On the slopes of Civetta ski resort

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A glass of wine in a traditional trattoria

Every time we find ourselves in this area of Dolomites, we make stop for a glass of wine at the same place. It is a small restaurant - trattoria, in the village of Mezzocanale. It is called Trattoria da Ninetta.

From the outside it does not look all that special, but there is a very pleasant, local atmosphere waiting for you inside. They offer mostly local dishes for a reasonable price. When you add a glass of good wine you have a winner.

An old fireplace is the main attraction of the place in my opinion. The massive stone fireplace stands in the middle of a cosy seating area. At its side there is a stand with a number of iron tools for poking the fire and keeping it at just the right size to warm up the place.

When we stop at this place and order a glass of Cabernet Franc I always get the feeling my skiing vacation has finally began. It was no different this year.

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Another ski season coming to a close

Even though my friends keep posting photos and videos of their recent ski adventures, spring is definitely coming to town. It might take a while for all that snow to melt high up in the mountains but at lower altitudes spring flowers are already blooming.

Despite of all that, my next few posts are not going to be about spring. Instead they will feature a report from our annual skiing vacation in Italian Dolomites (you can find previous reports if you follow the Dolomites label in the right column).

We enjoyed another great week in the snowy mountains of northern Italy. We had a few sunny days, then clouds rolled in and brought some snow. After that the skies cleared again for a while.

There was more than enough snow - we actually had to skip our last day of skiing due to massive amounts of fresh snow. It was so bad they did not even start the lifts for a couple of days.

Since we obviously were not able to ski throughout the last day, we decided to leave a day early. Well... as it turned out instead of leaving a day early, we left a day and a half later.

The end of our week was marked with constant snowfall. On one particular morning a look out of the bedroom window revealed more than a metre of fresh snow. It has been a long time since I saw people shovelling snow from their rooftops.

You can see a morning photo of my car below. I was driving it the previous evening and yes, it was all clear of snow at that time.

In spite of everything, I can say we were quite lucky compared to thousands of people a few valleys to the north. In addition to heaps of snow, they were stuck in their homes without electricity.

Those snow avalanches can definitely cause a lot of trouble. Although power lines were not broken, avalanches blocked all roads going out of the valley we were staying in. In spite of some army troops helping with clearing the mess, roads were being blocked again as soon as they had managed to clear them.

In addition to all that the weather forecast did not look very promising either - it was more snow for the whole next week.

As luck would have it, during our second day of waiting it stopped snowing and in the afternoon when we were already making plans for the next day of waiting, the information about an open road arrived. In a matter of minutes we got our stuff together and left.

Since the road was almost clear of snow our ride was pretty smooth and uneventful. As we got home to Slovenia we saw the power of nature in another form.
It was sleet, which would cripple half of the country in the following days...

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Mountain hut details from Dolomites

If you are a regular visitor of this blog you have probably noticed I have been raving about these charming mountain huts in Italian Dolomites over the last few posts. Of the things that definitely add up to the charm of these rifugios, various details and decorations are amongst the more obvious.

Obviously these decorations are authentic and usually prepared in just the right style to fit the overall image. There is no place for cheap plastic chairs and tables in an environment like that. Instead products made of local wood can be seen everywhere. It seems traditional wood crafting is still very much alive in the Dolomites area.

I am very glad they are keeping very high standards even when building new such huts in this beautiful environment. I hope they keep it up for ever.

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Val di Zoldo at dusk

This photo fits the two from my previous post perfectly. It was taken from the same spot as the previous two, I just pointed my camera to the east this time. As it is evident from the two post titles the valley has a few similar names: Val di Zoldo, Val Zoldana or simply Valzoldana.

We could enjoy colors like these almost every evening during our stay in the Dolomites just after the sunset. On one of the mornings colors were even more spectacular with surrounding mountains glowing in red. Unfortunately I didn't get to capture the moment on time. Waiting for it to happen again on next few mornings did not help a bit. I should have learned this lesson until now...

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Wordless Wednesday: Val Zoldana by Day and by Night

So, which version of this beautiful Italian mountain valley view do you like better (click on them to admire them in larger resolution)? I just could not choose between the two and decided to post both of them...

