Corvara Is In The Centre of the Alta Badia Ski Area
Known for its excellent cuisine and beautiful pistes, connecting Corvara and Colfosco.
Link to Interactive Ski Map
From Corvara, you can ski directly to other villages within the Alta Badia region such as Colfosco, San Cassiano, and La Villa, or you can access the Sella Ronda circuit to ski to Arabba, Val Gardena (Selva), and other Val di Fassa villages. The Dolomiti Superski pass also provides access to deeper into Cortina and other interconnected or nearby areas, offering a vast network of slopes.
Within the Alta Badia Ski Area
Colfosco: A neighboring village in Alta Badia, easily accessible from Corvara.
San Cassiano and La Villa: These villages are also connected to Corvara’s local slopes, forming a large, scenic area of mostly easy-to-intermediate skiing.
Via the Sella Ronda Circuit
Arabba:
You can reach Arabba by skiing the Sella Ronda circuit from Corvara, which offers more challenging slopes than the local Alta Badia areas.
Val Gardena (Selva):
The Sella Ronda also connects Corvara to Val Gardena, a well-known area with steeper skiing options.
Val di Fassa:
You can also ski into Val di Fassa, a broader region that includes towns like Canazei, from Corvara via the Sella Ronda.
Other Dolomiti Superski Destinations
Cortina: The Dolomiti Superski pass allows access to Cortina, including the Grande Guerra (Great War) circuit, although this may involve ski buses or additional transfers for some routes.
Marmolada Glacier: A more advanced ski destination that can be accessed from Corvara.
How to Choose Your Route
For gentler, local skiing:
Stick to the well-groomed slopes within Alta Badia itself, which are great for beginners and intermediates.
For challenging skiing and a longer tour:
Take the Sella Ronda circuit to experience a wider variety of terrain and connect to other major ski areas.
For maximum variety:
Utilize your Dolomiti Superski pass to explore deeper into the other interconnected resorts or even visit areas like Cortina for the day.
Corvara offers fantastic cruising for intermediates on wide blues like #8 Capanna Nera, great progression from nursery slopes near Colfosco, and challenging black runs like Vallon (near Corvara) and the famous Gran Risa (La Villa) for experts, plus easy access to the entire Sella Ronda circuit, making it a diverse ski destination within the vast Dolomiti Superski area.
For Beginners & Learners:
- Nursery Slopes: Excellent beginner areas are found in Corvara village and near Colfosco, perfect for starting out.
- Progression Blues: Head towards Colfosco (via Borest lift) for long, gentle blue runs like those near the Braia Fraida and Vizza lifts.
For Intermediate Cruisers:
- Alta Badia Plateau: The area between Corvara and San Cassiano is an intermediate’s paradise, with wide, well-groomed blue and red runs.
- Pralongià Plateau: Offers stunning views and fantastic long, easy slopes (blue #13).
- Sella Ronda: Join this famous circuit from Corvara (clockwise or anti-clockwise) for a full day of varied skiing on blue and red runs.
For Advanced Skiers:
- Vallon (Corvara): A spectacular black run from the Vallon chair, offering a challenging descent in a rocky amphitheater, which turns into a red Boe run.
- Gran Risa (La Villa): A World Cup Giant Slalom course, this is a legendary and challenging descent for experts.
- Arabba: For steeper red and black runs, head towards the neighboring Arabba area, notes Snow-wise.
Scenic & Special Runs:
- Edelweiss Valley: A beautiful diversion from the Sella Ronda towards Colfosco.
- Lagazuoi Skitour: A longer itinerary connecting to the Cortina ski area, ending with a unique horse-drawn sleigh ride.
There is a bus at 9.00 which takes 10 minutes to get to the Col Alto lift. To walk the 900 metres suggests is 15 minutes but that is with ski boots.
Interactive Map of Corvara Area
If you click this link through you will see a button for
Blue Slopes Red Slopes and Black Slopes
If you click Black slopes it will only show the Blue and Red Slopes
It does not look like they have greens in Italy.
Sunday 15th Proposal
Blue No 8 – Capanna Nera Run
We take the Col Alto lift from the centre of Corvara. From there we warm up on the Blues.
If you click on a ski lift which are in Yellow it gives you more details. Arlara – 4 seat chairlift. There are a few reds.
If you zoom in on a piste and it has an X then it is closed. I have read that that the Italians do not find it very amusing if you go down a closed piste and express that by fining you if you get caught.
Green ticks appear if you zoom in.
Corvara Skiing
The skiing above Corvara can be divided into four main areas:
the route up to the Passo Gardena and over to the Val Gardena
>> see Corvara – Selva Skiing
the route over to Arabba via the Passo Campolongo
>> see Corvara – Arabba Skiing
the large area above Corvara between the Passo Campolongo and San Cassiano
>> see San Cassiano – Campolongo Skiing
the lower valley runs above La Villa and Badia (Pedraces)
>> see Alta Badia Skiing
Corvara to Selva
This is part of the anti-clockwise route around the Sella Ronda, but those rushing to tick off the circuit will miss a pleasant diversion into the Edelweiss valley above the hamlet of Colfosco.
