Vals / Jochtal

Details

Written by: Jim Walker

Last Updated: 20 Aug 2012

Valles and Jochtal are very small, traditional village resorts with equally small ski areas above them. They offer the perfect escape not only from city life but even from modern bustling ski resorts and over crowded ski slopes. Instead the area concentrates on its peaceful nature, traditional values and quality of service. Gastronomy is a particular local strength with mouth watering meals awaiting after a busy day on the slopes. It is an especially good destination for families, with, remarkably, the South Tyrol's largest snowpark for kids with a world class collection of magic carpet lifts. The area is part of the Eisacktal/ Isarco Valley region, which contains five other ski areas, mostly of similar size to Valles. The area extends from Bolzano to Brennero, then, near Bressanone, the narrow gorge of the Isarco valley widens to form the Bressanone basin. Vipiteno, the old city of the Fugger family, with its side valleys, is just 15 kilometres from the Brennero pass. In the Isarco Valley, life is based on the changing of the seasons. Whether you prefer an active vacation or just a bit of rest and relaxation, you'll be surprised by just how many different things there are to do in the Isarco Valley throughout the year. In the winter, the silent countryside embraced by the snow is not only incredibly beautiful but also offers hundreds of different types of fun activities such as skiing, sledding on snow-covered slopes and skating on frozen lakes. Vals is especially suited to families and to lovers of good, typical Sud Tyrolean gourmet dishes. An independent ski resort, not on the Dolomiti Superski Pass.

Mountain

Valles and Jochtal are two small ski areas especially well suited to families stretching up on either side of the valley. On one side a new gondola lift serves intermediate to advanced level terrain, on the other the slopes are predominantly for beginners. The area was one of the later to join the Dolomiti Superski pass and remains on its furthest border as several Isarco Valley resorts a little further north have so far failed to join. Despite its reputation as a centre of excellence for ski and snowboard tuition, the percentage of tougher terrain is higher here than at many other Dolomiti Superski resorts, with more than half of runs graded red or black. The long 3.5km descent beneath the gondolas attracts skiers from near and far, especially with the choice of four different routes on the steeper upper slopes, two of them blacks. It is easy to get to one of the five other ski areas in the valley. Racines-Giovo has 25km of ski runs, Monte Cavallo-Vipiteno has 11km, Ladurns-Colle Isarco 15 km and nearest neighbour Gitschberg-Maranza 22 km of ski runs. A newly issued skipass offers low prices for the combined Jochtal/Gitschberg area and there's also a new bus link between the two areas. The largest area in the region is Plose-Bressanone with 45km of runs, including the South Tyrol's longest, a 9km descent. Off piste skiing is surprisingly popular in the area, with one of the most popular descents from and the small Mt. Cuzzo above Gitschberg/Maranza. The Isarco Valley's six separate ski resorts have their own local area pass covering 140km of trails. The valley is one of 12 on the Dolomiti Superski ticket which covers some 50 ski areas offering together more than 1200km of trails and nearly 500 lifts. However only three of the Isarco areas are included on the Dolomiti superski ticket. These are Jochtal - Valles itself, plus Gitschberg and Plose. As an added novelty its possible to buy combination tickets that give, for example, four days in Valle Isarco, two days in Dolomiti superski.

Families

In October 2003 the Sci Scuol Jochtal received the "Gütesiegel Gold" award for child instruction and child care. The Bambino Club is the largest children's snow park and learning area in the South Tyrol. It incorporates three 145m long magic carpet lifts, a "Rotondo"-carousel, a snow castle, figurines, snow tubing course, mini-Cars and the Bambino-Express. Children aged three and older are accepted.

Boarding

Valles is a great choice for first time snowboarders who benefit from ideal learning terrain and an excellent snowboarding school. There's no terrain park but natural hits form at the edge of the trails for those more advanced boarders looking to grab a little air.