Ski circuit: Grande Guerra

The Grande Guerra Tour can be accessed from Val Gardena and completed in two days (or an intense full-day trip). During World War I, many decisive battles were fought in the Dolomites, and by taking this tour, you'll ski past several historic battlegrounds, crossing three Italian provinces.

The Grande Guerra ski tour will take you through a whopping seven different ski areas. You'll be required to take two twenty-minute taxi rides along the way, and there's even a short stretch where you'll be pulled along by horses! One thing is sure: Completing the Grande Guerra tour will be an unforgettable adventure.

It is possible to complete this tour in two versions: clockwise and counter-clockwise. We highly recommend the counter-clockwise version (red). Throughout your skiing day, follow the RED arrows that state "Giro della Grande Guerra" and "Gebirgsjägertour" (German).

Insider-Tip

If you have time, executing the tour over two consecutive days is a great idea. This will allow you to explore the different skiing areas a little instead of just rushing through them. If you do decide to tackle the Grande Guerra tour over two days and thus have more time, we recommend that you check out these additional slopes/ski areas on the way:

1. The 12 km (7.5 mile) downhill from the top of Marmolada to Malga Ciapela
2. The slopes of 5 Torri and Col Gallina near passo Falzarego
3. The notorious "Gran Risa" world-cup slope in Alta Badia
4. The Zoldo ski area (accessed from Alleghe/Civetta)

Notes

• The Grande Guerra Ski Tour is very long. In order to make it in a single day, you HAVE to be amongst the first people on the slopes - and don't plan on putting in an extended lunch break, either!
• You'll need a Dolomiti Superski-pass for this tour, as you'll pass through multiple ski areas.

We highly recommend that you start the tour from Selva by taking the Ciampinoi lift (#29) as soon as it opens in the morning (8.30 AM). From the top of Ciampinoi, you'll quickly reach Passo Sella, the first of many mountain passes to cross, skiing through Plan de Gralba and the impressive Città Dei Sassi, the "city of boulders". Following the arrows of the Green Sellaronda, descend to Plan Frataces/Lupo Bianco, then take the gondola lift and Sass Bece’ chairlift to cross the Passo Pordoi. Next up: the descent to the town of Arabba.

Once in Arabba, take the DMC Europa lift (#20) and get out at the middle station. Two more chairlifts will take you to the top of Passo Padon, from where you'll be able to marvel at the Marmolada glacier. Then, it's time to tackle the long and scenic descent to Malga Ciapela. Enjoy the ride!

From Malga Ciapela it's a twenty-minute car ride to Alleghe and the Civetta ski area. Public buses can be used, but we highly recommend hiring a private taxi to save considerable time. Plenty of taxi-vans are available, and the ride costs about 5€ per person.

Tip: The adventurous Serrai di Sottoguda canyon represents an alternative route if you are a good backcountry skier. Instead of taking the taxi from Malga Ciapela, turn right a few hundred meters before you reach the valley station of the Marmolada cable car - follow the signs to "Serrai di Sottoguda". Here, a natural slope leads through a narrow canyon for a thrilling descent amongst untouched scenery. From the bottom, you'll still have to take a taxi to Alleghe, but the ride will be shorter. If you plan to include the Serrai di Sottoguda in your Grande Guerra ski tour, make sure that there is plenty of snow on the natural slope - ask the chairlift-operators on the top of Passo Padon (#12/#13), they’ll be able to help you out!

Once you're in Alleghe, crossing the Civetta skiing area is pretty straightforward. A couple of chairlifts will soon get you to Pescul, where you'll have to take the second taxi ride of the ski tour - this time to the Rifugio Fedare at Passo Giau. You will now enter the ski area pertaining to Cortina d'Ampezzo.

Tip: Rifugio Averau features excellent cuisine, but also offers a few rooms for overnight sleeping. If you plan on doing the Grande Guerra tour over two days, we recommend spending the night here! You'll be able to enjoy a sunrise in the Dolomites and be the first on the slopes in the morning. If you want to spend the night in a town, we recommend that you do so in Alleghe.

Your next goal is Passo Falzarego, from where you'll take the Falzarego-Lagazuoi ropeway to one of the most iconic mountains of World War I in Italy. Take some time to enjoy the view from the top here! It's one of the best in the Dolomites.

Once you’ve savored your time on Lagazuoi, it's time to start skiing towards Alta Badia. The 8.5km (5.3 miles) run that takes you there is one of the longest and most breathtaking descents in the entire Dolomiti Superski area!

Tip: If it's no later than 2PM, consider a lunch stop at the Rifugio Scotoni. They offer some of the best grilled meats in the Dolomites and a good wine selection. Advance booking is highly recommended to save time!

At the bottom of the Lagazoi downhill, you'll have reached Sass Dlacia. Now you have to choose:

1. Option one is to have horses pull you on skis all the way to Armentarola (about a mile) – definitely a one-of-a-kind experience! Taking the Armentarola ski lift (#12) from there will allow you to reach the Sorega lift (#11) in San Cassiano.
2. Option number two is to skip the horses and lifts and just get a taxi straight to the Sorega lift. This is the quicker but less adventurous option. Either way will get you to the top of Piz Sorega.

Now in Alta Badia, your next destination will be Corvara, and there are multiple ways to get there. Just follow the directions to Corvara or Sellaronda (green arrows), and ski into town. You're almost there: Only one mountain pass is left until you cross back into ski resort Val Gardena!

From Corvara, keep following the green Sellaronda arrows and take the Borest lift (#34) to Colfosco - then, it's just a couple more lifts to Dantercepies. When you reach the top, you can pat yourself on the back - you made it! From here on, you can take your time. All that's left to do is ski to Selva. From there, you can either keep going until Santa Cristina or Ortisei, or call it a day and take the skibus or call your hotel's shuttle service or a taxi. What a tour!

The Grande Guerra tour is one of the longest and most spectacular ski tours in the world. If you're able to start early and keep a high skiing pace throughout the day, we cannot recommend it highly enough. And if you can dedicate two days to the tour, even better!

Be sure to reward yourself in the evening - you deserve it!