Val Gardena/Alpe di Siusi Ski resort, one of the four connected in the Sella Ronda tour, has the highest number of slopes in the Dolomite Superski complex - 176 km! If you take into account the possibility of skiing on the nearby ski resorts of Alta Badia, Val di Fassa and Arabba/Marmolada , that are connected to Val Gardena, the figure will exceed 500 km of ski slopes.
First, about the name ... The ski resort consists of two parts, Val Gardena and Alpe di Siusi, connected with one skipass and a bus connection. Val Gardena consists of three villages: Selva, St. Cristina and Ortisei, while Castelrotto, Siusi and Fie belong to the Alpe di Siusi. The valley is inhabited with Ladin natives and also Germanic influence is notable, so all the villages have trilingual names: Italian, German and Ladin (Val Gardena = Gröden in German, Gherdëina in Ladin).
There are ski slopes for all tastes: beginners' blues in the valley, more challenging reds and black myths such as downhill race course Saslong above St. Cristina. If your legs feel shaky, know that it also happens to skiers who race here every December during the World Cup events. Otherwise, the impression is that some black paths have such marking only for the "historical" reasons. They were, in fact, venues for World Alpine Championships back in 1970. You shouldn't miss the beautiful black slope No. 3, which leads through the woods towards the Selva (warm donuts at the end!); then, the red slope under the Dantercëpies cable car (solid restaurant at the top), and sunny, wide slopes in the area of Seceda, ideal for the morning rides. For the end of the day, try the 10.5-kilometres-long La Longia from the top of Seceda to Ortisei.
Slopes are very well prepared every night; problems with snow are unknown because of 85% coverage with snow guns. Since the tracks are located on the green pastures, only the minimum amount of snow is sufficient for their preparation. As for freeriders and snowboarders, it appears that this is not their destination, although there are potentials.
Alpe di Siusi area is not directly linked with ski slopes to the rest of the resort, but only with a ski bus and a pedestrian bridge over Ortisei. These 60 km of slopes, mostly blues and reds, are recommended for beginners or families with children, and for those who want to have fun on the course set-up for giant slalom or measure their speed on the downhill slope. Castelrotto has the possibility of night skiing on one slope. Alpe di Siusi has ski lifts of the older date, but their modernization has begun. For lunch break, visit the small mountain inns hidden from views in the woods.
There are no significant crowds on the ski lifts; resort is big enough to "swallow" large number of skiers. Ronda Express, underground train beneath St. Cristina, quickly and efficiently connects two sides of the ski resort, while in Ortisei, the moving staircase helps tired legs from the slopes to the center of the town.
Après ski life is not overly rich. Selva and Ortisei are a bit louder, while St. Cristina is known as the silent resort. Visit the après ski bar on the La Longia slope, one kilometer before its end - great mulled wine and blankets on chairs. Ortisei is the largest town, very picturesque with its pedestrian shopping zone dominated by wooden handicrafts and sports shops. After 4 p.m., narrow streets are full of skiers, boarders and elderly ladies with poodles under their arms. Parking at the foot of the resort is being charged for, which stimulates the use of ski bus. Apart from skiing, you can have fun sledding, horse-skiing, doing cross-country trails, ice skating ...
Accommodation is slightly more expensive in Val Gardena then in Alpe di Siusi. Events like the World Cup races raise the prices and proclaimed wish is to create an exclusive ski resort. Prices of several articles in the ski resort are: EUR 3.5-5 for a beer, EUR 2-3 for a mulled wine, EUR 7-10 for a main course, germknödel at about EUR 4 .
The price of 6-day skipass for adults is EUR 180 (EUR 205 in high season), while Dolomiti Superski skipass costs EUR 193 (EUR 220) and provides an opportunity for skiing on the surrounding 11 ski resorts or 1.220 km of slopes.
Val Gardena is easily reachable from Innsbruck-Bolzano A22 highway, exit Chiusa. The closest train station is in Chiusa (20 km). There are frequent flights to nearby airports of Bolzano (40 km), Innsbruck (120 km), Verona (190 km) and Venice (250 km).
To sum up: well-prepared and diverse slopes, beautiful Dolomite scenery, solid après ski offer. Thumbs up!
www.ski-mag.com
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