Alpine skiing: Dolomites. Italy, the Dolomites

The Dolomites are, perhaps, the most beautiful in the whole mountain system. Previously, they were called Monte Pallidi, which in translation from Italian means Pale Mountains. And the truth is, the Dolomites do not look like the other Alps. Rocky, with quaint tower-like peaks, they are made of light stone. Its mineral composition - CaMg [CO3] 2 - was described in the 18th century by the French geologist Deodat de Dolomew. In honor of him, the mountains were called the Dolomites. This breed is of sedimentary origin. For many millions of years a shallow warm sea, dwelling in corals and mollusks, splashed around here. When the earth's firmament began to rise, the water left, leaving a memory in the form of lagoons, fjords and reefs. As a result, mountains appeared that were more than three thousand meters above sea level, melting in their bowels the warmth of the prehistoric ocean.

Effect of the Dolomites

In this region, as in the entire mountain system, there are many ski resorts. But it is not because of this that the Dolomites, whose photos were probably seen by everyone, were listed in 2009 as a unique natural site by UNESCO. What is their phenomenon? What is the difference between Monte Pallidi and the rest of the Alps? The phenomenon is called Enrosadira - so it is called the inhabitants of the highland Ladin valleys. And the Austrians call it Alpengluhen - Alpine ignition. What does it mean? At dawn and dusk, the low sun hanging above the horizon illuminates the mineral for a few minutes with its light. And it reflects the rays of the star, visually turns purple-orange, later changing color to cream-pink. And now imagine this landscape in winter, when a riot of alpine snow is added to the riot of colors! Verily, Le Corbusier was right, who called these mountains "the most beautiful natural architecture in the world."

The Legend of the Dolomites

Residents of high-mountain valleys in their own way explain the effect of alpine ignition. There is a legend that once in these places there was a beautiful kingdom of gnomes, ruled by King Laurino. His territory was completely seated with beautiful roses. The state of the gnomes did not have fortress walls, ditches, anti-tank "hedgehogs". Only a thin silk thread meant the cordons of the kingdom. The dwarves hopelessly hoped for the decency of their neighbors. They did not hesitate to invade and capture the beautiful land. The legend does not say who it was - Austria or Italy. The Dolomite Alps bristled with severe peaks, because Laurino cast a spell on his garden. From now on, roses could not be seen day or night. But Laurino forgot about the sunrise and sunset. It is at this time that you can admire the wonderful garden of the disappeared kingdom for a few minutes.

Dolomites: resorts

In such a beautiful area, God himself ordered to build places for rest. Previously, some valleys were part of Austria. They were transferred to the Italian Republic only after the First World War. On these lands still speak Ladian, and Austrian speech is heard more often than Italian. Accuracy and punctuality also distinguish the valleys from other lands of Trentino, Val d'Adige and Veneto. All year round tourists from all over the world come here. Rock climbing, trekking, rafting, mountaineering - lovers of outdoor activities will not be bored here. But still the most common kind of entertainment here is mountain skiing. The Dolomites are home to interesting know-how. To attract winter tourists, twelve regions of skiing decided to combine their efforts and established a single ski pass.

Dolomiti Superski - rest without limits

The Dolomite Alps cover two regions of Italy - Alto Adige and Trentino, as well as the province of Belluno in Veneto. Now, looking at the map, imagine the scale of this gigazona skating! Without taking off skis and with one ticket you can ride on 470 cable cars and try 1220 kilometers of excellent ski trails. The skiing area includes twelve valleys and resorts: Arabba / Marmolada, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Val di Fiemme, Kronplatz, Alta Badia, Val Gardena, Val di Fassa, Alta Pusteria, San Martino di Castrozza, Valle Isarco, Tre Vali and Civetta . Some towns are in close proximity to each other, others - at a significant distance. Then there is a bus service between them.

Sella mountain range

On the slopes of this peak, reaching 3152 meters, there are four ski areas. This is Araba, Alta Badia, Val Gardena and Di Fas. They are connected by a network of lifts and cable cars. You can travel on the tracks without taking off skis. Therefore, among the winter tourists is very popular route Sella Ronda. Since this is a circle, you can move both clockwise and against it, and start the journey from any point. The dolomite Alps in Selle form, as it were, a crown, a monolithic group of inaccessible peaks with sheer cliffs. The abyss reach 600-800 meters. Moving along a circular route, you can bypass all peaks - Miaru, Meisulez, Kim Pissad, Lek, Sass Pordoi and the highest mountain of this ridge - Boeh (3151). You can not even buy guidebooks - the trail is perfectly marked. The length of the Rondo is about forty kilometers. The whole trip will take about five hours.

Other ski resorts

The total number of ski areas in Dolomiti Superski is difficult to calculate, because every year there are new artificial villages and even small towns. Now there are about forty of them. All of them are good: with well-equipped trails, fast lifts, excellent tourist infrastructure. But there are also local features. So, for example, Civetta is located on the slopes of the same mountain with a height of three thousand two hundred and twenty meters, and the upper point of skiing at this resort is not more than 2100 m. Kronplatz is praised for an up-to-date system of lifts. The Dolomites in terms of skiing holidays are very diverse. There are resorts with noisy "après-ski", and there are quiet villages, oriented toward families with children (they are preferred by the Italians themselves). Some of these places have won the fame of sports, international competitions are held, and others - chic, such as Cortina d'Ampezzo, who is called the Queen of the Dolomites.