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Pat AKA mustski

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Wow! @karlo Thank you so much for the detailed TR. How many hours a day did you ski and how long was lunch? Sorry to ask that, but I am wondering if I have the stamina for 6 "bell to bell "ski days. Also, did the three of you have your own guide or were you joined up with another group? Last question .... how was the food and the accommodations? Yes, I am just as much of a princess as I sound ... in fact, I'm actually more of a Goldilocks!
 
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karlo

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How many hours a day did you ski and how long was lunch?

We basically skied all day, the boys did. Out the door by 9 worked most days. Day 2, the traverse from Alta Badia to Ciampac was long. We started at 8:30 and arrived at perhaps 3. Lunch never felt rushed, though we were cognizant of time on Day 2. And, except Day 2, one could easily end the day early.

Day 1, Alta Badia resort. Just head back to the hotel and do a spa treatment if one wishes, or hang out at one of the mountain restaurants.

Day 3, the Good Wife, not feeling well, called it a day after lunch and went early, by troop transport, to the rifugio, a very fine one at that. Sun on the deck if one likes

Day 4, one can call it quits early and hang out at a restaurant or sun on a deck

Day 5, arrive at Cortina resort. Hangout at restaurant, sun on their deck; or head down to town early.

There were four of us. We had our own guide.

I plan on writing another post, with more photos, about food and accommodations. All had their fine merits.
 

Pat AKA mustski

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Thanks! This sounds amazing and exactly what we are thinking of. Bob skus with a knee brace so the ability to stop early if necessary is perfect -and 8:40-3:00 is totally do able!
 
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karlo

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Thanks! This sounds amazing and exactly what we are thinking of. Bob skus with a knee brace so the ability to stop early if necessary is perfect -and 8:40-3:00 is totally do able!

This tour, the skiing is as mellow as you like. As with any good guide, the group goes at a pace that accommodates all. That said, my 16 year old son was impatient.

I use a knee brace. I could have easily done without.
 
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karlo

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After much delay, finally, here is the description of the “gourmet” part of the ski safari. We spent the first day skiing in the Alta Badia resort, getting to know our guide, Carlos, and him getting to know us. Lunch was on the mountain at Rifugio Punta Trieste; steaks, ribs, pork knuckles, pasta, yummy.

https://www.puntatrieste.it/en/restaurant-in-corvara-in-alta-badia

Dinner was at the Michelin-starred La Stüa de Michil in Corvara, which is about a 20 minute drive from from La Villa. The dining room is a restoration of a 17th Century wood-paneled room. Dinner and conversation was accompanied by Sarah Vaughn tunes. The cuisine was "creative"; e.g., sole fillet with watermelon, seaweed, pea, mint puree mentioned in this review,

https://thecuriouspixie.co.uk/la-stua-de-michil-at-la-perla-corvara-italy/

The next day, we leave Alta Badia and ski to the upper parts of Val Gardena, along the northern part of the Sella Massif, then we turn south along its western flanks at Passo Sella, the pass that connects Val Gardena to Val di Fassa. For those challenged by the compass, think of the Sella Massif as a giant rock-clock. We started at about 3 o'clock in Alta Badia, rounded it at 12 o'clock at Val Gardena, went through a pass (Passo Sella) at 3 o'clock, where we had lunch at… 12 o'clock . Actually, I think it was 1, but lunch was at Rifugio Passo Sella. It's a full-blown resort hotel that is along the Sellaronda route (the route that circumnavigates the Sella Massif),

https://www.passosella-resort.com/en/

I had a great pasta there,

https://www.passosella-resort.com/en/restaurant-at-gardena-valley/

One can also dine at their grill, which looks like a great choice for a fulsome dinner after a day of skiing.

https://www.passosella-resort.com/en/langolino/

Definitely felt some good vibes at Passo Sella,


Alas, we had to keep moving, since we had a lot more distance to cover; I was not going to put down a lunch that was going to put me away. After our lunch, we diverged from the Sellaronda (rounding Sella, rounding the rock-clock) route, and skied to Belvedere resort. We skied that resort a bit, then headed to our first rifugio by downloading to the valley on a tram, then taking a gondola up the opposite side, to the Buffaure/Ciampac resort. Rifugio Ciampac is at the top of the resort.

http://www.albaciampac.it/en

Nothing remarkable about dinner here. The nice thing about it though is that, in the morning, you have the resort to yourself before others ascend on the gondola. For us, it is just an overnight waypoint. The next morning we take the poma lift, top the ridge and ski down the otherside, then catch a taxi.

