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This ski safari is an adventurous 4 days plan.

This ski safari off-piste is a 4-day proposal and, compared to our “Freeride Ski Safari Dolomites“, it is a bit more in between freeride and ski touring: Every day we will use the skins for a relatively short ascent. This will give us access to some long and wilde off-piste runs in the Dolomites. The itinerary is circular, starting and ending at the San Pellegrino Pass. The places we will visit are amazing: Val di Fassa, Sella and Marmolada. As always, it’s just a suggestion that will be shaped on your request!

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SKI SAFARI OFF-PISTE VS FREERIDE SKI SAFARI

This proposal is based on the idea that a little bit of skinning can give the privilege of access to wild areas where skiers can find untracked snow and more adventure: this plan is between freeride and ski touring because even if skinning is required, the ascents are still short while the descents are long. For this purpose We will use the lifts and ski in the resort. The freeride ski safari is more resort based and the use of the skins is optional. For a third  idea of off-piste dolomites week please read here!

CUSTOM-BUILT PLAN

As usual, this is an example of a tour: depending on your requirements, we will provide you with a customized plan, where the duration as well as the daily program may differ from what is written below.

HIGHTLIGHTS

  • 2 nights mountain refugios and 1 night hotel during the tour.
  • Use of skins and lifts.
  • Wild ski safari off-piste.
  • A flexible plan, depending on the weather, snow condition and fit level.

ALL-INCLUSIVE

For the tours with Refugio’s overnight stay we suggest the chose the All-Inclusive: the price includes, in addition to the guide service, the accommodation during the tour, dinner and breakfast. The night before the tour and the last night are not included, in any case, we will help you find and book the best solution for you. Price details are here: “prices”.

EQUIPMENT AND LUGGAGE TRANSFER

In addition to the avalanche safety equipment (the rental of which is included in the price), you will need wide skis, skins and touring boots. We will help you with the rental if needed. You can choose to carry your equipment on a backpack (see what to bring) or choose the luggage transfer service (see the price list).

YOUR GUIDE

The ski safari off-piste is carried out by a mountain guide  UIAGM/IFMGA certified. This is the most valuable qualification for a guide in Italy and all over the world. Besides, Freedolomites guides most definitely sport the best knowledge and will guarantee your safety and your fun.

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Program

4 days ski safari off-piste

DAY 0: ARRIVAL IN THE DOLOMITES!

SAN PELLEGRINO PASS.

The San Pellegrino Pass is a mountain passage in the Dolomites between two valleys, you can get here by renting a car or by public transfer, from both sides. If you land in Verona or Milan airport, you’ll get here by passing the city of Trento and going up the Fiemme Valley. From Venice, it’s more convenient to go through the town of Agordo and reach San Pellegrino through the Biois Valley. San Pellegrino is a ski resort that belongs to the Dolomiti Superski, but it isn’t connected by ski lifts to the Fassa Valley and the main resort. We will make the connection ourselves!
Dinner and night at Hotel.

A lot of snow above San Pellegrino Pass during the ascent to Selle Pass.

DAY 1: BEGINNING OF OUR SKI SAFARI OFF-PISTE!

CROSSING OVER THE RIDGE TO FASSA VALLEY.

The San Pellegrino ski area has lifts on both sides of the pass, our main goal today is to cross the ridge from the south and descend the other side of the ridge. Before doing that, if the snow conditions are good, we will do a great detour to the Col Margherita cable car and tackle a freeride run with 0 approach. This run is a classic of San Pellegrino, it goes down the steepest side of the mountain, below the cable car. This will be a 650 meter descent, a great way to start the day.
After that we go to the sunny side and from the top of the chairlift we start our ascent to the Selle Pass. The climb takes less than 2 hours, the slope is gentle and the view is amazing! Once we reach the saddle, we can take a break, switch from touring to ski mode and start a long and wild descent. This plan has 2 options at this point: one is to ski in the resort and reach a refugio, the second is to put the skins again and reach another refugio: a cozy accommodation on an unbelievable beautiful place, far away from the groomed slopes. The choice will be made after a conversation with you during the planning process.
Dinner and night at Refugio.

The landscape of Vallaccia Valley, with Vallaccia Refugio in the middle of the picture.

DAY 2: A REMOTE OFF-PISTE DOLOMITES PLACE.

FROM CIAMPAC TO SELLA MASSIF.

If we spent the night before at the Ciampac Refugio, in the resort, we are already at the base of the Forcia Neigra, the saddle we have to climb. On the contrary, today’s ski safari starts with a nice off-piste descent and some resort skiing to get there. Today’s ascent is short: from the bottom of the lift we put on our skins and after 45 minutes of turns we reach this small panoramic fork. The descent from here requires good snow conditions and good technical skills: the first part can be exposed to avalanches and conditions must be carefully assessed, the second part is a forest ski that is great fun but requires sharp turns and good quads! Once out of the woods, this 1000 meter descent is not over yet: we follow a gravel road for a long time until we get back to the resort.
The skiers might deserve a lunch break now, and after that we still have to ski on-piste to reach the next Refugio. The Refugio is finally reached by a short car transfer, but if we are very fast and strong we can get there directly by skiing another off-piste run called Lasties Valley (here’s the description, chapter 2)from the top of the Pordoi cable car. Not bad for the second day of our ski safari off-piste!
Dinner and night at Refugio.
FORCIA NEIGRA FEATURES:
Ascent: 250 meters.
Descent: 1000 meters.
Inclination: max 40°.
LASTIES FEATURES:
Ascent: 0 meters.
Descent: 1100 meters.
Inclination: max 35°.

Skier is enjoying the snow from Selle pass, in San Pellegrino ski area.

DAY 3: THE OFF-PISTE SKI SAFARI GOES IN SELLA MASSIF.

THE MASTER PIECE OF OFF-PISTE IN THE DOLOMITES: SELLA MASSIF.

We’ve talked about freeriding in the Sella massif in almost all the pages of the freeride section: on this mountain there is a huge amount of runs and some of them are described in the intermediate and advanced pages. You can also read about the Sella Massif on day 4 of the “Freeride Ski Safari” and on day 6 of the “Off-Piste Week Hotel Based“. As you can read, the most famous itinerary is the Mezdi Valley, which can also be done without skins. Some other great itineraries are described on the linked pages, here we want to introduce another one: Culea Valley. This run is located in one of the most beautiful and wild areas of the massif: similar to Setus Valley in terms of the ascent, but a little easier in terms of the descent. As in Setus, the ascent is long but mostly flat, and the descent is through a narrow valley and then, after a traverse, through a second, wider valley. There are at least 2 harder detours possible here.
Dinner and night at hotel.
VAL CULEA FEATURES:
Ascent: 350 meters.
Descent: 1050 meters.
Inclination: max 40°.

A couloir in Sella Massif, full of snow: off-piste Dolomites.

DAY 4: LAST DAY OF OFF-PISTE SKI SAFARI.

ANOTHER MUST TO DO: MARMOLADA OFF-PISTE.

From the Pordoi Pass, where we spent the last night, we ski towards the Marmolada, which, like the Sella Massif, is another great off-piste area in the Dolomites. The top of the Marmolada is reached by a cable car with 3 stations, from here we can ski a number of different itineraries without ascents. Ideally, to close our circuit, we want to do one of the most demanding and long itineraries of the area: The Marmolada Saddle Traverse from North to South. This itinerary is described here and includes a long descent along the glacier and a technical ascent to the saddle. Once we reach the small fork, we start this amazing, sunny side, descent that requires a good timing when the sun has softened the snow. At the end of the descent we will ski on the same gravel road as on day 2. Once back at the lift, we will continue on the resort towards the Fassa Valley to reach Pozza di Fassa. From Pozza a bus or private transfer will take us back to the starting point. Alternatively, if the conditions aren’t good enough for the Marmolada saddle, we can skip the ascent and ski for a long time on the north side of the Marmolada, finishing at Villa Maria, as already described here, on day 4. From Villa Maria it’s the same route to Pozza di Fassa.

MARMOLADA SADDLE FEATURES:

Ascent: 400 meters.
Descent: 1950 meters.
Gradient: max 35°/40°.

Two skiers are carrying the skis on their back, while ascending the saddle Marmolada. Marmolada off-piste.

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Freeride ski safari dolomites is our solution for an unconventional holiday.

A ski safari in the Dolomites usually means exploring a vast area of the Dolomites, skiing from one valley to the next on groomed slopes, staying overnight in different refuges or mountain chalets along the way. Our idea is to combine this purpose with your freeride desires: we will move from one valley to another, skiing off-piste as much as possible. Compared to the “off-piste skiing dolomites week” you can expect a more groomed-ungroomed mix, as we have to cover a certain distance each day to discover the next “refugio”.

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FREERIDE SKI SAFARI VS OFF-PISTE WEEK

How do these two suggestions differ? Certainly the Dolomites Freeride Ski Safari is an innovative and fun trip: changing accommodation so often and staying in mountain refugios is fun and a perfect way to discover the region. On the other hand, during the freeride skisafari there is less flexibility and sometimes, when the snow conditions off-piste aren’t great, the only alternative is to stay on the groomed slopes. Conversely, the hotel week allows us to decide each day where better to go, but it lacks the hut adventure!

