 Poster: A snowHead
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@surferrosa, its far cheaper to hire a car for the week than use a taxi.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| stellaps wrote: |
| @jimmybog, How long is the train journey? I need to look into this! |
1hr 30 mins roughly on the fast Frecciarosa train. Local regional trains are slower as they stop at most stations. You can buy a combined train and bus ticket that covers the bus between the station and airport. Booked it on the Trenitalia site.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| captainslow wrote: |
| @surferrosa, its far cheaper to hire a car for the week than use a taxi. |
Is renting chains a must and how probable (how long’s a piece of string  ) is it that they’ll be required Venice to Colfosco?
I’m assuming that winter tyres are non-existent at Venice Marco Polo.
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Chains are compulsory i think until around April, so the car hires provide them. On my last trip what i had in the boot looked like snow socks. However, the offered me snow tyres for extra 300e for 7 days (car hire cost was 100e). I was a bit worried but didn't really need either. There are places where closer to Colfosco you will be on a higher attitude so the temperature can be much lower.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I recently got Winter tyres easy enough at Marco Polo @Snow&skifan. booked in advance (and paid a lot more) but was also offered them as an upgrade on another recent trip.
Usually very unlikely to need them in Italy in general, and you often find in these kind of trips you're on a main road most of the journey then turn off for the last bit to resort.
The last while and next while a lot of snow so often easier to have then, but even at that the snowline can be higher than any road you're going over.
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| 8611 wrote: |
I recently got Winter tyres easy enough at Marco Polo @Snow&skifan. booked in advance (and paid a lot more) but was also offered them as an upgrade on another recent trip.
Usually very unlikely to need them in Italy in general, and you often find in these kind of trips you're on a main road most of the journey then turn off for the last bit to resort.
The last while and next while a lot of snow so often easier to have then, but even at that the snowline can be higher than any road you're going over. |
If you don’t mind answering, how much was the “paid a lot more” supplement, please?
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@Snow&skifan, I had a Jeep Compass 4x4 with winter tyres in January from Sicily by Car from VCE, and paid €208 for 7 days, I booked directly on their website, I couldn’t find winter tyres on Rentalcars etc sites. It took 2.5 hours VCE to Alba Di Canazei.
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Is renting chains a must and how probable (how long’s a piece of string Smile ) is it that they’ll be required Venice to Colfosco?
yes, its a legal requirement. The car hire companies at venice ask where you are going and provide chains. winter tyres are normally an extra or not available. I havent needed winter tyres on the last few trips, the dolomite roads are normally clear. Right now (this week) its dumping with snow and travel might be difficult. Its about 2.5 hours, and I think either 8 or 16 eur in road tolls.
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| captainslow wrote: |
Is renting chains a must and how probable (how long’s a piece of string Smile ) is it that they’ll be required Venice to Colfosco?
yes, its a legal requirement. The car hire companies at venice ask where you are going and provide chains. winter tyres are normally an extra or not available. I havent needed winter tyres on the last few trips, the dolomite roads are normally clear. Right now (this week) its dumping with snow and travel might be difficult. Its about 2.5 hours, and I think either 8 or 16 eur in road tolls. |
Are you sure? They certainly can be required, but are not always required per Autostrade d'Italia. Winter tires are required. I've never had them, nor needed them. That said, right now they probably are.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Snow&skifan, I think I paid €208 and the cheapest car was probably otherwise €40, but it was literally the most expensive car they (Hertz) had (Q5). At one point it looked like I had to leave at 5 am on way back and go over passes so it was worth
As it happens notwithstanding dumpage the day before I made it over the San Pellegrino pass (2000m) no problem and only needed the upgrade the last few km or two above Canazei on a back road to get to the lodge
Wonderfully while I'm driving those last few hairpins in my Q5 feeling very smug I notice something in my side mirror and the most quintessential Italian granny complete with permed hair and a fag in her mouth V-E-R-Y S-L-O-W-L-Y passed me out at her max revs in a battered old cinquecento which emphatically did not have winter tyres
It was hilarious, felt like such a tourist!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Thanks everyone for the info and the very typical local driver story 
On the Col du Lautaret about 10 years ago in a blizzard at night, heading east, we were tailgated by two loons in (probably) basic Renaults. I let them pass. They seemed to be racing each other, driving blind round hairpins as they descended trying to squeeze past each other.
