Corvara: piste guide
Corvara is well positioned, with village lifts heading off to reasonably equidistant Selva, Arabba and San Cassiano. The local slopes are gentle and confidence-boosting.
Extent of the slopes
Lifts go off in three directions. A long gondola heads south towards Boè and Arabba for the clockwise Sella Ronda circuit. A powerful gondola recently replaced the chair heading west towards Colfosco and the anticlockwise route around the circuit. The area around both lifts can get congested at peak times. Another gondola from the top of the village takes you to the slopes shared with San Cassiano and La Villa.
Fast lifts
New fast lifts are gradually improving the area.
Queues
Replacement of the inescapable and over-busy Borest chair between Corvara and Colfosco seems to have solved the main local problem.
Terrain parks
There is a terrain park above San Cassiano, easily reached from Corvara.
Snow reliability
As in the rest of the Sella Ronda area, natural snowfall is erratic, but snowmaking and grooming are excellent.
For experts
Very few of Corvara’s slopes offer any real challenges. The short black above Boè is really no more than a red in gradient. The much longer wooded runs down to La Villa include a genuine black, adequately tricky when icy. Otherwise, you’re off to Selva or Arabba.
For intermediates
There’s a vast network of slopes ideal for cruising and confidence-boosting. On one side is the network of rolling hills shared with San Cassiano; on the other, above Colfosco, is the more dramatically set Val Stella Alpina, off the Sella Ronda circuit, plus the long, gentle runs from Passo Gardena – essentially one long nursery slope. The red back to the village underneath the Boè cable car that goes off towards Arabba is excellent – it’s usually uncrowded and retains good snow. The adventurous can head for the steeper, wooded pistes going down to La Villa.
For beginners
There’s a decent nursery area and lots of easy runs to progress to on both sides of the village, making this one of the best bases in the Sella Ronda area for beginners.
Snowboarding
Novices can make rapid progress on gentle slopes. A few awkward draglifts remain, but most can be avoided.
Cross-country
This is one of the better bases in the area. The Alta Badia area offers 35km of trails, including a 10km valley loop on the way to Colfosco.
Schools and guides
There’s a local branch of the Alta Badia school – reports welcome.
Families
‘Plenty of activities for everyone,’ said a 2014 visitor. School instructors are ‘very good’ with children – the ski school’s Kinderland takes children from the age of three.
Where to Ski
This guide is taken from Where to Ski and Snowboard, edited by Chris Gill and Dave Watts. Chris now produces Where to Ski guides to individual countries. Find out more and receive an exclusive book discount.
