Sass Pordoï : The Best Ski Lift in the Dolomites...?

Right in the heart of the Dolomites, on the southern side of the Sella Massif, lies a truly extraordinary ski lift which is home to these 5 epic ski lines.

Charlie Boscoe

Images

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The Stunning Sella Plateau

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A Narrow Section

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Heading down into the Val Pisciadu

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The Resort Far Below

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The Top of the Val Setus

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Leaving the Rifuge Boe And The Crowds Behind

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The Final Skin To The Entry Into The Couloir

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From Whence We Came

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Tight Turns

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Time To Go

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First Turns Into the Val Pisciadu

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Dropping In Dolomite Style

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The Couloir Widens As It Progresses

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On Top of the World

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On the way across the plateau to the drop in.

by Charlie Boscoe

Creative Commons: Attribution
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Skiing away from the gondola and into the wilds.

by Charlie Boscoe

Creative Commons: Attribution
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Looking down on the line from the top of the cable car.

by Charlie Boscoe

Licence Free

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Looking across to the Sassolungo Massif from Piz Boé

by Marcello Cominetti

Creative Commons: No Derivatives
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Piz Boé seen from the east.

by Marcello Cominetti

Creative Commons: No Derivatives

Description

There's not much to dislike about skiing in the Dolomites - the lift network is huge, the scenery is grandiose and the ski lines themselves are pretty mind-blowing too. As if all that wasn't enough, the mountains are littered with lovely mountain huts and restaurants serving the World's best coffee, pizza and pasta!

Despite all this, the resorts of the Dolomites remain quieter - for some unknown reason - than many of the famous ski areas in France and Switzerland. Solitude is easier to find in this corner of the Italy than it is in most parts of the Alps, and it's all but guaranteed on most of the lines contained in this guidebook. The routes outlined here are all high, wild and exciting lines which feel "out there" as soon as you start on them. The routes all begin from the top of the Sass Pordoï cable car, part of the vast SuperSki Dolomiti resort which can be accessed from several towns.

2 of the routes in this guidebook are freeride lines, requiring zero uphill on your part, and the 3 ski tours described are about as short (in terms of ascent) as ski tours get - the effort:reward ratio is superb on both! As such, it's perfectly possible to ski all of these lines in the course of a weekend, and combine them with some other off piste skiing or just a bit of blasting around the legendary SuperSki Dolomiti pistes.

Adventures

Val Lesties

One of the most famous ski descents in the Dolomites with epic scenery throughout.

Mezdi Valley

A true Dolomites classic with a short approach and some atmospheric skiing.

Piz Boë

An iconic peak followed by a long and varied descent.