CUSTOM-BUILT PLAN

On this skisafari you will not change the accommodation every night, this is an example, do you rather prefer to change every night? Or do you might chose for less changes? We are ready to modify our plan depending on your request!

HIGHTLIGHTS

  • – 3 nights mountain refugios and chalets and 2 nights hotel.
  • – A mix of groomed-ungroomed skisafari.
  • – Exploring the most renowned and beautiful area of the central Dolomites.
  • – A flexible plan, depending on the weather, snow condition, and the level of the group we will adapt the plan almost every day.

ALL-INCLUSIVE

Accommodation during the tour is included in the price: nights plus breakfast and dinner. The night before the tour and the last night are not included, sometimes you don’t need those nights, sometimes you prefer to sleep near the airport. In any case, we will help you find and book the best solution for you. Price details are here: “prices”.

EQUIPMENT AND LUGGAGE TRANSFER

The guide will provide the avalanche transceiver kit, shovel and probe free of charge if needed. It’s strongly recommended to bring or rent wide skis (from 85mm to 100mm in the middle). You can choose to carry your equipment on a backpack (see what to bring) or choose the luggage transfer service (see the price list). It’s also possible to choose a compromise: for example, to book two luggage transfers along a one-week ski-safari.

YOUR GUIDE

The freeride ski safari is carried out by a mountain guide  UIAGM/IFMGA certified. This is the most valuable qualification for a guide in Italy and all over the world. Besides, Freedolomites guides most definitely sport the best knowledge and will guarantee your safety and your fun.

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Program

One week freeride ski safari dolomites

DAY 0: ARRIVAL IN THE DOLOMITES!

FIORENTINA VALLEY, SELVA DI CADORE.

Today you’ll reach the Dolomites: Venice airport is the closest one and from there it takes just 2 hours driving. Selva di Cadore is a pretty village: in the winter is very sunny and the view is magnificient,  from the town you will admire the Pelmo and Civetta peaks which are 2 of the ten highest peaks in the Dolomites. The Pelmo is also renowned as God’s throne, due to its shape, from the south side it actually seems a huge throne while the north side is a vertical and massive wall.
The town is one of the access to the Civetta ski area, if you get here early you can enjoy a couple of hours of ski before the start of our skisafari!
Dinner and night at ***Hotel in Selva di Cadore

Pelmo north face, the view from Selva di Cadore town.

DAY 1: FIRST DAY OF FREERIDE SKI SAFARI!

5 TORRI AND LAGAZUOI AREA.

Today we’ll start our tour with one of the most spectacular places in the Dolomites: above Cortina d’Ampezzo there is a very scenic area surrounded by walls and towers. Here we will spend the first day and the first night in a cozy “Refugio” at the foot of the 5 towers. Today we will have the opportunity to do some short off-piste runs: some of the itineraries from the 5 Towers are mostly in the forest, which is very convenient on a snowy day or when the wind is blowing. The Lagazuoi don’t have any forest around them, but they do have some steep couloirs; moreover, we are not far from the Tofana ski area, so if the conditions are good, we can decide to try one of the biggest runs there. You can find a description of some itineraries of the 5 Torri, Lagazuoi and Tofana on these pages: “intermediate freeride in the Dolomites” or “advanced freeride”. The Refugio is located in a very scenographic place, if you’re lucky enough to find the full moon you’ll be looking at the Tofana, maybe drinking a beer in the external hot-tube of the hut!
Dinner and night at Refugio.

The 5 towers above Cortina d'Ampezzo, one of the Dolomites freeride area

DAY 2: A LONG DAY OF THE DOLOMITES SKI SAFARI

FROM THE 5 TORRI TO MARMOLADA.

The ski safari will take us from the 5 Towers to Marmolada, the highest peak in the Dolomites and a true freeride paradise! However, the Marmolada day is tomorrow, today we ski all the way through the Val Badia and Val Fodom to reach it! First we have to take the famous Lagazuoi cable car to reach the top. From here there are at least 2 off-piste options: one is described here and it’s called Armentarola Nord, the second is an easy-medium freeride run that crosses a huge plateau, at the foot of great walls, before entering a wide gully. This run does not require an approach and is 500 meters downhill.
Once back on the groomed run, we reach the beginning of the Val Badia valley, which we have to cross, run after run, to reach the highest village of the valley, Corvara. From here we cross a pass called Campolongo and ski down in the Val Fodom to Arabba, another beautiful village. In this area the possibilities for freeriding are enormous, maybe we won’t have so much time to do the longest runs, but we will certainly enjoy some side country runs or short and interesting couloirs, for example the first part of Ornella or the “Antenna Couloir”, which are close to the lifts. Our main goal today is to reach the base of the Marmolada, where we will spend the next two nights in a nice hotel. From the top of the cable car called Porta Vescovo, a long and wild off-piste run is a cool way to reach Marmolada: a 500 m descent brings us to Passo Fedaia and from here a walk on the road brings us back to the groomed slopes and finally to the hotel.
Dinner and night at ***Hotel in Marmolada.

 

At the sunset during the off-piste dolomites ski safari, before descending to Marmolada.

DAY 3: BEST OF DOLOMITES FREERIDE.

MARMOLADA FREERIDE PARADISE.

Day 3 is dedicated to freeriding in Marmolada: the freeride runs are among the longest and best powder in the Dolomites and are well described on this page: “intermediate freeride” and on the fourth day of this page: “off-piste week”. In Marmolada the type of terrain is an open field and the gradient is constantly between 30° and 40°, with some exceptions, such as the run called Canyon, which surprises with its narrow gully that must be skied through to reach the lowest and most beautiful slope of this great itinerary. Today the plan is to tackle 2 runs: the first one will be an itinerary not far from the groomed run, for example the “bellunese vecchia” or “intra i sass”. These runs have the advantage of a quick return with almost no walking. For the second run, we take the cable car back and maybe we can make a short stop at the middle station to visit the WW1 Museum. This small and very interesting museum is located at an altitude of 3000 meters above the sea, in a place where the Italian and Austrian soldiers fought a crazy war, trying to survive against the enemy and an extreme nature.
The second run will take place on the left side of the glacier, for example the “canyon” or “Villetta Maria”. After one of these two itineraries the day will probably be almost over, maybe we still have time to ski along the Sottoguda Canyon, a spectacular passage through ice falls. A short description can be found here.
Dinner and night at ***Hotel in Marmolada.

A powder day in Marmolada during the dolomites ski safari.

DAY 4: MASTERPIECE OF THIS DOLOMITES SKI SAFARI.

FREERIDE SKISAFARI ACROSS THE SELLA MASSIF.

Today we’ll go to a different place, but the distance we have to cover is not as big as on day 2, so we’ll have a lot of time to freeride. Our goal is to reach the Pordoi cable car, which is the entrance to the freeride area of the Sella massif. Here the possibilities are huge: from intermediate runs with 0 access, like the Lasties Valley, to steep and advanced couloirs with 2 hours and 30 minutes of skinning access, like the “Rissa del Dain”. The most famous itinerary here, and one of the most famous in the Dolomites, is certainly the Mezdi Valley. Why is it so famous? Once you’ve tried it, you’ll understand: it requires an approach over the summit plateau, which is worth the trip in itself, it’s 1500 meters of descent, first through a rather steep couloir, then through a beautiful valley surrounded by high towers and pinnacles. At the end of this great run we deserve a nice lunch, maybe on a terrace of a hut looking at what we just did. After lunch we will ski on the resort to reach the Pordoi Pass and our place for the night.
Dinner and night at Refugio.

Val Lasties in Sella massif during a freeride descent.

DAY 5: THE SKISAFARI CONTINUES.

FREERIDE OR GROOMED SKI IN GARDENA VALLEY.

The plan for today is to reach a “Refugio” in a wonderful place, on the top of a mountain above Ortisei, in Val Gardena. Once again I remind you that this is an example of a plan that will be adapted to your needs: Val Gardena doesn’t offer so many freeride possibilities, but one of them is great: from yesterday’s place we have the chance to ski a magnificent itinerary called “Sassolungo Fork”, which is described here. The access requires a skin approach, so not everyone is willing to do that. But if so, the descent is definitely worth it, a never-ending descent in a very wild environment will be our reward after the 1 hour and 30 minutes ascent. The descent ends in the Alpe di Siusi, one of the most famous landscapes of the Dolomites. From here we ski down to Ortisei and up again for the last flat walk to reach our dream place.
Dinner and night at the Refugio.

The skier is enjoying the first track on powder, Sas Ciampac, Badia Valley.

DAY 6: LAST DAY OF SKI SAFARI DOLOMITES.

THE LONG WAY BACK TO THE STARTING POINT.

