Skiing Val di Fassa is such a lovely magical mystery tour & full of absolute gems. And whilst the gems are spread across a massive area & often not directly connected to the next precious stone, that is exactly why we love it.

As a general rule the Powderhounds love the smaller, authentic, low-crowd ski resorts across the globe. And even though hat first glance one might dismiss larger resorts, sometimes even within a huge ski area like the Dolomites & Val di Fassa, there are gem-like ‘pockets of pleasure’ that illicit the fondest snow memories. At Val di Fassa it’s the Catinaccio ski area below the vertiginous rocky spires of the same name. Propped between the towns of Vigo di Fassa & Pera, the Catinaccio’s north-aspect tree-lined slopes may not be vast but are loaded with snow and seriously enjoyable on-piste carving. Coupled with several sensational rifugios at 2000m elevation on the Campidie, this is Italian piste skiing at its finest & with relatively few people for company. The cherry on top is the 4 to 5km long valley trail to Pera which drops around 750m vertical & if timed correctly can coincide at the end with the beautiful tolling of the bells from the San Lorenzo church. Its only in Europe where one can step off the ski trail & stroll through a cemetery with skis over your shoulder accompanied by the rich sound of the village bells.

So, what about the rest of Val di Fassa? Put simply, there is so much to explore. Advanced pistes like Vulcano are Val di Fassa icons. Part of a 5km 750m vertical plunge off Buffaure into the lovely Pozza di Fassa. Val di Fassa’s expert terrain from the top of Sass Pordoi was sub-baked and bony. Its sunny south aspect overwhelming the high elevation. The opposite was the cold north facing aspects off the Marmolada in to Passo Fadaia. Until May the access to the Val di Fassa terrain on Marmolada is actually from the Marmolada cable cars or skinning. The ancient lift, more of a stand-up cage for two than a lift, runs for only one month a year. We were too early. Nevertheless, the terrain above has far & away the bets snow quality in the Dolomites, so is worthy of a journey or two.

Of all the valley’s towns, we enjoyed the quieter, more traditional Pozza di Fassa most, & regard it as the place to stay in the area. If one has a car, the surrounding hamlets include several excellent farm stays (agriturismo) where it is possible (even encouraged) to commune with a dairy herd at the end of a ski day. The staple ski resort villages of Alba & Canazei certainly offer the best overall ski access & are livelier than Pozza, but with commensurate increase in numbers of people, cars & over-development. Campitello fairs better, but not much - the lack of a valley trail hurts it, as does the cable car access which can attract long lines on busy mornings. We noted that all ski buses in the valley from Pozza di Fassa to Campitello/Canazei have a small daily fee (€3) which seems unnecessary & at odds with most ski areas in Europe. We only found out after riding for free – the drivers don’t appear to ask for tickets & we were ignorant, so didn’t ask either!

The thing about the Dolomites is there is so much to see, do, eat, drink & slide on that the snow quality (be it old, manky, icy, dry, crisp or powder) becomes irrelevant. Skiing Val di Fassa is the same. If you happen upon cold temps & deep powder – good for you. If you don’t – still good for you! Andiamo…..

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Skied at Val di Fassa in early 2018 on the Col Rodella & Belvedere during several days of a bitterly cold blizzard in zero visibility. Was still fun though & showed that the resort has got its stuff together - didn't get lost & all the lifts were running, except the cable car up to Sass Pordoi. Was hoping to ski the Sass Pordoi off-piste routes, but to no avail.

Snow quality, slopes & lifts were fantastic and the hospitality in the rifugios perfect.

Wonder what it looks like in the sun? Apparently its fairly spectacular!
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Val di Fassa is an integral part of the popular Sella Ronda and has everything one would expect of a premium Dolomites ski resort in regards to quality lifts, piste, snow-making, restaurants and bars. Terrain is mainly beginner and intermediate, and during the Powderhounds visit, the resort had early season conditions with very little natural snow.

Given the lack of natural snow the skiing available was truly impressive and shows that this is a resort worth visiting regardless of what challenges mother nature has thrown at it. We look forward to returning in great natural snow conditions in 2018 to fully gauge Val di Fassa's potential.
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Spent ten days staying in Campitello (Val di Fassa) and skiing the Dolomites a few years ago. Will definitely go back. 

I used an (Australian) guide and skied with a group most days. I recommend that because it is just so big. It's a definite advantage to be with someone who knows their way around this massive ski area. 

Best on mountain food I've ever had, any country, any continent. 

Got lots of sunny days but unfortunately not much fresh (mid March). 

Campitello bars only OK, will research other towns next time. Overall just a beautiful experience. I'll be back.
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The best ski resort in the world!
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