Literally, just over the lift corner, the Dolomites are a freeride paradise ready to be skied!

Intermediate freeride in the Dolomites means to ride, for example, in Marmolada, Val Mezdi and many others in Sella massif: over 1000 vertical meters of pure powder snow (possibly and hopefully!), surely quiet and untouched corners of the Dolomites to ride over. Besides the renowned Mezdi Valley, you’ll be surprised at how many freeride possibilities the Dolomites can offer! To do an intermediate freeride itinerary, you need to be a good resort skier, not a great resort skier, but good enough to tackle black runs without suffering too much: skiing on fresh snow is generally harder than skiing on groomed slopes. So intermediate freeride for advanced resort skiers. Now that this is clear, try to focus on the beauty and the fun of these suggestions!

info

WHERE TO STAY

The best freeride Dolomites’ places are the Marmolada and the Sella Massif, as you may know, all the ski areas are connected to each other, nevertheless it could be a good suggestion to find accommodation in a central town like Arabba, Corvara, Malga Ciapela or Selva di Val Gardena.

CUSTOMISED PROGRAMME

We run mostly private tours, so the more information we get from you about your experience and technical level, the easier it will be for us to start the day with a clear idea of what to do and where to go. However, on a freeride day, your guide will easily make an assessment on the first run.

EQUIPMENT

On the freeride dolomites’ day, wide skies are very useful. Ski touring equipment (skins, touring bindings and boots) is not necessary, but with a little skinning up we could access a variety of different itineraries. The transceiver (A.R.T.V.A) probe and shovel are mandatory and are provided by us (included in the price).

Program

some examples of intermediate freeride tours

THE QUEEN OF THE DOLOMITES: OFF-PISTE MARMOLADA.

The Marmolada is also known as the Queen of the Dolomites. The name comes from the fact that it is the highest peak in the range, at 3343 meters. However, there is no better term to describe the magnificence of the vast slopes that it offers to every freeride skiers, expecially intermediate. Here we can give free rein to our imagination and follow several runs that cross the different sectors of its glacier: all of them are very long, the environment is wild and quite severe, the quality of the snow is usually good and the terrain is vast: perfect for big and wide turns!
Down below the details of some itineraries, clicking here you ca also find a report of the longest freeride in the Dolomites.

BELLUNESE VECCHIA A long warm-up: this run is not far away from the groomed run and it is out of the glacier.
0 meters up/ 1050 meters down. 35° inclination.

LYDIA: central itinerary on the huge Marmolada north face: allows us to ski between crevasses.
0 meters up/1200 meters down. 35° inclination.
Sometimes (depending on the conditions) the return needs a 30-minute walk.

INTRA I SASS (LEFT AND RIGHT): 2 great runs in the midst of a pair of peaks on the northern flank of the Marmolada.
0 meters up/ 1200 meters down. 30° inclination.

CANYON The wildest itinerary of the Marmolada: it gives us an unexpected passage in a narrow canyon.
0 meters up/ 1300 meters down. 35° inclination.

A snowboarder is riding off-piste Marmolada, down the north face.

VAL MEZDI

The Val Mezdi is probably the most famous freeride descent in the Dolomites, crossing the entire Sella Massif, from the Pordoi Pass to the Val Badia. The descent itself is 6 km long and the access to this legendary valley requires a long hike, not particularly difficult and definitely worth it!

From the Pordoi Pass we jump on the cable car that will leave us on the summit plateau of Piz Pordoi. There are no groomed slopes up here, but the wild mountains are just beyond the fence of the station. A short but technical descent will bring us to the Pordoi saddle: it is time to start the spectacular traverse that will bring us to the entrance of Val Mezdi in about 45 minutes; here the skins are welcome but often not necessary: the wind here usually blows the snow up so that walking on this mostly flat plateau is not a big deal. At the end of the hike we deserve a little break, a warm drink from the thermos and a snack: better to start the descent relaxed and concentrated, because the first steep and narrow gully is nothing but easy. At the end of this section we can start to enjoy the spectacular place we are now skiing: we are constantly surrounded by incredible rocky peaks and towers. We continue on a gentle slope until we reach the first trees. From here we will need more concentration and energy, because the last part is steep again. After that we can finally relax on a nice forest road before returning to the resort. This itinerary is surely one of the highlights of our Freeride week or Ski safaris.