The plan for today is a long way across the Dolomites, from west to east, to return to our starting point: Selva di Cadore. We have to ski all the way back through the Val Gardena, crossing the Gardena Pass and skiing from one side of the Val Badia to the other. Once at the end of the Badia Valley we will take a short car transfer to reach the Falzarego Pass and from here we will ski to the Fedare lift station, where our Dolomites Freeride Ski Safari started 6 days ago. Obviously it’s an ambitious plan to ski so many kilometers in one day, and we may not have the time or energy to do any off-piste skiing today, but the groomed runs are great and it will be a very fun day! Alternatively, we can decide to end our trip before, for example at the Falzarego Pass, and return to the hotel by car transfer. If you have more time and want to ski another day, we can spend an extra night in the mountains and tackle a great run in Badia Valley which is called “Val di Litres”: the next day we will make our way back to Selva with no rush and, why not, add another freeride run!
Dinner and night at ***Hotel in Selva di Cadore

The landscape from the top of Lagazuoi peak, Dolomites.

Comments

Your voice

Echoo
We spent a week doing an off piste Dolimiti safari. What an amazing week and experience. Fabrizio was a wonderful guide very knowledgeable and engaging The skiing was incredible, the day on the Marmolada glacier will never be forgotten. Moving around and staying in different areas really worked well, a special mention to Sottoguda which was such a nice hotel and pretty village. As ever the Dolomites delivered. Thank you
Noel Tinker
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The off-piste skiing in the Dolomites week, hotel based.

This proposal is a week of skiing in the Dolomites, based in a very central town, moving every day in search for the best freeride runs in the central Dolomites. For this purpose, we describe here a typical week: you’ll stay in Arabba, which is located in a very central spot in the Dolomites, at the base of the Sella massif, and close to Marmolada freeride paradise. This will be an idea for your custom-built Dolomites freeride holiday!

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OFF-PISTE WEEK VS FREERIDE SKI SAFARI

What’s the difference between these two suggestions? The hotel week is flexible and lets us choose each day, depending on the snow conditions we will move searching for the best snow. The Dolomites Freeride Ski Safari is an innovative and fun trip: staying in mountain refugios is a perfect way to discover the region. Conversely the freeride skisafari has less flexibility, and when the snow is poor, the only option is the groomed slopes.

CUSTOM-BUILT PLAN

This page describes a typical off-piste Arabba week: we can modify the number of days and the location in the Dolomites. You can decide for example to spend a long weekend based in another central town of the Dolomites. The difficulty of the choosen itineraries will depends on your level. We are ready to work on a tailor-made plan for you!

WHERE

We suggest to stay in Arabba or Malga Ciapela/Sottoguda: Arabba is very central in the Dolomites and Malga Ciapela is at the base of Marmolada freeride paradise and just a couple of slopes from Arabba.

GUIDE SERVICE

For this type of activity, we suggest you choose the guide service instead of the all-inclusive formula. We will be happy to help you book the hotel (you can decide the number of stars you want) and all the logistics, which you will then pay for separately from the guide service: this is certainly more economical and convenient for you and helps us to always give you an accurate quotation of our service.

EQUIPMENT

The guide will provide the avalanche transceiver kit, shovel and probe free of charge if needed. It’s strongly recommended to bring or rent wide skis (from 85mm to 100mm in the center). Skins and touring boots aren’t necessary, but depending on snow conditions they can allow us to ski some great routes with a little touring access. It’s recommended to wear breathable fabrics and to dress in layers: see here “What to bring”.

YOUR MOUNTAIN GUIDE

The skiing Dolomites week is carried out by a mountain guide within UIAGM/IFMGA certified. Local mountain guides most definitely sport the best knowledge and will guarantee your safety and your fun.

WHEN

The Dolomiti Superski lifts are open from the beginning of December to the beginning of April. The best time for off-piste skiing is quite unpredictable and varies from season to season. Statistically speaking, February and March are the best months.

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Program

Off-piste skiing Dolomites week, day by day.

DAY 1: THE SKIING DOLOMITES WEEK STARTS!

OFF-PISTE ARABBA: FORFESC AND PIZZAC.

There are so many amazing freeride options in Arabba that one day is never enough to ride them all! Let’s start with some sidecountry skiing as a warm-up. Once you’re ready, we’ll take the main and highest cable car in Arabba, which is called Porta Vescovo. From the top, we’ll start a short but steep hike where crampons can be useful. After 120 meters of positive gain, we’re at the top of Forfesc, soaking in a breathtaking 360-degree panorama. From here, we’ll start skiing along the ridge until we get to the access point for the downhill. Just a heads-up, sometimes a snow cornice here needs to be crossed using the rope. The first part of the route has a pretty steep incline, but it eases off after a few hundred meters. The best part is that the whole route has a nice gradual slope. It’s definitely one of the best in the area!
Ascent: 120 meters.
Descent: 750 meters.
Gradient: max 45°.
If Forfesc is a little bit too much for you, no problem! We can instead tackle another great run called Pizzac, which is an off-piste Arabba descent starting from a little, panoramic peak above the intermediate station of Porta Vescovo. This sheltered run often offers a very good quality of snow, even when you don’t expect to find anywhere! The second half of the run is in the forest, where you’ll find some really fun off-piste skiing among the trees!
Ascent: 50 meters.
Descent: 600 meters.
Gradient: max 35°.
Another options among the variety of off-piste Arabba’s runs are described on this page and they are called Ornella and Burz.

One of the off-piste Arabba runs: the entrance of Pizzac run, Porta Vescovo, Arabba.

DAY 2: GREAT OFF-PISTE SKIING IN SASSOLUNGO DOLOMITES.

SASSOLUNGO FORK NORTH SIDE.

Today we’re off to the gorgeous Gardena Valley! We’ll be following the groomed slopes, passing over the Pordoi Pass and reaching the Sella Pass. Now it’s time to say goodbye to the groomed slopes and put on our skins! We’re so excited to be heading up to one of the most gorgeous spots in the Dolomites! We’ll be starting our ascent at the base of the incredible Sassolungo mountain, with the 5 Fingers and Grohmann peak to our left. The climb will take about an hour and a half, so once we reach the fork, we’ll take a quick break to drink some hot tea from our thermoses. Now it’s time for the fun part! We’re going to take off the skins and start off-piste skiing in this fascinating and shady place, surrounded by huge walls. The descent is never so challenging but very long: it’s a beautiful journey across the Sassolungo massif all the way to Santa Cristina, which is quite a distance from where we started. It’ll be a breeze coming back! We will use the lifts and enjoy the lovely groomed slopes all the way back to Arabba.
Ascent: 350 meters, skins required.
Descent: 1000 meters.
Gradient: max 30°-35°.

A ray of light is breaking through the shadow of the north side of Sassolungo, while we are off-piste skiing.

DAY 3: SKIING DOLOMITES WEEK, FROM ARABBA TO CORTINA D’AMPEZZO.

LAGAZUOI AND 5 TOWERS.

Arabba might not be close to Cortina d’Ampezzo, but it’s fully connected by lifts! So why not relax with a day mostly of groomed and a little bit of off-piste skiing, visiting one of the masterpieces of the Dolomites: the Lagazuoi and 5 Towers area. If you’d rather not waste your precious powder time, let’s take the car and spend all day between the Lagazuoi freeride couloirs and the 5 Towers trees runs! There are so many possibilities here! The runs have all kinds of features. The 5 Towers are perfect for a snowy or cloudy day when visibility isn’t great. We’ll ski among the trees, hopefully flooding the new powder during the snowfall! The Lagazuoi is right next to the 5 Towers, but the terrain is totally different. It’s a bit higher in elevation, and most of the access points require a long traverse where it’s really helpful to have good visibility to find the way. One really cool run is called the “Great Saddle”. It’s a steep valley that’s absolutely perfect for your first advanced experiences!

carring the skies during the Canale della Nonna approach, Lagazuoi, Cortina d'Ampezzo.

DAY 4: OFF-PISTE SKIING IN MARMOLADA FREERIDE PARADISE.

WELCOME TO MARMOLADA, THE HIGHEST PEAK IN THE DOLOMITES!

Here we have some of the longest and best powder skiing in the Dolomites. The nature of the slopes here is pretty unique in the Dolomites: the gradient is constantly between 30° and 40°, and we usually ski on a very open field. Just a quick note to say that the Marmolada is a glacier. It’s something to be aware of, as long as it lasts! Once you’re at the top of the cable car, you’ll find a single groomed run going to the right. The rest of this huge space is just for off-piste skiing, so get ready to explore! On the intermediate freeride page, we’ve described some itineraries. Here we talk about Villetta Maria, which is the longest run of Marmolada and probably of the entire Dolomites. We’ll start from the summit, do a quick safety check before leaving the groomed run, and then we’re off! We’ll be skiing for quite a while on the left side of the glacier, where the environment gets wild in the heart of the north face. Before we reach the ruins of a refugio (which was sadly destroyed by an avalanche in 2020), we’ll turn left and push a little bit to enter some really fun terrain below the Gran Vernel north face. After that, we’ll have to catch the right entrance of the white road, which, after many fun turns, will lead us down at the end, right near a restaurant called “Villetta Maria.”

Ascent: 0 meters.
Descent: 1800 meters.
Gradient: max 35°.

snowboarding off-piste skiing Dolomites: along the Marmolada glacier.