Lunch is special, at Rifugio Paradise's pizzeria, in San Pellegrino. To enter, one walks past a bar and across a dining area, then through a small sun-drenched room to this door, which, with a press of the button behind the flower vase,

sliding door.jpg
Sliding Door

opens to

pizzeria.jpg
Pizzeria

Inside, one can order four pizzas; actually, one must order four pizzas, as it’s all or nothing. The pizzas are made with different toppings, different flours with different yeasts. It was an amazing experience. I could not find an English language website, but here is an Italian language review, with photos, Google Translated here,

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=https://www.dolomitireview.com/baita-paradiso-passo-san-pellegrino-trentino/

The review does not feature the pizza. It doesn't even have photos of pizza, but this was definitely one of the culinary highlights of the tour. Here are three of them,

pizza 1.jpg
Pizza #1

pizza 2.jpg
Pizza #2

pizza 3.jpg
Pizza #3

After lunch, we ski both sides of the San Pellegrino pass, then end the day at Rifugio Fuciade. Dinner was preceded by a wine tasting in the cellar.

Dropping In.jpg
Dropping In

the Goods.jpg
for the Goods

Followed by a dinner with starter,

Speck and Cheese.jpg
Speck & Cheese

which is followed by,

Trout.jpg
roasted trout, locally caught, perfectly prepared, delicate, moist and flavorful with crispy skin; another culinary highlight, courtesy of Chef Martino,

Chef Martin.jpg
https://www.fuciade.it/en/our-restaurant/

I would not disagree with

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUse...a_Province_of_Trento_Trentino_Alto_Adige.html

The next morning, we take a taxi to Alleghe, then ski the Civetti resort,

https://www.dolomitisuperski.com/en/Experience/Ski-areas/Civetta/Ski-map

and lunch at Rifugio Col dei Baldi,

https://www.chaletcoldeibaldi.com/lo-chalet/

After skiing a bit more in the afternoon, we took a taxi to our last rifugio, Rifugio Passo Giau. Because of my self-imposed dietary restriction, nothing on the menu suited me. Not a problem. The chef prepared a simple grilled chicken breast, seasoned with salt, pepper and lemon, simple, accompanied by steamed vegetables and boiled potatoes. Perfectly satisfactory and delicious. As previously posted in this thread, the real reason to be at Passo Giau is the view. Try to be here on a clear night and a full moon. Arrive early enough to catch the sunset and get up early enough to catch the sunrise.

https://www.pugski.com/threads/photo-of-the-day.2083/page-46#post-348313

http://www.passogiau.it/

On our last day, we skied the spectacularly scenic environs of Lagazuoi and Cinque Torri, and ended our day at the town of Cortina d'Ampezzo.. Lunch was at Rifugio Col Druscé, in Cortina. I was famished and had both a huge salad and a huge pasta. The place is popular amongst athletes, who were there in droves that day, as they were checking out a new course designed for a coming Winter Olympics.

http://www.freccianelcielo.com/en/restaurant-col-druscie-1778/

At the end of the day, we ski down to the town of Cortina, through a pine forest, which is an amazing experience in itself. The scent of pine permeated the air, a olfactory treat. Dinner that last evening was at Tivoli, a one-star Michelin restaurant,

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=https://ristorantetivolicortina.it/

It was to be a seven-course dinner; no way! None of us were up to it, so we all ordered a la carte. View the menu here,

https://ristorantetivolicortina.it/

Click ‘Il Menu”, or go to

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=https://ristorantetivolicortina.it/

and, click “The Menu”

What stood out for me was the excellent service and the incredibly fresh and flavorful sashimi, though sashimi is a bit jarring juxtaposed with more traditional local dishes.


