A Family Ski Safari Across the Dolomites
Traveling across the Dolomites on skis is without doubt one of the most incredible ways to experience these mountains in winter. Doing it with your family makes it an unforgettable journey, even for the kids!
Cinque Torri - Ski Safari Dolomites
But let’s start from the beginning.
I met Heidi and her family from the US on Wednesday evening for a short pre departure briefing at the apartment booked for them in Bolzano. They were staying in a beautiful villa with a garden right at the edge of the historic center, a place surrounded by palm trees and Mediterranean plants that almost makes you forget you’re in the Alps!
We met to get to know each other, review the final details of the ski safari, and talk about the last packing details. They had chosen the travel option with public transport and backpacks, carrying only the essentials for the days ahead. It is the most adventurous way to travel and also the most environmentally friendly!
After the briefing I left them for their first evening in town, just a five minute walk away, where they could enjoy their first encounter with Italian cuisine with a South Tyrolean twist!
Day 1 Ski Safari Begins in Alpe di Siusi
Just half an hour from Bolzano, we started our adventure in Siusi.
From there a gondola brought us up to the Alpe di Siusi, inside the Schlern Rosengarten Nature Park. Waiting for us, everything perfectly organized of course :D , was a live jazz band playing on the snow. Not exactly a typical start to a ski tour, but the perfect rhythm and energy to begin the journey!!!
The Alpe di Siusi is not only one of the most spectacular panoramic plateaus in the Alps, it is also the perfect introduction to a ski safari. Wide open landscapes, endless views, and gentle slopes make it the ideal place to warm up and begin traveling across the mountains on skis!
Its slopes gradually lead us toward the first of the famous pistes of Val Gardena, one of the Legendary 8 runs: the long descent to Ortisei known as the Pilat. Not a bad way to arrive in Val Gardena and in the charming town of Ortisei… with your skis!
With skis on our shoulders we walked through the lively village center, passing traditional wood carving workshops, ski boutiques, fashionable mountain clothing stores and cozy cafés. Ten minutes later we reached the Seceda cable car, which lifted us onto one of the most iconic mountains of the Dolomites.
From there we started skiing the Gardenissima, “the sensational”! The second of the Legendary 8 runs of Val Gardena, a long flowing descent with breathtaking views of the Odle peaks and the Sassolungo. It is the longest giant slalom in the Dolomites, 6 km, about 3.7 miles or almost 20,000 feet of skiing.
Halfway down we stopped at a traditional wooden mountain hut for an apfelstrudel, a platter of local cheeses, and juices made with homemade mountain syrups, enjoying the warm atmosphere of the Rifugio and the quiet rhythm of the mountains.
While resting we were already dreaming about the next famous ski slope of Val Gardena, the Saslong, the legendary World Cup downhill that has been raced here since 1969. Marco Odermatt raced down this piste in 1 minute and 29 seconds last December! We needed a little longer… but the excitement was exactly the same!
The day continued toward Passo Sella, skiing beneath the towering walls of the Sassolungo and the Sella Towers, surrounded by some of the most dramatic landscapes of the Dolomites.
From there we made our final descent to reach our mountain hut for the night, the perfect ending to the first day of our ski safari across the Dolomites!
Day 2 Ski Safari. Val di Fassa, Arabba and Marmolada
Today we enjoyed the morning sun skiing on the slopes of Ciampac. Spring skiing offers some of its very best here. Sunshine, soft snow in the morning, and spectacular views over the Marmolada and the Rosengarten Catinaccio groups. We are in Val di Fassa, guys!
A short break to recharge the batteries with a bombardino for the adults and salame al cioccolato for the kids, and then we set off again toward the Belvedere ski area for a long descent toward Arabba.
Today our ski safari took us across three different regions. We started in South Tyrol, continued through Trentino, and finally reached Veneto.
Once again today we were amazed by how it is possible to travel across the Dolomites on skis, constantly changing scenery. The character of the pistes, the style of the lifts, the shape of the mountains, the colors of the rock, and even the culinary and cultural traditions of the different Alpine regions of the Dolomites change from valley to valley.
The last run of the day was the incredible descent from Punta Rocca, on the Marmolada glacier, all the way down to our mountain hut directly on the ski slopes. A dream descent, not only for the quality of the snow but also for the atmosphere of the glacier at the end of the afternoon. What a privilege it is to have the honor of closing the piste in the evening…
But before that, we took a moment for a small historical detour and visited the Great War Museum of Punta Serauta, a place that helps you understand what it meant to fight in these mountains during the First World War. This was a border front where the person who had been your climbing partner until the day before could suddenly find himself in the opposing army once the war began. It was a war fought by alpinists, in extremely harsh conditions, often with inadequate military clothing, where controlling mountain passes and summit observation points meant a huge strategic advantage.
Tonight an incredible dinner awaits us, warmly welcomed and spoiled by our rifugio in the heart of the Dolomites.
This is the magic of a ski safari in the Dolomites. Every day you wake up in a new valley, with new mountains waiting to be explored on skis.
Day 3 Ski Safari. Civetta and Cinque Torri
Today we leave Malga Ciapela and the Marmolada behind. The mountain weather is a bit wild today. A little snowfall and some fog, but in the end we still managed to enjoy some beautiful runs!
After taking the ski bus from Malga Ciapela, we drove through Sottoguda, Rocca Pietore, Laste, and Caprile, before finally reaching Alleghe, with its famous lake and its traditional wooden barns.