DAY 5: THE OFF-PISTE SKIING IN BADIA VALLEY.

TWO EXAMPLES OF A CUSTOMISED SKIING DOLOMITES WEEK!

Two off-piste runs in Badia Valley are described below. They are very different one each other: the first is easy (some other ideas here) the second is an advanced one, where ski mountaineering skills are required. Once more here we want to clarify that all our proposals are examples of tours which will be modify in order to create a tailor-made plan for you.
Prolagià is the top of a big hill in Badia Valley and can be reached from different towns. There are slopes on two sides of the hill, and the other two sides are wild. We take the lift to the top, then walk on a flat, wide ridge to start the route. The very first part is steep, but open. Later, we ski on gentle slopes among small trees. We can then decide to move towards the lifts or skiing all the way down till the road and take a taxi to move back to the lifts.
Ascent: 40 meters.
Descent: 550 meters.
Gradient: max 25°.

The Sassongher couloir is on the other side of the difficulty scale: it’s one of the most ahestetic skiing Dolomites lines, and it’s visible from many groomed slopes of Badia Valley. From a distance, it looks like that gully is too narrow and steep to ski. The run it’s actually a difficult descent but never extreme in terms of incline and large enough for us to turn all the way down. At the end, there is a short abseil. If you have the right mountaineering experience and a good technical level, it’s one of the best advanced off-piste skiing routes in the Dolomites!
Ascent: 550 meters.
Descent: 1000 meters.
Gradient: max 45°.

Two skiers are taken from the distance while they are looking the view of the Dolomites: Pralongià, Badia Valley, Dolomites.

DAY 6: THE LAST DAY OF THE FREERIDE SKIING DOLOMITES WEEK.

A OFF-PISTE SKIING DAY IN PORDOI.

The Sella massif counts a large number of off-piste skiing runs and some of them are described on the intermediate and advanced freeride pages. The Pordoi cable car is the gate to the summit plateau of the Sella massif, from here the access can be very quick with 0 approach or long, altought technically easy, up to 2 hours and half of skins. So we’ll decide on our goal based on the snow conditions and our group level and maybe we will also decide to spend here more than one day of our off-piste week. Here we want to describe one of the greatest itinerary of the whole Dolomites: climbing first the highest peak of the massif and off-piste skiing from the summit the “Fontane Valley”.
From the cable car station we first ski to the base of the Boè peak pyramid. From here we put on crampons and start the relatively short but tiring climb to the summit. After about an hour and a half, we’ll be there, enjoying the 360° view. The descent is the most direct line from the top of the peak and it goes down by the east and south face. It’s important here to choose the right time of the day for the descent, when the snow is warm enough to be not frozen. A steep, hidden couloir S-shaped leads to the nice and open slopes above Arabba. This is a spectacular descent!
Ascent: 350 meters.
Descent: 1350 meters.
Gradient: max 45°.

The view from the top of the Boè summit, Sella massif, before starting the descent of "Fontane valley".

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Advanced freeride mostly means skiing its iconic Dolomites couloirs.

Advanced freeride in the Dolomites means above all, skiing their famous couloirs: Cortina d’Ampezzo offers a wide variety of steep couloirs, as do the Sella massif, the Marmolada and many others.
In addition to the famous itineraries such as Val Mezdi or Val Lasties, the Sella Massif offers dozens of routes, some of them really extreme. The Tofana massif, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, and the Marmolada massif are two other paradises for steep off-piste skiing. If you are an advanced off-piste skier and want to try steep couloirs, rappels or snow cornices to overcome: Freewheeling’s guides will accompany you to discover the steep in safety.

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WHERE TO STAY

A good suggestion is to find accommodation in a very central place in the Dolomites: if you don’t mind a short drive, Selva di Cadore is equally distant from Cortina d’Ampezzo, Marmolada and Pordoi. If you prefer not to use the car, we can start our ski tour from Arabba in the direction of Sella and Marmolada.

CUSTOMISED PROGRAMME

For advanced freeride in the Dolomites we only guide small private groups (max. 3-4 people): the itineraries are chosen according to the lowest technical level of the group. When we talk about advanced freeride, it’s about a wide range of difficulties: from short and steep couloirs, where falling down wouldn’t be dangerous, to complex itineraries where the rope is required or where we have to deal with a no-fall zone. Depending on the snow conditions and your technical level, we will take you to the best places!

WHY FREEWHEELING DOLOMITES

In general, for any type of request, but even more for unconventional requests, we strongly believe that speaking directly with a guide will make your day special: most of the time it will be exactly what you were looking for. When you write to us, the first person to read your email is an IFMGA guide from our small group.

EQUIPMENT

The transceiver (A.R.T.V.A), probe and shovel are mandatory and will be provided by us (included in the price) if you don’t have your own. The helmet is also compulsory. In case we need harness and crampons, they will be provided by us. At this page you can read What to bring.

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Sella couloirs and Marmolada

HOLZER AND JOEL COULOIRS.

These 2 couloirs are classic steep couloirs with easy access from the Pordoi cable car: the Holzer has a north face, while the Joel has a south face. Both are very narrow and skiers have to slide sideways in some sections, while the gully is not wide enough to make a turn.
The Holzer doesn’t require any climbing, but after the first fairly wide section, the couloir gets much narrower. The skiers have to stop on a small flat spot and do a rappel. The rappel allows you to cross an icefall. In normal conditions, the length of the rappel is about 20 meters. In some seasons, the snow level inside the gully can get so high that the whole icy part is covered and abseiling is avoided: hard to believe!
To get to the start of the Joel couloir, skiers have a short but steep hike up to a saddle. It takes 10 to 25 minutes to get there. It depends on how deep the snow is. Anyway, the first footprints here would be the first tracks down the other side of the saddle! The gully is very steep, due to its exposure, it’s very important to tackle this route only when conditions are good. If we see that the snow at the entrance is too hard, we will surely decide to go back and ski something else!

 

HOLZER:
Approach from the lift station: 0 meters.
Descent: 1100 meters.
Gradient: max 50°.

 

JOEL:

Approach from lift station: 80 meters.
Descent: 650 meters.
Gradient: max 45°.

The beginning of Joel couloir: the skier is taken while he's doing a turn between shadow and light.

PIZ MIARA, VALON DE MEISULES AND VAL DE LITRES.

 

Piz Miara: This advanced off-piste itinerary is one of the greatest in the Dolomites and requires good mountaineering skills and safe snow conditions. The highlights are a long approach, a long descent (with lifts) and an endless couloir where the snow is often excellent. From the Pordoi lift station we have to ski all the way across the upper flat plateau of the Sella massif; this approach will take more than 2.5 hours, despite the short altitude gain. The descent starts from the big summit cross of the Miara peak, the first obstacle is often a cornice that we have to break or cross with the help of the rope. The gully is wide enough to make nice turns, but the obstacles aren’t over yet: we have a long rappel down a vertical rock face. After that the terrain is still steep and a hidden couloir is the only way to cross another vertical wall…

Val de Litres: Another great advanced freeride route! This time the approach is much shorter and doesn’t require the use of skins, but don’t underestimate the difficulty of this itinerary. It’s easy to get lost and the consequences can be really bad. Again there’s a rappel, but this time it’s a very narrow passage on the snow, much friendlier than Miara’s! These 2 runs can be some of the highlights of our freeride weeks: you can have a look at these 3 links:
Freeride ski safari dolomites.

Hotel based week.

4 days skisafari.

 

PIZ MIARA, VALON DE MEISULES.

Access from the lift station: 350 meters, 2h30.
Descent: 1050 meters.
Gradient: max 45°/50°.

 

VAL DE LITRES.

Access from the lift station: 60 meters, 20 min.
Descent: 1100 meters.
Gradient: max 40°/45°.

 

 

a skiers is freeriding on Piz Miara, sella assif. He just came across the upper gully, which is in the cloud.

MARMOLADA SADDLE.

This proposal combines two long descents, one on the north side of the Marmolada, through the glacier, and the second on the steep south side. For this, there’s a skin climb of about 1 hour and a tricky ascent that leads to the tiny Marmolada pass. But let’s take it in order! The itinerary starts with the long Marmolada cableway that leads to the top of the Marmolada. From there we’ll descend along the glacier, a long ride in very open terrain. After about 750 meters of pure fun, we find a passage over a rocky ridge to move on the extreme right side of the glacier. Now it’s time to switch to ascent mode. For about 1 hour and 30 minutes you will be in the cold shade of the high walls above the glacier. The last part to reach the fork is very steep and it is necessary to carry our skis on the backpack and to climb with crampons and an ice axe. This effort will be rewarded when we reach the end of the climb, looking down on the other side of the descent that awaits us! Finally, the sun warms our bodies, but before we start skiing, there’s an abseil that will lead us to the snow. The descent is epic: 1200 meters of freeride on a magnificent terrain: after the first steep section, the slope becomes more gentle, allowing skiers to relax and enjoy the view. At the end, a forest road will take us back to the bottom of the valley.

 

MARMOLADA TRAVERSE NORTH-SOUTH.
Ascent: 400 meters.
Descent: 1950 meters.
Gradient: max 35°/40°.

