 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| admin wrote: |
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We were told by Petra the eve before that we could get breakfast at 06.30 rather than giving us a packed lunch. We duly got up early and went downstairs to be told by Grandma and the other bloke (Petra's husband?) that breakfast was at halb seben, halb seben!!!!!!
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erm... What was the time when you were having this discussion?
Halb Seben is half past 6. |
She was holding up Seven fingers and was speaking German but making it so we would understand the English version half seven rather than how they would say it.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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well I guess they had no further need of me and there were lifts that needed riding! 
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Lifts that needed testing ... with human weight in it
Now that the season is almost over (another week to go) - how would you rate it ?
IMO, first half of January was subpar, late March decent but it is all subjective and matter of timing. Honestly, as much as I love skiing in the Dolomites it is getting bit tiring constantly looking at the weather forecast and hoping for natural snow. Snow making is great and will get you decent skiing but brown hillsides are a big turn off for me.
Sad to hear about Flora since it was my first experience staying in Selva years ago but looking back - even back then I was inexplicably asked (nicely) to move to another hotel in the middle of my stay - did not bother me much back then but I can imagine my outrage being asked to do so these days.
I think I would try to postpone my booking for next year as long as I can and monitor "natural" snow conditions. Not a big fan of skiing on man made surface !
Another thing that I noticed this year (again it is my opinion) is that the quality of the food and service in town and on the mountain slightly went down.
Still enjoyed my time in Alba (January) and Selva (March).
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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We had another great week early February staying at Almhotel Col Raiser. Visited the Dolomites consecutively for the last 4 years. A different week each time due to work commitments and avoiding Carnival/HT where possible. Already booked for next year (St Cristina)1st Week in January. Again this is a different week from the others. Was tempted to look elsewhere. Nothing hits like the Dolomites for us. Proper heart place. Each year we say we'll go to another resort we've loved in the past and yet here we are back again.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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We skied in the Dolomites for the second time this season at New Year. There was a lot of artificial snow but over the last 46 years of skiing, mainly over the Christmas holidays, that was some of the best snow I've had. Four out of five trips to AdH in late January/Early February out of the last ten years had worse snow. I thought that the food in Alta Badia was excellent, this year. We are in Alba as a family next year; hopefully the snow will be 100% natural but the artificial stuff is nearly as good
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Our best year ski & snow wise. Mid-March, Real snow and cold temps for 4 days then the sun came out for the last 2, worked out perfectly.
Area very quiet. We've been the same week for a few years now and Alta Badia felt deserted at times, only approaching a normal level of busy on the Friday when some locals were about.
Food we ate on the mountain was as good as ever with Crep De Munt winning. Hotel food maybe down slightly (like a 7/10 instead of a 9/10, still enjoyable). Definitely be back next year.
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The idea of skiing on piste just after a fall of natural snow is folks dream.
The reality is usually that by lunch time it's been pushed into heaps all over the place.
Skiing bumps is fine if the light is good flat light and bumps and most people struggle. (I'm one of them).
Manmade at least in the Dolomites is a easy to ski on in comparison.
Brown at the sides is not great but you have all the mountains to look at.
Snag for late March is you are likely going to encounter slush in some places. This is not exclusive to the Dolomites and is a thing anywhere with south facing slopes even if they are high.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Cheapski wrote: |
Now that the season is almost over (another week to go) - how would you rate it ?
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There wasn't really any natural snow until mid-Jan but the temperatures were really low so snow making was working really well.
I was there about 3 days before the PreBBWUW and, just like Austria the previous week, all the pistes were artificial but nevertheless, deep and in excellent condition.
The first decent natural snowFall arrived, as scheduled, on the first Saturday of the PreBBWUW. From there, a cycle began, of about a day of snow => a day of Sun => a day of cloud, repeating over 3 or 4 day loops for the next 3 weeks or so. This fixed the green/brown fields issue good an proper and set up for a decent season generally.
By late Feb, it had warmed up quite a bit and was starting to feel quite Spring-like. By mid-March, many of those fields were green again but a few days ago, the temperature dropped sharply and everything went white again.
Personally, I think it's been brilliant, but my judgement may be biased because...
I AM MASTER OF THE DOLOMITES!
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Just come back from a great week with my wife in Val Di Fassa. Only my second visit to the Dolomites and still one of the most beautiful places in Europe. I find myself reflecting on the area as most of my skiiing has been France or Austria, the Sella Ronda has different vibes to those places some of it better some of it not has good.
Pros
* As already mentioned the scenery is spectacular!
* Snowmaking and piste maintenance is excellent, even if it doesn't get the same snow fall as other places.
* Miles of rewarding easy skiing for intermediate abilities.
* Generally its a bit cheaper than France and Austria.
* The seasonair staff on average seem friendlier than say France.
* The towns are pretty vs ugly purpose built resorts.
