 Poster: A snowHead
|
First of all thanks to all the SHs who posted on this thread - http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=93258 - back in November, especially CathS and Frosty the Snowman who recommended Collett's.
Collett's don't do flights so we booked with BA to Venice Marco Polo (the 23Kg baggage allowance was very welcome, ski boots easily accommodated in my main suitcase). A Collett's rep was waiting at the at the airport with some passengers from earlier flights and we were soon on our way via Arabba to Corvara and Pedraces.
It's a 3 hour plus transfer but all was going well until the final pass into Corvara where we were met by an avalanche which must have happened 10 minutes or so before we got there. It was good 2 meters high across the whole width of the road and we faced a very late dinner. However, after about 20 minutes or so a huge snow blower came up from the Corvara side and soon munched through the snow.
At Chalet Verena dinner was well under way for most of the guests but the staff were well organised and we were soon fed and watered (and wined!)
The food all week was very good and the wine better than we've had in catered chalets before. The chalet was comfortable and spotless and the bedrooms spacious.
Righty then - the skiing.
A quick summary of the hosted itineraries I took advantage of -
Day 1: Pralongia Plateau in the morning, blues and reds and the Gran Risa World Cup GS black. The weather was sunnier than expected with the pistes in good nick and there were only 4 of us in the group including the host so we got a fair bit of skiing in. We met up with the other group for lunch and went up the valley to the slopes above Colfosco in the afternoon. The run back down was cutting up in the warm weather and getting a bit sticky so I decided to call it a day at about 3.30.
Day 2 Marmolada and back. The weather had closed in with tricky big porridgey lumps in places as the piste cut up - made worse by the flat light. The top of the Marmolada was in cloud so no view. Not the best day but still some good skiing.
Day 3 Hidden Valley. Skied over to Armentarola and minibus to the Falzarego Pass for the lift up to the top of the Lagouzoi. We had plenty of time so we came back down the red into the pass and skied some of the Cinque Torri. The weather was better than the previous day but not clear enough to full appreciate the views. The Hidden Valley itself was the best skiing of the day with clearer patches and even some sunshine. We stopped at the famous Scotonis for lunch - great restaurant in a beautiful setting (I settled for gulaschsuppe - the mixed grill looked too much for me). We then got the horse tow back to Armentarola which was a fun experience.
Day 4 Staff day off. It had snowed overnight and was a lot colder so the pistes were in excellent condition. Three of us skied together in the morning on the reds and the Gran Risa - another really good morning. My wife walked up the valley to San Cassiano so we met up for a morning bombardino in La Villa and then for lunch at the top of the Sorega gondala with one of the other couples. I skied with them after lunch but it got very windy and cold so I came in a bit earlier than planned and changed into walking boots to meet my wife along the path from La Villa.
Day 5 Sella Ronda (clockwise) with extensions. One of my best days on skis. Again, a smallish group so we got a move on and were able to take in some of the extras off the main Sella Ronda route. We had some great skiing in the bowl above Canazei on the wide reds and blacks and again underneath the Sassolungo before heading home via Selva.
Day 6 St Christiana. The best of the weather, sunny and cold. Another brilliant day's skiing to finish the week. It was only marred by one of out group getting a confused phone call from his wife who had fallen skiing near Corvara and was being taken off to hospital. All was well in the end (mild concussion) but he obviously had to rush off to be with her. The Saslong run was quite straightforward until it narrowed on a bend and seemed to suddenly fill with skiers - time to put the brakes on! Near the end of the day on the last run home one of the guys I'd been skiing with most days said what a fantastic week he'd had. I agreed and said "There's only one thing that can make it better" He said, "Yes". He knew exactly what I meant - he's Welsh, too.
I'll post some more thoughts later including how Mrs agw got on with walking and snowshoeing plus a few pictures.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
agw, Thanks for this, I have just booked with Colletts in Badia for Feb halfterm 2014 - had wanted to stay in Corvara but both their chalets there were already fully booked. You mention that when you did the hosted skiing you met up with the other group for lunch - do they split the groups into a 'faster' and 'slower' group - my husband and teenagers would be wanting to ski reds and blacks, whereas I would be more of a blues and reds skier, but if we could meet up in the middle of the day that would be ideal, so would be interested to know if this was typically how it was organised.
Also interested to hear how your wife got on with the snowshoeing and how strenuous it was, as I might want to try that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
gamekeeper, they have a thing called office hour before dinner to sort out the next day's activities. There were usually two skiing itineraries and on the first day they had a faster (or as they put it, fewer coffee stops) and a slower group. They arranged for the groups to meet at lunch on the first day so that people could swap if necessary - as it turned out we all went off together in the afternoon anyway. On the other days the groups probably wouldn't have been able to meet at lunch because they went to different parts of the ski area. You wouldn't have to ski a black on any of the itineraries - there was always a red alternative. Plus the blacks in the Sella Ronda area, in good condition, were not the most challenging, well within the compass of most intermediates.
The walking had similar arrangements - more on that later.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
agw, glad by contribution of "this" was appreciated 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| Frosty the Snowman wrote: |
| agw, glad by contribution of "this" was appreciated |
Ah - but that this prompted me to search the forum a bit for your other posts on the Dolomites and Collett's.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Interested to find out how your wife got on. Thinking about Colletts next year as my wife enjoys the Alpine experience but not skiing. Think the ski leading would suit me fine.. Love the Dolomites and Corvara looks nice. Were there nice places to drink at post ski/after dinner?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
agw, thanks for the information about the groups - as far as you know, were the slower groups mainly doing blues and reds, I am assuming you were in the faster group? I have heard that the runs in the Dolomites tend to be well groomed, so I think it will be fine for our mix of abilities.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