 Poster: A snowHead
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I've bottled out of going to Cairngorm next week and booked a rather cheap deal to Arabba instead. But looking at the piste map there appears to be nothing for a 5year old to ski at all. Please can someone regail me with tales of not very good skiers going there and having a fab time.
Ps. How do you spell regale?
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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 chap in question is happy on greens and equally happy,but pretty out of control on blues. If only we could find some.
There are of course blues higher up but not sure if you can download from them or if you need to do the red tallabfahrt to get back to Arabba afterwards.
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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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PPS how do you move a post?
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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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TheGeneralist, ask a mod to move your post
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| TheGeneralist wrote: |
The chap in question is happy on greens and equally happy,but pretty out of control on blues. If only we could find some.
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I've never been there, but from a quick scan of the piste map, two things:
a) it only grades blue=easy red=medium black=difficult (so no greens, therefore assuming blue=green)
b) there are oodles of blues that look like easy tracks: 42, 44, 45, 4, 20 22, 23, 25, 26,
There seems to be a big discrepancy between the interactive piste map and the pdf that you get on http://www.arabba.it/index.php?page_id=1066&lang_id=3 but on the interactive one it does look like you can get from lift 3 to lift 126 on "facili" (easy) even though on the pdf 11 is red and goes to the wrong place! This one: http://www.skitotal.com/Images/PisteMap/arabba.pdf does show that link. That would mean the 42, 44, 45 set are accessible to you.
It looks to me like you're going to be fine!
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Tue 12-02-13 10:16; edited 1 time in total
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Never stayed in Arabba, but been through there a few times, and most ski schools are at the bottom of the Burz lift, I think they have a moving carpet up the side of the learner slopes, and the piste map shows a blue coming from the top of the Burz lift, they don't do greens in Italy, and so long as the little chap is taught to turn and stop, the piste are wide, and generally well groomed, and the snow is great at the moment, so you will have a brilliant time.
http://www.arabba.it/index.php?page_id=1066&lang_id=3
Regale
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andyrew SNAP!!!!
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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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| Quote: |
most ski schools are at the bottom of the Burz lift
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a good point - it sounds like the best bet will be to put the lad in ski school for the week - the instructors will know exactly which of their local slopes will suit him, and how to keep him safe.
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and how to get down blue slopes nicely. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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That map is incredibly out of date: must be getting on for 10 years old. No way would I trust it (and even when it was valid it has too little detail to be of much use).
[Why do so few resorts have decent-resolution PDF maps of lifts/runs available on their website?]
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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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From Arabba you can reach a huge area of long gentle blues at La Vizza/Pralongia by taking the Burz chair out of the village and following signs down blue runs to Campolongo/Monte Cherz. It may look quite a way on the piste map but in reality it's 3 chairs and a couple of blue runs to get you to Monte Churz where the long blues start in earnest. Coming back, the last link lift to get you back to Arabba is after 4, so you'll have plenty of time to play! As a whole bunch of snowHeads who can give you shedloads more info have just returned from Arabba, I'll post something on the bash thread pointing towards this one.
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San Cassiano or Corvara might be a better place to stay. Accessing those blues above is easier (1 gondola from either), and Corvara has additional blues at the other end of a 2 way chair.
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You know it makes sense.
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| TheGeneralist wrote: |
| The chap in question is happy on greens and equally happy,but pretty out of control on blues. |
My concern would be getting back into Arraba, with the exception on 1 quite gentle blue run, all the runs back into Arabba are red and some of them are quite nasty by 4pm (especially the one before the Boi chair).
Personally I think you've got the right area, Dolomites are a huge place, don't think 1 person came back from the S9BB disappointed, but I would probably suggest find another village to stay in (The place you get the bus for the Hidden Valley looks quite good with gentle and easy slopes to learn on).
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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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There's a secret way around the nastiest part of that red btw. We only found it because that red was shut last Saturday.
