The famous ski circuit that is the hallmark of the Dolomiti Superski consortium, the Sellaronda, is scheduled to open on Saturday, December 3. Although the season started early in the Dolomites with the first slopes opening back in November, in the case of the Sellaronda the wait is slightly longer. Snowfalls down to the valley floor and cold temperatures made it possible to start the snowmaking systems across the ski areas ahead of schedule.
The Sellaronda features four mountain passes linked to one another by ski slopes climbing up and descending into the valleys of the Dolomites. The passes are:
- Passo Sella connects Val di Fassa and Val Gardena (altitude 2,240 m);
- Passo Pordoi connects Val di Fassa and Val di Livinallongo del Col di Lana (altitude 2,239 m);
- Passo Campolongo connects Val di Livinallongo del Col di Lana and Val Badia (altitude 1,875 m);
- Finally, Passo Gardena connects Val Badia and Val Gardena (altitude 2,121 m).
By following this route, skiers cross three different provinces (Trento, Bolzano, and Belluno) and two regions: Trentino Alto Adige and Veneto. This ski tour delivers an incredible experience above all for its scenery—it is no coincidence that it is considered one of the most beautiful and spectacular ski circuits in the world. Its slopes also host the Sellaronda Skimarathon, a much-loved night ski mountaineering race.
The distinctive feature of the Sellaronda is that its circuit can be skied either clockwise or counterclockwise, starting from any of the four valleys. The final choice is therefore entirely up to each skier, in complete freedom and according to personal preference. If you decide to follow the clockwise route, simply follow the orange signs along the way, whereas for the counterclockwise route the color to follow is green.
The circuit covers a total distance of 40 km, including around 26 km of ski slopes suitable for intermediate skiers.
Lift openings: open clockwise only on Saturday, December 3
Despite the major snowmaking effort, the Sella Ronda opens this Saturday in the clockwise direction only; for the 4-pass circuit to be open in both directions, skiers will have to wait until the Immaculate Conception long weekend.
If you are unfamiliar with the SellaRonda and would like a preview of the views offered by this ski-in, ski-out tour in the Dolomites, we recommend visiting the Google Ski Maps Sella Ronda Dolomites page, while for information on lift pass prices we recommend visiting the official website dolomitisuperski.com
photo credits: © www.wisthaler.com and dolomitisuperski.com
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