your wife can walk from the hotel up the side valley called Vallunga/Langental, a beautiful spot for winter walking. There's a lovely tea & cake shop (Villa Frainela) if she wants a reward on the way home. There will be plenty of other places in Val Gardena to walk, but using a bus along the valley and various ski lifts up onto higher start points will open up the best possibilities, esp if the Spring melt is underway. Alpi di Siusi/Seiseralm area, accessed from a cablecar at Ortisei/St Ulrich would be recommended for its extensive trails amidst beautiful rolling scenery and welcoming huts.
https://www.valgardena.it/en/outdoor/base/outdoor/vallunga-langental-winter-walk/16420435/
https://www.valgardena.it/en/winter-holidays-dolomites/activity-holiday/winter-hiking-trails/
https://www.seiseralm.it/en/active/winter-holidays/snowshoeing-winter-walking/winter-walking-trails.html
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@luigi, thanks very much for that. Have been looking as Google maps and it did look like 2 T bars to get anywhere from immediately outside the hotel. It does look like there are lots of options from there. Have screwnshotted your walk tip!
Thanks for the walking links.
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You know it makes sense.
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I stayed at the Garni Bondi last month, it is within shouting distance of Hotel Acadia. Yep, 2 drag lifts (or if you are lazy like me drag lift / carpet / drag lift) gets you access to Dantercepies or Ciampinoi gondolas and the Sella Ronda. The one resort that can be reached on skis but is really too far to get in any quality ski time is Arabba / Marmolada Glacier. I had a rental car and drove to Arabba and had an excellent ski day!
Another option for hiking is the Resciesa funicular in Ortesei. I was the only skier on the lift, there were several hikers, there appears to be an extensive trail network at the top.
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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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@blueroom, isn’t there a road to go under between the two drag lifts. Carpet will be just fine. After experiencing ski in ski out (in Zell am See of all places) and very close to it in Obergurgl I really look hard at location now.
Have a rental booked so may try Arabba.
Just looked at Google maps for that funicular - yes looks like a lot of walking routes (and just one red run). Thanks.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@blueroom, oh! The Mickey Mouse magic carpet!? Really?!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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You have to walk across the road at the top of the Biancaneve button. The tunnel route would mean poling up hill while avoiding the 'downhill skiers heading for the village centre
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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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I wouldn’t suggest poling through the tunnel under the road at top of biancaneve - you are likely to cause a serious accident.
It’s a busy pinch point and people come through very fast…
We have stayed in the tyrol which is almost next door to the nives button lift.
Catch that , then a little walk (or uphill skate) up to biancaneve (no idea why there is a big gap between these lifts) and then skis off and few minutes walk up to dantercepies gondola or ski through town to ciampanoi.
The only thing to bear in mind is that the queue for biancaneve can be long if you time badly with ski schools who meet near this lift at 10 am.
I may be wrong but I thought the funicular at ortisei only served a toboggan run ? Not a ski run ?
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@sheffskibod, "..I may be wrong but I thought the funicular at ortisei only served a toboggan run ? Not a ski run ?."
I also thought that, unless things have changed..
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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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| albob wrote: |
@sheffskibod, "..I may be wrong but I thought the funicular at ortisei only served a toboggan run ? Not a ski run ?."
I also thought that, unless things have changed.. |
There is, technically, a ski run from the top of the funicular above Ortisei to the base of the gondola up to Seceda. However -- I just don't know if it's still operative. It's on the map, I've seen it!
As for the OP, Val Gardena itself has some long walking routes but the base of the valley is pretty crowded. Plenty of quiet areas up high but you'd need snowshoes and some basic safety gear for peace of mind. If there's as little natural snow as typical, a lot of the terrain under 2000 meters is snow-free by end of February so the paths are exposed. IMO Alpe di Suisi is too far off the main Sellaronda unless you don't mind being limited to Val Gardena.
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| buchanan101 wrote: |
| @blueroom, oh! The Mickey Mouse magic carpet!? Really?! |
Really! It is just a short uphill from the top of Nives to the bottom of Biancaneve. However, there was a bit of a line for Biancaneve. Jumping on the carpet gave me a few minutes to stretch and easy access to the Larciunei button which runs parallel to Biancaneve.
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| sheffskibod wrote: |
I wouldn’t suggest poling through the tunnel under the road at top of biancaneve - you are likely to cause a serious accident.
It’s a busy pinch point and people come through very fast…
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You definitely do not want to go uphill through that tunnel!
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| Catch that , then a little walk (or uphill skate) |
Or use the Mickey Mouse carpet then the Larciunei button.
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| I may be wrong but I thought the funicular at ortisei only served a toboggan run ? Not a ski run ? |
There is a red run and it was groomed! I was looking to get away from the crowds for a few hours and it worked, there was no one else on the run. I also brought my good camera and got some excellent shots of Sassolungo.
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