Tivoli.jpg



Sashimi.jpg


The tour went very well. Carlos, our guide, led us to trails that were fun for all of us; taxis for transfers were always awaiting and ready when we were. I'd love to do it again and already tried, having asked my daughter, who was not able to join us, to return with me this coming season. What would I do if I were to do it again? I'd skip the Michelin-starred restaurants. The culinary highlights, for me, were lunch at the pizzeria, and dinner at La Fuciade. And, I am intrigued by Rifugio Passo Sella, at the pass by that name. I would also spend more time there. First day out, I'd ski Alta Badia a bit in the morning, maybe drop into Corvara for lunch somewhere, then head to Passo Sella and overnight there one or two nights. On the transfer-day, after lunch, I would head to Rifugio Ciampac, doing about half the amount of skiing than we did in a single day, and overnight there. Then, I would head out the next day for my pizza-fix, ski San Pellegrino area a bit, then overnight at La Fuciade, arriving in time to settle in, do a wine-tasting, then enjoy dinner. All the while, I would be checking the evening and nighttime weather forecast for Passo Giau. If I have to wait a couple days for a clear night, I would try to hangout at La Fuciade one or two nights longer. That might be tough; rooms may not be available. Getting extra nights at Rifugio Passo Giau would be super-easy, but it's not so convenient to get to any skiing there, unless you have your touring gear. After an evening and early-morning of picture-taking at Passo Giau, I'd head to Cortina D’Ampezzo. But, instead of going straight to Cortina, I would spend a night at Rifugio Lagazuoi,

https://www.rifugiolagazuoi.com/index_en.php,

and, per @Seldomski 's recommendation, do the Lagazuoi ski tour,

https://www.pugski.com/posts/339712/

which also comes very highly recommended by others,

"One of the best ski-runs in the world
From the Lagazuoi down to Alta Badia - Armentarola you will find one of the most beautiful ski-runs in the world - "The Hidden Valley". Moore than 10 km long passing dramatic landscape/scenery and ice-walls.", per MullahOMA in,

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attract...pezzo_Province_of_Belluno_Veneto.html#REVIEWS

You had to have been there to see the possibility. We were at the peak, where Rifugio Lagazuoi is, during the day. I'd want to see the sunset, night time, and sunrise views. And, though the trails getting there were fairly easy, the terrain is so expansive. It felt like we were skiing in the wilderness. But, doing the Lagazuoi tour means heading back to Alta Badia, not to Cortina, as we did. Maybe start the tour at Lagazuoi, do the Lagazuoi to Alta Badia run, do our circuit from Alta Badia back to Lagazuoi, then head to Cortina to round off the tour? Anyway, I would certainly want to spend a day skiing Cortina D’Ampezzo resort and finish the day skiing into town, if only to experience the pine forest. If an extra day is available, I'd linger in Cortina for a day of shopping; the town is big enough and walkable enough to do that. Dinner at Tivoli would be a great way to cap off a lazy shopping day, rather than after a full day of skiing.

So, have I dissuaded you from signing up for a tour with a guide? Don't be dissuaded. Yes, we were always on the move. Carlos made sure we were on our way at the beginning of the day and after lunch, to make it to our next overnight rifugio. But, on the other hand, he also made sure that taxis were at the ready when we needed them, we skied a lot of terrain that we would not have found in such a short time, the tour operator got us a wine tasting at La Fuciade (the only others who did that were with one other tour operator). And, when the Good Wife fell ill, Carlos, with the help of his colleagues at the office, made the taxi and hotel bookings to get her to and settle her into Cortina. So, what to do? I think one can get to resort to resort well enough on one's own, either by skiing or, where needed, by taxi. And, if the tour is spaced out like I describe, just hire a local ski instructor to act as a day-guide for any particular resort. They might even be willing to pick you up where you overnight and take you to their resort, who knows. Or, more simply, just ask the tour operator to set up a custom-tour.

This tour was a great introduction to the Dolomites. A bit of a whirlwind, but rewarding, enough to entice me to return and, when doing so, devote more time, at a slower pace, to explore and experience.

