A Guided Tour of The Sella Ronda Ski Circuit
The Sella
Ronda is a circuit of trails in The Dolomites region of South Tyrol
which forms part of the border between Austria and Italy. Originally,
not much more than muddy tracks which the locals used to travel between
four valleys, it is now a well-known circuit of ski trails linked by
lifts which ambitious skiers attempt to complete in a single day.
This is the picture postcard village of Colfosco in the Dolomites with
the Sella massif as its backdrop. This beautiful image can be purchased
as a poster from
Allposters
Diary Extract
Day 1
“Sunday February 7, 1988. Venice.
We left reasonably early and hit the road to the Dolomiti. For much of
the way it was raining and misty but even so as we got closer to the
mountains the scenery became more and more spectacular. We stopped for
lunch inside the car due to the rain and then continued on. As we
travelled further north the villages became more and more Austrian in
appearance with wide rooves and painted house fronts. We found the road
that travels alongside the autobahn okay and travelled along it via
Bolzen to the turn-off for Ortisei or St Ulrich. In this area not only
are all the town names and shop signs in two languages but the street
names as well. After the turn-off we had 13 kilometres of steep winding
road until St Ulrich and the amount of snow on the ground was increasing
but it still didn’t look promising. We arrived in St Ulrich and had
just asked our way in a petrol station when a big Merc pulled in and
blocked our way. We had found our relatives.”
The Sella Ronda Area
Val Gardena and the Sella Ronda
are located in the North of Italy near the Austrian border within the
region of The Alps known as The Dolomites. Use the navigation buttons to
zoom out and locate the region within Italy, or zoom in to get a closer
look at individual villages.
Arriving in Val Gardena
Rifugio Franz Kostner – Südtirol, Italy
by
AdventureTravelArt
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Vintage Skiing Posters
We were fortunate enough to be invited to stay as guests in a pensione in
St Ulrich, which is also known as Ortisei, by relatives who were there
on a ski holiday from Germany. We were the only guests in a picture
postcard setting and were immediately welcomed like a family member by
the hostel owners. The guesthouse was warm and bright and situated only a
short drive from our skiing. We returned at the end of each day to
lovely hot showers, home-cooked meals and snug beds. This is where we
first encountered
Tiramisu!
Click Here to see a great selection of
Dolomites Accomodation
Accommodation in The Dolomites
Everything on Offer is Like a Picture Postcard
This is just one of the delightful
Dolomites Chalets available
as accommodation in the Dolomites area.
Diary Extract
Day 3
“Tuesday February 9, 1988. St Ulrich.
We awoke to blue sky and sun. The view from the pension is superb.
Firstly we went in to town to buy a few things before heading for the
snow. In town (and others that we went through later) there are snow
sculptures and ice formations. Apparently this is an annual competition
held in December and January. After judging the sculptures remain until
the weather gets the better of them. We have never seen anything like
them before. One was of figures on bicycles! We parked at the base of a
gondola at a place called Wolkenstein. If yesterday’s scenery could in
any way be improved on it was here today. At one point we traversed an
area called Steinstadt (stone city) where the landscape was covered in
weird mounds. In some places the tops of huge boulders showed through
the snow. The enormous rocky peaks are always above and around as you
ski. On some lifts as you ascend it seems impossible that there will be a
way down, but on reaching the top all of a sudden there opens before
you a beautiful run leading to another lift. For lunch we skiied down to
a small hut perched on the edge of a saddle that dropped away into a
beautiful valley with more spectacular sun-drenched mountains in the
distance. We had “Spiegeleier and Speck mit Bratkartoffel” for lunch.
The girls had hot Advokaat and milk to drink while the men downed
Schnapps.”
Starting The Sella Ronda
Several Choices for Starting Points
Alta Badia Meadows by
AdventureTravelArt
Find more
small canvas prints at zazzle.com
You
can join the Sella Ronda at one of the four villages in its path: Selva
di Val Gardena, Corvara, Canazei, Arabba. You can choose to traverse it
clockwise or counter-clockwise. The circuit is approximately 40
kilometres in total including lifts and trails and can be easily
completed in a day provided the weather is fair, you are relatively fit
and you ensure that you reach the last lift by 3:30pm.
We would be starting at Selva di Val Gardena, the closest village to our
accommodation and had decided to take the anti-clockwise route for no
particular reason. If time allowed, we could do the opposite run another
day!
Essential Skiing Guide Books
Also Make a Great Keepsake Reminder
Along The Trail
Dolomiti mountains, the Alps by
beautifulclicks
See other
Dolomiti Posters
We
awoke that morning to bright blue skies and warmer temperatures than
the last few days. The air was still and crisp and we knew that today
was the day we would ski the Sella Ronda.
We reached the first lift, Ciampinoi cable car, early and had only a
short wait to get on. We had been told to start before 10:00am to give
ourselves plenty of time to complete the circuit. It is estimated that
the runs going counter-clockwise usually take around one and a half
hours but we allowed ourselves longer. The lifts in total take around
two hours.
We were unprepared for the simply breathtaking scenery we encountered
while traversing the circuit. At times the feeling is literally of being
on top of the world looking across a sea of white, broken by massive
chunks of grey stone. As we descended the mountain this was replaced by
alternating forest scenes and vistas above picturesque villages.
Useful Sites For More Information
Click Here to see the
Val Gardena Ski Tracks map.
Click Here to see the complete
Sella Ronda Diagram
Click Here to see more information on the two circuit options.
A Camera Is A Must For The Sella Ronda
The panoramas experienced on the
Sella Ronda will take your breath away and the photo opportunities
abound. You'll want to capture every detail.
Sustenance and Refreshments
Scattered across the mountain there is an abundance of bars,
restaurants and cafes collectively known as “Rifugi” These range from
simple rustic inns to top-notch restaurants but they all have one thing
in common: good food. They are also a welcome break from the rigourous
challenge of the circuit.
Check out the amazing
Baite Saslonch Hütte overlooking the Ciampinoi alpine pasture.
Another interesting experience was encountering, out in the middle of
the piste, a man selling shots of Williams, a pear schnapps, from a
wooden fruit crate.
Protect Your Eyes From Extreme Conditions
From Blinding Glare Reflection to Bitter Cold Winds
It might be fine, clear and sunny
down in the valley when you start out but conditions can change rapidly.
Having a good pair of ski goggles with you will be the difference
between endurance and misery if the weather turns ugly.
Where Is Your Favourite Winter Destination?
What is your most memorable winter vacation?
I would dearly love to return one day. Sadly, as I get older and my
body starts to complain more it is looking less and less likely but the
memory of this is experience is certainly one I will treasure.