The last climb before reaching Marmolada pass. The skiers is carrying the skies on the rucksack and he's wearing crampons and ice-axe.
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Cortina d’Ampezzo couloirs

VALLON DE RAOLA.

Far away from the resort, this great run goes down a never ending couloir. The slope is never extremely steep and it is great fun! Due to the approach to the couloir, this itinerary belongs to the advanced freeride in the Dolomites section: to reach the entrance of the gully we have to ski a long traverse from the top of the last chair of the Tofana resort. This section must be taken seriously: the traverse is above huge cliffs and this is definitely a no-fall zone, even the snow stability must be carefully evaluated. At the end of the traverse, just at the pass where the north side gully starts, we find an ancient building, it’s mind blowing to think that during the WW1 people could live up here, even in winter, at almost 3000 meters, between vertical walls, covered by snow, in the cold, under meters of snow!
After a well-deserved break, we start our incredible off-piste run, which will end in a remote valley called Travenanzes. The return is a bit tiring, while we have to push ourselves along a cross-country circuit to finally reach the bus stop where the bus will take us back to Cortina d’Ampezzo.

 

Ascent: 0 meters.
Descent: 1500 meters.
Gradient: max 35°/40°.

On the approach to Raola advanced freeride run, Cortina d'Ampezzo, a WW1 ruins is passed over by the skiers.

BUS DE TOFANA.

With the cable car “Freccia nel Cielo” we reach the slopes in the shadow of the walls of Tofana di Mezzo. Here we climb with skins for about 45 minutes until we reach a large arch. The characteristic hole can be seen from afar. It is the entrance to this magnificent route.
This time the ascent is from the north side, while the descent is on the sunny side. Skiing in the sun often means choosing the right time to start, when the snow is not frozen but soft enough for a great ride. The slope is quite steep at the beginning. It passes close to the Rifugio Giussani and continues under the majestic mass of the Tofane Pillars. At this point the skiing becomes more relaxed and we can make some wide turns. We reach the Dibona refuge. After a good refreshment, we continue in the woods to rejoin the slopes. If you want to spend one week riding in the Dolomites, we usually visit Cortina and its runs during an hotel based week.

 

Ascent: 200 meters.
Descent: 1050 meters.
Gradient: max 40°.

The tricky passage to reach the arch, which is the beginning of Bus the Tofana run.

COULOIR OF THE COLUMN.

The name of this itinerary is due to the singular rock pillar which is located along the descent. This aesthetic line is visible from the bottom of the valley and the attraction for the freerider sight is almost overpowering! Surely this line cannot be skied at any time in the season but requires a good layer of snow at lower elevations, where we will have to ski among the bushes to find our way down to the town. The gradient is never extreme but at the end of the couloir, the itinerary turns left, above high cliffs, another no-fall zone! From the Tofana cable car we have to ski down the groomed and soon leave it for a short but steep climb, sometimes the crampons are useful.

Ascent: 100 meters.
Descent: 1100 meters.
Gradient: max 40°.

This skier is resting in the middle of the Column's couloir, one of the Cortina d'Ampezzo couloirs.

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An unconventional hike in the Dolomites: the shepherds’ high route

This high route winds in the “Agordine” and “S. Martino” in the Veneto region on the border with Trentino Alto Adige. This corner of the Dolomites is not affected by mass tourism, as it can be in the neighboring valleys, and so it preserves the authentic charm of a place to be discovered. Beware of thinking we are in the second-rate Dolomites: here we walk in the shadow of Mount Civetta and Agner, and at the foot of the immense wall of Marmolada’s south face; in short, briefly we are in the heart of the Dolomites.
We will begin the trek by exploring the mountains above the enchanted San Lucano Valley, then we will descend below the plateau of the San Martino peaks, and, having passed through the town of Falcade we will walk along the high shepherd’s path. This is an unconventional hike because 2 of 5 nights will be spent on a “casera”: a unique experience.

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WHERE

This unconventional and original high route winds in the “Agordine” and “S. Martino” in the Veneto region on the border with Trentino Alto Adige. Part of it goes along the shepherds’ high route, part is totally original.

EQUIPMENT

The sleeping bags are required

ALL-INCLUSIVE PRICE

The price includes the accommodations during the hike.  The night before the hike as well as the last night must be paid in place. You can download the price list on the price page.

YOUR MOUNTAIN GUIDE

Our job is to make the most of every bit of experience we carry, allowing to discover together the pleasures of that exciting practice which is being in the mountains. We believe that the better way for you to get the best customised plan, is to talk with your assigned guide from the start. Click here and discover who we are.

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Accomodation

Casera

During this dolomites hut-to-hut hiking we will spend two nights in places called “casera.” A “casera” is an ancient settlement found in high-altitude pastures, consisting of cowshed for cows, building for cheese production, refuge for people. From ancestral times until the 1950s, cows and the shepherds would move here, from mid-June to mid-September. Nowadays only a few “caseras” are still active, many are disused and in ruin, the others remain open unattended and well maintained by the local community for use by hikers (they usually have a stove and wood available, cots for sleeping and table). Active “casera” are sometimes managed, is so, they offer room and local food or more frequently just food, the real Km 0!

how a "casera" looks like from the inside: simple tables and stove but an incredibly charmy atmosphere.
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DAY 1: Welcome to extraordinary Dolomites

Arrival in Dolomites: from Venice airport takes about 2 hours. Dinner and night at B&B a renovate ancient rural house in a tiny, alpine village. The town, the forests, and the mountains which surround the valley quickly introduce us in what will be the highlight of this week: the unique and extraordinary beauty of the Dolomites.

a Larch is loosing the needles during the Autumn.

DAY 2: our unusual Dolomites track can start

After 30-minutes transfer and the trek will start. The beginning is from another tiny village at 1200 meters elevation: the trail climbs up to a fork at 2300. From here we have a long descent where the first “Casera” is located. This refuge is pretty big and very comfortable, outside there’s the water spring, inside there are blankets and mattresses, table, and above all, a big fireplace.
Night and self-managed dinner in the Casera.

  • 6-7 hours
  • 1300 meters up
along an unusual dolomites track: there's a larch which is orange, a pine which is green and the blu sky of the Autumn.

DAY 3: hiking along a long ridge

The day begins with a challenging ascent, reaching an altitude of 2000 meters, from here we will walk along a ridge trail that offers an astonishing view above the Gares valley. At the end of the ridge, after passing another nice little “casera”, we will start a long descent till reaching a hut just at the bottom of the valley. Here we can get a sandwich or some good “Canederli” in order to be ready for the next up-hill.
In 1,30 hours we will reach our tonight “Casera”: this one is still managed, a nice family and their cows live up here from the end of June to the end of September, making their own amazing cheese. We will eat and sleep here.

  • 6-7 hours
  • 900 meters up
A great view of the Dolomites during the fall. Alta via dei Pastori

DAY 4: back to world for just a while

From the Casera climb to fork at 2200 and long descent to the town. From here it is necessary to cut the distance with a small car transfer. From here we will start going up again, and after a couple of hours of a beautiful hike, we will finally reach tonight’s hut. This charming wood-inlaid hut is managed and offers excellent food and drinks.
Night and dinner at the Baita.

  • 5-6 hours
  • 950 meters up
the pasture's high route, a small cabin at the front and an autumn, orange colored, grassy field

DAY 5: a long day trip on the shepherds’ high route

This day will be a long, unforgettable day. The trail winds up to the south side of the mountain, it reaches a little fork, then goes down till starting going up again: it will reach another fork and after that another one. We will walk more than 14 km today! Almost at the end of the day, we will find our food deposit. After putting some extra and delicious weight on our shoulders we will hike up for the last hour of the day, till tonight charmy Casera will be finally reached.

  • 8-9 hours
  • 800 meters up
walking along an unconventional hike in the Dolomites: 3 people are moving across a steep grassy slope, astonishing peaks are on the background. Alta via dei pastori.

DAY 6: finally summit and back down

During this extraordinary hike in the Dolomites, we had all sorts of unforgettable experiences: good food, wonderful sunsets, warm fire, a night sky full of stars, and some of the most beautiful mountain scenarios in the world, longs, and challenging trails etc… But we still miss something: what? We didn’t reach any summit yet. Here we go and today is the day. Let’s do it aware that this will be the last effort of the week. After touching the stones at the highest point we take the way down. Soon the rocks will leave space for the pastures and after the forest. Soon we will reach some houses which mark the civilization indeed the end of this great adventure. Tonight we will sleep again on the first night place.

  • 6-7 hours
  • 400 meters up
A autumn picture: some snow is already on the ground, but mostly is still orange grass. At the distance the Marmolada south face is standing as a gigant.

DAY 7: way back home

After breakfast is time to say goodbye to these places. Transfer back to the airport.

2022 hiking 3 1

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Customised multipitch climbing courses

Summer in the Dolomites is a climbers’ paradise. Everyone can find something up their street among these countless limestone crags, from the novice to the strongest of climbers. Indeed, it is of utmost importance to find terrain suitable to what you’d like or need to learn.

