Sella Ronda -Worth the Effort?

Off to Moena in the Dolomites in a little over 2 weeks :mrgreen: The marketing for the area really hypes up the Sella Ronda as a wonderful, must-do circuit. However, my research suggests that it tends to be very busy and a bit of a slog to get around. :roll:

What are people's views? A must-do or a distraction from other quieter, more interesting pistes?

If I do it, what is a reasonable amount of time to complete? I would probably have the kids with me. Both are very comfortable on blues and easy reds but would be a bit more nervous on steeper red slopes.

Took me three hours and that was half term holiday time. Would not say I'm the fastest. With that knowledge i was able to then explore other areas knowing the runs/lifts to get back and be comfortable

Self & wife did it in approx 3 hours & we are just intermediates. It is true some people do regard it as a bit of a slog, however I would think its worth it just for the stunning views of the limestone cliffs along the way. Clockwork route is slightly quicker with some more interesting slopes but is busier. If you go anticlockwise there is a series of tedious lifts from Corvara.
If its good weather and you pick a quiet time (start early) I reckon it's well worth doing but of course it's a personal call. Have a good time, when the snow is good the Dolomites is a fantastic place to visit.

Have PM'ed you with info. Have a good one.

The Sella Ronda is a nice ski route with stunning views and 3 hours skiing doesn't sound unreasonable. It's a few years since I've done the route properly as tend to just use the slopes to get between the different areas. As others have mentioned the green route is easier however you do spend more time on lifts, particularly around Corvara. Both routes have some flat bits, around the Val di Fassa if I remember correctly. The orange route has the better skiing but there are a couple of tricky slopes (or at least parts of slopes). The first of these is red 1 from the top of Porta Vescovo (Arabba), the top of which is pretty steep (based on other runs in the area I'd grade it black but being a key link they would rather let people struggle...) :roll: and gets mogulled very quickly due to the amount of traffic. I skied it at 3 pm a couple of weeks ago and the bumps were nearly waist high (this wasn't a powder day) and littered with bodies. If you hit it first thing it's a fantastic run but later on a bit of a nightmare. There may be an alternative from the midstation but not sure without looking at a map.

The other tricky red is from the top of the Boe cable car in Corvara down to the Campolongo pass which again gets cut up very quickly and has two steepish sections which aren't fun when they are bumpy. You can easily get from Corvara to Arabba via Prolongia (take the Col Alt gondola) which is much easier (blues and/or easy reds) but will take about an hour longer. Into Arabba the easiest option is to take the right hand red from the Bec de Rocces chair. If you keep left on this run there is a route through the tress part way down which cuts out the steepest part of the slope – useful for tired legs or if it looks a mess.

Not trying to put you off, just give a fair assessment of the slopes on the route as I've found them. Personally if you're not sure I would go green first – you can always do the orange one another day.

Another route which gets a lot of hype in the area is the Hidden Valley. Personally I didn't think this was worth the effort. There are a lot of flat bits and I didn't rate the main valley run at all. The scenery is no better than the rest of the area and I would expect it to get very busy at peak times as there is only one way up and down. You also have the expense of a taxi to get there and the horse tow at the end, not at lot at 8 euros pp total but could quickly add up for a family.

If you can get there, Alba is worth a visit – the black under the cable car is fantastic.

The snow in the Dolomites is great this season (skied knee high powder on the piste a couple of days and it's still snowing this week) – I'm sure you'll have a great time whichever routes you choose to ski. Have fun! :D

We usually do it once every holiday and can get round comfortably in 3 hours even on New Year week last year, though we did make sure we got up and our early.

Dave

Top post Lynn, but we're going to have to agree to disagree about the Hidden Valley :-) . I loved it. Our trip there took in the Cinque Torri and I still think that is the most stunning part of an unbelievably picturesque area. You're quite right about the flat sections and the horse tow; I think it was only 1€ per person when we did it though. I'm not sure that a Hidden Valley trip would be feasible from Moena anyway. Alba/Pozza is a must do. I agree about the black under the cable car. It's terrific :)

Researching for 2015 trip. Have skied Austria last 10 years. Ski with a mature group, range from very good intermediate to advanced skiers. Looking for a great ski area, with decent après and good 3/4 star half board hotels in town near lifts. Does Sella Ronda tick these boxes?