 Poster: A snowHead
|
|
I've been a great fan of this area but having skied the Dolomites twice now, I think it's a close call. We were in Lech before Christmas and for the first time we felt a bit ripped off. I know it's expensive and we stay in 4/5* hotels and are prepared for that but...just a feeling that they're catering more for the Russian crowd. Plus we were charged 14 euros for 2 fruit punches from the Krone. The Dolomites offer better value for money, fabulous food and amazing skiing. In Selva we paid 2.80 euros for a Glüwein compared with Lech's 4.50. And 4 of us ate at lunchtime for the same price as 2 of us in Lech.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
erica2004, dont tell everyone....delete this thread ! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
erica2004, No No No you are talking absolute nonsense. The Dolomites are horrible. There is never any snow and the runs are all flat as flat things. Nobody in their right mind would go there. The food is codged up by some granny with stuff they got from the local farm. The mountains are all broken and crumbly and a funny colour. There are queues for the lifts and what snow there is, is artificial and groomed flat. The hotels are smelly and cramped and you know the locals are just so poor they think they are charging high prices. And you have to get buses and things to get to places that are so awful there is nobody there even at half-term.
Terrible place. Poor me got to go there in 30 days 14 hours and 18 minutes too.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
I got charged 6.30 for a Gluwein in St. Christoph a couple of weeks ago.
On the whole I thought the Arlberg region was very cheap - apart from when I hired skis for 2 days - say no more!
But, for me I can't be doing with the crowds.  Putin was in town when I was there - don't suppose he worries too much about 6.30 for a glass of hot wine.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
I suppose it's likely that Austria goes the way of France - with a much bigger price differential between the "fashionable" and "also ran" resorts than there used to be. I've not yet found anywhere round here where you can't get 2 vin chaud for 6.30 or less but I've no doubt there are places in Courchevel which charge a lot more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I wouldn't link Lech with the Arlberg... Places like Stuben, Sonnenkopf, and even St. Anton (some places) are all different in their own right.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
pam w, Lech is probably one of the most expensive places in Austria, more expensive than most (all?) of the other big resorts. Think rich Russians in fur coats swilling Bolly from their Prada hipflasks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Chris Bish - like the post!
Obviously it's a cr+p place to ski so I've just booked a week mid-March in Pozza di Fassa so I can confirm my worst suspicions with a first time (and definitely last time. Obviously) visit to the Sella Ronda region/circuit.
I've dredged the various websites but as usual they all tend to subside into general rose-tinted vagueness and can't match the specialised advice of a fellow sH. Can you give me any tips?
I think Pozza is connected to the circuit but not sure??? If so, is it convenient and obvious? Is it straightforward hiring a guide for some of the off-piste goodies? Is it worth a splash on the Marmaloda heli operation?
I'm not big on partying into the night but have I booked us into an apres-ski desert which is also far distant from the best access lifts? How long is the bus trip up to Canazei? Apres ski in Pozza?
Thanks in advance for any help you might be able to give.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
erica2004, sssssshhh! Glad to hear of your conversion, but please keep it under your hat!! We don't mind a few select snowHeads enjoying the Dolomites, but we don't want the whole world to know about it!! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
erica2004, what airports / transfers work to Selva please? Is it as easy for independents to get to as the Arlberg?
p.s. I know what you mean about Lech - my Hotel, the Gotthard, is excellent but this year the price went up from 109€ to 144€ - that's a lot!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Big Paua, Pozza is a little off the circuit, but there are two small ski areas nearby. Buffaure/Alba area is a nice quiet area with some nice runs. The scenic Catinaccio area has some good short runs near the top and long valley runs back to the lift stations at Vigo and Pera. All 3 lift bases are fairly regularly linked by bus or road train.
