International (Europe/Japan/Southern Hemisphere) Val di Fassa?

[Crank]

For a bit of novelty be sure to ski anti clockwise around the sella through Arabba and down to Armenterola. A short taxi ride will take you to Lagazuoi cable car. Once you've taken the tram to the top you can take a long and very very scenic ski down the 'hidden valley'. It's about 5 miles I believe. Once you get to the very flat run out you can catch a 'horse tow' for a couple of Euro back to Armenterola before heading back to your lodging via San Cassiano.
It's a great day out.
Horse tow is under.

The trip through Arabba (south east corner village of the Sella Ronda) up to the Marmolada Glacier and World War 1 museum is another great day out. The Austrians and Italians were involved in bitter fighting in this area for many months (it was once part of the Austrian empire - hence a lot of German or Ladin speaking in the area). There are still canons and other world war one artifacts littered throughout the area. Some are right next to the pistes.
Just before getting onto the three stage cable car to the top of the Marmolada you can makea diversion to a very scenic gorge called the Sottoguda Gorge just past the town of Malga Ciapela.
https://www.google.com/search?q=sot...24rjAhVbdCsKHYciBukQ_AUIESgC&biw=1920&bih=937

Have fun.

This sounds great! I just finished a book about the war but it was written from a totally American perspective and did not include much about the fighting on the Austrian/Italian border.

 

[sbooker]

This sounds great! I just finished a book about the war but it was written from a totally American perspective and did not include much about the fighting on the Austrian/Italian border.

I'm an Aussie so our involvement in the Great War was mostly in Turkey and the Western Front but skiing in an area with such rich history was fascinating to say the least.

 

[Jim McDonald]

For a wonderful read about the mountain combat in that area in WWI: A Soldier in the Great War
Also, just exquisite writing

 

[James]

Can one get to the backside of Cortina? Looks pretty nice.

 

[Crank]

Just a bump because we are getting closer!

 

[Cheizz]

Just got back from my trip last week. It was amazing (I knew that). If you need more info, just ask

 

[Crank]

Bump because after 2 seasons we have a contract for air travel and it looks like we will be going!

@Cheizz fill us in please! What do we need to know?

 

[Cheizz]

I'll get back on this next week. Richt now, I'm doing this...

 

[PowHog]

Extensive groomer skiing is definitely not me. However I do love Italian food and beautiful mountain scenery and history. Plus the price is right and we have the option of adding 3 days in Venice.

Would likely do a few days of guided off piste or touring if available.

Snow and avy conditions permitting there is RAD off piste and backcountry skiing in the Dolomites. There is guiding service available and highly recommended since some routes cliff out and require a brief
rappel down unless you are a FWT rock star. Some of the raddest couloirs imaginable.

Go over to TGR and page fellow mag 'horizon' - he's done it more than once and probably can furnish solid advice on guiding service. Tell him fellow mag Hicks sent you, we shared turns a few times in the past. Check out his threads over there, unfortunately the links to his stellar pictures are broken by now.

TR Dolomites 17-25 March

Day 1: Midnight maggots. The invasion of the red Salomon bags. Driving etiquette in Italy Sleeping over at snowballs house before a 6.30 am flight. (snowball is a snowHeads poster). I arrive after everyone has gone to bed. The Moroccan chicken that snowball left for me in the oven is...

www.tetongravity.com

TR: Pilgrimage to the Dolomites

irbis, snowball, dodger, myself and two others, plus guide Zeb Roche, made a pilgrimage to the Dolomecca-ites this year: http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhxZs3CMVMY/SbgZKneGeKI/AAAAAAAAAMI/h-N6TBkLvfk/s1024/P3020044.JPG A mighty wind had blown the day before we all got there, yeah, and the sun had...

www.tetongravity.com

 

[James]

If you get over to Mount Kronplatz, there’s the Messner Museum by Zaha Hadid, which looks pretty cool.

Museum / Messner Mountain Museen

www.messner-mountain-museum.it

 

[Cheizz]

@Crank
I'll ask some questions. Answer them, and I can fill you in on specific topics...

1. Somewhere on the first page, you say extensive groomer skiing is not really your thing... So what is? Off-piste? Remember, outside the groomers, it's all back-country
2. You have no personal transport, correct? I'll just focus on anything that can be done by bus. (The Messner Museum at Kronplatz, for example, is not really doable)
3. If I promise you that great food and great scenery are just about everywhere in the Dolomites... what specific other things are you desperate to experience while you are there?

 

[Crank]

@Crank
I'll ask some questions. Answer them, and I can fill you in on specific topics...

1. Somewhere on the first page, you say extensive groomer skiing is not really your thing... So what is? Off-piste? Remember, outside the groomers, it's all back-country
2. You have no personal transport, correct? I'll just focus on anything that can be done by bus. (The Messner Museum at Kronplatz, for example, is not really doable)
3. If I promise you that great food and great scenery are just about everywhere in the Dolomites... what specific other things are you desperate to experience while you are there?