The sheer variety in terms of grade, length and rock type allows us to offer a diverse range of courses, from the basic kind centred around sport-climbing crags to the more advanced ones on multi-pitch routes. On this section we present the Customize multi-pitch courses which is addressed to those whom already lead climb on sport climbing terrain. 

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WHEN AND WHERE?

Sport climbing courses can take place in Spring and Autumn among the Garda Lake crags or, alternatively, in the Summer in the high Dolomites valleys. Multipitch alpine courses should be organized during the summer period in the Dolomites and in Lake Garda district in the mid-seasons time.

DURATION

From 3 to 5 days

 

CUSTOMISED PLAN

We prepare a customised plan for each client, based on the wishes and abilities of whoever gets in touch with us. Starting from the first contact, we will start building an itinerary that fits around you. Read through our suggestions, they are generally a good starting point for your time in the Dolomites with us!

EQUIPMENT

The guide can provide all technical equipment. To find out more about what to bring, please see the relevant page.

ALL-INCLUSIVE DEAL

You can choose to book an activity-only package, or an all-inclusive deal. Accommodation can be arranged as hotel-only, mountain hut or a mixture of the two. More information below under ‘Prices’.

YOUR MOUNTAIN GUIDE

Our climbing activities are carried out by a mountain guide or, more precisely, a Mountain Guide that is UIAGM/IFMGA certified. In Italy, this is the only certification allowing a guide to take clients on rock. Besides, local alpine guides most definitely sport the best knowledge and will guarantee your safety and your fun.

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MOUNTAINEERING COURSES

MOUNTAINEERING COURSE – BASIC

This course is mainly for people that are already fairly comfortable in their climbing, hence a lead climbing experience is required. On the course, we will learn how to tackle multi-pitch mountaineering routes on alpine terrain safely and autonomously. We will then go deeper into things such as belay protections, abseiling and route finding.

WHERE: the course is on ‘adventure terrain’, this means mountaineering routes of medium to considerable length (up to 250 metres) and medium grade (up to grade IV).

DURATION: we will follow a very practical approach and will customise it depending on your needs. We suggest between 4 and 5 days.

OVERNIGHT STAYS: mountain huts around Falzarego Pass or any other mountain hut depending on your request.

MAXIMUM NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: up to 3

HIGHLIGHTS AND COURSE SUMMARY:

Pitch progression:
– on-pitch progression and setting up a belay
– balancing safety and progress
– classic route climbs
Knots and rope-management skills:
– knots, the essential
– abseiling
– building up a recovery system
Theoretical lessons:
– history of mountaineering and its perils
– equipment: notions around rope characteristics, camming devices, pegs and so on.

5 fingers, Sassolungo group, Dolomites

MOUNTAINEERING COURSE – ADVANCED

The course is mainly for people already comfortable in their mountaineering or multi-pitch sport routes, but wish to improve themselves and become more confident around equipment and safety techniques. The purpose is to gain the necessary competences and confidence to be able to tackle traditional routes pushing up our limits.
On the course we will learn how to effectively manage ropes on hanging belays, how to place protection reliably and muster up the confidence to be able to dare and commit to harder moves safely.

WHERE: this course takes place on ‘adventure terrain’, this means mountaineering routes of considerable length (up to 400 metres) and perhaps high grades (grade V minimum, varying depending on the participants’ current level)

DURATION: we will follow a very practical approach and will customise it depending on your needs. We suggest between 2 and 3 days.

OVERNIGHT STAYS: mountain huts around Fedaia Pass, Scarpa refuge or any other mountain hut depending on your request.

MAXIMUM NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: up to 4

HIGHLIGHTS AND COURSE SUMMARY:
Pitch progression:
– complex belay set-ups
– safety and progression, effective rope management
– classic route climbs
How to manage tricky points:
– protection placement
– testing falling in the void
– recovering gear and micro-traction techniques
– building a recovery system
Theoretical lessons:
– history of mountaineering and its perils
– equipment: notions around rope characteristics, camming devices, pegs and so on.

Specchio di Sara, Marmolada south face, mountain climbing guides

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The ski touring traverse of the Dolomites, a hut to hut tour.

The Dolomites are a unique mountain range with a special shape: the peaks are often inaccessible to skiing, while an intricate network of valleys and narrow accesses surround the famous rock towers and spires, making this terrain a fascinating white labyrinth. In our opinion, it is therefore the ski traverse that is the most spectacular way to appreciate the Dolomites in winter. With this 7-day ski-touring crossing, we want to take you on an original and exciting exploration of this vast area. Starting from Passo Rolle in Trentino, we will cross three regions and end up in South Tyrol. This crossing will be characterised by unique landscapes, beautiful skiing, cosy managed refuges where you can sleep and will end only after crossing, on skis, the famous Braies lake, completely frozen of course!

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CUSTOMISED PLAN

The Dolomite Traverse we present here is an itinerary that can be modified to better adapt to the availability in the mountain refugi and above all to your needs, desires, and abilities. We will then plan a tailor-made itinerary for you. The 7-day duration can also be shortened or extended according to your availability.

ALL-INCLUSIVE

In the ALL-INCLUSIVE formula, we think about everything: the offer includes the accommodation during the tour. Even so, our desire is to satisfied your personal needs and resolve any logistic issues, so don’t hesitate to write us, we will adapt the plan to your requests as well as  finding the best accommodation the night before and the last night of the tour if needed. 

EQUIPMENT

The mountain guides will provide the avalanche transceiver kit, shovel and probe free of charge if required. The equipment of skis, skins, boots is required and can be rented in the shop on site (please indicate this by email during registration). It’s recommended to wear breathable fabrics and to dress in layers: see here what to bring).

YOUR MOUNTAIN GUIDE

Our climbing activities are carried out by a mountain guide within UIAGM/IFMGA certified. Local mountain guides most definitely sport the best knowledge and will guarantee your safety and your fun.

WHEN

From the first week of February to the first week of April

 

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Dolomite traverse day by day

DAY 1: the best ski touring traverse start

SAN MARTINO DI CASTROZZA – PASSO ROLLE

On the first day, we set off from Passo Rolle, with fresh energy we tackle the long tour that will take us up to Passo del Mulaz. From here the ones who are more daring, can continue and reach the 2906 metres of the summit of Mount Mulaz. Now a long and wonderful descent awaits us, crossing the Val di Focobon until we reach the Falcade ski lifts. With a few lifts and a nice descent we will arrive at the San Pellegrino Pass, here thanks to the snowmobile of the refuge we will comfortably arrive at the Fuciade refuge, one of the most welcoming refuges in the Dolomites where an excellent dinner awaits us.

DIFFICULTY: BS, S2-S3

GAP: ascent 650/950 metres, descent 1700 metres.

medium backcountry skituring, Mulaz summit

DAY 2: one of the most beautiful places in the Dolomites

FUCIADE REFUGE – PRINCE PASS

We reluctantly leave the enchanting Fuciade refuge and climb the sunny slopes above until we reach the Selle Pass. At this point a new spectacular descent awaits us, which will only end at the Pozza di Fassa lifts. Here a new lift will bring us back up to altitude from where we will then climb, surrounded by a solitary environment of rare beauty, to the Rifugio Principe. The refuge is located at the homonymous pass in the heart of the Catinaccio, perhaps one of the most famous places in the Dolomites, very popular in summer but lonely in winter.

DIFFICULTY: MSA, S2

GAP: ascent 950 metres, descent 1100 metres.

Fuciade hut, during the dolomites backcountry ski traverse

DAY 3: return to civilisation…for a while

PRINCE’S PASS REFUGE – SELLA PASS

Today the crossing of the Catinaccio group awaits us, passing through the Forcella Antermoia. A short but demanding ascent takes us to a small panoramic pass surrounded by high vertical walls; here we can make a small diversions to add another beautiful peak to our list; otherwise, we descend directly to the frozen Antermoia lake and the refuge of the same name. Once we have put on our skins again we will soon reach a new pass from which a long and exciting descent will take us to Campitello di Fassa. Now all that remains is to take a lift and climb up to Passo Sella where a new, enchanting refuge awaits us.

DIFFICULTY: BS, S2-S3

GAP: ascent 400 metres, descent 1100 metres.

Catinaccio, Passo Antermoia, Dolomites.

DAY 4: the sasolungo ski touring crossing

VALENTINI REFUGE – COL RAISER

The Sassolungo is the symbolic mountain of Val Gardena: today we will enter this labyrinth of spires and towers and cross the entire group. From our refuge a beautiful sunny ascent takes us to the Demez pass, from here we will follow a beautiful descent leaving the Vicenza refuge behind us and continue to the village of Santa Cristina. Now we go up again to reach Col Raiser, another privileged panoramic point.

DIFFICULTY: BS, S2

GAP: ascent 450 metres, descent 1050 metres.

Val Gardena, forcella Demez, just below the hugerocks wall of Sassolungo

DAY 5: crossing a huge Dolomites’ plateau

COL RAISER – LA VALLE

The Dolomite group that we will cross today is the Puez: these peaks separate Val Gardena from Val Badia, from our refuge we begin a climb in a sunny and majestic environment that will take us to the small Roa pass, thanks to which we can look out over the northern slopes that descend on the opposite side. The snow here is almost always of excellent quality, so much so that once we reach the end we already want to return to the top! Instead from Longiarù we take a taxi to the small village of La Valle where we sleep in a hotel.

