 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello,
First off thank you for all of the information already posted on this subject, it has been very helpful. I couldn't quite find an answer to the question I have:
Is it possible to ski from Cortina and complete the Sella Ronda and ski back in one day?
If I leave on the first car up @ 25
Cortina - Colfiere - Col Drusciè
Ski towards the hidden valley run and take it to the end,
take the horse tow or taxi
Ride up 12 Armentarola lift and eventually get to the sella ronda,
complete the Sella Ronda (which ever way is quicker) and ski back virtually the reverse of the way i came back to Cortina.
Anyone ever attempt it or is it too much for one day?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Comfortably, with a stop for lunch
..Nick
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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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It’s certainly possible but I’d say it’s a challenge for all but the fastest of skiers. Obvs, faster skiers than me will disagree 
I’d imagine the pinch point in that itinerary would be the bus / taxi up to Lazazuoi from Armentarola - I don’t know how late they run in that direction.
If you headed to Corvara and did the (anti-clock) green Sella Ronda, you could cut a chunk of time by getting a taxi from Arabba to Lagazuoi instead of skiing there via Armentarola.
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@DirtMcgirt,
"..complete the Sella Ronda (which ever way is quicker) and ski back virtually the reverse of the way i came back to Cortina.."
You will need to take a taxi/bus from Armentorola on the way back : to Falzagero/Col Gallina (or maybe to the Skyline bai de dones station)
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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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Not tried it but I've done the Grande Guerrra in a day fairly easily which is probably as long with more busses so I imagine it's possible.
If you don't know the area navigating the Alta Badia to and from Armenterola by a quick route can be challenging.
The Sella is most quickly done clockwise.
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It is physically possible but you'll be racing the clock the entire time. I tried this last February and barely made the last lift connection back to Cortina. If there are any queues at the Lagazuoi cable car, you're probably going to end up taking a taxi back.
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| T Bar wrote: |
If you don't know the area navigating the Alta Badia to and from Armenterola by a quick route can be challenging.
The Sella is most quickly done clockwise. |
The trick is, IME, to know the names of the chairlifts you need to follow. There are quite a few signs to them, although I can't be certain that every one of them is signposted where you need it to be.
Assuming clockwise:
- Off the Borest gondola and yomp over to the Costes da l'Ega chair (the magic carpet is not quicker than skating/herringboning).
- Turn sharp left at the end then take the sharp right turn to the Col Alto gondola (you have to cross a road, whether you take your skis off depends on how much you care about your bases)
- Turn right at the top of the Col Alto for a quick shortcut onto 4 Red then left onto the blue towards the Braia Fraida chair
- Ski straight on, keeping to the left of the button lift
- Ski between the bases of the Biok and La Brancia chairs to the Ciampai chair by the restaurant
- Left at the top and stay high passing in front of the restaurant
- Turn right onto 11 Blue signposted to San Ciascian/San Casciano
- Take the right turn signposted to Lagazuoi (after about 2km, don't go right until you are well past the building in the middle of the piste)
- Ski down past the button into Armentarola
Nearly all of that is wide blues. All the chairs are express, except the first and although that's not detachable, it is fast (it has a magic carpet) and takes less than 5 minutes.
Anticlockwise, you avoid the short yomp in Corvara because you come into Corvara past the Costes da l'Ega (it's on your right).
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I'd suggest that I'm one of the best placed to answer this one. I spend a month a season in the area, I've skied Selva to Cortina on multiple occasions and my ski pals and I are not slow skiers. Cortina- Sella Ronda-Cortina? Forget it. It would be horribly time pressured if even possible? Why?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I’ve just spent a week in Selva, never been here before. Day 1 to the next village and back, day 2 to the village past that and back, etc. Learned to follow the orange arrows (the map is too small for no glasses). Day 4 we did the whole circuit but it took most of ia day (Carnival queues). If you can build up to it?)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I'd say the issue would be cable car queues. And I think there are a number of those involved in your route.
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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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I would have thought it would easily be possible and actually wondered could you do it twice! The sella ronda itself could easily be done twice in a day, I think it's actually been done 3 times as a challenge.
But maybe I'm wrong. It surely wouldn't be €150 for that taxi fare? You'd imagine the 7 euro shared taxi runs till around 4 to get people back. Surely that cortina bubble has to run till around 5 to get people back?
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| 8611 wrote: |
I would have thought it would easily be possible and actually wondered could you do it twice! The sella ronda itself could easily be done twice in a day, I think it's actually been done 3 times as a challenge.