 
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Tony S

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Oh. My. God.
 
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karlo

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You got Tony's attention!

Could you do the trip and up the skiing to blue - black, and off piste?

Here is a good example of a resort,

https://www.skiresort.info/ski-reso...anazeicampitelloalbapozza-di-fassa/trail-map/

Lot's of red pistes, advanced intermediate. Not so many blacks. For blacks, and real-blacks, I think one goes offpiste or bootpacks or skins. However, with a guide, one needs to be sure to book offpiste guiding, because the guide takes out insurance. Without a guide, beware. If one triggers an avalanche and it slides onto a piste, one goes to jail. If one is injured offpiste and does not with an insured guide, or does not have insurance on one's own, try by all means to crawl to a paste. Rescue services, I am told, are really expensive. Here are some photos.

One of the easiest-to-get-to and interesting offpiste opportunity that I saw was from the top of a chair to Rifugio Fuciade,

La Fuciade.jpg


At Rifugio Fuciade itself, there apparently is a heli landing site, from which to seek out opportunities,

Heli at La Fuciade.jpg


Then, there is offpiste one can bootpack, or skin to, from inside the resort,

offpiste 1.jpg

Zooming in on this,

offpiste 1 zoomed.jpg

I think I would rather skin that one. This next photo is taken from a piste. They bootpacked.

offpiste 2.jpg


Then, there's what I'd call in-resort offpiste. The piste can be seen to the left, at the top. Looks like a ungroomed trail to me, but it is categorized as offpiste.


offpiste 3.jpg


Maybe this is a black piste? Under the chair, it's offpiste.

Chair n Trail.jpg


Then, we have Cortina. I'd say there's some black here with some decent vertical. The faster you go, the blacker it gets.

Cortina 1.jpg


Cortina also has offpiste right besides the piste.

Cortina 2.jpg


At the top of that chair, and to sitter's left, another bootpack opportunity

Cortina 3.jpg


This one at Cortina is black. Sorry, no photo of the piste itself. It wasn't a terribly difficult black.

Cortina 4.jpg


There are definitely opportunities for some challenging skiing,

https://alpsinsight.com/trip/skiing-dolomites-couloirs/
Corvara is mentioned. That is one of the villages at Alta Badia, where that Michelin starred restaurant is.

Then, there is Marmolada.

Marmolada.jpg

That's not along the route I described, but one cannot miss it. That's a piste! Yes, there is a lift. And, yes, folks ski offpiste, most preferably with a guide. I think it would be really cool to camp up there, for the sunset and the sunrise. Here is a photo taken of Marmalade at sunrise, from Passo Giau.

Marmolada Sunrise.jpg


And, there are some nice touring opportunities at Passo Giau itself, and pretty mellow. I previously posted the B/W version of this photo. Here it is, as-taken.

Passo Giau.jpg

There's a lot of vertical, on either side, from the top of the pass, where the photo is taken. Maybe the lift is a taxi!

Then, there’s outright touring to mountaineering. Found this,

https://www.dolomitemountains.com/en/resources/resources_winter567.htm

Looks like there’s some good skiing right at Sella. Wonder if one can access it from Rifugio Passo Sella. That would be so decadent.
 
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Seldomski

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Great report @karlo . There is so much to do in that area and sounds like a great trip. When we went, it was 6 days of skiing based out of Cortina. One day we took a bus to ski the Sella Ronda. As an advanced skier, you can cover all the pistes around Cortina in 2-3 days. Then another 1 day for Cinqui Torri and do the route from Laguzoi to Amentarola. I have no idea about off piste in that area.

I think it would be amazing to start the trip in Alta Badia or Marmolada, stay there for 2-3 days. Then transfer to Cortina. I think Cortina would be a great place to take a day off from skiing. The town is luxurious and chill. Last day in Cortina area, you ski the hidden valley trail to get back to the Sella Ronda area and stay again on that side, but different part of the ring - like Val Gardena. So many are just doing the Sella Ronda for the bragging rights. The skiing off the loop looked really good, we just didn't have time to do any of it.
 

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A lot of those photos look like it’s very low snow. Was it, or is that typical?
 

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