Dolomites Recommendations?

[jhyatt]

Ok so maybe bail on sella Ronda, worth driving to and spending day in arabba and Marmolada it sounds like?


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Sella Ronda is good with the family

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[Ottime]

My FIL eye doctor, Mina Chung, fell and died skiing Cortina d’Ampezzo this past week. Has anybody me heard about this and have more details? When he told me about it, he only said she had fell 1000 feet. I did a google search, as I’m
Curious about how this might happen. She is a solid skier from what I was told, but unclear if she was even off piste. Online I can only find obituary style pieces coming out of her hometown of Rochester New York.

[Benny Profane]

Italy now shutting down due to the bat virus. It's all over the Veneto, Venice carnival now cancelled, villages near Milan locked down.

[I've seen black diamonds!]

^^^^^^ Sud Tyrol ok for now, especially if you fly through Munich. But I'm preparing myself for upcoming trip to be cancelled. Especially since my step dad (who I'd be visiting) is on perma-chemo. Fuck.

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[chill winston]

My FIL eye doctor, Mina Chung, fell and died skiing Cortina d’Ampezzo this past week. Has anybody me heard about this and have more details? When he told me about it, he only said she had fell 1000 feet. I did a google search, as I’m
Curious about how this might happen. She is a solid skier from what I was told, but unclear if she was even off piste. Online I can only find obituary style pieces coming out of her hometown of Rochester New York.

Was told by a local guide friend in Cortina that an American woman skier in early 50s lost edge in the Bus de Tofane and began a slide. Her guide tried to arrest her slide and they slid together for about 400m vert but he lost her and while he arrested, she could not and slid the remaining way down to rocks below. Until this recent snow, Dolomites have been icy and hard windboard in shaded couloirs. We had to adjust our expectations and objectives but still had an epic trip. More corn than powder.

[jhyatt]

Dolimiti are closed for the season for Corona

According to a directive by the Italian Government, we have to inform you, that all Italian Ski resorts will be closed already from tomorrow morning, Tuesday March 10th. We are sorry about all inconveniences and hope to see you soon again in our beautiful Dolomites.

https://www.dolomitisuperski.com/lp-2019-20/Covid-19_en

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[cravenmorhead]

Thanks to recommendations from the Ikon thread, I just booked tickets for early February. Likely hiring a guide out of Corvara for at least a chunk of the trip. Send any specific recommendations you might have my way for food, lodging, or transit - I'll fly into Venice.

Looks like there are a ton of little B&B/apartment hotels.

[Benny Profane]

Tell me more about the guides you found in Corvara, please

[cravenmorhead]

These are the two frontrunners:
https://www.explore-share.com/mounta...homas-gianola/

https://www.proguide.it/en/info/

[Kevo]

For transit, you can take a train to Bozen/Bolzano (should go without saying, but it is the same city name in different languages) from Venice/Milan/Munich and then find transportation from there to wherever you are staying.

Renting a car opens up a lot of options for skiing different ski areas. I rented an AWD Volvo wagon in Milan for my Dolomites trip and was glad to have it to get around easily. My understanding is that AWD or chains is must have to drive in the mountains of Italy in the winter, but that most rental car companies won't let you put chains on so you have to go AWD.

Alta Badia guides are located in Corvara. There are also ski school guides that take people off piste.

There is seemingly infinite off piste skiing. I felt comfortable skiing off piste and ski touring without a guide. I maintain that touring some of the classics like Val Mesdi is definitely possible without a guide for people with experience/ backcountry knowledge/ avalanche education. My buddy and I had no issues.

For lodging, pick a town with good access. I loved staying in Val Di Fassa. This hotel was amazing, mainly because of the family that runs it and the Michelin star restaurant that is attached. You get breakfast at said restaurant with your room booking.

[jhyatt]

If you are in Val di Fassa, my cousin-in-law owns and runs this shop that sells cured meats (speck) and is very popular with Italians.
https://www.carpanoshop.com/
Some of my most memorable meals are at Rifugio Fuciade. I always took the snowmobile in at night with my kids, but I think you can ski tour over from the resort and drop in there for dinner and even sleep. That has always been on my list of things to do.
https://www.fuciade.it/en/
If you stay in Val di Fiemme (just below Fassa) my friend who is an amazing skier and career instructor Sandro runs this little place in town and I have recommended it in the past and people loved it. I have never stayed there since I have family down the street.
https://www.dolcerelaxtrentino.it/en/
I did a guided day near the Marmolada. The other skier dislocated his shoulder half way down so it wasn't a great day.
The other place I toured was the Lagorai above Predazzo.
If there is snow, the "freeride" area under the Col Margherita tram is, IMHO, the best skiing around there. Most of the lift served inbounds stuff there is very tame groomers.
Bolzano is wonderful and worth a day if you have it. Same for Trento.
Enjoy!

[I've seen black diamonds!]

Tell me more about the guides you found in Corvara, please

What kind of guided skiing do you want to do?

[Benny Profane]

Simple, safe off piste, but nothing involving climbing or ropes.

I want to pick somebody's brain about off piste. I still get the impression that it is actually illegal in some places without a guide in Italy.

Also, I don't want to die in an avalanche.

[I've seen black diamonds!]

Simple, safe off piste, but nothing involving climbing or ropes.

