 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi, I'm thinking of going to Canazei in Italy but have a couple of nervous beginners in our group. What is the area like for beginners? Where would the ski school take them? I'd appreciate any advice. Cheers!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I have a friend who just came back from there with his 12-year old daughter who has only skied for one week before. She had an absolute whale of a time and the whole group of us is goin back next year, apparently... 
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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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Dolomiti99, welcome to snowHeads 
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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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That sounds wonderful. On the piste map it shows only one nursery slope and I was wondering where the ski school would take them after the first day. Is there much local skiing for beginners? I know the rest of the group would be delighted with the area. Where did your friend stay?
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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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Ski school is down in the village where they have some short slopes. Once beginners are comfortable enough (usually quite quickly) they go from the village up to a bowl area, where there's a wide variety of slopes for them to learn on. From what I've experienced in other resorts it's one of the better areas for skiers to practice in. The bowl is so self contained beginners could spend all day there, learning on different types of slope - from very gentle blues to pretty steep red sections, and not get bored. When I first went there I was still uncomfortable with steep sections, I spent an entire afternoon going up and down one section to overcome the problem, the lifts being short enough to allow for plenty of repetition. The same also applies to the blue sections. When they've finished for the day, there's no problem getting the (newly installed) bubble back down if they're not ready for the steeper runs. There are also a couple of restaurants in the bowl as well - as I said, self contained. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Ooooh that sounds lovely - don't think the beginners could complain about that. Thanks for that. What's your experience of queues for the lift? Is it far on the bus to the campitello area to access the sella ronda?
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There is only one lift system from Canazei - a gondola, and although I've heard reports of long queue's, with the exception of one morning when they had some serious technical problems, I've never had any trouble. Although the queues were long'ish they moved very quickly. All that said, I've not been there during school holidays, which would probably be busier. Campitello is easily reached on the readily available ski buses (price inclusive with your lift pass), but Canazei is part of the Sella Ronda anyway, so you can start out, and finish there - no need to travel.
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That's great. I've heard that there's a very steep bit of the sella ronda heading over to Arraba but you can take an easier option - where abouts would that be?
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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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The Sella Ronda is not too challenging for an intermediate. Arraba is shte most difficult in the region but if conditions are good not too tough. Absolutely beautiful scenery, you will return year after year for that alone.
Dolomiti99, welcome to 's
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Not sure where that would be. I couldn't remember any problem sections in Arraba (went there a couple of years ago, but not during my visit in January), Looking at a piste map, whether you travel clockwise or anticlockwise around the Sella Ronda, both the runs down to Arraba are blues. There are a couple of blacks around there, but you don't need to touch them.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Phil Jordan, If you are doing the Sella Ronda in the the clockwise direction you have to take a red run from the top of the Porta Vescova which from memory is at the top end of what you would expect from a red run.
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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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Thanks, that sounds really great. Can't wait!
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riverman, thanks for that. I've only done the complete run once, and that was anticlockwise. Intended to do the clockwise run this year but never quite found the time (following other peoples plans ) - did manage the hidden valley though which was worthwhile.
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You know it makes sense.
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Phil Jordan, Its also worth doing some of the diversions off the Sella Ronda to make up a full days skiing.
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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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riverman, done some of the other areas, out around Selva, Saslong  and over to the long run (10k'ish) Seceda I think it's called, down in to Ortisei - where I'd like to return to (did you see Hoppo's pictures? Very nice)
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Poster: A snowHead
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I think beginners will have a problem to enjoy even a small part of the Sella Ronda, let alone the Seceda Ortisei circuit which must pass through some steep red runs to Santa Cristina.
The Seceda, Ortisei and Alpe Di Siusi actually form a loop of its own and can take a day to go through. There is a walk between the bottom of the Seceda gondola to the one going up Alpe di Siusi side but the passage has been arranged by elevators, pedestrian tunnel and passages through a bit of shopping mall. The walk is very quick. The piste map shows that is a bus link between Saltria and Santa Cristina and that is exactly what the skiers/boarders get. The bus service is pretty quick too as one can ride it up to the entrance of the underground funicular.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| riverman wrote: |
| Phil Jordan, If you are doing the Sella Ronda in the the clockwise direction you have to take a red run from the top of the Porta Vescova which from memory is at the top end of what you would expect from a red run. |
Your memory is very good - we skied this red a number of times last week. It is a busy section that gets bumped up and has a lot of nervous intermediates on it that make it into a mobile slalom. I would guess it's better earlier in the day than late.
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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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| Dolomiti99 wrote: |
| That's great. I've heard that there's a very steep bit of the sella ronda heading over to Arraba but you can take an easier option - where abouts would that be? |
Did the sella ronda 3 times last week, twice green ( anti clockwise and once orange ( clockwise ). There are no steeps but you could hit a bumped up and busy ( as mentioned in previous post ) red at Arabba and one at Selva above Sochers, which IIRC is red run number 5. This is where you will see a lot of large banners for Saslong and the varient routes down to it.
Salong is well worth deviating off the sella ronda route for and was in really good condition last week, as was the Grand Risa at la Villa.
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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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CP, I've been thinking about this - we were staying in Selva last week and so got to know the local pistes a bit better, if you're coming from the Arabba (orange direction) then rather than going up the number 48 (Sole) you can keep going to Plan de Gralba, up the drag 47 Senoner and then on into Selva - this avoids some of the ugliness around the top of the Saslong run (where we got a bit lost last year). And you get a nice, quiet ski through the trees...
The top section at Arabba is a bit evil, its not a bad bit of piste - it just has a lot of people who aren't quite up to it on it.
The red variant of the Saslong into St Christina felt more difficult than the World Cup black run, although there is a photogenic castle down towards the bottom.
(I've been fiddling with GPS data  )
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