* I've been in January and March now, the SR seems much quieter than the big resorts of its neighbouring countries
Cons
* The piste map is truly hopeless but the app is slightly better. There also a mix match of using numbered piste vs named piste, needs to be consistent.
* Not as convenient to get from accommodation to skiing, e.g. more walking or bus's to cable cars to get up the mountain. (also true of many Austria resorts)
* The ski bus's aren't included in the lift pass (this might just be val di fassa) but they arn't that reliable or frequent.
* I don't see this resort as the place to go for challenging terrain or off-piste.
* The SR isn't as well connected as say the Three Valleys and there are still a good chunk of old non-detachable lifts.
Neutral
* Its an older crowed that go here, big cohort of people in say in there 50s-60s
* This isn't a big Apres ski destination
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Russeh wrote: |
* The ski bus's aren't included in the lift pass (this might just be val di fassa) but they arn't that reliable or frequent.
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Yeah, it's Val di Fassa and it's something they really ought to get on top of as IMO it really brings the whole valley's value down.
The Ski bus service in Val di Fassa has multiple lines on different routes that mostly don't arrive when they are scheduled.
Online info doesn't match the info on the bus stops and neither match when the buses actually turn up.
On one occasion, I sat at a bus stop with a good few others, through the time that 2 buses should have arrived (according to the bus stop time table) but neither did. Then a bus marked "Ski Bus" came along but the driver just waved negatively at us and drove past. Eventually another bus stopped, "No no I am not Ski Bus" the driver shouted.
"We've been here nearly an hour: how the hell do we get to Campitello?" I asked.
"For Campitello, you come with me" he replied and we all got on and went to Campitello 
This all after having paid 4€ for a daily pass for the Val di Fassa ski bus service
To compare that with Alta Badia<=>Kronplatz service.
- The Ski Bus is free with a Ski Pass.
- The bus is scheduled to go every 20 mins - and does without fail (in my experience over 17 years).
- As one bus leaves the terminus stop, the subsequent one (usually) pulls in and sits there for 20mins slowly filling up with passengers who are, consequently, not worried at all that the bus might not turn up.
Conclusion: Val di Fassa should/could easily establish a regular (free with ski-pass) ski bus service to connect, Alba, Canazei, Pera, Pozza and even Alpe Lusia, which itself has a good, free ski bus connection to San Pelegrino and significantly increase the value of visiting the valley.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@admin, yeah we got hit with the bus confusion last week. On Thursday the wind shut down most of the main resort but Pozza was open. We attempted to get the bus over from Campitello but the only one that turned up was full. We got lucky with flagging down a taxi but it was a nightmare on the way back. Waited for almost an hour and then the one that did come was too full for everyone. Ended up getting one in the opposite direction so we could guarantee we could get on, had a lovely tour of every stop in Pozza di Fassa but at least we were out of the cold.
By the way, the hotel we stayed at had a deal for the ski bus. It was 9 euros for a 6 day pass. But i agree it should just be free.
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Useful info about Val di Fassa ski busses. We are in Alba next year and I was assuming that they would be the same as Val Gardena. One more thing for the checklist.
Thanks.
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You know it makes sense.
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@tsgsh, we were in Alba over New Year. We didn't use the buses at all, as the lift was 200m away from our apartment and there was never an occasion where we finished the day in Canazei instead of downloading from Col dei Rossi. If however you've booked somewhere further away from the lift and need the bus, that would become a major consideration especially if they are unreliable or full as reported above.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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[quote="Cheapski"]Now that the season is almost over (another week to go) - how would you rate it ?
I had a fantastic time this season. Christmas was amazing (and not just because I avoided the big family Christmas) great snow and good weather, sun and a moderate dumping. La Pineta was excellent. Late jan was brilliant. As Admin said a cycle of sun, snow, cloud but pretty good light. The Ingram was wonderful, Lydia and Laura were top hosts. March was good. I’ve said my bit about the Flora. We left just before the snow arrived but still had a good week. Underfoot was a bit heavy and lumpy in the afternoons but my skiing in not great conditions has improved and I think that three trips has really boosted my confidence overall. If only we could do it every year! Sadly the other half has requested a change from the Dolomites next year and after five trips on the bounce to Selva and one to Madonna I have reluctantly agreed. Still looking at Italy though.
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Poster: A snowHead
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And the quote thing didn’t work for me again, I suspect user error!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@ousekjarr thanks. We are about a kilometer away so we're reasonably dependent on buses. I'll walk a kilometer in ski boots if I have to, but I'm not sure how many of the rest of us would. Also, there might be some of us wanting to download to Campitello and bus it after skiing in Plan di Gralba rather than braving a crowded SR to get to Col dei Rossi. However, they won't be in a rush to get there if they have to.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| melbouch wrote: |
| And the quote thing didn’t work for me again, I suspect user error! |
You need to close it with
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@tsgsh, understandable for that distance - though with lockers available in the Alba lift if you book far enough ahead, I'd be tempted to leave the kit there and walk each day rather than be dependent on the bus. And that allows for some liquid refreshment on the way...
