Inspired Italy

What makes the SPECIAL Dolomites Ski Safari 'special'? So many things! You stay in the best rifugi, and experience a wonderful helicopter flight through some of the most beautiful mountains in the world. To make no mention of the food, wines, great ski slopes and the additional areas that you cover. As Andy S. said, "this is my third ski safari and it surpassed the other two, which wasn't easy because they were great!"

I don't want to hold up the group; Is my ski ability good enough? Am I fit enough? - probably the number one concern of many booking an Inspired ITALY SPECIAL Dolomites Ski Safari. The SPECIAL Dolomites Ski Safari isn't about 'speed'. It is about 'pace'. And it is partly why groups are restricted to 6 guests. This helps the tempo of the ski safari day. But don't worry, when you contact us, we will discuss your ski ability and fitness before you book.

NO FAFFING! The Inspired ITALY SPECIAL Dolomites Ski Safari is not a sightseeing ski tour! It is about skiing. On some days you will ride 20 or more ski lifts; 2 mins lost 'faffing' on each lift losses an hour a day from an already short day. Whilst we build in a certain amount of 'wiggle' room, we do keep the pace steady and constant.

What is 'intermediate' ski ability? - the term 'intermediate skier' is liberally banded about. Some overestimate, and some underestimate. We have some clear, detailed descriptions of ski ability and we will send these to you. Together we can then ensure that your ski ability is what is needed. But it is your fitness that is key.

How fit do you need to be? - one person's park run is another's marathon. You need to be able to ski steadily all day. Our ski days start around 8:30 and finish usually around 15:30. Although we get an abnormal amount of sunny days when conditions are tough, you still have to go skiing to get to the next rifugio!

I don’t normally ski with a backpack - That’s ok. As long as you’re fit, the additional weight makes little difference. We provide you with a suggested pack list and as long as you take the advice you will hardly notice the weight. How you deal with the backpack on the ski lift is a personal preference. Most people keep the pack on but some prefer to slide them around their shoulders and place the pack on their knees. It’s whatever is most comfortable and safe for you. The lift company advises that you remove the pack. Our backpacks are carefully chosen and specially designed for skiers. You get to keep the pack after your Dolomites Ski Safari. You are only required to ski with your backpack for four nights/five days.

Helmet? - At our heart, we're a little bit 'anti-establishment'. All our ski leaders have (reluctantly ... ) taken to wearing helmets over the last couple of seasons. If you do not want to wear a helmet, that's fine by us. You can rent a helmet and we can arrange that for you or bring your own. Either is fine with us.

What about my main luggage? Your luggage is left at the base hotel ready for your return. We do not transport the luggage Rifugio to Rifugio, for a variety of reasons mainly, the great distances we cover, the complex logistics and entrusting your luggage via taxi and multiple chair lifts is rather hazardous!

Does the Rifugio have wifi? All rifugi have WiFi. Some are better than others but posting your pictures to Facebook and picking up email shouldn't be a problem.

I’m a vegetarian/celiac/gluten-free … Let us know in advance and we’ll let the Rifugi know so that you won’t be eating cheese omelette every night! Vegetarian options are usually, pasta or polenta based. If you are vegan, gluten-free or have nut allergies, you will struggle. The kitchens in the Rifugi produce some excellent culinary experiences, but they are often limited in what they can offer! Remember, you are staying on the very top of a mountain!

What happens if you can’t get to the Rifugio? The main threat to a Dolomites Ski Safari is strong wind. These can cause chair lift connections to close. Although we have encountered this on a number of occasions, we’ve never failed yet to get to our destination! In the 2015/16 season, major snowstorms meant we had to reroute and spend two nights in one Rifugio. Eventually, we decided to call the helicopter to get us out! 

What happens if someone gets lost? It’s never happened yet, but it will! We brief each group on safety and operational protocol before departure, which is probably why we’ve always successfully counted them all out, and back again! In the event mobile/cell phone coverage in the Dolomites is superb!

Coffee/Comfort Stops – non-lunch stops are minimal. There are three scheduled coffee stops throughout the week. Day 1 for the briefing. Day 2 for the view. Day 4 to gather the group after a freeskiing section. Other than this, we only stop for lunch! Most of the lift stations are equipped with toilets. However, some groups wish to stop more regularly, and so long as the group is happy, then we are here to show you the very best hot chocolate stops!

Accommodation – Rifugi tend to sell beds, rather than rooms. Because we pre-book our rooms well in advance, most couples get their own private rooms with en suite. However, we are unable to guarantee this. It is most likely that you will, at some point, have to share with other members of your group – read ‘On a Ski Safari in the Dolomites’, by Christian Wolmar, published in The Times.

Which are the best airports for the Dolomites? Innsbruck! Yes, fly to Austria, and ski in Italy! The transfer from Innsbruck to your Ski Safari base hotel is no more than 90mins in normal traffic. Next best option is Verona at around 2hrs transfer and then Venice, Bergamo and Munich Airports. Transfer costs are based upon 4 people sharing.

Off-Piste – we don’t do ‘off-piste’! The Inspired ITALY Dolomite Ski Safari is an ‘on-piste’ ski tour. Some clients do choose to test out the off-piste conditions when circumstances allow, but this is done entirely at their own risk. If you wish to ski off-piste we advise that you first familiarise yourself with the rules and regulations in Italy for off-piste skiing.

Can I come on a snowboard? – The nature of the Inspired ITALY Dolomites Ski Safari makes it difficult to mix skiers with snowboarders. If you are a group of snowboarders, then do contact us!

Am I protected? – Inspired ITALY Ltd is bonded by the Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Limited which provides financial protection under the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992 for Inspired ITALY Ltd. and in the event of their insolvency, protection is provided for the following – non-flight packages commencing in and returning to the UK; non-flight packages commencing and returning to a country other than the UK.