But you'll probably want to catch the bus up to Campitello or Canazei to access the Sella Ronda linked areas, the buses are free and fairly frequent at the beginning and end of the day (but not through lunchtime). You can also ski through to Alba, where there is a short bus ride to the Canazei gondola. Here's the info on skibus service: http://www.fassa.com/en/Skibus-service/ (looks like the link to the pdf of the timetables is missing at the moment)
Finding a guide shouldn't be a problem, the guys in Canazei/Campitello have good knowledge of the Sella & Marmolada off piste. Check out the 'Sella Ronda fans' thread as someone on there did the Val di Mezdi without a guide recently.
http://www.scuolascicanazei.com/
http://www.guidealpinevaldifassa.it/english/index.html
I can't see the point of heliskiing a mountain that you can access by lift, although they may drop you somewhere you can access an off-piste line that isn't otherwise accesssible.
Pozza is a large village with quite a few hotels so there must be a bit of apres action, but as I've never stayed there I can't be any more specific. There's a night ski on Wed & Fri on the Aloch piste just above the village.
Hope you have a good one!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
red 27, We still fly into Innsbruck with Easyjet and then get a taxi to Selva (about 1.5hrs). I expect luigi, will know more about transfers. You can get a helicopter transfer...
luigi, I didn't see many Brits there in Jan, so I think we're still fairly safe. I did overhear a mother saying to her son 'well that was an adventure, just like Wallace and Gromit..' with witch the little boy replied ' but Wallace and Gromit went to the moon..'
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
sorry about the typo
Also, the Scuola ski school is brilliant - run by Konrad Senoner who owns the 'Granvara' - a very chilled, comfortable 4* with amazing food.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
erica2004, ta - taxis are a bit out of my price range...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Big Paua, As always, luigi, has the info. In Pozza itself you can get skiing in several ways: the easiest is to go up the gondola to the Bauffare/Alba region. This is a very pleasant if undemanding area. It will not take you long to go "over the top" past the telletubies restaurant (good pizza) and down to a lovely sunny bowl above Alba itself. (More nice eateries here). You can hoon about on wide blues or race the cablecar down the black. It takes about 3 minutes and is not that black as I can ski it! At the bottom, there are frequent buses to Canazei where you can access the Sella Ronda circuit itself by going up the rapid and efective gondola. At the top you access a nice suny slope which is graded red but covered in beginners!
You can take the bus or noddy train to Pera where a cranky two-man lift takes you over the main road and up into a funny little area with a selection of nice runs. You can also ski down to Vigo from there. Only a morning's entertainment really.
The same main road links you to Canazei, and that is your best bet for getting into the main skiing. Although we refer to the area as the Sella Ronda, as often as not, the secret is to use the circuit to get to other places. Alba is one of the little "secret places" but others include Colfosco, the Hidden Valley (a must-do) Seceda on the other side of the Sasslong and (my favourite) Cinque Torri. You might even get into San Pellegrino from where you are, and I don't think even luigi, has been there.
Buy the Tabacco map and you will see how it all connects.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Top info Luigi and Chris Bish - thank you very much. And apologies to erica2004 - I didn't mean to hijack your thread.
Exactly the sort of stuff I needed to know. Sounds like I could've been sharper on choosing the location and we are going to be a little out of the way and Canazei would be the place to be. But hey, it's in the hills, there will be snow, there will be sun (and pizza and beer) and I will have skis on my feet - obviously it will be deeply unpleasant but I'll just have to man up and tough it out for a whole seven days.
Good point on heliski - I will have a young fella with me and was thinking it would be the thrill of his short life so far so we'll see how we go on that one. I want to show him what proper off-piste can do and firmly implant the addiction, as it were. Walking for his turns might be a better/purer way to do that but at 14 a heli is going to be much more exciting.
Chris Bish - "hoon" ? Yer either from Upsidedownland (like me) or have lived there at some stage - no?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Luigi - yer a gem. Ta. Might PM you later to take some more advantage of your knowledge if that's OK. Meantime, I need to truffle around through those links.
Chris Bish - Stanfords will get a visit from me on Monday and I'll see if I can sweet talk a rush order on that map. Fingers crossed for some spring skiing dumps.
I'd checked out some of those TGR threads before which is kinda what started to pique my interest in the Dolomites. I had no idea!
I skied Cervinia about 10 years or so ago but that's it on the Italian experience.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
