Month: April 2019

Welcome back to skiing through life! This week we’ll be exploring a ski resort in the beautiful Dolomite Mountains located in Italy. A little background on the Dolomite Mountains, they’re a very popular tourist attraction within Italy, specifically for extreme sports such as BASE jumping, free climbing, paragliding, and hang gliding. Cortina D’Ampezzo hast hosted a myriad of snow sports. This includes the 1956 Winter Olympics, the nordic and alpine world championships, and Cortina is currently bidding for the 2026 Winter Olympics as well as hosting the 2021 alpine world championships. Being located in the Dolomiti Superski area, Cortina does have a lot of competition from other ski resorts but continues to be one of the most visited ski areas in the Dolomites.

Trails

The cortina ski area would most likely be suggested as a resort for seasoned advanced seasons. With 49 percent of the trails being advanced (black/double black diamonds), this mountain may not be the best for beginner skiers. The mountain has 73 total trails, so you definitely won’t be bored at this resort! 13 percent of the trails are expert trails and 38% are intermediate runs. One of the most popular things to do at Cortina is explore the backcountry skiing it offers. There are many companies in the area that provide backcountry skiing tours, heli ski tours, and these companies often will provide you with avalanche training and avalanche gear such as a transceiver and a probe.

Lessons/Programs

The Cortina ski school was actually the first founded Italian ski school. The school includes snowboarding and skiing lessons within the free ride, telemark, and freestyle areas. What makes this program so great is that there are ski instructors available in 8 different language. So if you’re coming from France, you can book ski lessons with an Italian ski instructor who also speaks French. The ski school offers both group lessons and private lessons, although private lessons here are highly recommended.

Apres-Ski

In the towns surrounding Cortina, the apres-ski scene is like no where else. With 30 bars, 40 restaurants, and 14 pizzerias, some people come to the ski resort just for the food and drinks! Some of the most popular places visitors like to go after skiing are the Mokarabia Coffee Bar, the Dolomiti Bar, LP 26 Prosciutteria, and the X Bar. The Tivoli restaurant is Michelin starred and El Toula is located in a converted barn. If you’re not traveling with kids, some of the best nightlife in the area  is at the Blu Bloom Gall, Bilbo Club Gall, and Belvedere.Â

Lodging

As for lodging, Cortina has many different experiences to offer. A lot of people when they come here like to stay in an apartment with multiple bedrooms that they can rent out for a week. Another popular option is staying in a hotel/resort near the ski slopes. With 4 stars the Bellevue Suites and Spa is highly recommended as well as Piezza da Aurelio which is actually located right in the middle of the mountains. Dibona has the charm of an intimate ski chalet, also located right on the mountain. Because this is such a popular tourist destination, the hotels, resorts, cabins, apartments, etc are endless and offer people a variety of choices no matter what your preferences are.

Welcome back to skiing through life! This week we’ll be exploring the west coast of America up in the state of Washington! This post’s featured ski resort is the Mount Washington Alpine Resort located on Mount Washington. This resort is especially known for its beautiful scenery as well as the many different nature experiences it offers.

Trails

For a bigger mountain resort, Mt Washington certainly has a great amount of green/beginner trails. Even with the upper level trails (blue/black diamond), a majority of these trails are groomed which is a great aspect of the mountain. While a good portion of the mountain is going to be comprised of trails for the more advanced skier, Mt Washington has great facilities and groomed areas for the beginner skier/snowboarder. Annually, the resort gets about 170 inches of snow which makes for great powder skiing which is what every skier always considers when looking for a resort! The weather at the resort is also pretty good with temperatures staying around 20-30 degrees although you may not get as many blue-bird days here compared to other resorts because of how much precipitation there is.

Lessons/Programs

As with most mountains, Mount Washington offers anything from private to group lessons for all age ranges. They stand out with their lesson programs by providing beginner facilities as well as terrain that’s perfect for any type of lesson with their glade runs and powder-filled bowls. Some of their specialty programs include their adaptive programs which cater to the physically and developmentally challenged. For anyone looking to become a skiing or snowboarding instructor or trained for avalanche skills, this resort offers all of these courses for reasonable prices.

Apres-Ski Activities

After spending part of the day on the mountain skiing or snowboarding, you can spend the other part of the day with all of the activities this resort offers! Mt Washington offers everything from snow tubing and tobogganing to snowshoe fondue and fat biking. Another popular attraction here is the Mt Washington ziptour. This zipline offers 2.3 km of ocean and alpine scenery. In addition to these activities, the resort also offers a full event calendar filled with activities like the biathlon snowshoe blast, the slush cup, a snow to surf event, and opening day events. In addition to this Mt Washington has a variety of shops and restaurants including multiple cafes, a bar and grill, and a bistro. Lastly, one of the stand-out attractions of Mt Washington resort is their snow host tours. Early in the morning, you can book a tour with a snow host who will show you the best ski and snowboarding areas and will even give you a local tour.

Lodging

As for lodging, two of the most popular places to stay are the Bear and Deer Lodge and in Mt. Washington village. The Bear and Deer Lodge is located right on Mount Washington allowing for ski-in ski-out accommodations. These accommodations are probably the best lodging experience you’ll have on the mountain because they offer first tracks, easy access to apres-ski opportunities, and even outdoor hot tubs! The other popular place to stay is in the Mt. Washington village. Mt. Washington village is mostly made up of rental accommodations. The rentals include everything from condominiums, apartments, and full ski cabins. Mt Washington village is the better choice if you’re traveling with a bigger group or want a more private space.