DETAILS OF VAL MEZDI:

Approach from the lift station: 45 minutes mostly flat.
Descent: 1500 meters.
Inclination: max 40°.

A classic freeride in the Dolomites itinerary: the Val Mezdi.

SELLA MASSIF BESIDES THE VAL MEZDI.

The Mezdi Valley is certainly the most famous off-piste itinerary in the Dolomites, but the cable car that goes to the top of the Pordoi Peak gives access to this itinerary as well as 30 other great itineraries! Some of them require the skins on the approach, but for others we can start skiing from the station. Here are 3 itineraries as examples.

FORCELLA PORDOI:
This is a very classic one, the descent is directly from the cable car, so from the station we just have to ski on the summit plateau until we reach the Pordoi saddle, from here the descent is quite obvious. Sure, this descent is usually pretty tracked, but if it has snowed the night before, we will have great fun down here, promised!
Ascent: 0 meters.
Descent: 600 meters.
Inclination: max 35°.

LASTIES VALLEY:
From the Pordoi cable car station we go gently towards the Pordoi saddle, once here we turn left and we ski a beautiful slope that often offers good snow. After this easy section we have to decide which side of the next big valley we want to ski, it depends on the snow, but what really impresses here is the majesty of the walls that constantly surround the skiers, who feel tiny in this white paradise. After a steep section, where it is very important to know where to go, we can see the road below, which we reach through a fun slope among bushes. The return to the resort is a bit tricky but not too tiring or we can overnight stay at the Refugio (read here).
Uphill: 0 meters.
Descent: 1100 meters.
Gradient: max 35°.

SETUS VALLEY:
This itinerary is one of the greatest freeride in the Dolomites, like the Val Mezdi, it crosses the whole Sella massif. The access is a bit more demanding than the Mezdi Valley and requires skins to better cover the ascent. The 2 hour ascent is rewarded with a breathtaking descent down a long and beautiful couloir. Technically it is also a bit more difficult than the Mezdi Valley, so it is only suitable for upper intermediate skiers.
Uphill: 350 meters.
Descent: 1050 meters.
Inclination: max 40°.

A skier is moving a powder cloud of fresh snow.

LAGAZUOI AND 5 TOWERS.

This ski area is located at a high altitude, between the Alta Badia valley and Cortina d’Ampezzo. The beauty of its landscape is unique and world famous, so what could be better than enjoying it while skiing on fresh snow? There are two freeride areas: one on the south side (Lagazuoi) and the other mainly on the north face (5 towers). Below is a small selection of off-piste possibilities.

ARMENTAROLA NORTH:
From the top of the Lagazuoi we take the Armentarola ski run, an iconic ski run that connects the area of Cortina d’Ampezzo with the Val Badia. After a while we leave the groomed slope to find a hidden and often untracked gully that later rejoins the slope.
Ascent: 0 meters.
Descent: 550 meters.
Inclination: max 35°.

COL DEI BOS:
From the gondola station we leave the ski slope and start a long traverse that will take us to a dreamy place, surrounded by huge blocks and pinnacles. As we get further away from the track, we get closer to the huge wall of the Tofana di Rozes. It’s almost sad, but after a short climb we have to leave this place and start our fabulous descent. The gradient is always gentle and the slope is wide, nothing could be better!
Ascent: 20 meters.
Descent: 750 meters.
Gradient: max 30°.

5 TOWERS:
This itinerary can be the perfect last one after a great day off-piste. It starts literally outside the door of the Scoiattoli Refuge, a wonderful place to stop for lunch or, even better, for a night during the freeride Ski Safari. From here we have a short walk among the rocks of the 5 towers where we will see some remains of WW1 trenches and bunkers. The descent is for the most part in the forest, so it is a very good option after a snowfall or on a windy day. The run ends at the middle station of the cable car, so we can easily decide if we want to do it again!
Ascent: 15 meters.
Descent: 550 meters.
Gradient: max 30°.