The Slopes Less Taken: Skiing in the Dolomites | Vogue
"For a less predictable ski experience—one that involves criss-crossing the lunar-looking peaks and valleys of Alta Badia, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Cinque Torri and other, lesser-known ski areas while sleeping at cozy mountain inns—it’s time to try a ski safari in the Dolomites. Yes, this is the steep and deep land of World Cups and Winter Olympics, but the Italian Alps is also home to wide, groomed runs (86 percent are blue and red, the easiest), which means paradise for intermediate skiers with a daredevil streak. Here, there is no central mountain base. The Dolomiti Superski is comprised of 12 ski areas, or “carousels,” spread across 800 massif-spiked miles (all on one ski pass). Navigating the various areas, each one more scenic than the last, can be tricky. Lift systems originate in obscure turn-offs from narrow mountain passes. And in order to tackle maximum terrain, you need to swap fancy hotels in the mountain towns for rifugios, or simple high-elevation inns, accessible only by ski, snowcat or funicular." - Amy Tara Koch
