Schif Posted January 22, 2020 Report Share Posted January 22, 2020 3 hours ago, AtomicSkier said: All the more reason for you to ditch the board and go full send on skiing. Both have their positives and negatives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle Posted January 22, 2020 Report Share Posted January 22, 2020 14 hours ago, Schif said: Both have their positives and negatives. I picked skiing back up about 3 years ago and told myself I’d do both equally, don’t think I’ve touched my snowboard more than 2 times since then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaf Posted January 22, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2020 21 hours ago, Schif said: Out of curiosity, how many snowboarders are you seeing over there? I would imagine almost none considering the amount of flat areas There are some, like a percent or so. I don't think terrain is the limiting factor. Probably lack of regional popularity. And there are enough challenging slopes here with no flats top to bottom. Val Gardena and Arabba offer probably the steepest trails. Some are clearly mismarked. I've seen a red trail that would be a DD in the US based on the incline alone. On top of it it's freaking long, and on top of length it turns into a mogul course by the end of the day, not unlike Falls. And it's unavoidable if one needs to cross Val Gardena toward Val di Fassa. Skiers definitely struggle there. Boarders just scrape down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaf Posted January 22, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2020 Well, I think I've figured out that Erbe Alpine grappa is best to be avoided. IDK what bush they cut that bottled branch from, but the nightmares after it, oh my... 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted January 22, 2020 Report Share Posted January 22, 2020 2 hours ago, Kyle said: I picked skiing back up about 3 years ago and told myself I’d do both equally, don’t think I’ve touched my snowboard more than 2 times since then. Have you skied yet this season? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted January 22, 2020 Report Share Posted January 22, 2020 19 minutes ago, eaf said: Well, I think I've figured out that Erbe Alpine grappa is best to be avoided. IDK what bush they cut that bottled branch from, but the nightmares after it, oh my... You have a bad hangover?? I don’t even really know what grappa is..it’s a euro thing I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle Posted January 22, 2020 Report Share Posted January 22, 2020 Just now, GrilledSteezeSandwich said: Have you skied yet this season? Nope. Been too busy on the weekends Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted January 22, 2020 Report Share Posted January 22, 2020 Just now, Kyle said: Nope. Been too busy on the weekends Sheesh I always wonder what kind of stuff busy people do on weekends.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaf Posted January 22, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2020 What I like about local villages is how they look. Even if I screw up, take the wrong trail down and have to walk half a kilometer down the slippery streets toward the lift back up, there's still something to see along the path. This is Canazei. I don't live here. I only come for grappa or if the map fools me. The red guy with the skis goes the wrong way. There's no lift behind me and the slopes have just closed anyway. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toast21602 Posted January 22, 2020 Report Share Posted January 22, 2020 This gets me excited. Keep it coming @eaf! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaf Posted January 22, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2020 22 minutes ago, GrilledSteezeSandwich said: You have a bad hangover?? I don’t even really know what grappa is..it’s a euro thing I think. It's a local drink that really varies. Made of grapes. The taste depends on how they make it. Can be like a sweet liquor, can be like medicine, can be aged in barrels. Is stronger than wine though not as strong as vodka. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted January 22, 2020 Report Share Posted January 22, 2020 8 minutes ago, eaf said: It's a local drink that really varies. Made of grapes. The taste depends on how they make it. Can be like a sweet liquor, can be like medicine, can be aged in barrels. Is stronger than wine though not as strong as vodka. I’d probably drink mostly jack and cokes over there and Peroni beer lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRacer Posted January 22, 2020 Report Share Posted January 22, 2020 Beautiful pics Eaf! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaf Posted January 22, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2020 Well, today I've been to the land that all boarders visit in their nightmares from time to time, the land that their mother threaten to send them to if they don't finish their breakfast, the land is since avoided by them as a plague. Different nationalities have different names for this place. Italians call it Alpe di Siusi, Germans - Seiser Alm, Americans would probably call it the Land of Flats and be done with it. Most skiing zones around here would typically have a few peaks, several base towns, lifts taking you all the way up and trails that can generally be followed all the way down. Yeah, once you get up you don't really have to return to the base, there are shorter lifts and trails near the peaks, and the snow there is better anyway. But the important part is that usually there is a choice. Want to lose 1500m of elevation in one run? Go for it! This land in the other hand is a freaking plateau. The last decent steeps you see in the way here is from Seceda (incidentally, the last pic below). After that there is a looong trail that brings you all the way down to the town of Ortisei. That town is so low in elevation that by the time you get there all natural snow is gone and there is just a narrow groomer. Then you grab your skis and go to an under ground escalator that helps you get even lower, down to the road level. You cross the road, walk the snowless town for a little bit and get to the lift on the other side, which finally takes you back to the whites. Except that now you find yourself confined to a very pretty area with a rather small variation of altitude. It seems to be a local winter playground for the town folks. You wouldn't just find skiers there. You'd see people trekking, sledding and running around on cross country skis, there are even some horse carriages. Just hardly any boarders. Because kids in Ortisei know how to finish their breakfast. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadows Posted January 22, 2020 Report Share Posted January 22, 2020 Such a good post. Love the pics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbike-ski Posted January 22, 2020 Report Share Posted January 22, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, eaf said: It's a local drink that really varies. Made of grapes. The taste depends on how they make it. Can be like a sweet liquor, can be like medicine, can be aged in barrels. Is stronger than wine though not as strong as vodka. it's distilled from the grape seeds and varies like you say, it can be like grain alcohol or a liqueur. I had a few bouts with the grappa when I studied in Rome for a semester and traveled in college. Can definitely make you hallucinate lol! oh yea, great pics and report! Edited January 22, 2020 by mbike-ski 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaf Posted January 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2020 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaf Posted January 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2020 What she's pointing at is this... Down below is just one wiiiide groomer in Belvedere area. It's awesome to ski it first thing in the morning, and it actually holds on rather well till the end of the day, compared to some other trails over here. These guys are sitting at a trail turn. It comes from their behind and then turns sharp left. It's sunset. What's really amazing is how out of time this couple is. Everyone including myself is rushing to get back to the home area, looking at watches at every opportunity. And these guys just sit up top and absorb the view... 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted January 23, 2020 Report Share Posted January 23, 2020 What elevations are the ski slopes you’re skiing?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaf Posted January 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2020 3 minutes ago, GrilledSteezeSandwich said: What elevations are the ski slopes you’re skiing?? Generally between 1500m and 2500m. There's this Marmolada peak that sits at 3300m, but I'll probably not go there this time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaf Posted January 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2020 Today was a road trip... Well, come to think of it, it didn't not really involve any roads compared to the two days before, I didn't have to use anything but lifts or piste. So no buses, no escalators, just skiing... The goal was to reach a remote monastery, La Crusc. It's about two zones away, on an appendix that I've never skied before. A local guide suggested to go there, and I was all for it, as anything that looks like an appendix rocks compared to the main trails of Sella Ronda (just wait to see a pic that I took on the way back). There was plenty of time and no rush, but still the snow is best in the morning, so the first car up was mine. The snow look and feels great when you're the first to ski it, doesn't it?? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaf Posted January 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2020 I was taking it easy, skiing local slopes several times each while they were still good, slowly making my way, knowing that I had plenty of time, until I've reached Corvara area and... got lost... Only this can really explain the weird choice of lifts that I had to take a couple of times. I was desperate at times. But in the end it worked out fine, and I've got to the final chain of lifts that was supposed to take me up there, toward the monastery. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaf Posted January 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2020 Well, let's say that the trip was worth the trip, for the monastery itself was rather blah. The most fascinating thing about it was the discovery that technology makes its way to the most unexpected areas. I still remember times when one would buy a real candle and then would light it, in memory of someone. Well, here you still have a place to deposit your money to as well, but the candle is all electric, and the "burning time" is all carefully tuned, I'm sure, based on the season, time of day and what not. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaf Posted January 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2020 The return was pleasant most of the way, up until I hit the transit slopes when I realized that somehow the number of people has increased a lot... IDK whether it's due to the day of the week, or because schools have closed somewhere, but the number of people on certain slopes was exceeding what I had to witness in PA on long weekends... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted January 23, 2020 Report Share Posted January 23, 2020 Cool pictures and I had no idea about the candle lighting thing. Maybe I can sell candles. Stowe has a chapel on the grounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.