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Charming mountain huts on ski slopes

I can hardly imagine snowy white slopes without those charming mountain huts scattered around. I am not the kind to go "skiing" and then spend the whole day sunbathing in a deck chair - quite the opposite actually. I am whooshing around on skis all day usually taking up to three short stops per day to catch my breath and get a snack and something to drink. Nonetheless I would miss those few breaks if did not take them - even more so on cold, windy days.

A mountain hut is simply called rifugio in Italian, but these are often a mix between a ristorante and a rifugio. This does usually not effect their genuine look. Mostly they are made of wood - roof tiles and gutters included, and fit into the surroundings perfectly. In some cases you can actually ski directly up to a bar and order something to warm you up.
In some you can find many local delicacies usually home-made by the staff.

The always cozy atmosphere inside those mountain huts and breathtaking views of the Dolomites can make you quickly forget the cold and simply enjoy every moment of the experience.

On these photos there are of just some of many rifugios scattered around the Civetta ski resort. I did not make it to visit all of them in my all too short week there. Have to save some for another time I guess.

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The end of ski season...

...or is it really?

It has been some time now since we have returned from our skiing week in the Italian Dolomites and I expected for all this snow to give way to spring by now. Winter however has something different in mind since we had some heavy snowfall the other day here in Slovenia. This also means the start of mountaineering higher in the Alps will probably be delayed a bit this year - I guess it might take a while for all this snow to melt.

I believe there is a similar situation in the Dolomites. Even when we were there a month ago, there was lots of snow and now there is well over 2 meters of it at higher altitudes. More then enough for the skiing season to last for a while I guess.

Like every year until now we had a great time in Civetta skiing resort. If you are interested in my previous skiing trips to the region you should look for the Dolomites label.

Weather was great and there was even some fresh snow for us to enjoy. It fell during the night which was pretty convenient. You can hardly beat a right amount of fresh powder in the morning.

I included a few photos taken this year and I think they nicely represent the beauty of the area. There is Mount Pelmo visible on all of them - just like on the one I published last Wednesday (you can check it out here). I hope you like them all.

If you feel a need for skiing after reading this post, you might still get to enjoy some great skiing conditions this season if you hurry up. Enjoy it where ever you might go!

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Wordless Wednesday: Magnificent Monte Pelmo

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Wordless Wednesday: Monte Pelmo in White

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Skiing vacation in Italy

I am back from Italy again! A week in the Italian Dolomites shot by way too fast again (like every time before). This year we had a little bit of sunshine, a bit of snowfall and lots of cold - freezing cold actually.


All week long we were listening to almost apocalyptic news on Italian TV programs. It was all about the Costa Concordia disaster and weather problems throughout the country. Titles like "Italia blocata" were all too common. Actually we got quite lucky with the weather. Dolomites were a part of Italy with surprisingly the nicest weather for all week long.

Also those reports were usually quite exaggerated. By my standards anyway... Italians seem to do this a lot. For instance there was about 2 centimeters (1 inch) of snow in Rome and reports of total chaos were aired on the evening news.
I agree any snowfall is quite unusual in those parts and it can lead to substantial traffic problems, but a couple centimeters of snow during the night is no end of the world in my book. Me being from a place where snow is quite an usual sight every winter also didn't help me understand the "catastrophic proportions" of events.


All of that did not influence our skiing enthusiasm. Despite of a couple of days of snowing and being pretty cold all the time, everything was fine. Mostly it was around -10°C (that is 14°F) or colder.
A few days were really beautiful and sunny but cold nonetheless. Mostly we were skiing in the Civetta ski area. Only for one day we decided to try out some new slopes and drove to Kronplatz, which is supposedly the most modern of the Dolomiti ski areas. That is probably true - almost all of the lifts are new cabins - some even with heated seats. All that is unfortunately a strong magnet for the crowds. Kronplatz gets pretty crowded throughout the whole season.

I did about 50 kilometers (31 miles) of skiing per day - for six days in a row. I must admit there were quite a few warming-up stops every day in many of those charming mountain huts placed just next to the slopes. Mostly they are made of wood - roof tiles and gutters included, and fit into the surroundings perfectly. In some cases you could actually ski directly up to a bar and order something to help you warm up.


All that together with the breathtaking views of the Dolomites can make you quickly forget the cold and simply enjoy every moment of the experience.

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Venetian pizza in Italian Dolomites

Once you see some places they are simply impossible to forget. Venice is definitely one of them.