The initial lift out of Corvara is the flattish Borest chairlift which acts as a connecting link in both directions, followed by the Sodlisia chairlift. From here the Plans and Frara gondolas head up to a restaurant and the final Val Setus chairlift before the border of the local lift pass is reached. From here it is possible to ski to the small settlement at the Passo Gardena (Grödner Joch) and take a long run down along the side of the road underneath the lifts which have just been used.
Another chairlift – the “Cir” – is needed to get up to the top of the Dantercepies gondola and the ski runs down to Selva.
The skiing to the back of Colfosco is reached by means of the Colfosco gondola which accesses a small and easy draglift as well as a pleasant red run off the Forcelles chairlift. On a good day, there is a good view from the top of this lift into the Sella Group on the other side of the valley and, more specifically for good skiers, the end of the famed Val Mezdi ski route which starts on the other side of the plateau and ends up in the valley below you.
Corvara to Arabba Ski Runs
The route from Corvara to Arabba is part of the clockwise route around the Sella Ronda. The quickest and easiest way – which is described on this page – can also be extended somewhat by taking advantage of some of the interesting runs on the eastern side of the Passo Campolongo if time is not a factor.
The single route out of Corvara is via the Boè gondola which rises to 2000m in altitude. From here there is a lengthy red back down to the village or the option of taking an easyish but sometimes crowded black run from the top of the Vallon chairlift.
Those heading directly for Arabba will want to take the red run directly down to Passo Campolongo. From the tiny settlement on the road there is a choice of heading up into the extensive ski area on the other side via one of the Cherz chairlifts, or of taking the link through to the Bec de Roces on the Campolongo chairlift (a Dolomiti Superski pass is necessary to use this lift as it is part of the neighbouring Arabba area).
This whole area has an extremely attractive “out-of-the-way” feel to it and, while the skiing is not to extensive, it is nonetheless a collection of pleasant red runs with some beautiful scenery.
The return to La Villa is once again via the Pradüc chairlift and up the newer Sponata chairlift. From the top it is possible to ski into La Villa and cross the road to the bottom of the Piz La Ila gondola.
Passo Campolongo to San Cassiano
This is the “main” ski area above Corvara which links in to Passo Campolongo, San Cassiano and La Villa.
Since this large area of intermediate-level skiing can be accessed in so many places, this description starts at the southern end from where the Corvara – Arabba skiing page finishes.
Having taken the Boè gondola out of Corvara and the red run down to Passo Campolongo, the Cherz chairlifts on the other side of the road provide access to the blue and red runs back down to the road, or via a blue run to the Masarei chairlift. This rises to the Pralongia area, with a restaurant and scenic views of the Dolomites in all directions.
There are plenty of options here, but one of the nicest is the easy blue run all the way from Pralongia at 2140m to the base of the gondola at 1537m in San Cassiano (St Kassian in German). From the top here there are a variety of lifts.
Skiing down the side of the La Fraina chairlift in the dip to the right will lead to the bottom of the Bamby chairlift and the ride up to Piz La Villa (and the start of the long black and red runs down to the village of La Villa). An alternative is to carry on down the valley to the base of the short La Rüa chairlift which provides access either to the Piz La Ila gondola back up the mountain, or down the Badia valley (covered in the Alta Badia skiing page).
Rising in the gondola, there is a clear view of the World Cup run for those wishing to test their limbs and bravery on the steep and sometimes icy black run.
Heading from Piz La Villa back to Corvara is not necessarily an obvious route. A relatively straightforward method is to take the short run down to the bottom of the Roby chairlift. From the top of this lift it’s a short hop to the Braia Fraida chairlift which is another of the two-way chairlifts in the area. In this direction skiers depart the chairlift in the mid-station and can take a long blue which winds its way around the hillside to eventually join and cross the road down to Corvara from Passo Campolongo.
Alta Badia Skiing
This section refers mainly to the skiing in the Badia valley above the villages of La Villa and Pedraces – Badia (the area above the gondola from La Villa is covered on the San Cassiano – Campolongo skiing page).
Skiers heading over to La Villa will probably arrive via the black or red run from the top of the Piz La Villa gondola or the easier blue from the neighbouring valley. The route lower down the valley is anyway on the other side of the main Badia road.
If it is working, there is the small connecting Doninz chairlift which provides enough altitude to ski to the base of the longer Gardenazza chairlift. Otherwise it is a short walk through La Villa to the bottom of the chairlift.
From here there is a red run down to the Pradüc chairlift – one of the horizontal connecting chairs in both directions that the Alta Badia ski area seems to specialise in. After a scenic slow ride along the valley floor this will deposit skiers at the base of the Santa Croce chairlift, which can be followed by the shorter La Crüsc chairlift up to the refuge under the nearby rockfaces of the Alpe di Fanes.
This whole area has an extremely attractive “out-of-the-way” feel to it and, while the skiing is not to extensive, it is nonetheless a collection of pleasant red runs with some beautiful scenery.
The return to La Villa is once again via the Pradüc chairlift and up the newer Sponata chairlift. From the top it is possible to ski into La Villa and cross the road to the bottom of the Piz La Ila gondola.