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| Scooter in Seattle wrote: |
| captainslow wrote: |
Is renting chains a must and how probable (how long’s a piece of string Smile ) is it that they’ll be required Venice to Colfosco?
yes, its a legal requirement. The car hire companies at venice ask where you are going and provide chains. winter tyres are normally an extra or not available. I havent needed winter tyres on the last few trips, the dolomite roads are normally clear. Right now (this week) its dumping with snow and travel might be difficult. Its about 2.5 hours, and I think either 8 or 16 eur in road tolls. |
Are you sure? They certainly can be required, but are not always required per Autostrade d'Italia. Winter tires are required. I've never had them, nor needed them. That said, right now they probably are. |
From my link above - it's either/or.
"Winter tires are generally not mandatory in Italy. But if there is a specific road sign (decided by a special decree) showing the text: «obbligo di pneumatici invernali o catene a bordo», the vehicle has to be equipped with snow chains or winter tires during the period shown on the road sign (usually from 15th November to 15th April)."
So it's cheaper for the car hire companies to provide chains than to equip their cars with winter tyres.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Scamper, got it, thanks, and that's consistent with what I saw. And they're right: I'm on winter tires right now and they're going to die at around 15k miles. AS would've gone at least twice as far.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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The sun is out for the first time this week, the mountains look incredible.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Scamper, yes, its either chains or winter tyres after the signs.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Snow&skifan, nice! I suppose if you've skied all week in the cloud and snow, you won't have seen the mountains in their true magnificence.
How's the piste? How's the conditions at low altitude? How's the crowds?
I've booked a late trip out next week, going by hotel availability, it seems like it will be busy.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| sean1967 wrote: |
@Snow&skifan, nice! I suppose if you've skied all week in the cloud and snow, you won't have seen the mountains in their true magnificence.
How's the piste? How's the conditions at low altitude? How's the crowds?
I've booked a late trip out next week, going by hotel availability, it seems like it will be busy. |
Hi. I definitely did the right thing in starting early, rammed pistes and every slightly steeper pitch of Selva runs had already become soft moguls. I’m skiing Sella Ronda green route from Corvara, just passed Passo Sella. Big lift queues.
Loving the challenge and skiing.
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Did a similar drop into selva but once off the sella ronda routes was much quieter. Did the pistes above plan de gralba and then dropped down to monte pana. Lovely pistes and reasonably quiet.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Probably isn't helping that according to the signs the orange route is shut Arabba to Val di fassa so everyone who wants to do a sella ronda today is going green.
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Just completed the green route, now having an ice cold beer outside Hotel Arkadia.
Arabba Fly and Arabba Monte Burz both had huge queues … after I worked out the topography I wondered if it would’ve been quicker to walk from Fly to Monte Burz?
You have to laugh about humanity, chuckling with strangers about the chaos. Skis were literally on top of others, strategic use of elbows, staking territory with spaced out sticks and to cap it all several women skied off the mini precipice as Arabba Fly was meant to be whizzing them up the mountain.
Run 1 back to Corvara = carnage. 2.5km of huge soft moguls and narrow valleys, week 2 skiers and boarders going through hell.
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| wam15 wrote: |
| Probably isn't helping that according to the signs the orange route is shut Arabba to Val di fassa so everyone who wants to do a sella ronda today is going green. |
That’s exactly what I thought, perhaps doubling the anti-clockwise users.
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Pretty crappy weather in Madonna di Campiglio still. Overcast with occasional light rain / snow and cloud hanging on the high peaks. There's also a faint Saharan dust layer which has appeared since yesterday.
Still, no thick fog so it could be worse!
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All good fun, long queues, slush, crowds, took from 9am until to 5pm to do hidden valley from Val Gardena, with no coffee or lunch stop's, now on four beers on an empty stomach, what could go wrong ??!!!