The only downside is that the Col dei Rossi to Alba lift had a 20-30 minute queue at the end of the day when we were there in a peak week, and as a result we tended to download before 3pm and then cross to the Ciampac side to finish the day instead as it meant we avoided the queue, and we also got to finish by skiing down an excellent and empty black run rather than standing in a cable car. And of course it also had a 20-30 minute queue in the morning if you arrived after 9am with the crowds rather than being there at 8:25 and queueing for 5-10 minutes instead (or at 08:20 and standing around for 10 minutes to be in the first gondola).
Downloading to Campitello is of course a different matter, and then you will definitely be at the mercy of the buses, and getting off at your accommodation is maybe preferable to going to the Alba lift to drop your kit and then having to walk back to where the bus could have dropped you.
I wrote up our trip here if you are interested - https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=175520
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@ousekjarr, thanks, we definitely need to think about the best approach here.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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If i did it again next time, i'd just take note of a local taxi and pre-book one ahead of time for those days not downloading near accommodation. Our experience on Thursday was amplified by the fact that Canazei sector was closed and those who were skiing where all headed to Pozza for the open lifts and then back again.
p.s. Uber isn't a thing in Val di Fassa so you need a local number
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| 8611 wrote: |
@Lost in the trees, I always thought Passo Tonale was indeed in the Dolomites, or at least is on some of the ski passes, although nowhere near as beautiful as the Sella area Dolomites. Its a great area for kids, with a load of gentle blues and reds on the main side of the resort and a reasonable smattering of ski in ski out type convenience. Good tuition as ever. The runs lookers right and left of the main resort are the most interesting, and lookers right will probably have the best snow apart from the main red / black down from the glacier. That is north facing, can be pretty challenging if hardpack. The glacier to Ponte di legno run is one of the longer descents in Europe.
I've been there twice in February and both times Temu and Ponte Di Legno were slushy but as it happens it looks like there is a cold front coming in the next few days so you might be luckier. If I was going I would definitely consider a day trip to Madonna. There is also good off piste skiers right off the glacier, long run involving a tunnel, but maybe consider a guide.
If interested in food don't miss palla di neve, lookers right of the ski resort. Looks and feels like a work canteen but the food is excellent. |
@8611 Thanks for the awesome info. Palle de Neve is great food, though the dinners in hotel sporting are great too and huge.
I did indeed find the 4 higher red runs c.2500m to still have decent snow and some off piste descents I could figure out myself. I also hired a guide to do the 'Sgualdrina' 13km off piste from top of glacier right back to town with out skins or unclipping. Amazing!
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Thu 2-04-26 21:02; edited 1 time in total
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@Lost in the trees, superb! I#d have love to have done that long descent. Was this just in the last few days? How was the snow?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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8611
Yesterday morning. It's been very cold few nights in a row. Not great snow but not bad. Even some powder pockets left. A lot of combat skiing and being on top of Panna cotta too though 
It's warming up a lot from today but some snow in longer range
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| admin wrote: |
| Cheapski wrote: |
Now that the season is almost over (another week to go) - how would you rate it ?
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Personally, I think it's been brilliant, but my judgement may be biased because...
I AM MASTER OF THE DOLOMITES!
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Please tell us the story. How long did it take to do all those? Did you have to revisit some locations multiple times to get a particular lift open? Was this something long in planning or did it just happen? Any new favourites?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Last day on Ronda is 7th -- they look to still have a fair amount of snow -- temps today were +6 to 8
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You know it makes sense.
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https://www.bergfex.com/kronplatz/webcams/c14486/
Last day of the season on Sunday. Still half of the runs open at Kronplatz and looks good at the top but very worn lower down. Probably means that May will be cool and snowy.
Suspect they have had a successful season and will begin refilling their reservoirs soon 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I always wonder why mdc keeps going as it's not that high. Is it aspect or market?
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Poster: A snowHead
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| 8611 wrote: |
| I always wonder why mdc keeps going as it's not that high. Is it aspect or market? |
The Groste area is at 2500 metres and not South facing so probably allows for a longer season
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| albob wrote: |
| 8611 wrote: |
| I always wonder why mdc keeps going as it's not that high. Is it aspect or market? |
The Groste area is at 2500 metres and not South facing so probably allows for a longer season |
The Groste sector also seems to open early. There's also a very long gondola that accesses the whole area.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Hmmm could go there next week as flying to bergamo but think i'll get better skiing in cervinia? Have always wanted to visit mdc though
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| 8611 wrote: |
| Hmmm could go there next week as flying to bergamo but think i'll get better skiing in cervinia? Have always wanted to visit mdc though |
Don't -- MDC is all closed now !!!!!!!!!!!! (finished on the 12th I think)
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Good to know!!
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