I want to pick somebody's brain about off piste. I still get the impression that it is actually illegal in some places without a guide in Italy.

Also, I don't want to die in an avalanche.

I would just talk to the guide service in Ortisei (if you're staying there). That way you don't need to figure out how to meet a guide somewhere else. I've slowed with the a couple times and had a great experience.

There are also some place you can (and should) safely ski without a guide under most conditions.

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[I've seen black diamonds!]

https://www.catores.com/en/

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[Kevo]

Simple, safe off piste, but nothing involving climbing or ropes.

I want to pick somebody's brain about off piste. I still get the impression that it is actually illegal in some places without a guide in Italy.

Also, I don't want to die in an avalanche.

Hit me up if you have specific questions.

I doubt you'd regret going with a guide if you don't mind spending the money, especially if you are traveling solo. That said, there seems to be a lot more options for mellow off piste in the Dolomites than a heavily glaciated place like Chamonix. There is a lot of straightforward off piste powder without crevasses and without major exposure that you can see and readily access. I recall there being signs requiring all the appropriate gear to go off piste, but I don't recall anywhere that forbids it.

FWIW, I brought my airbag pack and rented a cartridge for it in Fassa.

[Benny Profane]

Well, I am alone, too, so, that's a no no. Thanks.

I assumed that you could not reach Cortina by ski slope from the Sella Ronda, but it seems that you can, looking at maps. Can I?

I just reserved a hotel in Corvara, easily canceled. Cheaper, better location. Sorry, social circle.

[I've seen black diamonds!]

Simple, safe off piste, but nothing involving climbing or ropes.

I want to pick somebody's brain about off piste. I still get the impression that it is actually illegal in some places without a guide in Italy.

Also, I don't want to die in an avalanche.

Val di Mesdi, the obvious wide couloir under the Pordoi tram (usually covered in bumps), and the obvious off piste slopes on Marmolada get hammered by skiers constantly. You can ski these solo without a guide under most conditions. Don't waste a day of guided skiing on Val di Mesdi. It is exquisitely beautiful, easy to find, and full of skiers who have no idea what they are doing. Yes, it is 100% worth skiing for the views alone. But paying a guide to help you would be a waste of $ unless you're a complete jong.

If I were going to hire a guide for a couple days (and wasn't looking to do much skinning or climbing) I'd do one day of laps off the Pordoi Tram and one around Arabba. Both areas have loads of good terrain. Skins can help, but generally aren't even necessary, and few lines require you to gain much vertical. A guide will get you to better snow (the easiest to access lines are typically quite busy unless they require a rappel) and help keep you safe.

If you do a Pordoi day with a guide he might want you to start by skiing the couloir under the tram (mentioned above) to get a sense of your ability. It often has bumps at the top and mediocre snow all the way down (it faces south and gets skied out quickly). Say, "no". Maybe tell him you already skied there. The exception would be if there is new snow and he wants to polk around to assess stability. It is a good place for this and a good place for a quick pow lap that takes you right back to the tram. But without a whole bunch of fresh snow it's a line you can ski on your own before heading back up and doing Val di Mesdi.

Edit to add:

If you're staying in Corvara and skiing off Pordoi with a guide, Val Mesdi at the end of the day makes sense because it will lead you back home. But ask about alternative entrances. With a little extra hiking you can drop into untracked instead of a throng of gapers sideslipping down between bumps.

[Benny Profane]

Yeah, that's where the guide bucks pay off, I guess.

[adrian.bee]

Just looking is wildly overwhelming.

Is there a consensus on the best place to stay for a couple? She's a very, very strong skier but definitely not super BC experienced.

[Buster Highmen]

I thought Val Mesdi was the big gorge going North after a walk/traverse going North from Sass Pordoi that ends by Colfasco.

[Name Redacted]

I have obtained actual footage of Bunny in the dolemites this winter, from my own personal time machine:

[Benny Profane]

Damn right. M(beep)th(beep)ker.

That was awesome. It was like a 70s porn movie with bad karate instead of sex. Serious 42nd street double bill material.

[I've seen black diamonds!]

I thought Val Mesdi was the big gorge going North after a walk/traverse going North from Sass Pordoi that ends by Colfasco.

It is. I used lazy, ambiguous grammar. The "obvious couloir" that you see while riding up the tram, and Val di Mesdi are not the same thing. Both are highly trafficked and pretty safe to ski solo. People call the couloir "Canale Forcella Pordoi" after the name of the rifugio (open only in the summer) that sits right at the top. It's just above and to the right of the cable car in this old stock photo.



Further to the lookers right you can see Canale Joel snaking through the rocks. It's one of the most aesthetic lines anywhere. This is me skiing into the choke:



Val di Mesdi:


My mom's cousin skiing under one of the alternate entrances:


The coolest entrance to Mesdi is from the summit ridge of Piz Boe, but it requires a bunch more climbing and is avy prone. Haven't skied it. I want to.

[Fofo]

Great photos!

We're planning on going for a couple of weeks in February (that's when our calendars have a good spot for this trip).

I'm also overwhelmed by the options, but this thread has been really helpful, thank you [mention]I've seen black diamonds! [/mention] and all others who have mentioned their favorite hotels, guide services, towns, mountain huts, car rental experiences, etc!!

I just ordered the Freeriding in the Dolomites book.