Freeride skiing in the Alta Badia, Dolomites

A brief introduction to seven freeride itineraries in Alta Badia, Dolomites, by Mountain Guide Francesco Tremolada.

Francesco Tremolada

December 2010

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Valscura - Sassongher

Francesco Tremolada

Seven freeride routes in Alta Badia. Five have been published in the guidebook “Freeride in Dolomiti” by Francesco Tremolada, while the final two are new and therefore a great starting point for a beautiful week skiing in the heart of the Italian Dolomites.

Route	Difficulty	Altitude	Beauty
Val Chedul	Easy	+250m / 850m
A ski mountaineering round trip, easy and frequented both for the beauty of its environment and its views, as well as for its ease of access and return using the lifts.
Forcella de Ciampei	Medium	+400m / 750m
An interesting ski mountaineering traverse, less frequented than Val Chedul, with an easy couloir (val Culea) which allows you to enter the upper section of Vallunga. Even in this case the return is easy using the Sellaronda lifts.
Valscura - Sassongher	Very difficult	+550m / 1000m
A perfectly aesthetic couloir which goes straight down carving out the walls of Sasshonger: if you look at it from the front it seems almost too narrow and vertical to ski down. In reality this fascinating “line” is a steep and difficult descent, but never extreme. The difficult ascent and the abseil, almost always needed, require mountaineering experience.
Prati di Camera	Very easy	+60m / -600m
Prati di Camera is an easy itinerary in a wonderful environment that often offers great snow and is ideal for anyone who is beginning to ski off-piste.
Forcella Salares	Medium	+10m / -700m
As you descend down into Val Badia along the Passo Valparola road you cannot but notice the beautiful line of forcella Salare’s southern couloir (otherwise known as forcella Stores).
Sass d’lacia – West Gully	Medium	+35m / -700m
An interesting descent down the gully and slope clearly visible to the right of the West Face of Sass d’lacia. The descent is reached via the Lagazuoi piste and a short ascent close to the ridge between the Salares col and Sass d’lacia.
Piccolo Lagazuoi Couloir Forte Tre Sassi	Very difficult	+35m / -650m
A beautiful, steep and demanding gully which is surprisingly skiable and cuts down the West Face of Piccolo Lagazuoi, to the left of the Trapezio and directly down to Forte Tre Sassi.

For further information check out:
Tourist Office Alta Badia: www.altabadia.org
Alta Badia mountain guides, Corvara: www.altabadiaguides.com
Francesco Tremolada website: www.proguide.it

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