But maybe I'm wrong. It surely wouldn't be €150 for that taxi fare? You'd imagine the 7 euro shared taxi runs till around 4 to get people back. Surely that cortina bubble has to run till around 5 to get people back? |
For somebody who is a super-fast skier, doing it at low season, it may be possible, though even for them, it won't be "easy" to do the Sella Ronda twice in a day. They expect an average skier to take about 6 hours to complete it onc, and since the lifts are normally only open for 7.5-9 hours, you would have to really motor to manage it twice.
Twice round the Sella Ronda would be a bit further than the Saalbach-Hinterglemm-Leogang-Fieberbrunn ski challenge, and even good skiers do find that challenging.
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You know it makes sense.
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| 8611 wrote: |
I would have thought it would easily be possible and actually wondered could you do it twice! The sella ronda itself could easily be done twice in a day, I think it's actually been done 3 times as a challenge.
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You can go around the Sella Ronda like a Wurlitzer, but have you any idea what adding Cortina and back involves? 
Do the maths from the SR end-
3hrs to complete the SR (Super fast, no queues),
Arabba Valley to Armentarola, 45mins,
Queue for Taxi, 10mins.
Taxi ride, 15 mins.
Falzerago Pass to Skyline station-35 mins
Skyline-20mins
Turn around.
Eat and drink on the go. No stopping.
That's 5 hours of fast and sking and good luck one way. It's slower getting out of Cinque Torri to Falzerago on the return. Queue for Lagazoui cable car, queue for horse tow out of Hidden Valley (There's no rushing those mountain cowboys.  )
Go on give it a go, I'll eat my left glove if you manage it without diving in a taxi at 4.30.
Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Fri 20-02-26 10:22; edited 7 times in total
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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 think it depends a lot on how busy the SR is.
It can be done in around 3 hours if there are no queues (and you don’t go wrong).
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Poster: A snowHead
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| JDL65 wrote: |
| I'd say the issue would be cable car queues. And I think there are a number of those involved in your route. |
Lagazuoi and maybe one up from Plan de Gralba - I can’t think of any more
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Red Leon wrote: |
| JDL65 wrote: |
| I'd say the issue would be cable car queues. And I think there are a number of those involved in your route. |
Lagazuoi and maybe one up from Plan de Gralba - I can’t think of any more |
On the wrong week there could be queues all around the SR. It's the M25 of skiing. Best avoided IMHO.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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IDK, how long does it take to ski from the top of Lagazuoi to the Sella Ronda, including rope tow. Could you do it in 50 minutes? And then maybe 40 minutes back including taxi up? Maybe I'm misremembering the distance
It would definitely be a challenge but I wonder could you loop Armentarola twice with the SR in low traffic conditions. Probably not possible ex Cortina but I'd say if you were parked at the Lagazuoi lift at opening and on the first bin you could definitely do it. If it is possible to do entire SR three times in a day then I would think you could cut one for two loops of Armentarola.
Re taxi nothing cheap in that part of the world, and we foolishly refused to pay a lad €70 to bring us from the bottom of the back side of Alleghe (not Zoldo, the other town) to the lift up to the back of Cinque Torre when the bus wasn't running, went and got one of our cars instead which was a yoke on us for the rest of the trip. But I presume you could get one of the last €7 taxis up and ski down to the Cortina bubble at least, then hitch or get a taxi from there.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I think do-able if ski lift to lift and don't stop - plenty of long/comfy bubbles to eat/drink on! If on first lift out of Cortina will be at Lagazuoi well ahead of the crowds for the cable car, do SR green. Will be a bit of a queue for Piz Sorega bubble up from San Cassiano at that time and maybe a pinch point in Selva for Ciampinoi but you'd have missed the biggest crowds between 10-11 and there'd probably be a queue in the Belvedere bowl for the Sass Bece (but again, you'd be there lunchtime-ish, so may be not?) then as long as you don't "complete" the SR by going all the way round to Corvara but up Cherz and Misery, the I reckon you'd be back in Armentarola shortly after 2-ish?
I've done Selva - Marmolada - San Cassiano - Selva in a day, including a lunch stop. Must be roughly equivalent? c.70km skiing, over 100km total.
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I think this is a challenge for Ugo surely?
Is he still posting videos actually they've fallen off my feed if so. Just getting the avalanche hysteria ones now.
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| 8611 wrote: |
| I think it's actually been done 3 times as a challenge. |
| Mollerski wrote: |
| 3hrs to complete the SR (Super fast, no queues) |
Three of us did it three times in snow and white out this BB. 2.5 hours per loop. Just did it for a bit of a personnel challenge between btw, a bit of fun to try beast ourselves, it worked! We still made it back to Plan Boe for 16:15 anyway. Obviously would be quicker in better vis and snow, but likely busier. Read a blog where some guy has done it four time. This was in March. Only possible in good conditions with no queues
To answer the question. Do-able, but I suspect not practicable due to potential pinch points on certain lifts.