It is strange how a small thing can trigger memories of such places. The last time this happened to me was just a few weeks ago in a skiing resort deep in Italian Dolomites.
In my case it was a "Tronchetto Pizza" listed in a menu at a cute local trattoria/pizzeria. For those of you who don't know Venice all that well - Tronchetto is an artificial island in the Venetian lagoon and often a starting point for visitors to the city.


The pizza was actually shaped like a gondola and as delicious as it should be. Unfortunately I am not sure this is evident from the above photo. I guess you will just have to take my word for it.

The pizza brought back a lot of memories also because now is the most popular time to visit the city of Venice. It is Carnival time!
It actually officially started just a few days ago. This year (2012) it is scheduled to last from 11th to 21st of February so you can still make it if you hurry up.


I have published some useful advice for first time visitors on this blog before. If you are not interested in a good advice there are also some great photos (like the one above) worth checking out.
You can take a look at When to visit Venice, a post about Traditional Venetian masks, tips on how to do a cheap photo trip to Venice or simply click on the Venice label in the right column to check out everything I posted on this topic before.

Comments are more then welcome!

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Wordless Wednesday: Old-School Fireplace

The photo was taken at a charming traditional inn in Italian Dolomites (Trattoria Mezzo Canale Da Ninetta). Post-processing was done using an Android mobile application. I hope you like it!

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Village of Coi di Zoldo in Italian Dolomites

The Italian Dolomites are not just a skiing destination, there are also many other activities one can enjoy. Hiking and climbing during the summer are just two of them.

As I have been told, tourist accommodation facilities within the main tourist centres are usually sold out for half a year in advance. If you are thinking of making a reservation in the top summer season you should start doing something about it even much earlier.
I suggest you do your homework and look for some useful information before you start your holiday in Italy.


Even if you are not a sports person, there are many opportunities to simply enjoy the nature and local Italian culinary delights.

Among many interesting things to do is also visiting some of the unspoiled little villages just off the beaten path.


In the close vicinity of the town of Zoldo Alto, just 3 kilometres from ski lifts in the centre of Pecol (Civetta ski area), there is an old little village of Coi. It lies at 1494 m on a sunny side of a hill above Val di Zoldo. It is really small and really cute.


Even though most of the buildings are rather old or at least built in traditional style, there is also a hotel where one can stay. I did not have time for a closer look and can't really say if it is any good.
I have also noticed that many traditional barns have been renovated and transformed into fancy holiday retreats. The only thing giving them away are glassed windows. Some of the old ones appeared to still be on sale.

The village offers an opportunity for a nice afternoon walk and a load of details are just shouting for a photo. Here are just two of the many photos I took during a short stroll around (the first one is taken from the top of one of the nearby ski-lifts on the opposite side of the valley and offers an interesting perspective of the village).

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Wordless Wednesday: What's on the menu?

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Passo Giau in Winter

To get from Zoldo Alto, where we were staying for a week, to Cortina d'Ampezzo we had to cross Passo Giau. The trip took us a bit lees then an hour one way. Passo Giau is a mountain pass at 2236 meters above sea level and it offers nice views views on both sides and high mountains surrounding it.


However, to get to the top there are numerous hairpin bends to conquer. Going down the other side on both sides.

You can imagine I just could not resist the temptation of a short photo stop.

I would definitely recommend a stop to anyone. I also suggest you even take a short climb up the hill behind a small parking lot (just past the little chapel).
Views are even better from there.


The second photo was taken just from up there. On the far left side the first few hairpin bends can be seen.

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Wordless Wednesday: Freeride Skiing over Cortina

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A Perfect Week in the Dolomites

We did it again! Another winter skiing vacation in the Italian Dolomites is behind us.

It was a week of a clear blue sky, beautiful vistas and excellent skiing. The sun was shining like crazy and only on the last day we saw a couple of small white clouds somewhere on the horizon.


We stayed at our standard apartment we adopted over the years. Civetta has been the area of our choice for some time now and we are still not tired of it.

Nevertheless each year we go check out another nearby ski area. This year we voted for Cortina d'Ampezzo and tried most of the slopes. Cortina is also called "Queen of Dolomites", but I got an impression that this queen is getting a bit old and many "princesses" in the neighborhood are trying hard to take the crown away from her.


