Skiing The Sellaronda
I have been fortunate to ski in many resorts around Europe, but for sheer beauty I dont' think you can beat the Dolomites in Italy. Majestic rose coloured quartz rock blazes like fire against the pure white snow. It is simply magical and awesomely beautiful.
The Sellaronda covers four passes, each with a village nestled at it's base. Selva di Val Gardena, Corvara, Canazei and Arabba are the main starting points for entry to the route, however smaller towns such as Campitello also are linked to the course. The length of the circuit, including both, ski lifts and ski runs, is a little less than 40 km and it is an easy route to ski along, however snow conditions, weather and side tracks can easily take you off course.
We had the pleasure of staying in the small town of Campitello di Fassa and in the two weeks we were there, got to know many of the storekeepers and locals intimately. The top floor of a three level family home was our accommodation with the cows at the bottom in the basement and the family who owned the pension on the middle floor. It was cosy and intimate and just right for our Italian skiing interlude. While there is a supermarket and the modern stores you would expect, just a short stroll up the hill is same bakery cooking traditional wood fired bread that has stood there for over one hundred years. A creek meanders through town and family run restaurants serve up the best mix of Italian/Austrian delicacies to be found anywhere. As you walk through the cobbled streets, you can peer into the windows of the lower floors of the houses to see cows and horses all comfortably stabled together. Not only does this protect them from the bitter winter chill, but it helps to warm the rooms above. The architecture is a mix of Italian and Austrian, a nod to the heritage of the area that was at different times administered by both countries.
The town itself is only a short walk from Canazei and drive from Cortina. We had the gondola at the base of the hill which took us up to some of the best snow I have skiied. Open wide pistes and the famed Sellaronda, which is a bit over 38 km of interlinking runs and lifts covering diverse terrain.
The Sellaronda piste varies from wooded forest, to wide open expanses and runs through rocky outcrops. A mixture of chairlifts, gondolas and cable cars gets you around and there are numerous places to stop and eat along the way. We had our most memorable meal at a restaraunt perched above Campolongo. It was polenta with a wild mushroom ragout...amazing and totally scrumptious!
You need to get up and start early in order to have plenty of time to make it around the whole circuit. Arrows point the way so it's hard to get lost, and besides, starting early means you have more time to go back and do the runs you love the most. Deckchairs and bars line the route so you can kick back and relax while enjoying a little aperatif or heart starter.
We chose a beautiful day and enjoyed brilliant blue skies and warmish weather, perfect for the whole day experience we were about to embark upon. Our ski pass enabled us to do the whole route without any hassles and we found that speaking a little of the language certainly helped when it came to service in the bars and restaurants. I only wished I had taken up Dad's offers of learning to speak Italian when I was younger, c'est la vie!
Our biggest mistake was not making it back to the lifts in time for the close of day and we found ourselves stuck in a small town, quite a way from home. As lifts had closed our only option was to go by taxi and we were charged a small fortune to do so. Oh well, live and learn...know the times of lift closures and keep to a schedule!
At the end of a long day skiing and snowboarding we enjoyed the short walk from Campitello to Canazei, where it was more touristy and hence had more bars and dining options to choose from. We also found a fantastic spa, where we bought a weekly pass and could go and relax in the steam rooms, whirlpools or dip in the near freezing pool. It was the perfect!
The Dolomites are by far the most beautiful area I have skiied and I would go back in a heartbeat. I felt at home in Italy, partly due to my heritage and I absolutely loved the food. I just can't wait till my kids get a bit older so I can not only take them back to ski but so that they can learn a bit of their history as well. The perfect holiday all round.