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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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Isn't there a snow heads bash coming up in Alleghe? I will revolute fund a round of Bombardinos to anyone who manages to do it twice...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Got a friend skiing oit of Canezei today. Has spent all. morning om. lift qieues
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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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Of course you can do it. But it depends how busy it is on the circuit and where you start in Cortina. The sella is easily doable (without traffic jam) in about 2.5 hours, I've done it once 3x in a day, and had time left. The record is 4x in a day. If you do it off season or on a switch day (saturday) you should avoid the majority of traffic on the circuit.
The main issue are 3:
- Armentarola part. If you have a big queue and have to wait 2 cabines at the lagazuoi you lose 40 min just there. Also skip the horses, just skate by, because the horse tow will wait until they have a full 40 person complement, so it's a waste of time.
- Alta Badia part if you are not known in the area. Getting from Armentarola to Corvara takes a path that is not so easy to notice on the map if you don't know the area. Corvara back to Armentarola has already been described above (fastest is Col Alta -> Braga Fraida -> 11 down to San Cassiano, keep right for Armentarola).
- Traffic on the circuit.
If you have a car and park at the beginning of the Cortina sky to 5 torri (Son dei Prade), you already win time. Also do the Clockwise (Orange) circuit, it is faster (you lose a lot of time on Green going up to Passo Gardena/Dantercepies).
The main question is, unless you want to challenge yourself, why? You'll only be stressed the whole day.
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@jma, that would be my choice of route too, cutting the corner from Campolongo via Pralongia on the way back.
It's a long way, so you would need to be quick, hope for no lift queue delays and not make any wrong turns, easier said than done if you don't know the area! 
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You know it makes sense.
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Numerous people have asked if it's viable to ski a day in Cortina from Arabba. My advice has always been that it's not worth the effort due to the convoluted return route, and the time you would have to start back.
First lift from Arabba will get you to Armentarola in an hour, but by then the queues will have built up, so allow a minimum 30 minutes to Falzarego, minimum 10 (but possible 20) minutes at the cable car, and another 20 to ski to the skyline (another 20).
On the return, you will need 20 minutes on the skyline, 40 to get over Cinque Tori, where there will be the inevitable queue for the cable car (min 20 minutes?), and 40 minutes in the hidden valley.
You will find another queue at Piz Sorega, so allow 20 minutes. Then just over an hour to get back to Arabba. Maybe 40 minutes to Corvara - IF you know the quickest route. You have a bit of leeway because the lifts at Compolongo stay open until 16.45, or (17.00 in Feb)
That would give you just over 21/2 hours in Cortina, but you would lose another hour getting to/from the main ski runs. Simply not worth the effort.
A couple of weeks ago, someone was asking the same question from Selva. They wanted to include Cinque Tori and the hidden valley, but knew the implications and decided to drive most of the way, rather than risk buses/taxis.
So even if you caught the first skyline lift, it would only just give you enough time to get round the SR and get back. If you miss the last Olympia lift, then it's a long walk, or risky ski on old, unpisted blue runs into town.
So, possibly achievable, BUT the whole day could easily be a disaster caused by a single lift queue.
I'd suggest getting a couple of phone numbers for taxis in Cortina - just in case, rather than hope to find one waiting at Lagazuoi or the top of the Skyline.
I'd also download the bus timetable from Lagazuoi to Cortina.
If you have a car, then driving up to the top of the skyline for first lifts would save 40 minutes and reduce the risk of needing a taxi home.
You can skip the cable car on the return and walk/ski from the Lagazuoi car park to the blue run. But if you know you will miss the skyline, I'd suggest stopping at Col Galina and ordering a taxi from there. Have a beer while you wait.
By all means, try it and let us know the result. 
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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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@beester1976, yes, starting at Son dei Prade would make it a lot easier, less distance on the way out and you don't need to catch any lifts in Cortina/Tofana sector beyond the Skyline when you get back...so you could afford to hit it after 1600.
But that assumes the OP has transport to get there. I assume not, as he wanted to start from Col Druscie lift in Cortina.
Not sure if going Orange SR trumps cutting the corner off of Green?? Probably not a lot in that. I think either way would be ok, but as you said, the tricky bit is knowing the route from Armentarols to and from the SR
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Poster: A snowHead
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Wow, thanks for all of the info...lots of good knowledge here! So I am staying in Cortina next to the Col Drusciè and will be without transportation. From what I've read here it may be more stressful to attempt this route in one day than I care for.
I'll be in Cortina for three days of skiiing with my 16 year old son. Just want to give him the most exposure to the natural beauty of the area. The Hidden valley run is a must as is the Sella Ronda. Any suggestions for an itinerary are welcome, like I said we will have to rely on taxi/bus for anything that involves leaving from/returning to anything other than the Col Druscie in Cortina.
