Val Gardena
Mountain stats
Lift count :
2 x Cable-cars
7 x Gondolas
45 x Chairlifts
29 x Drag-lifts
176 km of pistes
Pass (Low/High Season) : £27.80-35.16 Day, £141.44-155.34 Week
Val Gardena is located in the northern area of the Dolomites and forms a collection of resorts and mountain slopes that is said to be the largest snowboarding area in the world. There is a staggering 600 miles of marked trails that are serviced by some 460 lifts of all shapes and styles, all can be utilised by the Dolomiti Superski pass. A limited pass called the 'Val Gardena' still covers 175km of piste with 82 lifts.
Val Gardena has the unfortunate history of being the place where a particularly sad Brit with a Russian name achieved a so-called top ski result (who gives a toss?). However, this is not a sad place to snowboard, it’s actually very good with something for everyone. Val Gardena is a huge valley housing three main villages and a handful of satellite hamlets. And truly, if you can’t ride here and enjoy yourself, then you must be a closeted synchronised swimmer - or worse, a downhill skier with a nice shiny medal!
The main villages here are Ortisei (the biggest town in the area), Oritsei and Selva. Wherever you choose to stay, you can move around the resort via a regular shuttle bus service. The well set-out mass of lifts don’t always connect up everywhere, but with a piste map you can get around a very large portion of the area without too many problems.
Try the circuit ride known as the Sella Ronda, which takes you around 15 miles of lift-connected runs.