Skiing/Snowboarding in both Bolzano and Champoluc

Posted by s.a.mattos on 11/06/16 07:10 PM

Hi everybody! My girlfriend and I are going to be traveling in Italy for three weeks starting in December and we're planning on finishing with a trip to Sudtirol and Val D'aosta areas. We don't want to have to take any gear with us (except pants, jackets, and gloves) and I have a few questions about that.

Has anyone done this? What was your experience? Did you like it? What time of year did you go? We're going in early January, which I hear can be bare, but it's all we've got. Plus, if we don't get to ski, we can always hang out in a beautiful fire-lit mountain hut or poke around in Bolzano.
We're thinking about using space bags to pack our snowboard clothes. I'm worried that TSA is going to open them and totally screw up our luggage situation if they do. Any experience with that?
Because we're leaving all of our gear at home, we have to rent everything. Do European resorts rent boots? Boards I've seen and that's fine...it's the boots I'm concerned about. Skiing looks like it's still the more popular sport in Italy and my worry is that while resorts will have plenty for skiers, they'll make fewer provisions for snowboarders.

I think that's it - thanks for looking. I would really appreciate any advice or stories anyone has to share. Also...Italy in Winter? Anything you would care to add would be great. We're always looking for any tips at all.

Thanks!

Posted by Shelley

Central Valley, California

11/06/16 08:52 PM

293 posts

Here is a website that I found. You're going to love it! I have skied in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, and stayed in a Ski-In-Ski-Out hotel twice - omg, some of my best memories of all time.

http://www.suedtirol.info/en

The first thing I saw was that this website is in English, showing downhill skiers.

This is what I mostly find true about EU ski resorts:

They do not groom the slopes. Maybe they do now, but they didn't in the past millennium.

They do not observe any kind of "Ski Line Etiquette" and will push and shove and slide in front of you with abandon. They will trample your skis with their own skis and their poles. Young adolescents will slide ahead of you, then turn around and scream past your ear to their friends, "Hey come on, this guy is as slow as molasses, so slide past him and catch up with me!" Then three more adolescents will slide past you and get on the next three chairlifts.

Some local "ma and pa" resorts will use a Poma Lift (you know, the disc that you stash between your knees, which will pull you 15 MINUTES up a steep hill. You and your girlfriend sound young enough to withstand this rigor - not for me anymore.)

There are few "Out of Bounds" markers. They expect it's your responsibility to understand the mountain. It is easy for Americans to think that it's all "Piste" because it's not roped off - so it's up to you to police yourself.

Posted by s.a.mattos OP

11/06/16 08:56 PM

7 posts

All great information! Thanks for the reply and please keep them coming, everyone.

Posted by Beth

Boulder, Colorado, USA

11/07/16 12:57 AM

437 posts

My husband and I skiied in the Dolomites and near Aosta but on different trips. These areas are very far apart so you may have to choose one or the other.

I would not pick Bolzano as a base, the best skiing is far from there.

https://www.j2ski.com/ski_resorts/Airports/Bolzano.html

I think Val Gardenia or Cortina provide more skiing options.

In Val d'Aosta we skiied at Cervinia which connects to Zermatt. Montarosa was our next choice but time and weather did not cooperate to do both.

Will you have a car? None of these areas are easy to get to by train and bus.

If there is no snow, go to Venice :-)

Posted by Anita

Long Beach, California, USA

11/07/16 03:36 AM

3391 posts

The ski areas of the Dolomites are linked into one huge area under the "Dolomiti Superski" program. 12 ski areas are linked by one pass and it's easy to arrange everything on this one website...hotels, ski passes, equipment rental, etc. IMHO the best two areas to ski are the Alpe de Siusi and the Marmolatta...both are very dramatic with incredible views.
Dolomiti Superski

Posted by DavidM

Cambridge, UK

11/07/16 09:47 AM

80 posts

You will have no problem renting ski or snowboard boots. Helmets too, if you need them. You can reserve equipment in advance using companies like Skiset.

Shelley is certainly right about the lack of etiquette when waiting for a chairlift. It is very annoying. Champoluc is busy at weekends with visitors from Turin and Milan but much quieter during the week. The only serious bottleneck is likely to be the base of the Alpe Mandria lift.

The slopes are groomed, with the grooming schedule varying from place to place and generally posted at base stations or online. You won't find "out of bounds" markers because anything not on a marked trail is "off-piste" and you are responsible for your own safety as soon as you're on the wrong side of the piste markers.