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A quick question for you. Are the horses still running from the end of the hidden valley run?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Scooter in Seattle, @JHS, @albob, thanks for the replies earlier. It's safe to say that I'm convinced – just booked Corvara for w/c March 16th. Can't wait!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| olderscot wrote: |
| A quick question for you. Are the horses still running from the end of the hidden valley run? |
Yes - 3 euros ? (well they were earlier in the year)
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Slush? Ah ffs, here was me thinking it would be bonanza.
In fairness, it was warned
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You know it makes sense.
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| Thunderer21 wrote: |
| All good fun, long queues, slush, crowds, took from 9am until to 5pm to do hidden valley from Val Gardena, with no coffee or lunch stop's, now on four beers on an empty stomach, what could go wrong ??!!! |
| 8611 wrote: |
Slush? Ah ffs, here was me thinking it would be bonanza.
In fairness, it was warned |
@8611, @Thunderer21, the busy piste we can attribute to it being a busy week and only the green SellaRonda being open. Next week should be quieter and the following week quieter still. However the slush is most concerning indeed.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Looks to be colder next week, I think, so hopefully that will help. I think from previous posts this year if the freeze thaw cycle actually takes place (i.e., it gets below freezing at night) piste quality improves. This hasn't happened a good bit this season as its even remained above zero overnight on a lot of pistes. Skied Tonale at the start of Feb and it was like this and even by 11 in the morning, if not before everything was super soft.
I'm skiing with kids in 3.5 weeks in Passo San Pellegrino but to be honest they don't mind slush. Small bit concerned about a lot of the resort being South facing though.
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Poster: A snowHead
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+2c and light rain in Corvara town. On my way to ski piste 1, want to give it a go before the nervous turn it in heaps and valleys.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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And snowing fairly heavily at the top of Piz Boe.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Snowline about 1600m in Folgarida / Madonna di Campiglio this morning. Moderate rain below.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Colfosco’s snow is holding up well. I keep skiing the entire run 40, it’s a beauty right now, the nervous hordes are only just arriving on slope.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I called it a week at midday, that was my plan, slush below 1,900m, crowds and persistent light rain.
But what a brilliant introduction to the Dolomites, we’ll back next winter.
One question, would there be much of a difference in crowds between the last week of Jan versus the first week of Feb? The SH’s 2024/25 schools holiday calendar only shows one German state and Danish uni’s on holiday on that second week. But on this trip an eye opener has been the number of folk from across Europe now pulling their kids from school, perhaps making once quiet Januarys a thing of the past.
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It was not that quiet this January but I think I have a bias idea of what's normal?
We managed to get out January 2022 after the covid restrictions and it really was deserted on a lot of runs and I am now comparing it to then?
Thinking further back there were always bottlenecks at certain places and times of the day.
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| Quote: |
Colfosco’s snow is holding up well. I keep skiing the entire run 40, it’s a beauty right now, the nervous hordes are only just arriving on slope.
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That's interesting. I thought at first you were talking about the red 50 up by edelweiss, but it's great if 40 is skiing nicely too. That was always a bit hard and icy in places in normal conditions so great if its a nice ski at the moment. I'm heading out again on Sunday for a short break so looking forward to giving it a try.
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@Snow&skifan, I was there 19th Jan to 10th Feb this year and they were not overly busy.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Snow&skifan, also the view is the further you get away from the Sella Ronda the quieter it is. There are lots of little valleys off in branches elsewhere that most of us have barely heard of.
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| olderscot wrote: |
| Quote: |
Colfosco’s snow is holding up well. I keep skiing the entire run 40, it’s a beauty right now, the nervous hordes are only just arriving on slope.
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That's interesting. I thought at first you were talking about the red 50 up by edelweiss, but it's great if 40 is skiing nicely too. That was always a bit hard and icy in places in normal conditions so great if its a nice ski at the moment. I'm heading out again on Sunday for a short break so looking forward to giving it a try. |
By 11:30 the pinch point on Edelweiss down to the bridge was a warm churned up mess imho. The bottom half of 40 still decent.
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