 Poster: A snowHead
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Looking at going to Corvara next Jan/Feb. Can anyone tell me what it is really like - queues for lifts etc. Also we are planning to travel independently so any glowing reviews of hotels would be great. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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 Amanda,
Things can be a little quiet on here at weekends. You may have to wait till Tuesday for info. 
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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amanda, welcome to snowHeads. I had never heard of Corvara before. I looks lovely from these photos . And I found some reports of the place here (ignore the out-of-date Profile, and go down to Reviews).
But I am curious - why did you choose the place if you know so little about it?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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amanda, Hi and welcome to snowHeads. I skied from Corvara many many years ago. Enjoyed it a lot. It was a very pretty, quiet village in those days. It links well into the surrounding areas and an intermediate can ski all day with very few repeated runs. Wonderful Dolomite scenery. Can't help as regards queueing and hotels, sorry.
Here's an unofficial site about Alta Badia I found buried down in one of the web sites Jonpim gave. And let's not forget the SCGB Resorts Info. SCGB also gives historical snow records for many places so especially if you are planning very early or late trips you can check feasibility but unfortunately there is no data for Corvara. For some reason, it has fallen out of Brit Tour Operators' orbit - hence it's not so well known these days. But I'm sure you'd like it given decent snow cover. 
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Thanks for all the information. First time I have used snowheads - really appreciate all the useful info you have responded with.
Jonpim - so many resorts - so little time so we like to try as many as we can. Also fans of Italy in the summer so thought we would try it in the winter as well. The coverage of the men's downhill from Alta Badia brought the area to our attention as well. Usually ski America one year, Europe the next. Went to Jackson Hole this year - was fantastic - sunshine and fresh powder for two weeks.
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amanda, pleased you're happy with the snowHeads response. Honestly, I thought it was a little thin but Corvara is obviously a bit of a well-kept secret.
The village is not very high so fingers crossed for decent snow next season.
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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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| amanda wrote: |
| so many resorts - so little time so we like to try as many as we can |
so true, but you are much more adventurous than many of us who stick to a few tried and trusted well-know resorts.
So, go for it, and then tell us all about it.
Most newspaper articles and resort guides concentrate on about 50 resorts. There are hundreds of others out there. A forum like this should allow info on these other not so well-known resorts to reach the less adventurous, like me.
Coming soon: the snowHeads warts-and-all resort guide (SWAARG?): all you wanted to know about where-to-ski but were afraid to ask!
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Amanda, Corvara as everyonesays is a village seated in Alta Badia, which is part of the Dolomitisuperski lift aea.
From there one can ski to La Villa, where you can ski the Gran Risa, the run which hosts the Alta Badia WC GS race in December.
Or to Falzarego Pass (take a bus to go there, then the gondola, and then ski all the way down back to S.Cassiano/St. Cassian)
Or to Arabba and the Marmolada.
One thing that it's nice, even if a bit too crowded nowadays, is to ski the Sella Ronda, which is a tour around the Sella Massif, the mountain which is a symbol to the Ladini, the "tribe" of people living in those valleys ("Ladini" identifies an ethnic group, neither German nor Italian, they have their own language and traditions, similar to the Retho Romanic one spoken in the Swiss GrauBunden)
Again, skiing to Selva di Val Gardena one can ski the DH run in Santa Cristina.
But there are a lot of groomed pistes. Usually off pisteis forbidden and not looked well upon.
One of the best places to ski offpistethere is the Val Mezdi'.
When in Corvara look for the guides there, they organize guided escursions off piste in Val MEzdi', it last a day, and iirc costs about 75 € per person.
I usually go there end of January (I normally rent a room in the nearby village Colfosco), went there since I was 13 y.o. and even if it is a bit cold, it's cheaper (not too much cheaper, still cheaper than in other times of the year) and the snow it's guaranteed.
Nearly all runs of the Sella Ronda are "programmed" snow "assisted"....which people may or may not like.
Check www.dolomitisuperski.com and www.altabadia.org
Cheers.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Matteo,
Want to do Dolomites sometime in future. Will drive so as to stay away from expensive on-resort accomodations. Intend to spend 10 days to 2 weeks and so need 2 to possibly 3 locations. Any advice where I should go for. Many places apparently want a minimum of 7-day booking. Just after two strategic places to cover the most of the Dolomites circuit by doing day trips.
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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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mmm Saikee,the nice thing about Dolomites is that all villages there are on resort (I walk some 50 mt from "my" house to the pistes in Colfosco and if it is a good snow year I ski till the house door in the evening)
And the beauty of it it's that one doesn't need a car at all for the period.
Staying in Colfosco or Corvara or Selva di Valgardena or Canazei or Arabba, just to name the better known vilages, one is directly on the Sella Ronda.
The downside it's that it's somehow expensive, but if you can adapt, some degree of saving can be attained.
I usually go there by bus (village sport club organizes a week in January over there)
If you want to stay out of the main stream, then St. Cassiano, Pieve di Livillalongo
are other options, but if your mind is set to use a car, why not to go to Brunico (Brunek), which is the down-the-valley main town, from there, one can ski the Plan de Corones (Kronplatz) which is still part of the Dolomiti superski. And then from Brunico one can drive to La Villa (half an hour or less depending on traffic/time of the day) or to Cortina (maybe one hour's drive)
On the other side (Canazei valley, the Val di Fassa and Val di Fiemme) , less expensive places which still offer some ski withouth the need of a car are
Cavalese (remember the USMC jet which cut a cable car cables?), Predazzo...
