It is surprising how close these beautiful mountains are: It is just a bit over one hour drive to Alta Badia. It is astonishing how different the shape and colour of the mountains are compared to the other side of the border. In some mystical way Dolomites have the magic which has disappeared from the Austrian Alps. The Italian lifestyle is still visible: Restaurants are not open 24/7 and the whole hecticness and stressfulness of Tyrollean resorts shines with it's absence.
What struck me the most was the fact that such a huge resort as Alta Badia was rather empty and untracked notwithstanding that it had been already more than few days of the last snowfall. The area is massive: one could say it is a skier's paradise as there is everything from steep coulairs to excellent tree skiing.
The day was absolutely the best of the season so far. We learned a valuable lesson that there is no point following single skin tracks if you are not exactly sure where they lead. Even if some locals might say it is ski-able, we still should have the topographic maps and knowledge of where we are heading. Nevertheless, the hike itself was just great with its all components from shatting my pants and loudly expressing my feeling in Finnish. Turning around has never been as easy as it was when looking over the edge down to the other side.
Skiing down the path we hiked up was also really interesting. Although, the run wasn't the easiest I felt rather confident with my new gear. Skiing with Dynafit -bindings and long skis feels great. The El Capos aren't the lightest pair of skis but the way they ride is unbelievable: the feel is something between a GS ski and a solid powder ski. It will take some time to adapt but I can already feel the benefits of having longer skis.
The coming weekend we are heading back to Italy and hopefully it will turn out to be another epic adventure. If and when it is snowing during this week, Alta Badia will turn to this huge playground with so many different features that a small mind will be confused! I am extremely excited for the next Saturday! The first real faceshots of the year 2014?
(Thanks Rupi & Bernie for the amazing photos!)
And to wrap everything up here is a clip from the first day of the year in Stubai! Pretty much sums up how the season has been so far!
What struck me the most was the fact that such a huge resort as Alta Badia was rather empty and untracked notwithstanding that it had been already more than few days of the last snowfall. The area is massive: one could say it is a skier's paradise as there is everything from steep coulairs to excellent tree skiing.
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| The line we were heading for is the one with arrow on the right |
The day was absolutely the best of the season so far. We learned a valuable lesson that there is no point following single skin tracks if you are not exactly sure where they lead. Even if some locals might say it is ski-able, we still should have the topographic maps and knowledge of where we are heading. Nevertheless, the hike itself was just great with its all components from shatting my pants and loudly expressing my feeling in Finnish. Turning around has never been as easy as it was when looking over the edge down to the other side.
Skiing down the path we hiked up was also really interesting. Although, the run wasn't the easiest I felt rather confident with my new gear. Skiing with Dynafit -bindings and long skis feels great. The El Capos aren't the lightest pair of skis but the way they ride is unbelievable: the feel is something between a GS ski and a solid powder ski. It will take some time to adapt but I can already feel the benefits of having longer skis.
The coming weekend we are heading back to Italy and hopefully it will turn out to be another epic adventure. If and when it is snowing during this week, Alta Badia will turn to this huge playground with so many different features that a small mind will be confused! I am extremely excited for the next Saturday! The first real faceshots of the year 2014?
(Thanks Rupi & Bernie for the amazing photos!)
And to wrap everything up here is a clip from the first day of the year in Stubai! Pretty much sums up how the season has been so far!
