Arabba: piste guide
Arabba has a good mix of open and woodland slopes.
Read the rest of the Arabba guide
Extent of slopes
The two-stage double-cable gondola and the cable car beside it rise from the village almost 900m vertical to the high point at Porta Vescovo (2,478m). From here a choice of runs return to the village or you can head off around the clockwise Sella Ronda circuit. From the mid-station of the gondola, chairs take you to Passo Padon and onwards to the Marmolada glacier. This is an excellent outing. The views across the Gruppo del Sella from the top at 3,270m are spectacular, and the 1,500m vertical red run to Capanna Bill is splendid, with great snow on the top sections.
From the other side of the village, a fast quad gets you on the way to Burz, Passo di Campolongo and Corvara, and the anticlockwise circuit.
Fast lifts
Key local lifts are fast, but there are slow lifts on the way to Marmolada.
Queues
The outing to Marmolada can be troublesome on a busy day. The Sass de la Vegla double chair is an obvious bottleneck, but also there may be long waits for the Marmolada cable cars, especially late in the season.
Terrain parks
There’s a park above Plan Boè, on the way to Passo di Campolongo – catering best for novices, in one reporter’s view.
Snow reliability
Good snow is far from assured, but snowmaking is extensive and the main runs are high and shady.
For experts
Arabba has steep slopes to rival those of Selva/Val Gardena. The north-facing blacks and reds from Porta Vescovo offer genuine challenges and there is some tempting off-piste terrain too.
For intermediates
The local slopes suit adventurous intermediates best – most are quite challenging. But the easy Alta Badia area is nearby.
For beginners
It is not a great choice for beginners. There is a nursery slope near the Burz chair, but this is red run territory. Go to Corvara or Colfosco.
Snowboarding
The slopes of Porta Vescovo offer some decent challenges but there are some flat areas. The nursery slope has a draglift.
Cross-country
There are no trails here.
Schools and guides
We have good reports on both the Arabba and Dolomites Rèba schools.
Families
The ski school takes quite young children.
Where to Ski
This guide is taken from Where to Ski, edited by Chris Gill.
Arabba
