i'm in Selva ATM and want to ski the Hidden Valley. Can anyone tell me the best route and how to get back (is there a lift back up at the end of the
Hidden Valley - our tour rep tells us we need to catch a bus back?). Also, how long should it take? I hear the horse drawn drag can take ages! THANKS [/b]
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
deejaybee wrote:
i'm in Selva ATM and want to ski the Hidden Valley. Can anyone tell me the best route and how to get back (is there a lift back up at the end of the
Hidden Valley - our tour rep tells us we need to catch a bus back?). Also, how long should it take? I hear the horse drawn drag can take ages! THANKS [/b]
At the end of the horse drag, you are back into the Alta Badia ski area, so if you are there early enough it is perfectly possible to ski back to Selva then.
The tour reps will be selling you an organised trip - which will end with an hour or two in one of the bars followed by a bus back.
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?
it all depends on your standard of skiing (time wise) - you certaintly do not need a bus to get back...
There are many routes to get there - this is mine : Top of Dantercepies, ski down to Colfosco ; 'flat' chair to Corvara ; take the Costes da l'ega (29) chair ; take the drag on right Capanna neera (13) ; take nxt drag Pralongia 1 (14) ; ski down to the nxt chair Pralongia (15) ; ski down to Pralongia 2 (16) ; from the top you are now skiing down to Armentarola. At Armentarola you take a bus or taxi ; up the cable car to Laguzoi -- Hidden valley awaits ---
The Horse Drag takes 5 to 7 mins, which isn't long, but can be a strain as you are concentrating on not falling and bringing everyone else down !!!!
you are now back at Armentarola ; Take the drag out of Armentarola, ski down to San Cassiano ; Bubble thingy out of San Cass ; ski down on the left to a spot where 3 lifts start ; take la branca chair (7) ; ski down a short way to the TOP of the Braia fraida (2) chair ( this is weird chair, as you have to get off half-way down !!) ; ski all the way down to Corvara ; get 'flat' chair back to Colfosco and make your way back to Dantercepies and Selva
Note - the lift numbers I have given may have changed..................................
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Tue 15-01-13 11:05; edited 1 time in total
albob, not trying to argue... But the horse tow takes around 3-4 mins. I only know because the OH asked me to video it and our video was 3m 19.
It took us about 2 hours to get from Armentarola to Selva, but in that time we stopped for lunch at the Panorama halfway down Dantercepies. So in good conditions it's a pretty quick journey back.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
We more or less took albob's route last year and did it there and back comfortably in a day. The bit between Corvara and Armentarola is a bit complicated though and if in a party try to stick together - one of ours took the wrong turning at one point.
14 Plans-Frara A
Code:180
Type:Cabinovia A.A.
Valley:Alta Badia
15 Val Setus
Code:233
Type:Seggiovia 3/4
Valley:Gardena - Alpe di Siusi
16 Cir A
Code:232
Type:Seggiovia A.A.
Valley:Gardena - Alpe di Siusi
Info
Nr. lifts:16
Height difference:3.833
Estimated slope km:21
It took 1hour to get to the top of Lagazuoi from Armentarola, queueing for lifts and taxi's, but it was very busy, and 1.30 hour to ski down (with the must do lunch at Scotoni's)
After all it is free
After all it is free
The queue for the buses was surprisingly well organised by european standards and several queue jumpers were sent to the back.
I walked back where the horse bit started and arrived back at the piste just as the last folk were disembarking.
Also at the cable car where you get dropped off its worth doing a run back down before heading back up for the hidden valley. Its a very flattering black.
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.
Think the horse tow only took a few minutes when we did it, but had about a 15min wait. Every time it was about to go, another 2 skiers would come round the corner. Bit of poling/skating too.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Hidden Valley is just a unidirectional skiing. The chairlift is just a cable car at Lagazuoi and you ski one direction until the slope is so flat that you have to walk.
At the end of the run there is a collection point outside the pub where one can get a taxi back to Lagazuoi (and possibly Armentarola which is the access point back to Sella Ronda loop.
The horse tow is a bit further by walking.o
The horse tow only goes to a convenient point of Armentarola and the skiers still have walk some distance to the nearest chairlift. As Andy said the horse tow takes about 15 minutes but it could be take significantly longer to wait. This is because the horse owner will wait until the rope is fully taken up by about 50 skiers, then he pulls out another one (a further 50), then he starts to collect money from each one before setting off. So it can be one hell of a time waster if you are trying to catch the last chairlift back to Selva which is diametrically opposite to Lagazuoi.
Have some cash available if you miss the chairlift. We paid 50 Euro from Armentarola back to Arraba.
If you are in a hurry use the taxi. It works by 5 skiers paying a combined fare and an agreed destination (it is possible to agree to go to Armentarola first and then Lagazuoi as the former is almost on the way). When the 5th skier joins the group then calls the taxi. It is a DIY system.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
^^think there's a taxi (or bus?) from near the start of the horse tow to San Cassiano if short on time on the way back.
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.
hammerite wrote:
albob, not trying to argue... But the horse tow takes around 3-4 mins. I only know because the OH asked me to video it and our video was 3m 19.
It took us about 2 hours to get from Armentarola to Selva, but in that time we stopped for lunch at the Panorama halfway down Dantercepies. So in good conditions it's a pretty quick journey back.
I was only guessing -- and it probably seemed longer to me as I was hanging on for Grim-Death !!
