Snow is the queen of the winter on the Ampezzo and Cadore Dolomites; skiing is her royal consort. A white realm dominates over every valley, in its different forms, each and every one is enthralling. The enthusiast of traditional downhill skiing, who wants to better his technique, perfect his style and improve his mastery of the fundamentals, can choose his favourite run, from a wide selection of trails suited to every taste and ability, with the invaluable assistance of the instructors of the ski schools of Cortina, Auronzo, San Vito and Borca di Cadore. As well as traditional skiing, for some years now, sports associated with the use of snow boards have been carried out. Snowsurfing, and snowboarding enable you to slide gaily, roll in balance, and face every slope, in every snow condition.
However, the "must" of the latest years, the sport which is gathering more and more enthusiasts, is telemark; the rediscovery of the origins of skiing. Your heel is mobile, and particular skis and boots, as well as the singular curve technique, and the moderate speed, have made it a favourite sport for skiers who want to experience a different relationship with the snow, skiing and with mountain nature. The attraction of seeking out the vintage apparel, the loose corduroy trousers, the woollen sweaters and the leather ski boots, the long knotty ski pole which is held in two hands, create a "look" which has increased the charm of this new sport. The ski schools offer the latest equipment, and qualified telemark and snowboard instructors, who have attended periodical refresher courses.
And please take note, this can all be done by day or by night, on lit up slopes. It's a strange, different experience, something you should try.
About lifts and runs: numbers speak for themselves. All in all, the Cortina, San Vito di Cadore, Auronzo and Misurina ski area boasts 52 lifts, offering the opportunity to ski 14.274 meters of difference in level. There are six cable car stations, 27 chair lifts--half a dozen of these are state-of-the-art, four-seat automatic release and hitch lifts-- and 19 ski lifts. Two innovations of last winter: two and three--seat chair lifts with take off carpets to facilitate the skiers' access to the seats. In all, the carrying capacity is 57,600 people per hour. There are 140 kilometres of runs; almost half of them are equipped with snowmaking facilities, in order to be able to cope with every kind of meteorological and climatic condition. Runs for every taste and ability: one third of the slopes are easy, 62% are runs for average ability, 5% are difficult slopes. For enthusiasts of cross country skiing, 130 kilometres of cleared, controlled trails are available. For beginners there are 300 instructors ready to teach the latest techniques, to accompany the skier along every phase of his learning, from the first steps to competitive skiing. Many of them have been exceptional national and international champions, and they offer their expertise to everyone.


That's all folks ...for now

SPECIAL THANKS TO

  • Chet and Carlolee Lipton who wrote the first part of the text
  • Marco Dibona who wrote the second part of the text
  • Gianni Milani who holds the contacts with Chet and Carolee Lipton
  • Ellesse for the honey-shot pictures and the connections with their sites
  • Stefano Zardini for the landscape picture
  • and Maurizio Dadič for the last picture.