From top of gondola up from Corvara, save the effort of poling uphill by turning left as if you're going back to Corvara. Then turn right along a path, and it brings you out at the top of the chair from Campolongo towards Corvara, and hence you skip the steep, narrow, red. Still a few bumps to go but skips the worst parts.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
| My concern would be getting back into Arraba, w |
Yes indeed, I should have mentioned that was my concern as well. It's probably possible to go up and find some blues, but once there is it possible to get back to the resort by blue or perhaps downloading on the gondola. At least one of the possible lifts is a chair and I don't think they are so frequently available to download?
Regarding location, agreed that somewhere else would have been better, but it was mighty cheap and it's too late now.
cheers for all the info.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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One other option...
take portovescovo gondola to the mid station, and ski out towards bottom of Marmolada? That's all mostly easy stuff too.
On the way back, there's always option for downlift on the gondola.
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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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Absolute worst case scenario is to jump in a taxi from Passo Campolongo down to Arabba.
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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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| andy wrote: |
| There's a secret way around the nastiest part of that red btw. We only found it because that red was shut last Saturday. |
Yeah that run was a real life saver  but the first part is still pretty steep.
If your committed to Arabba, then there are definitely ways around the tricky parts (as Andy has pointed out), hope you enjoy it, can't help but be jealous (I could have done with another week out there!)
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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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The runs back can be a little mucky but they are not busy, not too steep and fairly short.
He will be blasting through testosterone alley in no time
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| andy wrote: |
One other option...
take portovescovo gondola to the mid station, and ski out towards bottom of Marmolada? That's all mostly easy stuff too.
On the way back, there's always option for downlift on the gondola. |
I'd agree with Andy - go that way out first, the one challenge coming back might be the run down from the Passo Padon on your way back, but that is not very long and you will be in practice by then.
Then go out early one day to the top of the gondola/cablecar and head down to the chair that takes you up to Passo Pordoi and into the Belvedere area - again that area is easy to ski and the way back is fine. Doing this at the start of the day will give you a steep pitch first off the cablecar but it won't be bumpy and crowded so is much easier at that time. If you want to avoid that pitch, take the old 2 person chair up that side, then ski down a bit to the new 4 chair that will deposit you at the bottom of the steepish pitch, ready to ski towards Belvedere. That will probably take a bit more time though as the 2 person chair is quite long and slow (so could be cold too).
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Happy to report that the answer is a yes. Splendid.
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Getting hugely contradictory info on whether off piste is legal without a guide here (sans 5 year old of course).
Seems to be legal if we have all the gubbins and the risk is below a certain level, but nobody is forthcoming on what that level is.
Can anyone enlighten me?
Or if anyone is here now and fancies sharing a guide...
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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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TheGeneralist, you can ski off piste with a guide. I presume without a guide as well, I don't think any SnowHeads have ever had a problem doing so on the Birthday Bash or otherwise.
Would highly recommend Francesco Tremolada, who guided us for three days a few weeks ago if you do get a guide for a day or two. His website is here http://www.proguide.it/?lang=en
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TheGeneralist, Only some areas have actively banned off-piste without a qualified guide, Livigno being one. So unless it's on the piste map or signed at the lift stations you should be fine . . . properly prepared of course.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Masque wrote: |
| TheGeneralist, Only some areas have actively banned off-piste without a qualified guide, Livigno being one. So unless it's on the piste map or signed at the lift stations you should be fine . . . properly prepared of course. |
On which subject, for the week of the BB there was a sign at the bottom of the Portavescovo lifts which said, basically "No skiing off piste due to danger of Avalanches". Now, on that same week, the aforementioned guide did indeed take people for the off piste skiing and they all had a great time, plus there were many other tracks around. But the presence of the sign would indicate to my (non-lawyer) mind that any insurance policy would have a great get out clause. But did the sign only apply to the Portavescovo runs area, not to the Marmolada where they subsequently went, or what?
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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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Found some lovely powder through the trees towards Corvara. And the kids both did their first red runs yesterday, love this place.
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SteveM, there's a difference between closing access or areas due to conditions but there are some domains where it is illegal and heavily fined to 'duck the ropes' without a guide or instructor.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
| Only some areas have actively banned off-piste without a qualified guide, Livigno being one. |
Not that I was planning to go there anytime soon but that's one resort to cross off the list 
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FAQ
or can he read a piste map already 
