Dolomiti Superski  – Dynamite Skiing in the Dolomites Italy!

The Dolomites have it all – stunning vistas, fantastic skiing,  picturesque alpine villages, and friendly people.  This region of Northern Italy has the most spectacular mountains I have seen.   Perhaps that is why the Dolomites are a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Corvara, Italy

For my visit I stayed at the guesthouse Albergo Alisander in the village of Corvara,  in the heart of the Dolomiti Superski region.  Corvara is the largest village in the Alta Badia ski area. To make the most of you ski trip you will want to get the Dolomiti Superski pass with access to 12 ski areas. This is a huge lift linked ski region comprising a dozen ski resorts.

Gasthof-Albergo Alisander, Corvara, Italy

Alta Badia has 53 lifts , 95 slopes, and a variety of great skiing.  The area is lift linked to many of the Superski resorts, the closest being Arabba/Marmolada. You can travel far and wide without taking off your skis.  Two “must ski” highlights, things not to miss when skiing this area are the Sella Ronda ski circuit, and the famous Hidden Valley.

Skiing the Dolomites

The Sella Ronda.
The Sella Ronda is a ski route around the majestic mighty Sella Massif that passes through four ski areas:  ,Alta Badia, Val Gardena, Val di Fassa and Arabba/Marmolada. You can travel the circuit clockwise (orange arrows) or counter-clockwise (green arrows) . It will take you most of a day, start out early to make sure you get back to your home base before the lifts close.  By the end of your journey you will have skied 26 KM, and passed through several ski villages.  Quite a memorable ski adventure, highly recommended.

Arrabba, along the Sella Ronda route.

The Hidden Valley.

From Alta Badia, ski down to the village of Armentola to board the bus for the short ride to Passo Falzarego.  Next a cable car takes you 2700 meters up a sheer cliff to the top of Lagazuoi and the start of the hidden Valley.  It is like something out of a James Bond film. Take some time at the summit of Lagazuoi to take in the views.  The trail winds along for 7Km with one amazing view after another.  The Scotini Mountain hut about two thirds of the way down is a nice spot to stop for a break and lunch.  Just after the Scotini hut you will pass the ice waterfalls.  At the bottom of the trail you can get pulled back to Alta Badia by a team of horses trailing ropes behind for skiers. Well worth if for a couple of Euros.

Hidden Valley, Ice Falls

For more information on the Dolomiti Superski region visit  http://www.dolomitisuperski.com   A truly magical place, amazing skiing, amazing mountains, in wonderful italy.

The Hidden Valley

Snowy Day along the Sella Ronda Ski Trail

The Ski Team

Showing the way through the clouds.

Unesco Site Information – The Dolomites.
The site of the Dolomites comprises a mountain range in the northern Italian Alps, numbering 18 peaks which rise to above 3,000 metres and cover 141,903 ha. It features some of the most beautiful mountain landscapes anywhere, with vertical walls, sheer cliffs and a high density of narrow, deep and long valleys. A serial property of nine areas that present a diversity of spectacular landscapes of international significance for geomorphology marked by steeples, pinnacles and rock walls, the site also contains glacial landforms and karst systems. It is characterized by dynamic processes with frequent landslides, floods and avalanches. The property also features one of the best examples of the preservation of Mesozoic carbonate platform systems, with fossil records.