Dolomites Backcountry Skiing Safari

The Dolomites are a top spot for backcountry skiing and on this Dolomites Backcountry Skiing Safari, you can choose from 3 different options to enjoy a unique winter adventure in this gorgeous Italian mountain mecca.

The first option is a Dolomites Haute Route Ski adventure. The second option will take you on a ski traverse from Canazei to Colfosco. The third option takes place in Arabba, on the Sella Ronda Ski Circuit, where we can build a more flexible, tailored program. Below, you can find the details of each option:

Option 1: Dolomites Haute Route (hut to hut)

This alternative will allow you to visit three different provinces of the Dolomites: Trentino, Belluno, and South Tyrol. The huts are comfortable with private rooms and showers. We will from time to time use the ski lifts, which will give us a chance to travel a lot and return to the Fassa Valley on skis at the end of the tour.

Meeting point: Pozza di Fassa

• Day 1: Set-up day. Depending on snow conditions, we’ll decide what mountains to ski on. Options include Catinaccio Traverse, Barboleda, Cima Bocche, Ort, Passo Selle, Traversata da San Martino a Falcade.
  Overnight: Flora Alpina hut

• Day 2:  From Passo San Pellegrino (1800 meters) – Forca Rossa (2500 meters) to Malga Ciapela (1500 meters),  then ski lifts to Passo Pordoi. Overnight: Fredarola hut

• Day 3: ski lifts to the top of Sass Pordoi (2950 mt) and skiing the Vallee Blanche of the Dolomites (Mezdì valley)
  Overnight: Cir hut

• Day 4: Sass de Ciampac/Col Turont
  Overnight: hotel in Val Gardena

• Day 5:  a ski tour in the valley then transfer back to our car in Val di Fassa with the ski lifts.

Option 2: Canazei to Colfosco (hut to hut)

This is a wonderful hut-to-hut option with luggage transfer.

• Day 1:  Ski tour in the Fassa Valley depending on the best snow condition. We can go to Catinaccio, Passo, Cigolade, Traverse, Barboleda, Passo delle Selle/Ort, Sasso delle Vergini.

• Day 2:  From Alba di Canazei to Passo Cirelle (1200 meters skin up) and down to Rifugio Flora Alpina. We will have the option to stop for lunch in Fuciade, a hut famous for its top-quality cuisine. The descent is 900 meters. Since this will be the hardest day of our tour, if somebody doesn’t feel up to it, they can be transferred by car from Canazei to Rifugio Flora Alpina (40-minute drive).

• Day 3:  Forca Rossa and ski down to Malga Ciapela. 700 meters ascent, 1000 meters descent.

• Day 4: Marmolada day. Freeride and some skinning. After enjoying the wonderful Marmolada,  we will use ski lifts to get to Passo Pordoi.

• Day 5: Cable car to Sass Pordoi and descent in Val Mezdì. From Colfosco back to our car in Valle di Fassa with the ski lifts.

Option 3: Arabba (Valley-based ski tours)

Arabba (1600 meters asl) is a tiny village (270 people) located in the Livinallongo valley, on the famous Sella Ronda Ski circuit. Therefore,  Arabba has ski lifts that connect it to the three other valleys (Fassa, Gardena, Badia). Arabba is a 40-minute drive away from Canazei (Fassa), 15-minute drive away to Passo Pordoi, 15-minute drive away from Corvara (Badia), 30 minutes from Passo Falzarego and 30 minutes from Passo Gardena.

If you choose this option, you can stay in Arabba, use it as a basecamp, in a recommended B&B or hotel, and from there we can drive or use the ski lifts to access different backcountry skiing places in the Dolomites.

We can go to Mezdì valley, a.k.a the “Vallee Blache of the Dolomites”. With three ski lifts,  we can reach the top of Sass Pordoi (2950 meters), and after a small descent and a short skin up ( 1 hour) to rifugio Boè (2873 meters), we can begin our long descent to Colfosco  (16045 meters) through this amazing valley. Additionally, before the skin to rifugio Boè, we may decide to make a couple of runs on Forcella Pordoi or Val Lasties. Both are freeriding descent (no skinning up).

The Sass Pordoi ski lift offers other nice descents with or without skin up including Val Culea, Val Setus, Valon Blanc, Valle del Ghiacciaio, Valon. Depending on the snow condition we may ski on one of those instead of Mezdì.

Other areas we can explore together around Arabba include spots like Sass de Ciampac, Lastoi de Formin, Mondeval, Set Sass, Sieff, Tofana die Rozes, forcella Marmolada, and Migogn.

Whichever your choice, I will make sure to make this Dolomites Backcountry Skiing Safari unforgettable for you, while taking care of your safety at all times. Send your request and let’s start planning your adventure!