Bormio
Bormio is traditionally the Italian resort that European skiers went to in the
old days.
It went off the boil after the 1985 World Championships, but with extended
snowmaking there seems to be a revival of interest in this medieval spa town,
which is part old world and part charm-less suburb.
Bormio's lift ticket also covers two other traditional favorites, Santa Caterins
and Livigno, as well as Valdisotto and and Valdidentro.
The skiing, which strangely boasts 20 Lifts but only 19 runs, is ideal for
families and intermediates extensive, but not very difficult, with a significant
vertical drop of 1,785m (the longest run, Cima Bianca, a blue, is almost 15km).
A two-stage cable car takes skiers to the slopes of Monte Vallecetta (3,009m)
From here there are several options down to Bormio 2000.
Cervinia
Most skiers know Cervinia as a day excursion across the Swiss border from
Zermatt, but it is a destination resort in its own right, with good,
uncomplicated high altitude cruising, and mountain restaurants serving appetizing
if pricey fare.
Cervinia also has good views of the "wrong" side of the Matterhorn.
Once known as Breuil, traditionally Zermatt's rival as a climbing center, it was
revamped by Mussolini, taking its new name from Mont Cervin, the alternative
name for the Matterhorn.
According to The Good Skiing Guide, Cervinia was "once the showpiece of
Italian ski resorts, a gleaming contemporary development where cable cars swept
skiers to unprecedented heights and Italy's elite flocked to enjoy the novelty.
Then they moved on, while Cervinia's lift system lapsed into disrepair."
There are signs of a comeback. The resort has been given a facelift, and a huge
new cable-car was recently installed carrying 140 skiers to Plateau Rosa, the
summer skiing area and link with Zermatt. (The links are not always open and can
be very cold.)
From Plateau Rosa the main run down is the celebrated Ventina, a 8km descent
which the whole family can ski.
Cortina d'Ampezzo
Cortina d'Ampezzo is a selfindulgent ski resort like Zermatt, Kitzbühel, Megeve
or Aspen where you can pamper yourself without ever needing to go near a pair of
skis. That is reflected on the mountain: even when Cortina is packed with winter
tourists, parading down the Corso Italia precinct in their fur coats and
jewellery, there are rarely (unlike Zermatt and Kitzbühel) queues on the
slopes.
With wonderful scenery, a cosmopolitan and picturesque town centre and excellent
skiing for beginners and intermediates, it is a true international winter sports
resort although since hosting the 1956 Winter Olympics it has not been at the
forefront of international skiing.
There is one more similarity with Zermatt: the skiing (up to almost 3,050m) is
spread out in three dffferent areas in the mountains, and travelling between
them all is inconvenient. It is best to stay in one or another, although you can
at least get from Faloria, one of the most popular family areas, to Staunies
(good steep skiing above Monte Cristallo) on skis.
The nearest area to the town centre is Tofana/Socrepes. The third section of the
cable car does not reach the ski slopes but provides a haven for sightseers and
sunbathers.
Cortina is close to but not fully linked with the Sella Ronda circuit of ski
areas which makes an enjoyable and extremely scenic daylong tour. The link can
be made via one of Cortina's small satellites, Passo Falzarego, along a 11km red
run down to Armentarola near San Cassiano.
Courmayeur
For some skiers, Courmayeur is a delightful bijou resort with fun skiing and
temptingly good mountain restaurants. For others the attraction is the challenge
of the Italian side of Mont Blanc.
Courmayeur, with a climbing history inextricably entwined with that of Chamonix,
combines both images successfully. The main route to Courmayeur's skiing is in
the resort's giant cable car to Plan Checrouit (1,706m) where skis and boots can
be stored.
The short but challenging Checrouit runs - in a sizeable bowl - form the heart
of Courmayeur's skiing. That area links with Val Veny, where the wooded,
north-facing slopes tend to hold their snow better, and the runs are longer and
more challenging. Another area, Cresta d'Arp has some good off-piste.
This is good practice for Courmayeur's real challenge, the elderly three-stage
cable cars that take you from outlying Entreves to Punta Helbronner (3,450m).
From here there are dramatic views around the Mont Blanc massif and all kinds of
exciting options, all of which require the services of a guide.
The obvious descent is the Italian version of the Vallee Blanche, returning by
bus from Chamonix.
The Toula Glacier back to Entreves is another popular itinerary, and there are
several steep chutes and gulleys below the cablecar.
Selva
Selva, also known as Wolkenstein, is the best known resort in an area of the
Dolomites which has had something of a split personality ever since it became
embroiled in bitter fighting when Italy entered the war against Austria in 1915,
splitting the Tyrol.
Towns that were part of the Austrian sud-Tyrol, acquired two names - one
Italian, one German.
Today, with its man-made snow system, Selva, in the Val Gardena, features early
in the World Cup circuit.
It is more famous, however, as the starting point in the Sella Ronda.
This is a gentle, enjoyable jaunt on skis through or around as many as a dozen
resorts in the four valleys surrounding the Gruppo Sella, a huge mountain
surrounded by ancient pass routes linking dozens of old villages.
The tour provides a scenic day out rather than a skiing challenge.
The limestone Dolomites differ from the Alps: the monoliths tower above the ski
fields, turning a dramatic shade of pink as the sun begins to set.
Selva is also part of the vast Dolomiti Superski region which covers 38 resorts
served by 464 lifts, all of which can be used on one lift pass.
Most of the skiing traverses the contours of the Dolomites, but a few severe
runs take a more vertical path and should only be skied with a guide.