Oh, and 99 of the place want a minumum 7 days booking. If you wish, one can take the risk and go there , ski and then look for accomodatino directly in the evening. I know people who havedone it, but there is no guarantee of knowing beforehand. Besides, they were from my region, and were prepared to drive back if no accomodation was to be found. Withouth going to these extremes,
I still would go for on resort accomodations and a week/10 days car-free-ski-only (or at most public transport from resort to resort) holyday.
BTW, have you tried www.holimites.com?
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Matteo,
Thank you for your information Will study your post in detail. I am aware Dolomites is a relatively expensive place to ski and your information helps my planning. The extensive 1200km piste area of Dolomites isn't very well linked, is it? I would have thought any resort needing a car would be this one. Drove through part of Dolomites (Cortina Ampezzo) in summer many years before and know that the roads are not easy in the winter. I am hoping a 4x4 would help me to get to the strategic points. Have been skiing like this this all over Europe and Scandinavia.
The Sella Ronda loop is interesting to me too. Any recommendation of clockwise or anti-clockwise direction, starting time and duration required for say an immediate? Experienced a few Italian blacks in Courmayeur and La Thuile so hoping to cover the loop in a day if the weather is fine. This is for a future trip as already booked to go to Tarentaise this Christmas.
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You know it makes sense.
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Well, Basically one could move from Bolzano to Cortina by means of Bus and lift and skis only. But yes, as a nexample the Plan de Coronse is not linked "skis on feet" with The Alta Badia...
Roads are usually well kept and 4x4 aren't necessary, even thought, if you have one, then use it (I used a- no longer mine- old jeep to go there some years ago, but I also drove around there with a Vw Golf, a Fords Sierra and a Fia Marea al strictly 2x4) .
Sella Ronda has become pretty well linked both ways, I don't know you skiing level, but one can ski it keeping oneself to blue reds only, if piste colour is a worry.
I usually ski it both ways in different days of course, so to stop and ski different runs in different places. Just one thing, start as soon as the lifts open, so you have enough time to stop at places where you might like to ski a couple of runs. This way you'll avoid the risk of needing a taxi in the evening.
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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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We stayed in Selva last Feb and had an excellent week, I don't recall thinking it was expensive though, but can't remember exact costs.
We did the Sella Ronda too (clockwise) and it took us 6.5 hrs inc a lunch stop. The bit from the top of the cable car at Arraba scared our friends with 7 or so weeks skiing experience (quite a steep red, mogulled and v busy) but the rest of the circuit was fine - don't know we'd bother again as it seemed like a bit of a slog, but that's easy to say as we've done it.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Sounds great. Have seen reports of 4 hours minimum to do Sella Ronda. Bit of lunch and plenty of rest and 6.5 hours doesn't sound bad at all. It should be good for the first timers. Don't think there is another one longer than 40km though. When I did the Saalbach Hiterglemm last Christmas the pistes added up to 30km and nearly took the full day. It is magic when you reach the half way because you are so far away from the starting point and separated by a couple of valleys. I suppose it is just like the 3-Vallees. Wouldn't go there every year but not having been there is a totally different matter.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| saikee wrote: |
| Don't think there is another one longer than 40km though. |
If you're referring to the Sella Ronda it's 26km
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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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ise,
Think you are right. Had a look at some web sites again. Apparently the 40km is still used and could have the chairlift distances included. 26km is the skiiable distance whereas the 40km is the actual circuit length. Some web sites actually quote both the skiing and non-skiing (chairlift) distances in clockwise and anticlockwise directions.
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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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| saikee wrote: |
| 26km is the skiiable distance whereas the 40km is the actual circuit length. |
That sounds about right. The skiing isn't really that good, the scenery is though.
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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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Had a look at the 12 areas of Dolomites but some areas are impossible to find from my map (scale 1:300,000) or from Autoroute 2000. The two extremes say Brunico in the North to St Martino Di Castrozza in the North are some 70 miles by minor roads which must take ages to get through in winter. Think I shall concentrate on the Sella Ronda area linked by Arabba, Corvara, Selva Di Val Gardena and Canazei.
The area seems smaller than I thought because there must be more than 26km if one skis from France's La Rosiere to Italian's La Thuile and back as the San Bernado alone is 11km long. I re-checked the Saalbach Hinterglemm circuit too and it too would have no problem in matching the 26km skiable distance.
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Amanda
Corvara is the jewel in the crown of the Sella Ronda. It has the best location to go either way on the sella ronda to ski the best bits of the area. The queues can be quite long getting out of each valley. The alta badia area is a lovely area for an intermediate skier. For the more advanced its a short ski to Arraba for the challenging bits. Apres ski is good enough with the Posta Zirm as a great boot bopping bar at the end of the day
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I went there last year with Inghams and i had the best skiing ever with so many different runs. Now Inghams have dropped out i feel so mad i have fallen in love with the place. I want to go back next Jan but i dont know anyone else who goes there? Any help would be great as time is running out!
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