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  1. #1
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    Feb 2010
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    Dolomites in March

    Pulled the trigger on tickets for March- <1200 for a non-stop overnight on Lufthansa Boston to Munich with baggage seemed pretty good. Oddly, taking that flight, then Air Dolomiti to Venice, was cheaper. But, getting a rental car in Munich actually gets us to Cortina faster, better chance of our skis actually being with us, and guaranteed snow tires when renting in Germany.

    Total of 12 ski days in early March. Mostly touring, but happy to stay inbounds and ski powder if we get big snow.

    The plan is some combo of day tripping from an apartment, and several days hut to hut.

    Preference is for moderate terrain. We will probably stay the whole time in the Cortina region

    Looking for advice-

    Specifically, a good source for both book and maps- We have the snowshoe/ski tour book, and it looks like we should have the freeride book. Is Tabacco the best map source? Any thoughts on a retailer that sells both books and maps? Shipping is expensive, so would like minimize orders.

    Lift tickets other than full day? Planning on lift assist touring. The easy way looks like multiday Superski passes, but that seems pricey if we are just using a lift or 2 to get our of the valley, and up to elevation.

    Reasonable places to tour in storm cycles- Any tours all low angle?

    Any other thoughts or advice appreciated. One of the reasons we bought tickets this early is that it makes it real. Planning tours and logistics helps me get through the doldrums of work, and skiing eastern hardpack.

  2. #2
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    Sep 2001
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    https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...-March-21-2019


    hafjell (tgr alias) may be a good resource for the Dolomites
    Merde De Glace On the Freak When Ski
    >>>200 cm Black Bamboo Sidewalled DPS Lotus 120 : Best Skis Ever <<<

  3. #3
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    Sep 2016
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    Pulled the trigger on tickets for March- <1200 for a non-stop overnight on Lufthansa Boston to Munich with baggage seemed pretty good. Oddly, taking that flight, then Air Dolomiti to Venice, was cheaper. But, getting a rental car in Munich actually gets us to Cortina faster, better chance of our skis actually being with us, and guaranteed snow tires when renting in Germany.
    Good idea. That LH flight is a breeze and saves you connecting. Be prepared for Brenner Pass traffic. If you are trapped on the northern side by huge snow fall, you could always ski out of Innsbruck for the day.
    The plan is some combo of day tripping from an apartment, and several days hut to hut.

    Preference is for moderate terrain. We will probably stay the whole time in the Cortina region
    You will have more options than you could ski in five trips.
    Specifically, a good source for both book and maps- We have the snowshoe/ski tour book, and it looks like we should have the freeride book.
    I would buy both of Tremolada's books and take the hit on the shipping. I'm happy to share any info offline, but you'll want the maps and the route descriptions. Also, the snowshoe book covers far less terrain than Tremolada.
    Is Tabacco the best map source? Any thoughts on a retailer that sells both books and maps? Shipping is expensive, so would like minimize orders.
    Yes, but still not great. Our Euro BBI brethren will have a much better go of it with the SwissTopo bonanza. No such resource exists for Italy, Austria or Germany.
    No idea about shipping all at the same time. Good idea.
    Lift tickets other than full day? Planning on lift assist touring. The easy way looks like multiday Superski passes, but that seems pricey if we are just using a lift or 2 to get our of the valley, and up to elevation.
    You're in luck. Assuming they continue the practice of the past few years, you will be able to purchase a pass which will charge you by lift ride. The longer gondolas or trams will be €8 to €11; the shorter chair lifts or drag lifts will be €2 to €5. Two years agos, we did a half day tour, rode three lifts, and spent €14 combined. Really fair and sensible. Fyi, most if not all of the lifts will be able to sell you a single ride ticket. This transaction will be simpler for you and the attendants at the larger lifts. We did inadvertently shut down a remote drag lift so the single lifty could take our cash. Much easier for you and just polite if you have your card topped off. Think you can only purchase and recharge in €60 or €100 increments, and they won't let you share a card. Every rider needs their own.