Some facilities already seem a bit out of date and it looks like the old glory has faded a little over the years.
Despite all that we had a great time there. Especially those slopes at higher altitudes are truly stunning.

The two photos published in this post are from Civetta ski area.

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From Marmolada to La Villa and back

On one of the seven days in Dolomiti when weather forecast looked the most promising, we decided to do a skiing tour from Marmolada to La Villa and back.

Such a trip takes a whole day and we would be most unfortunate to get stuck in the wrong valley, away from our car, when all the ski lifts stop operating. No such thing happened and we had a really nice trip full of spectacular vistas. Sunny weather also helped us to enjoy the day even more.


We started in Malga Ciapela where we took a cableway to the top of Marmolada. It is also known as The Queen of the Dolomites. With 3.342 meters it is the highest mountain in the Dolomites. Just the cableway ride itself is a breathtaking experience but when you get to the top it seems like someone has put all of the surrounding mountains on a tray before you. That view really is stunning!


From there we went over hills through Arabba to La Villa and back via Corvara and again Arabba to Malga Ciapela.
When we got to La Villa we just had to try the Gran Risa slope where one of the Giant slalom World cup races are held every year. I must say it is quite steep and very long.


When we returned back to our starting point there was just enough time to take another ride with the cableway to the top of Marmolada. This time we skied all of the 12 kilometers down in one piece. My thighs were really pleased when we reached the end of the last slope.
I must say it was quite a ride!

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Made it back from the Dolomites

We went skiing to Civetta again. I guess it is becoming sort of a tradition, since we have been there for the sixth winter in a row.

We just never seem to get tired of going there. The vistas of the Italian Dolomites are simply stunning.


Apart from lots of skiing, eating and drinking, nothing special happened there. Well on another thought - it would really be a shock if we would not have done all of those things.

When I packed my bags I used this check list I prepared some time ago. It is still quite handy.

For the last couple of years I have been posting a summary of my skiing report from the official Dolomiti Superski web page at the end of each year's trip. Unfortunately this year it is unavailable due to some issues regarding disclosure of personal information. They are supposedly getting some 40 complaints over email every day but it does not really seem to help all that much.
This is a classical example of a bad outcome when some people are too concerned about personal data. On the other hand we are monitored by I don't know how many surveillance cameras every day and tracking our mobile phones is also not too hard to imagine. Well, sadly that is supposed to be OK I guess...


If I had to guess I would say we made at least as many kilometers on skis as the last year. If you are curious how my last year's skiing summary looks like, you can check it out on this link.

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Wordless Wednesday: Italian Dolomites

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Ski performance - Civetta 2008

Every time I went skiing to Dolomites I have posted my ski performance stats from the official Dolomiti Superski site.

I can't see why should it be any different this time.


However there is one inaccuracy in that summary. Something is missing in the "Present season until yesterday" item. It's the 145 kilometers of slopes we did in December in Trevalli that's missing. You can check out that report here.

On the list of slopes we did this year there is also Gran Risa. This is the place of Alta Badia FIS Alpine Ski World Cup giant slalom race.


5+1 ski ticket allows you to go anywhere you want inside the wast Dolomiti Superski area for a day. This year we visited La Villa for the first time.

I must say Gran Risa slope is really something. It is quite steep but you can find many steeper slopes in the neighborhood. The combination of the steepness and length of this slope is what's really impressive. It just goes on and on...
If you do it in one piece and relatively fast I am sure you too will feel the pressure in your eardrums building up and your thighs should be burning quite nicely when you reach the end (that's if you're not the Terminator). Apart from that a sweaty drop or two should also come dripping from under your helmet.

It is something you should definitely try. Only then you can start to understand what those World Cup participants are doing on daily basis.

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Elan S10

For as long as I can remember I have been using Elan skis. I guess it's because Elan is a Slovenian trademark and they are also making really good skis.
They are working on innovations all the time for others to copy afterwards. They say Elan was the first company to introduce carve approach. Now everybody is doing it.


Skis of my choice for the last couple of seasons have been Elan S10 Fusion.
Even though it wasn't cheap I am very satisfied with the purchase. With them I can easily enjoy throughout a whole day of skiing without getting my legs too tired.

Despite of that I think next time I'll choose just a bit stiffer model. Stiffer skis make you work harder but at the same time offer better grip on hard and icy surfaces.

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