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
We got the TOs trip there as it was only €16 each and meant we were up the top of the lift at 9am pretty much getting the first lift up, leaving the rest of the day to ski bits we'd not managed to get to. Our horse tow left as soon as we we got to it as it there was enough of us for it to go.
saikee, there is another option from the top of the Lagazuoi lift, you can keep to the right and take a fork off which takes you back to the bottom of the Lagazuoi lift, or on to the Cortina section if you wanted to.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
There is a taxi option at the second of the two restaurants on the way down. They will take you to the lift station at San Cassiano quite cheaply. This would save some time on the ski back. The horse tow is worth doing once for the experience but it is a bit of a teeth clencher on the grounds if one falls 80 fall. I tend to avoid it now. You also get the taxi option before you get to the slavering man-eaters, which don't take you all the way on the flat bit anyway. If you are against the clock - and that is quite a big day - the taxi option has a lot going for it.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
hammerite,
I know that route is for Cinque Torri which is a lovely loop in itself but it isn't Hidden Valley at all.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Just did it last week from Arabba. The taxis to Langazuio from Armentarola and the horse tow out are exceptionally well-organised. The horse tow didn't strike me as posing any particular difficulty. Anyone who can ski the valley itself competently shouldn't have any trouble. Also, anyone of that standard (not particularly high) shouldn't have too much bother getting from and to Selva with a leisurely lunch to boot. The first hut in the valley (not the one at the top of the cable car) is awesomely good. Best to get there early, because it gets busy. If you have the time, ski the face of Langazuoi first and ride up the cable car again.
3D RealityMaps is a fantastic web app for route planning in the Dolomites!
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Thanks everyone, great advice. We did the route today in brilliant sunshine and fantastic snow. Just about made it home before the lifts closed but we did a fairly leisurely pace and we were a big group. fantastic frozen waterfalls and a great lunch half way down the valley. What a beautiful place to be.[/b]
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?
deejaybee, Did you get to Cinque Torri?
That is one of my favourite places on this planet. You can combine it with the Hidden Valley if you are in that corner of the Dolomiti.
some very nice runs there. bit of a horizontal slog from Lagazuoi though. and last year we needed to get the bus back to Lagazuoi because on chair no longer runs.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
No we didn't do Cinque Torri. Our ski club have already booked for same time again next year so I'll put it on the list! We have had a wonderful week with perfect snow and weather conditions, amazing for January and such a beautiful place and SO much cheaper on the mountain than our usual haunts in France.
You can definitely ski to and from Laguzoi and 5 Torri. The best way of doing it on the way out is to go up the cable car and take the red/black from the top (must be red if I can do it) by turning sharp right off the top. This gives you a turn-left option near the bottom and you cross the road by the chairlift opposite.
Up the chair and ski down fairly briskly looking for a gap in the trees on the skier's right. Keep as much speed as you can on this track (though the last time I did it I had maggi, in front of me and she has so little inertia) and you are painlessly delivered to the fast chair by the car park of 5 Torri.
Coming back is less easy. You need to go over the top on the far side and spot a track off to the right. There is a Lara Croft style half-hidden lift there that takes you through a gap in the rocks. After that there is a narrow and quite difficult track which yakes you back towards the lifts opposite Lagazuoi.
Nice little adventure really.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
andy wrote:
Quote:
Cinque Torri
some very nice runs there. bit of a horizontal slog from Lagazuoi though. and last year we needed to get the bus back to Lagazuoi because on chair no longer runs.
I'm not sure whether that chair (a double chair, on my piste map it's No.8 Croda Negra. Edit: That's the "Lara Croft" Chris Bish refers to in his post ) was out of action permanently or only on the period when we visited? I'd be surprised if it were permanently closed as it's identified as part of the route of the "Grande Guerra 1914-18" skitour circuit.
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Sat 19-01-13 17:34; edited 1 time in total
After all it is free
After all it is free
Alastair Pink, That is the one I meant. I used it last March.
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 wrote:
(though the last time I did it I had maggi, in front of me and she has so little inertia)
Oi! Are you saying I'm sssssllllllooowww
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Handy to know that lift was operating after we did Cinque Torri. Was trying to work out where it goes relative to my GPS track, but there's a huge cloud on the satellite image. Still - least we know there's a bus back from Cinque Torri car park up to Lagazuoi. And a place to eat while waiting for the bus.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
maggi wrote:
Chris Bish wrote:
(though the last time I did it I had maggi, in front of me and she has so little inertia)
Oi! Are you saying I'm sssssllllllooowww
maggi, I think he was actually saying that you're very svelte .........
..... and slow!
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.
maggi, I was about twice your weight at the time and, as you commented, very fast uphill. I have slimmed down a bit since then!
Actually, you are brave. Not many people are prepared to ski with me behind them.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Chris Bish,
Alastair Pink, to you too!
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Ive been watching the ladies downhill at Cortina (on eurosport) -- is that staged in the Cinque Torri area ???
conditions are fabulous and the section of the piste thru a narrow canyon looks like a run I would love to do.....................
(Vonn's leading - but I am watching the repeat !!)
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
albob, it's the Olympia delle Tofane. To get to it from Cortina, take the Tofana cable car from the ice rink up to Ra Valles (2 stages), then ski down the Forcella Rossa black run to the Socrepes area. Take the chair up to Pomedes. The bit through the canyon is the black run from Pomedes. To do the whole run, just follow what becomes a red all the way down.
It's a great run, but getting to it is just as exciting and scenic.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Been there, done that. It was an ambition I had for a while. I found it quite challenging and it is icy being in the shadow of that rock. The women racers cheat by flying over the icy bits of course. 5 Torri can be seen from Tofana, and you can easlily go back that way if you are returning to the Sella Ronda resorts.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
[/b]
) was out of action permanently or only on the period when we visited? I'd be surprised if it were permanently closed as it's identified as part of the route of the "Grande Guerra 1914-18" skitour circuit.
.........
