- Details
- Written by: Jim Walker
- Last Updated: 21 Oct 2013
Alba is an attractive small resort located at one end of the Fassa Valley, with it's own ski area on Ciampac and easy access to the Sella Ronda via the nearby lift access at Canazei. It's also close to the Marmolada Glacier for snow-sure skiing. Val di Fassa is a key and famous ski region in the Dolomiti Superski, rich in history, culture and natural beauty. Its ancient history is dominated by its Ladin heritage and the Ladin language is still spoken, alongside German and Italian. The skiing of Val di Fassa/Carezza and its neighbouring Tre Valli's skiing is spread over eight separate ski areas ranging in size from 10km above Alba to 30km above Moena/San Pellegrino. They officially add up to 150km of trails, but as all are on the Dolomiti Superski ticket, and as the lifts above Canazei lift link to the Sella Ronda circuit which lift links Val Gardena, Alta Badia and Arabba like spokes on a wheel, also all on the Dolomiti Sperski ticket, the area claims there are approximately 200km of skiing "in and around" Val di Fassa. The addition of Val Gardena and Alta Badia make this claim in fact a rather conservative estimate, the reality nearer double that total. Canazei is a very attractive, lively roadside village set below well forested slopes. It has grown to become the largest of the villages in the Fassa Valley, probably due to the fact it is the main resort for direct access to the Sella Ronda. Campitello is a traditional village set back from the main road. The beginners slopes in the village are particularly good and there are several lively bars nearby. Vigo and Pozza di Fassa are particularly attractive villages each with their own cosy ski areas and perhaps the strongest influence of history and culture in the whole valley. The large village of Moena stands on the border of the Fassa Valley and the TreValli sectors of the Dolomiti Superski and is the closest resort in the area to Bolzano.
An attractive small resort located at one end of the Fassa Valley, with it's own ski area on Ciampac and easy access to the Sella Ronda via the nearby lift access at Canazei. Close to the Marmolada Glacier for skiing in the late season and summer.
Mountain
The Fassa Valley's skiing truly does have something for everyone with a wide choice of friendly, intimate ski areas for all standards. All have excellent snowmaking cover and most have modern lifts. For example the Catinaccio ski area above Vigo di Fassa had a new quad chair with bubble cover installed on the Pian Pecei-Pra Martin. It does not always follow that the larger ski areas have access to the tougher skiing, as one of the smaller sections above Alba has a third of its 10km graded black and one of the region's toughest runs, the 3km long Pista Ciampac with a 658m vertical. All of the ski areas are linked by free ski bus (also free for non skiers). From Canazei it is possible to reach the ski areas of Belvedere-Pordoi Pass, Ciampac and Fedaia-Marmolada, from Campitello the ski area of Col Rodella-Sella Pass, from Vigo and Pozza di Fassa the ski areas Catinaccio, Aloch famous for the night skiing and Carezza, finally Moena offers the ski area Tre Valli with its famous tour. Canazei is the only major resort in the Fassa Valley truly located on the Sella Ronda circuit with access to Corvara, Colfosco and Arabba all very straight forward, even more so in recent years thanks to the replacement of old surface tows with modern fast chairlifts plus the installation of comprehensive snow making. Off piste routes are popular in the area, but you would be wise to go with a ski school class or employ a mountain guide for safety. The most famous off piste runs include Laste/Lusia, Vi Giumell, Sass Pordio/Val Lasties, over at the Marmolada glacier and at Passo S. Pellegrino/Col Margherit Night skiing is available on the Pista Aloch ski stadium above Pozza di Fassa. It is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings from 20.30 - 23.00 hours and has a 1.6km length.
Families
Val di Fassa makes an especially big effort for families - trying to offer everything a family could need, including childcare, play facilities and special low price package deals. The area has tried to think of special extras such as ski bus pick ups of children from their hotels on request. The friendly villages and small individual ski areas with gentle slopes are also good for kids. Each area has its own children's ski area (many with special snow parks on sunny slopes) and/or nursery. In Alba there's the new "Mini Club Tananai", in Canazei a new home for "Kinderland", in the Fraine resort at Pera there' the "Park Bimbo Neve" and at Vigo di Fassa the "Kinder Park Ciampedie Lauri". Moena has "Babylandia". All take children from age 3 or 4 , except Vigo which can take children from age two. Ask bout the Ski Special for Kids program which offers week long holidays at selected hotels with free accommodation, meals and skipass for children aged under eight and 50% off for children aged 8 to 12 at certain hotels. Fiabilandia, a new babypark in Moena open summer and winter, offers to its littele guests a lotof games, baby dance, mini-club, snowtubing and other facilities.
Boarding
Snowboarders are welcome in the whole region and will enjoy the uplift provided to whisk them up the slopes. In terms of terrain parks there's a half pipe, boardercross and snowboard terrain park at Canazei, Belvedere; a second boardercross ski area at Col Rodella / Campitello and a new snowboard park at San Pellegrino. Thanks to the Dolomiti Superski ticket it is possible to reach more terrain parks in Alta Badia and Val Gardena.