DIFFICULTY: BSA, S2-S3

GAP: Ascent 650 metres, descent 1300 metres.

Marmolada, Forcella Vernel, Dolomites.

DAY 6: entering in the Fannes- Sennes park

CIURNADU – SENNES

Today we will cross the Fanes valley, about this valley many legends have been handed down for centuries, in fact it is a fame more than deserved given the mysterious beauty of these landscapes. The valley is enclosed by high and very wild mountains, we will pass by the Lavarella refuge, open also in winter it is very pleasant to stop for a hot meal. We continue our descent and then climb up to the small Sennes Refuge, immersed in the white of the snow. This magic place is also the “star” of our dedicated tour.

DIFFICULTY: MS, S2

GAP: ascent 900 metres, descent 950 metres.

Fannes Sennes natural park

DAY 7: last day of our great backcountry ski traverse

SENNES – BRAIES

The last day is certainly a spectacular one: today too we will climb to a pass that marks the watershed between two very different areas, leaving Val Badia to end our tour in Val Pusteria. For those who still have energy to spare, it is possible to combine the short ascent to the fork with a summit of great satisfaction but also of high commitment. From the pass we enjoy a varied and non-trivial descent. The descent finally ends at the frozen lake of Braies, now very famous and perhaps too busy in the summer. Fortunately, it is winter and the memory of the lake with the freshly skied mountains behind it will remain indelibly in our memory.

We take a taxi to our hotel in Val Badia for some well-deserved refreshments and a sauna.

DIFFICULTY: BS, S2-S3

GAP: Ascent 400 metres, descent 1200 metres.

crossing the frozen Braies lake, on the last day of the trip

Comments

Your voice

Echoo
Fabrizio put together an amazing itinerary for my first ski tour. It was challenging enough but I didn’t feel completely wiped out after the first day. The area is absolutely beautiful and the hut experience was a pleasure, with good company from other guests and great food. He even found good snow for us to ski, which considering the conditions we found was really impressive! 100% recommend and will come back.
Regina J.
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Dolomites ski mountaineering: challenging backcountry ski touring

When the mountain is dressed in white and enveloped in fascinating silence and breathtaking views, the best way to enter this paradise is to push your skis, at a slow and rhythmic pace, on the white mantle. The ascent flows pleasantly, letting yourself be carried away by the power of the views that follow one another; leaving the line of your curves on the descent is the icing on the cake. This page presents proposals for “difficult” backcountry ski-touring. What characterises these itineraries are height differences of over 1200 metres and technical difficulties which require a good mastery of skis. We are certainly not talking about extreme skiing, what we want you to discover during the difficult backcountry ski touring, are the great ascents to the 3000 metres of the Dolomites and beyond!

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CUSTOMISED PLAN

Trusting a local IFMGA/UIAGM guide living among these mountains means putting together the perfect, customized plan, and just enjoying your Dolomites ski touring, avoiding unpleasant hiccups.
Choosing us means being with local guides, always up-to-date on the best choices.

EQUIPMENT

The ARTVA probe and shovel are provided by us for free as needed. Personal equipment (skies, Skins, boots) are required. It’s possible to rent them in the place, so if you need, let us know before! It’s recommended to wear breathable fabrics and to dress in layers: see here what to bring.

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Program

A list of “intermediate” tours.

MARMOLADA: a ski tour just in front of the queen south face

CIMA LA BANCA (2875 metres).

This peak, which can be reached and skied from the top, offers a privileged terrace on one of the most impressive walls of the Dolomites, the south face of the Marmolada.  In addition to this exceptional panorama, the environment and the slopes it offers will make this excursion an unforgettable memory.

DIFFICULTY: BSA, S3-S4

GAP: ascent, descent 1400 metres.

Dolomites ski mountaineering: Marmolada, Ombretola.

MARMOLADA: ski mountaineering to the Dolomites highest peak

PUNTA PENIA 3343 metres.

With its 3343 metres, Punta Penia is the highest peak of the Marmolada and therefore of the Dolomites. The length of the itinerary and the high altitude may frighten some people, but the satisfaction of reaching the summit cross is an irresistible attraction for many.

DIFFICULTY: OSA, S3

GAP: ascent and descent 1300 metres.

the wide slopes of Marmolada north face after a challenging backcountry ski touring

VAL BADIA: a long and unique tour

PIZ DE LAVARELLA (3055 metres)

This splendid 3000m peak dominates Val Badia with its steep western slope, while the eastern slope is the site of our ascent, which involves low technical difficulties, a long climb and a landscape of unique beauty through Val di Fanes. The itinerary can also be combined with another descent in order to make a wonderful traverse.

DIFFICULTY: OSA, S2-S3

GAP: ascent and descent 1300 metres.

Ski-touring, Lavarella, Val di Fanes, Dolomites.

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO: a really challenging peak

ANTELAO (3264 metres)

Antelao is one of the most recognisable and imposing of the Dolomite giants: in fact, its pyramid shape towers above all others and is recognisable from every corner of the Dolomites. Skiing this peak is a dream within reach of well-trained and technically prepared people.

DIFFICULTY: OSA, S3-S4

GAP: Ascent 2030 metres, descent 2030 metres.

backcountry ski tours: Cortina d'Ampezzo, Antelao, Dolomites.

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO: the most famous 3000 peak of Cortina

TOFANA DI ROZES (3225 metres).

The Tofana di Rozes is certainly one of the most beautiful 3000 m peaks in the Dolomites for ski-touring. In fact, it is possible to ski directly from the summit, without encountering extreme technical difficulties but slopes with a perfect inclination for skiing!

DIFFICULTY: OSA, S3

GAP: Ascent and descent 1200 metres.

Cortina d' Ampezzo, Tofana, almost at Giussani hut

ZOLDANA VALLEY: a mountaineering experience

PELMO (3168 metres)

Pelmo is also known as the Throne of God, in fact the shape is that of a comfortable armchair, with steep walls on the north side and very pleasant slopes from a skiing point of view. What characterises this climb, however, is a section of vertical wall that can be overcome by abseiling on the descent, but on the ascent needs to be climbed with a fourth degree of difficulty.

DIFFICULTY: OSA, S4

GAP: ascent and descent 1750 metres.

Val Zoldana, Pelmo, Dolomites.

VAL BADIA: a wild paradise

CIMA PUEZ (2913 metres) traverse.

This itinerary can be considered a classic high level ski-touring route, the panoramic peak is reached through the beautiful and not difficult D’Antersass valley. Having reached the summit, instead of retracing our steps, we head to the opposite side to descend the north couloir, which presents rather serious technical difficulties.

DIFFICULTY: OSA, S3-s4

LEVEL: ascent, descent 1400 metres.

gran paradiso ski tour

Comments

Your voice

Echoo
Where to begin? Fabrizio is an absolute professional as he took us on a beyond expectation adventure. He kept us safe, explained his decisions and taught us new skills that we will take advantage of on our own backcountry adventures. Fabrizio is friendly, easy to talk to, and his English is excellent. Learning about the history and geology of the region in which we were skiing was an added treat. Grazie mille Fabrizio!
Joseph Spampinato
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Backcountry dolomites ski touring intermediate level.

When the mountain is dressed in white and enveloped in fascinating silence and breathtaking views, the best way to enter this paradise is to push your skis, at a slow and rhythmic pace, on the white mantle. The ascent flows pleasantly, letting yourself be carried away by the power of the views that follow one another; leaving the line of your curves on the descent is the icing on the cake. This page presents proposals for “intermediate” backcountry ski touring. These itineraries are characterised by a difference in altitude of between 800 and 1200 metres and moderate technical difficulties, both uphill and downhill. Our aim, therefore, is to accompany you on these trips and ensure that you have fun while discovering breathtaking views and descents on good snow, perhaps with few challenging sections.

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Why Free Dolomites

Trusting a local IFMGA/UIAGM guide living among these mountains means putting together the perfect, customized plan, and just enjoying your Dolomites ski touring, avoiding unpleasant hiccups.
Choosing us means being with local guides, always up-to-date on the best choices.

group tours

In addition to the private tours, we organize group tours. On our calendar you can book our group tours and share the guided tour with other people.

Equipment

The ARTVA probe and shovel are provided by us for free as needed. Personal equipment (skies, Skins, boots) are required. It’s possible to rent them in the place, so if you need, let us know before! It’s recommended to wear breathable fabrics and to dress in layers: see here what to bring).

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Program

A list of “intermediate” tours.

PASSO SAN PELLEGRINO – FALCADE: a classic Dolomites ski touring 

PASSO DELLE CIRELLE – CIMA CADINE (2885 metres).

The climb takes place along the sunny slopes of the south side of the S. Pellegrino pass. We easily climb up to the Passo delle Cirelle, which is a popular route, then we continue with increasing difficulty towards this beautiful and panoramic peak, from which an exciting descent awaits us.