1. I have a mental picture of mostly mellow groomers surrounded by jagged peaks. Yes to off piste. Here in the states I ski at least 60% non groomed and some side country and back country. Bumps, trees, variable, sketchy snow...all good. I am not looking for extensive touring here though. Don't mind some hiking but will likely not have AT gear nor skins. Couple of years ago we did a day of guided off piste at Val d'Isere with a group of 4 from our club. Was a fun day. I am thinking I could put another small group of 4-6 advanced to expert level skiers to share a guided day or 2.

2. No transportation. Last time though I was looking into renting a car to travel to Cortina d'Ampezzo for a day for the FIS World Championships. Not sure what that would be like but it sounded like an intriguing adventure. However, you are right that we will be using public transportation.

3. Really looking forward to the great food and the scenery! Any signature runs we should not miss, either on or off piste? For examples: Valle Blanche in Chamonix or La Face at Val d'Isere. Also should we hire a guide to ski the Sella Ronda or will navigating it on our own be feasible?

 

[Cheizz]

Off-piste skiing (i.e. 'not groomers'- in Europe, it's very black and white in that sense).
The Dolomites are not known for 'easy' off-piste. Not like Val d'Isère or the Arlberg Region. There are some off-piste possibilities you can do without a guide (hard to get lost, minimal avalanche danger). But in all fairness, I would not recommend them without any avalanche gear, it is really 'off-piste', after all.

The first off-piste area I would suggest are the ski area of Passo San Pellegrino (20 minutes form Vigo). On the south-facing slopes it's nice skiing underneath the chairlifts and between the groomed runs. Also, on the north-facing slope, there is an 'freeride' park (steeper, more technical, controlled, much like sectors 'within the boundaries'. A check-point up top. Only open when conditions allow, obviously: https://www.skiareasanpellegrino.it/en/the-north-face/


Black area: Col Marghereta freeride zone
Blue areas: easy off-piste, most of it < 30 degrees
Red area: National park - OFF LIMITS (heavy fines)

Some other off-piste lines can be found on the Sella Massif (Take the Sella Ronda gondolas from either Campitello or Canazei and ski towards Sass Pordoi, the cable car to the top of the Sella Massif). There are two nice runs:

From the top of the Sass Pordoi cable car, there is a little traverse to a mountain hut (green). From the hut, you can take the steeper 'Sass Pordoi' slope back to the cable car (red; ), or you can take the long way around, 'Val Lasties' (blue; ), leading back to the red runs of the ski area.

There are other options too, for off-piste skiing, but these are the ones I do by myself without a guide (but with a buddy, avalanche gear, and backcountry experience). For other options, I would hire a guide.

Great runs (groomed)
Passo San Pellegrino - 41 La Volta, 27 Le Plateau + 30 Le Buse
Pozza di Fassa - 1a Buffaure Panoramico, 1b Vulcano, 6 Ciampac
Alpe Lusia - 2 Fiamma Oro II + 1 Fiamma Oro I
Latemar - 35 Cinque Nazioni, 38 Torre di Pisa, 30 (all variants), 5 Maierl - but honestly, this entire area is great. One of my favorites
Vigo di Fassa - 1 Thoni, 2 Tomba, 8 Vajolet (the run ends at a very nice church and churchyard. Lave a look and a picture before crossing the street to get to the chairlift)
Night skiing on the Aloch competition hill in Pozza di Fassa (steep and icy): https://www.dolomitisuperski.com/en/Experience/Ski-areas/Val-di-Fassa/Night-skiing

If you can...
- Skiing in Civetta ski area. My favorite (but farthest away from Vigo)
- Sella Ronda - no guide needed. Just follow the orange or green signs and the crowds. If there are no crowds, experienced skiers can do the Sella Ronda both way on the same day
- Marmolada, the highest peak of the Dolomites. Part of Arabba ski area. Can be a bit busy on a clear day (on a non-clear day there's no reason of going there)
- Lagazuoi ski tour - at the far side of the Sella Ronda, there's this great long runs with a lot of WWI history and a horse-draglift: https://www.altabadia.org/en/winter-holidays/italian-alps/lagazuoi-circuit.html No guide needed, just get the first lift out of Canazei and race to Alta Badia. You can combine this with Sella Ronda, but I would make it two separate days. Info here: https://www.altabadia.org/en/winter-holidays/italian-alps/lagazuoi-circuit.html

Note: the 'First World War tour' (https://www.altabadia.org/en/winter-holidays/italian-alps/first-world-war-ski-tour.html) seems to be out of order. Some out-of-ski area ski tracks have been destroyed by mudslides and have not been repaired yet...

 

[Tony S]

Following. For ... some day.

 

[James]

From the top of the Sass Pordoi cable car, there is a little traverse to a mountain hut (green). From the hut, you can take the steeper 'Sass Pordoi' slope back to the cable car (red

That looks pretty damn nice, and we’re not getting the dramatic views of the cliffs from the gopro. Also looks well traveled.

 

[Cheizz]

There seems to be a guiding operation that has daily freeride excursions that one can sign up for. No need for your own group. https://www.powrock.com/sp/en/eg/off-piste-skiing-in-val-di-fassa.3sp

 

[Crank]

Great information @Cheizz !

Thank you very much