Thanks again!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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| DirtMcgirt wrote: |
I'll be in Cortina for three days of skiiing with my 16 year old son. Just want to give him the most exposure to the natural beauty of the area. The Hidden valley run is a must as is the Sella Ronda. Any suggestions for an itinerary are welcome, like I said we will have to rely on taxi/bus for anything that involves leaving from/returning to anything other than the Col Druscie in Cortina.
Thanks again! |
Cinque Torre is also beautiful so don't view it just as a means of getting toward Lagazuoi, worth a spin in itself and two nice refugio for lunch up there. I think the most beautiful part in the whole area is around Colfosco / Corvara, and you could do hidden valley and possibly head over to there then turn around and retrace your steps back up to Lagazuoi, this would only involve a small bit of the Sella Ronda but it might also be a bit too much, depending on your collective speed and tolerance of risk. That would only involve paying for the shared taxi up.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| alex_heney wrote: |
So you are a much faster than average skier.
They reckon most athletic skiers will take around 6 hours excluding breaks. Most more average skiers (if they have the stamina to do it all) will take more like 7 hours, which really doesn't leave any time for breaks, you need a packed lunch that you can eat on lifts. |
Was posted a little in jest tbh. 
I am fairly quick but that's not the full story. I was staying just above the Reiterkogelbahn in Hinterglemm which opened at 8am. I was able to get a good early start before it got busy. Looping round anti-clockwise, I was at the chicken shack place in Leogang by 10:15. Plus, I was on my own so literally lift to lift. Was back in Hinterglemm for around 3 if I recall. I got lucky and a seamless run. Weather was a bit crap, flat light, so quite quiet. Plus, I run a bit and that was my third week of the season, 1st week being the PSB, early Dec, then I was away over NY, back for 6 days then this trip. So basically, I'm a cheat!  
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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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| DirtMcgirt wrote: |
Wow, thanks for all of the info...lots of good knowledge here! So I am staying in Cortina next to the Col Drusciè and will be without transportation. From what I've read here it may be more stressful to attempt this route in one day than I care for.
I'll be in Cortina for three days of skiiing with my 16 year old son. Just want to give him the most exposure to the natural beauty of the area. The Hidden valley run is a must as is the Sella Ronda. Any suggestions for an itinerary are welcome, like I said we will have to rely on taxi/bus for anything that involves leaving from/returning to anything other than the Col Druscie in Cortina.
Thanks again! |
My advice would be to go as far as Alta Badia/ Arabba Valley. The Val Gardena valley is a push too far and would time pressure you to the point where you wouldn't have time to take in the stunning scenery. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I would rather just ski what's nice than go for that kind of push. Whenever I've done Sellaronda it's always felt more like travelling than skiing, especially in some of the busier pinch points.
Also if you're tight for time it only takes the odd stopped lift or long queue to throw the whole day out.
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| 8611 wrote: |
| DirtMcgirt wrote: |
I'll be in Cortina for three days of skiiing with my 16 year old son. Just want to give him the most exposure to the natural beauty of the area. The Hidden valley run is a must as is the Sella Ronda. Any suggestions for an itinerary are welcome, like I said we will have to rely on taxi/bus for anything that involves leaving from/returning to anything other than the Col Druscie in Cortina.
Thanks again! |
Cinque Torre is also beautiful so don't view it just as a means of getting toward Lagazuoi, worth a spin in itself and two nice refugio for lunch up there. I think the most beautiful part in the whole area is around Colfosco / Corvara, and you could do hidden valley and possibly head over to there then turn around and retrace your steps back up to Lagazuoi… |
I would second this suggestion
How about this for a round trip…?
Skyline, 5 torre, Hidden Valley, San Cass for Piz Sorega, down to Bioch and across to the bottom of Pralongia 2 then down into Corvara. Borest, Eidelweiss valley, Borest, Col Alt bubble, Braia Fraida, down Bamby, lift to Piz Sorega, ski to Armentarola, taxi to Lagazuoi and ski down to Skyline
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| 8611 wrote: |
| Isn't there a snow heads bash coming up in Alleghe? I will revolute fund a round of Bombardinos to anyone who manages to do it twice... |
Been and gone - next is 2027
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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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@DirtMcgirt, I know that sometimes TO reps organise day trips to other resorts using coaches. We were once in Cortina and joined such a trip to do the SR (for a small fee). We weren't part of the TO company clients it's just that they had some spare seats on their coaches.
The benefit was that we weren't restricted to finishing by close of lifts - the coach picked us up after a bit of Apres. Worth asking around when you are there in case you can take advantage of something like that.
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Isn't part of the point of "showing someone the natural beauty" of the area to have time to stand and stare, and definitely to have a good lunch? The SR is by no means compulsory!
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FAQ
