J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Scrunch

Rifugio Comici is a great lunch spot. Stunning view from a sunny terrace and fun park next to it. Dantercepies to Corvara on fresh crisp morning corduroy is great. I love the beauty of the hidden valley from Falzarago pass up Laguzuoi and down to the horse tow to Armenterola. Amazing scenery. If there's a big queue consider a doing a quick tour round the blissfully quiet Cinque Torre next to Falzerago and then come back and you'll probably find the queue for Lagazuoi has gone. Have a great time.

Stevie999, if you fancy a tour one day, a great and quieter alternative to the Sella Ronda is to head to Santa Cristina go up to Col Raiser (underground) and then on up to Seceda for great views and the 10 KM run to Ortisei. Cross town via the escalators and underground travelators, and take the Alpe di Siusi gondola up the other side. (Yeah that bit is a bit of a drag, but it's all part of the adventure.) Ski to Compatach (Alpe di Siusi) and do Spitzbuhl, Lauren, Panorama, Paradiso, long red down to Saltria. If there's time go up Florian. Then bus from Saltria to Monte Pana from where you can go up to Monte Seura and Tramans chairs from where you can ski down to Selva or Santa Cristina. It's a great day out. If you get the chance, eat at Gostner Shweige in Alpe di Siusi (or an afternoon treat of Swedish pancakes). The main thing is to get to Ortisei as directly as possible to give yourself as much time over in Alpe Di Siusi. It's much quieter there and some great fast cruising runs on Spitzbuhl, Laurin and Goldknopf. Know the bus times from Saltria. They're not very frequent.

Highly recommend the cable car from Falzarego up to Lagazuoi and the beautiful run and stunning scenery down to Armentarola, with a lunch stop at the restaurant half way down. Read up about the First World War fighting in bitter conditions and see the scars on the cliffs of the shelling. Enjoy the quaint horse-drawn tow rope back to Armentoralo for a few Euros. It's unique. Also the other side of the road at Falzerago is a lovely quiet ski area - the Cinque Torre and Super-8.

I think you can leave your skis and boots overnight at all of the ski shops up the mountain at Plan Checrouit. If they're your own boots and skis you have to pay. I don't know if they have lockers to leave other stuff. If you have a choice of where to be dropped off and picked up, I'd go for the gondola at Dolonne rather than the cable car, unless you plan to walk to Via Roma for apres ski, in which case the cable car is better.

I'm a big fan of Courmayeur.

The scenery is stunning. The village is rustic, beautiful and car-free. The moutain restaurants serve up great food (I know you said you like to ski hard all day, but if you go to Courmayeur you must take time out at least one day to have a decent lunch. Try La Grolla - good food, great views of glacier and Monte Bianco).

The ski area is quite compact and there aren't many very challenging pistes. But there's enough to still keep advanced skiers happy for at least a few days even if the snow isn't great. If the snow is good they'll be smiling all week as the off-piste can be fabuluous.

It's very different from the big French resorts and won't necesarily suit those who refuse to ski the same run twice in a week. First time skiers may not like the limited nursery slopes.

From Courmayeur you can very easily ski at La Thuile (15 km away - free bus). Cervinia is 90 mins drive, but you do get a great day out in Zermatt. You can also ski the Vallee Blanche from the Italian side taking the cable car from just up the road over the Punta Helbronner. And if you take a guide, the off piste from the Cresta D'Arp is supposed to be amazing - not done it yet in four visits, but hopefully will do when I visit again later this week!