DIFFICULTY: BSA, S3

GAP: ascent, descent 1050 metres.

backcountry skiing and ski touring in the Dolomites

MARMOLADA: a hidden saddle allows a great traverse 

FORCELLA MARMOLADA – TRAVERSE (2896 metres)

This wonderful traverse combines the majestic environment of the Marmolada glacier with a sunny descent to Val Contrin. The crossing of the pass requires some mountaineering familiarity and often a small rope descent is necessary. The return journey is by taxi or public transport.

DIFFICULTY: BSA, S3

GAP: ascent 400 metres descent 1200 metres.

Ski-touring, Marmolada, Forcella Vernel Dolomites.

FASSA VALLEY – POZZA DI FASSA: the most beautiful view…

SASSO DELLE 11 (2551 metres)

This excursion takes us to the top of one of the most panoramic peaks in the Val di Fassa. Fortunately, the terrain is never difficult up to the highest point and the slopes are ideal for skitouring. This makes it a highly recommended excursion throughout the winter.

DIFFICULTY: MSA, S2

GAP: ascent and descent 1150 metres.

grand dolomite skitour 98

VAL BADIA – VAL GARDENA: searching for the best snow

SAS CIAMPAC (2667 metres)

The itinerary that we propose includes an ascent in a very varied and sunny environment, with a descent that alternates between stretches of pure enthusiasm on almost always excellent snow, and stretches where it is not easy to guess the right passage. Finally we enter the spectacular Vallunga valley which takes us to Selva di Val Gardena. The return to Colfosco is by lift.

DIFFICULTY: BS, S3

GAP: ascent 700 metres, descent 1050 metres.

sas ciampac 6

VAL GARDENA – SELVA DI VAL GARDENA: a ski tour varied and interesting

COL TORONN (2655 metres).

This itinerary climbs up the beautiful and wide Val Chedul to a pass, after which the excursion continues without great difficulty to the splendid summit.

DIFFICULTY: BS, S2

GAP: ascent and descent 1050 metres.

sas ciampac 17

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO – CRODA ROSSA: just below the red wall…

FORCELLA COLFIEDO, traverse (2721 metres)

This climb takes us through a long, relaxing stretch of woodland, before we emerge, as if by magic, into a high mountain environment. Surrounded by high walls, we zip along until we reach the pass. From here an incredible descent on the opposite side will take us back to the valley.

DIFFICULTY: BS, S3

GAP: ascent and descent 1200 metres.

classic saddle in Croda Rossa di Sesto

FALCADE – VALLES PASS: a great skiable summit

MULAZ TRAVERSE (2906 metres).

A long itinerary which, however, if tackled in the right moment, will turn into a long and memorable descent to the village of Falcade. In fact, this traverse involves climbing to the summit from Passo Valles or Passo Rolle. The greatest difficulties, though never excessive, are found in the last few metres before touching this fascinating summit. Once down in Falcade, we return to the car park by taxi.

DIFFICULTY: BSA, S2

GAP: ascent 1250, descent 1812 metres.

medium backcountry skituring, Mulaz summit

MARMOLADA – SOTTOGUDA: isolated and beautiful peak

MOUNT PEZZA

This beautiful and isolated peak is a typically winter excursion. Gentle slopes take us up to Forcella Pianezze, from which the final slope stands out with its southern exposure, offering us snow that is usually firm. The beautiful final ridge also gives us intense emotions.

DIFFICULTY: MSA, S3

GAP: ascent and descent 950 metres.

after a long tour in Marmolada, Val d'Ombrettola

Comments

Your voice

Echoo
Went ski touring in the dolomites for two days with a guide (Thomas). We felt safe. The guide was reliable and flexible. Fabrizio who organised it was also professional and friendly. I would recommend this company.
Raphaël Tulkens
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Guided ski tours for beginners

When the mountain is dressed in white and enveloped in fascinating silence and breathtaking views, the best way to enter this paradise is to push your skis, at a slow and rhythmic pace, on the white mantle. The ascent flows pleasantly, letting yourself be carried away by the power of the views that follow one another; leaving the line of your curves on the descent is the icing on the cake. This page presents proposals for “easy” backcountry ski in the Dolomites. What characterises these itineraries are height differences of no more than 900 metres and moderate technical difficulties, both uphill and downhill. Our aim, therefore, is to accompany you on these trips and ensure that you have fun discovering breathtaking views and descents on good snow without the anxiety of exposure.

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info

CUSTOMISED PLAN

Contact us. We will ask you a few things and we’ll together come up with a customised programme.
1) We will suggest an activity package tailored around your experience and wishes.
2) Choosing us means being with local guides, always up-to-date on the best choices.

group tours

In addition to the private tours, we organize group tours. On our calendar you can book our group tours and share the guided tour with other people.

EQUIPMENT

The ARTVA probe and shovel are provided by us included in the price. Personal equipment (skies, Skins, boots) is required. It’s possible to rent them in the place, so if you need, let us know before!

It’s recommended to wear breathable fabrics and to dress in layers: see here what to bring).

your guide

Our climbing activities are carried out by a mountain guide within UIAGM/IFMGA certified. Local mountain guides most definitely sport the best knowledge and will guarantee your safety and your fun.

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Program

A list of “easy” tours.

PASSO SAN PELLEGRINO – FALCADE: easy ski touring across the Dolomites

LASTE PICOL (2697 metres) – POZZA DI FASSA (traverse)

The ascent is along the sunny slopes of the south side of the S. Pellegrino pass. We easily climb up to the Selle pass, from here a slightly steeper and more challenging slope takes us to this sharp peak. From here we can descend to the opposite side, where a long and exciting descent takes us to Pozza di Fassa. We then return to the pass by public transport.

DIFFICULTY: MS, S2

GAP: ascent 600-750 metres, descent 1300 metres.

guided ski trips: S. Pellegrino, Picol laste, Dolomites

VALLES PASS – VAL DI FIEMME: guided tour in a peaceful place

CIMA IURIBRUTTO (2697 metres)

Beautiful and panoramic excursion, accessible all winter long, its easy slopes are particularly suitable for beginners but also for days when the snowpack is unstable.

DIFFICULTY: MS, S2

GAP: ascent and descent 760 metres.

guided ski tours: Passo Valles, Iuribrutto, Dolomites.

GIAU PASS – SELVA DI CADORE: being like on the moon

MONDEVAL (2455 metres)

An excursion of exceptional scenic interest: after leaving the car behind, we take a few steps into an almost lunar environment, where the white rarely leaves room to the emergence of giant grey boulders. The summit offers us a priceless spectacle. The wide descent slope, facing north, almost always has excellent snow.

DIFFICULTY: MS, S2

GAP: ascent and descent 700 metres.

Passo Giau, Piz del Corf Dolomites.

SASSOLUNGO – VAL GARDENA: a wild corner of the Dolomites

FORCELLA SASSOLUNGO NORD (2681 metres)

This itinerary combines a short but rather technical climb with a very long descent in an exceptional environment. In fact, once we reach the Demez refuge, from the Sella pass, we find ourselves in the heart of the Sassolungo group, surrounded by immense and gloomy walls which, as well as making the environment so special, also preserve excellent quality snow. The return journey takes place from Santa Cristina using the ski lifts.

DIFFICULTY: BS, S2

GAP: ascent 350 metres, descent 900 metres.

Forcella Sassolungo nord, Gardena Valley, Dolomites.

ARABBA, LIVINALLONGO: ski trip starting from a medieval castle

MONTE SIEF (2424 metres).

Even the starting point of this excursion projects us into a fantastic world: an ancient medieval castle stands out beyond the peaks of the fir trees that surround and protect it. In a short time, we leave the edge of the forest and ascend what in summer are alpine pastures and in winter are slopes with an optimal inclination. The final ridge also offers beautiful views and intense emotions.

DIFFICULTY: MS, S2

GAP: ascent and descent 650 metres.

Backcountry ski Sas Ciampac, Badia Valley, Dolomites.

VAL BADIA – COLFOSCO: backcountry ski in the Puez-Odle park

COL DE LA SONNE’ (2633 metres).

This short and easy excursion allows us to explore the Puez-Odle plateau: once up here we will realise the vastness of this place, so different from the steep walls that are usually above us but today are below! The Col de la Sonnè is then a beautiful pyramid that invites us to climb it.

DIFFICULTY: MS, S2

GAP: Ascent and descent 700 metres.

Almost at the top of Sas Ciampac, Badia Valley,

MARMOLADA – SOTTOGUDA: the queen of the Dolomites

MOUNT PEZZA

This beautiful and isolated peak is a typically winter excursion. Gentle slopes take us up to Forcella Pianezze, from which the final shovel stands out with its southern exposure, offering us snow that is usually firm. The beautiful final ridge also gives us intense emotions.

DIFFICULTY: MSA, S3

GAP: ascent and descent 950 metres.

First turns from the top of Sas Ciampac

Comments

Your voice

Echoo
Fantastic day with Fabrizio! He knows every rock in the Dolomites and knows how to get the most out of the day despite the somewhat poor snow conditions. Absolutely recommended!
Olivier ten Hallers
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