    Reasonable places to tour in storm cycles- Any tours all low angle?
    Don't know Cortina. Family has gone there without me for years, they are excellent skiers but no longer hard charging, and they feel it's just about the perfect combination of interesting but mellow terrain, scenery and food. Low angle meadows, and steep couloirs are what the Dolomites do best. You will have lots of options. Consider a guide, even if only for a day.
    Any other thoughts or advice appreciated.
    Can't swing the time for this yet with the young kids, but these types of off the beaten path Hόtte look incredible.
    There's a guy who used to post here who lives in Munich and gets out a lot. He is the real expert, but I haven't heard from him in a while. If you come to Alta Badia (next valley to the west from Cortina), we can do some mellow lift access to Val Gardena or through the Sella. The lift infrastructure is very good.

  4. #4
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    Feb 2010
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    795
    Thanks-
    That's awesome stuff,
    As the time gets near, I make take you up on your offer, and hit you up offline.

  5. #5
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    I did some digging for friends new to touring and thought I'd share the more straightforward stuff from Cortina.

    From the parking lot:
    Passo del Cristallo traverse -- mellow -- 15 minutes by car from C d'A.
    Val Cristallino traverse -- less mellow than Cristallo -- 20 minutes by car
    Val delle Bance -- less mellow than the Val Cristallino; skiing about the same but more serious mountaineering to get to the top -- 20 minutes by car
    Col de la Puina -- mellow -- 1:00 by car
    Cima di Forca Rossa -- less mellow than Col de la Puina -- same parking lot to start
    Monte Mondeval -- mellow -- 30 minutes by car
    Lastoni di Formin traverse from Giau -- mellow, but not a loop, need to be shuttled back to car -- same parking lot as Mondeval

    These are the tip of the iceberg, some will hold many variations, some can be reversed. The sky is the limit in this area.

    I'm researching lift access tours too and will share what I find. Obviously, a local guide opens up a lot of terrain closer to town.

  6. #6
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    Sep 2016
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    Forgot about the routes around Tolbach to the north.

    Col de Riciogon-Val di Vist -- mellow -- 1,150 meters of skinning -- 50 minutes from C d'A
    Piccola Croda del Becco-Lavina Rossa -- less mellow than the Val di Vist -- 1,270 meters of skinning and booting -- same parking as Val di Vist
    Campo Cavallo-Forcella dei Camoscmi -- mellow, but not a loop, need to be shuttled back to car -- 1,070 m -- 50 minutes
    Picco di Vallandro -- mellow -- 850 m -- 1:00 (if the roads are open)

    Will post the freeride routes later. Will also try to add google map driving routes for friends (will save me multiple emails).

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
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    795
    Just got Tabacco #3 and #7.
    Point well taken about a guide. In our experience touring the Alps, guided groups get better skiing, and have more efficient days.
    But, for us, part of the adventure is sorting out the details, and decision making, and being independent while out.
    Any thoughts on how to go about getting the passes which are charged by the ride? None of the sites I can find make any mention of it.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by HHTELE View Post
    Just got Tabacco #3 and #7.
    Point well taken about a guide. In our experience touring the Alps, guided groups get better skiing, and have more efficient days.
    But, for us, part of the adventure is sorting out the details, and decision making, and being independent while out.
    Any thoughts on how to go about getting the passes which are charged by the ride? None of the sites I can find make any mention of it.
    Those Tabacco maps are beautiful. Too much scale, but certainly better than nothing.
    I like your style for touring. Just realize that a lot of what you want to do will be above treeline. Make sure you're following the weather, have your exit routes planned, and pray for high pressure. Here is a good source for the Sella, Alta Badia and the rest of the South Tirol. The weather forecasts are in English, but the avalanche forecasts will be only in German or Italian. This may be a good one for Cortina in season--haven't used it.
    As for the single ride cards, click here and open Points Value Card. It appears the increments have increased from €60 to €80 and from €100 to €150. That doesn't necessarily mean the costs per lift have increased. Even if prices have gone up, this can be a great way to combine touring with assistance from the lifts. For reference, 2017-18 prices for Cortina are here. You buy them at the official ticket window on Guglielmo Marconi. They don't sell out; no stress there.

  9. #9
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    Feb 2010
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    795
    Exactly what I was looking for.
    Thanks again.

  10. #10
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    They updated the 2018/2019 per lift cost listings. Stowing this link here for friends and general use: https://www.dolomitisuperski.com/en/...s/Ticket-types. Click on Points Value Card and the menu with all 12 resorts should appear.

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