PLANETSKI RETURNS TO THE DOLOMITES

18th January 2020 | Ian Davis, Val Gardena

Last modified on May 16th, 2021

Dolomiti Superski: 39 resorts, 1200kms of slopes, glacier skiing, mott of the slopes at 1600m with many at 2000m.

We are not in France – this is the Dolomiti Superski.

Overlooked by many, but easy access with Innsbruck only a 1hr 30mins transfer this is a viable destination not only for a week but also a great short break option.

We are skiing the world-renowned Sella Ronda which circumnavigates the Sella mountain taking in Corvara, Arabba, Val di Fassa and Val Gardena.

45Kms of lifts and slopes that take you on a journey through 4 different valleys.

At a steady pace it will take around 4 to 6 hours giving you time to take in lunch at one of the many Refugio restaurants which offer amazing food at reasonable prices compared to some of its European peers.

Snow conditions are superb, 98% of the slopes have artificial snowmaking so it’s a safe bet for your winter skiing or boarding escape.

The villages in the Dolomite Superski are clusters of hotels with small selections of bars and restaurants.

Not large sprawling resorts but genuine places run by generations of families delivering great hospitality.

The best way to get the most from this area is to take a run around the Sella Ronda taking note of the different areas that you enjoyed, in the coming days you can visit them and explore.

You can take the Sella Ronda clockwise or anti clockwise, top tip, clockwise has slightly less time on lifts and offers sunnier aspects.

If you want to stretch your legs you can also include the Marmolada Glacier.

The best freeride areas are in the Porto Vescovo and Pordoi areas, you can also make your way to the Mid-Day Valley which offers some of the best off piste and touring.

If speed is your thing then up the pace, make the circuit in around 3 hours.

While taking the tour drop into Val Gardena taking a spin down the World Cup downhill which delivered Britain’s best downhill result with Konrad Bartelski finishing in 2nd place missing out on the top spot by only 0.11 seconds.

In summary this is a varied area that allows you to build up the miles visiting different villages and resorts on the way, great quality accommodation, stunning Italian food all served up at reasonable value.

Tomorrows adventure is to take part in the inaugural Ski Caching event which involves hunting out up to 50 locations in the ski area which score between 1 to 20 points and you get bonus points for the best selfies.