Getting to our destination this year proofed difficult. The Brenner highway was closed as trucks stood crosswise and the Brenner state road was closed due to danger of avalanches on the Italian side. After hours without improvement, we started a 500 km detour as further alternatives were closed. At midnight, we stopped at Hotel Posthof, Millstätter See for the night. After breakfast, we started in direction of our destination. Trees blocking the street and snow adding further to our delay. In the afternoon, we finally arrived at our apartment on the road between Arabba and Falzarego Pass.
Brenner Highway Jam
somewhere near Hochkönig
View from Hotel Posthof on Lake Millstätt
Home for a week on the top floor
As I had injured my foot 3 weeks ago, I was a bit doubtful about my ability to ski and enjoy it. After some hours in Steinach am Brenner and a day in Arabba, those doubts vanished. Skiing was way easier than walking around with the bandage.
Sellaronda
One of the biggest ski tours with lifts and slopes is the Sellaronda leading through 4 skiing areas: Arabba-Marmolada, Val di Fassa, Val Gardena and Alta Badia. The tour goes both ways - clockwise (orange) and counterclockwise (green). One day, we did the tour twice as we reached the start point for the first time 2.5-3h after starting in the morning. The first round was faster than the second as slopes were still well prepared and there were nearly no queues at the lifts. There was still a place in Val Gardena where you have to cross the street and carry your skis upstairs that was quite tearing. In Corvara, the old chairlift has been replaced by gondolas to connect Colfosco to Corvara. Unfortunately, they did not optimize the logistics (way between lifts - there would have been a good chance). In Arabba, the valley arrival was now less chaotic as a chairlift connected both sides of the valley.
On the last day, we did the green Sellaronda as the finale of the skiing vacation. Although I think I prefer the orange one.
Around the Sella Mountain range (twice)
On the top of Corvara
Orange Sellaronda this way please
Sella Mountains
Cortina d‘Ampezzo
On Wednesday, we drove the 28 km to Cortina and parked at the cable car to the Tofana. Three cable cars led up the mountain - the last one only for a panoramic view of the mountain range was closed. We enjoyed the several slopes “solo per esperti” (only for experts).
If you park at that parking lot, it is free of charge if you validate your parking ticket with your Skipass. The machine is in the middle of the lot.
Freccia nel Cielo - Arrow in the Sky
from Col Drusciè to Ra Valles
to the Tofana summit
German expert
Slope Forcella Rossa (actually black not red)
Parocchia dei Santi Filippo e Giacomo Apostoli
Falzarego - Cinque Torri (Super8 Tour)
The next day, we did not drive as much and already stopped at Falzarego pass from where the cable car went up to the Lagazuoi mountain. That area has been the border in the First World War and there were several memorials. After a round of the Lagazuoi slope we crossed the road and took the slope to the Cinque Torri. We completed the first ring of the Super8 tour and crossed back to the Falzarego-Lagazuoi mountain. From there, we took the 8.5km Armentarola slope and had lunch at the new restaurant in the valley. After a look at the cute alpacas who were not the least bit interested in the onlookers, we continued, passed the ice waterfalls and worked our way on the flat end to the ski bus stop. Others took the horse carriage (2.5€ for like 300-500 m) but still the rest was on your own skis. The standard rate for the taxi is 6€ to Falzarego Pass - best take it from the first sign that will save you a lot of exercise. The normal ski bus only passes every 90 min if you are lucky.
View to the top of Lagazuoi
View down to Falzarego Pass
On the Super8 in sunshine
Alpacas outside of Peru
Ready after lunch
Ice Falls
Super8 Tour
Dolomites at sunset
Marmolada
Another day, another tour. We started again from Arabba and went in direction of the Marmolada - the highest mountain of the Dolomites. After we went the long way down in the valley, it took three cable cars to reach the top - on the summit the clouds obscured the mountain view. Also this mountain played a role in the wars and an exposition explains more about that time. We finished the day in Arabba.
Leaving Arabba
View on the Marmolada
3 cable cars
from the valley
first middle stop
seeing less and less
View from Marmolada slope
After a great week in the Dolomites, we crossed the Brenner Highway without problems.
