This time was complete carnage. Too much snow, on top of already big snow falls meant that the pass in to and out of Arabba was officially closed. Needed to use snow chains for the first time in several years. And approximately 80% of the people didn't even arrive in Arabba, so had to be put up in hotels in Alleghe and Caprile. Some made it through later in the week, but most didn't.
The first day was no skiing, so basically walking around the village taking photos of snow. Lots of it.
Day 2: No lifts running in Arabba, but they were elsewhere. Arabba really did get much more snow than other villages in the area. So those of us in Arabba made use of available cars, hotel minibus etc. and drove up to Passo Campolongo, where we could ski from. Was a relatively easy day over to San Cassiano and back, with lunch in Ütia Las Vegas. Knowing that we might get stuck on the wrong side of the pass, we had all packed overnight bags. We didn't expect we'd need them, but with avalanche level 5, at night, with that much snow that the sides of the road were collapsing in, there was no way the carabinieri would let us back to Arabba. Fortunately we'd arranged apartments right by the roadblock, that were owned by the hotel we were supposed to be staying in.
Day 3: Since we were at Passo Campolongo, we just skied out from there. Then after 2 pistes, got the call that there was to be a couple of escorted convoys thru the pass. We raced back, but missed the convoy. Alpine security let us and a couple of cars through, and a convoy came the other way, but the carabinieri at the bottom road block were not happy! Sod 'em. We were thru the pass, and they were hardly going to send us back!
Day 4: Finally, 1 lifts and 1 piste opened, but still not linked to Passo Campolongo. Only one thing for it... loop the Burz chairlift and piste back to Arabba all day. I managed 17 laps, but some managed more. Made good use of the new Burz rifugio, and a load of us trekked up the piste to Plan Boè for apres drinks.
Day 5: They finally managed to open enough lifts and pistes to link Arabba to the Sella Ronda, at least in the Corvara direction, although still closed in the Marmolada and Canazei directions. So 3 of us did half a Sella Ronda loop to Selva / Val Gardena, and returned the same way with a diversion in to the Edelweiss valley. It was there, just after getting off the gondola, that we witnessed an avalanche in real time. It was on the other side of the valley, but no danger to us although it looked like it was heading for a drag lift down in the valley we were about to ski in to.
Day 6: Last day. They finally managed to open the links in the Canazei direction. Marmolada still closed, and most of that shut for the season, after an avalanche took out 1 chairlift and 1 draglift. So we did a Sella Ronda clockwise, using the traditional easier route. The run down thru the trees to Selva / Val Gardena from Campitello side are actually pretty good.
All the photos can be found here.