Here we are at the foot of one of the most impressive walls in the Dolomites, the north face of Mount Civetta. We know it is there, but we cannot see it. It is completely hidden inside the clouds! :D
We spent the morning skiing several slopes of the Civetta ski area, gradually making our way toward Palafavera, with the majestic Monte Pelmo appearing and disappearing through the clouds in front of us.
To continue our journey we had to reach Pescul, where we caught the second ski bus of the day heading toward Fedare, the gateway to the beautiful ski area of the Cinque Torri. Here we enjoyed a few wonderful runs surrounded by the dramatic rock towers and open landscapes that make this area so special.
Tonight a very special place is waiting for us. We will stay in a rifugio at Passo Giau, with rooms overlooking some of the most famous peaks of the Dolomites: the Marmolada, the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, and the Sella Group.
So many memories here of famous stages of the Giro d’Italia, especially the legendary climb with its endless hairpin turns up Passo Giau.
And of course a wonderful dinner of traditional Ladin cuisine awaits us after another day traveling across the Dolomites on skis.
But the ski safari is far from over. Tomorrow new valleys and new mountains await us as we continue our journey toward Lagazuoi and Alta Badia.
Day 4 Ski Safari. Alta Badia
We woke up this morning under a heavy snowfall. During the night about 30 cm of fresh snow, almost 12 inches, had fallen here at Passo Giau, quietly covering everything in a soft white blanket.
Before breakfast we stepped outside hoping to spot the wolf that roams these mountains. We were not lucky… but the night before a beautiful wild red fox had visited us near the rifugio!
After a refined breakfast we decided to take things slowly and enjoy the rhythm of rifugio life. It is already the fourth day of our ski safari in the Dolomites, and in the previous days we really skied a lot!
So we relaxed, explored old climbing gear used by famous Cortina alpinists, and even searched for fossils in the dolomite rock walls. Then it was time to move again.
Today we reach Alta Badia, a Ladin valley, where an ancient language blending Latin and Rhaetian roots is still spoken and preserved as a precious cultural treasure.
We ski between Corvara, La Villa, San Cassiano and Armentarola, surrounded by the Sella Group, Sassongher and Sass dal Crusc. We also ski the Gran Risa, one of the most legendary black runs in the world.
Tonight we stay near the Fanes Natural Park, surrounded by quiet forests and nature, and sleep in a magical place (check the pictures!).
Day 5 Ski Safari. Lagazuoi and the Grand Finale
Yesterday the Armentarola run was closed because of avalanche danger, so we had to skip a small but very special part of our ski safari across the Dolomites…
So today we decide to start early and take a small step back to Passo Falzarego! The day is simply perfect. After the snowfall of the previous days, the sky finally opens and the Dolomites reveal themselves in all their beauty.
We take the Lagazuoi cable car, rising quickly into the heart of the mountains. Inside Lagazuoi, during the First World War, Italian soldiers dug an incredible tunnel system that can still be visited in summer! These mountains were once a battlefield, and today they are a place of peace and incredibly beauty!
From the top begins one of the most panoramic descents of the entire Dolomites ski safari. We are on the edge of the Fanes Natural Park, surrounded by wild landscapes, vertical orange rock faces, and the impressive Tofana di Rozes, rising high above Cortina.
The descent is simply spectacular. We are among the first to ski it, with fresh snow perfectly groomed after the storm. We pass the Scotoni hut, greet the alpacas, and continue down along the frozen waterfalls of Armentarola, where ice climbers spend the winter climbing these icy walls.
At the bottom, one of the most unique moments of the journey awaits us. The famous horse tow. A simple but unforgettable experience, especially for the kids. The horses pull us gently along the valley, bringing us back to the lifts and reconnecting us with the Alta Badia ski area.
From here we continue our journey across the mountains, reaching Corvara and then climbing up toward Passo Gardena, surrounded by some of the most iconic peaks of the Dolomites. We stop for an early lunch on the slopes. Here in the Dolomites, some of the best restaurants are right on the ski pistes!!!
In the afternoon we ski back toward Ortisei via Seceda, enjoying once again the incredible views over the Alpe di Siusi, where our journey began a few days earlier.
One last stop before the end. A bombardino for the adults, hot chocolate for the kids, and a moment to take it all in.
Today we crossed four different ski areas!!!
At the end of every ski safari across the Dolomites there is always a mix of emotions. The happiness of completing a journey through these incredible mountains, and at the same time a small sadness that it has come to an end.
The Dolomites have a way of staying with you. Take them with you. And come back.
And finally… a big thank you to this wonderful family. A journey made of mountains, skiing, …and above all, people.
Experience Your Own Dolomites Ski Safari
If this journey inspired you, you can experience your own Dolomites ski safari, designed around your time, your style and your expectations. It’s also possible to combine it with some off piste freeriding and backcountry skiing, or crossing the Dolomites in a whole backcountry hut to hut journey: the Grand Backcountry Ski Traverse of the Dolomites.
This adventure can be fully customized in the number of days and level of comfort. You can travel in a more adventurous way, moving across the Dolomites with backpacks and public transport, or choose a more comfortable option with private taxi lugagge transfers.
For those who prefer a more relaxed approach, it is also possible to enjoy a hotel based ski safari, staying in the same hotel while still skiing across the Dolomites!
