J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Wanderer

Based on google maps, it is about 700m from the lift up to Alpe di Siusi to the Seceda lift (bottom of the La Longia run). Does anybody know if there is a path that you can ski between the two lifts or do you have to walk or take a bus (if there is one)?

Hi. The whole area is fantastic and I am sure you will enjoy it enormously.

There is strong temptation to "do" the full Sell Ronda and there is a great sense of satisfaction if you do do it. However, so many people use the route that the runs will always be the busiest in the area and you can run into long queues for some of the lifts. It can be tricky to get the timing right and you definitely do not want to get stranded in the wrong valley at the end of the day - that can be a very expensive mistake :x . We once had an issue after my daughter had a fall and suffered from shock on a day out. It was suggested by a medic that we should consider getting a taxi back to our hotel. However, we were 40km from our hotel by road :roll:. Thankfully, she recovered sufficiently after a bit of rest and we were able to continue skiing.

In my view, it is best to think of the Sella Ronda as a highway that you can use to access a wide variety of lovely quiet areas - something akin to the M25 around London. However, if you really want to do the Sella Ronda, it might be worth checking to see if you can find a guided tour of the route. This means that a professional will take care of the timings :thumbup:.

If you are relying on buses at any stage, check the timetable carefully - some of the bus routes finish surprisingly early. We once got stuck in San Pelligrano (a lovely area, by the way, but quite a trek from Alba and probably not realistic unless you have your own transport). We skied until the last lift closed and then discovered that the last bus had left nearly an hour earlier :shock: Thankfully, we were staying in Moena on that occasion so the taxi home was not too expensive :roll: .

Since the last time I was skiing, I have started wearing (varifocal) glasses and it dawned on me that this might be an issue with my current googles and helmet. I have tried on the helmet and that is fine. However, my googles will not accommodate my glasses. Online, it would appear that the solution is either Over the Glasses (OTG) googles or prescription inserts. Which solutions have others found work best?

J2SkiNews wrote:We've had a press release come in from Dolomiti Superski saying Italy will enforce 2G on ski slopes/hotels etc from 10th January. This means fully vaccinated and/or recently recovered only. From 1st Jan (as we've covered to some extent elsewhere) new law coming in to force that insists skiers have public liability insurance (2) requires children aged up to 18 to wear a helmet (previously it was up to 14) and (3) puts a ban on 'drink-skiing/boarding'. The last one apparently doesn't have a legal limit set but it's believed it will be the same a drink driving rules for driving in Italy - very low. So looks like a lunchtime beer/vin chaud/grappa on the slopes may now be out?

I saw one report which said it was the Italian drink driving limits that would apply, so 50mg. I think this translates into a small beer or thereabouts! I am guessing that it is unlikely that we will see "random" breath testing on the slopes but presumably an increased chance of being breathalysed if involved in an accident, particularly if there are any injuries involved. Leaving aside the risk of a fine or other penalty, this would probably invalidate your insurance cover and leave you potentially exposed for lots of medical and other expenses!

I haven't been to the area that late in the season. However, I have been there when there was very little snow and they manage to keep the slopes in excellent condition. Their snow-making and management is as good as you can get. Also, the area is enormous so it should be no problem to find plenty of North-facing slopes.

SwingBeep wrote:Unless I'm badly mistaken British 12-15 year olds can access the lifts in both white and yellow regions providing that they are fully vaccinated (2 jabs) recovered or have a valid negative test certificate, but they can only access a restaurant in a yellow region if they are vaccinated or recovered. Eating in the hotel at which they are staying is allowed but eating out is not.

I read somewhere official yesterday that Italy has now tightened the requirements to 2G (i.e. vaccinated or recovered) from the previous 3G requirements (vaccinated, recovered or negative test). Germany last week moved to 2G required to stay in a hotel as well as to enter bars, restaurants, etc. Thoroughly checked everywhere we went.

Thanks Swingbeep. I am Irish and have the EU Covid Cert so that aspect is fine. The email from the Dolomites seemed to be suggesting that they are pushing people to download their App and to upload their cert onto that App. The skipass will still have to be "activated" daily to prove possession of the cert.

As you say, this will primarily be for the village lifts and should not be required higher up but it still would be a bit of a pain to have to take out your phone every time you hit a checked lift instead of just waving your arm past the sensors (with the liftpass in your sleeve pocket).

It could also be a problem if your phone battery dies during the day - a regular occurrance due to the cold :x

In Germany this week, we also had to carry our passports at all times as this was the only ID that they would accept when entering premises, etc.

We may need to get extra pockets on our jackets to carry all the paperwork :roll:.

Still, first world problems and glad to go through it all if it means we can get to ski this year 8) .

Dolomites going high-tech (from their website):

"Skiers will also find an innovative map that displays the number of skiers present at the lifts as part of the new Dolomiti Superski App and integrated into the 3D ski map on the website. This tool measures the occupancy rate of the lift facilities within a unit of time. By consulting the map, skiers can evaluate the optimal time to use a given lift, thus avoiding crowding."

This could be a game-changer in terms of avoiding big queues. If it works, it could be brilliant.