Inspired Italy

Using the vast network of 1,200 Km of perfectly groomed ski slopes, you travel through 11 Dolomite ski resorts, 17 ski areas and 5 nights in high-mountain rifugi on the Inspired ITALY VENTURE Dolomites Ski Safari including Cortina d'Ampezzo | Val Gardena | Alpe di Siusi | Val di Fassa | Arabba | Marmolada | Obereggen | Alpe Lusia/San Pellegrino | Civetta | Alta Badia | 5 Torri | Lagazuoi/Hidden Valley | Santa Croce Pilgrimage | Plan di Corones/Kronplatz | Belvedere | Ciampac | Buffaure | Catinaccio Rosengarten | Col Rodella | Plan di Gralba.

Ski Pace & Tempo

On the VENTURE Dolomites Ski Safari, we ski at a good pace and with minimal stops. And the Dolomites Superski area is ideal for a quicker pace of skiing.

The VENTURE Dolomites Ski Safari is for skiers who like to to clock up the kilometers, bag vertical meters, find the best snow and the most challenging and exciting ski slopes.

For these reasons, the VENTURE Dolomites Ski Safari is scheduled at quieter times of the season. Coffee breaks are few and far between and lunches tend to be shorter.

Never Ski the Same Slope Twice

The exception may just be the Marmolada, which must be skied twice (at least). Otherwise, it is on to find the next carving and curving ski slopes and the next rifugio.

▪︎ CLASSIC Dolomites Ski Safari

▪︎ SPECIAL Dolomites Ski Safari

Long Cruisy Ski Slopes

The Dolomite mountains is made for skiers who like long, constant gradient, groomed, smooth, carving ski slopes with, for the most part, few people on them!

There are some cracking black ski slopes too and we hunt them down too, rest assured!

⬇︎ VIDEO ⬇︎ Watch the video below and if this is your style of skiing, you'll fit right in ... This is piste Thöni, Day 6.

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 VENTURE Dolomites Ski Safari. To start with, the VENTURE Dolomites Ski Safari isn't about 'speed'. It is about 'pace'. The pace of the VENTURE Dolomites Ski Safari is intended to be fast. We restrict groups to 7 guests to facilitate a faster pace. Mainly, it is about the fluidity with which we move through the day. Strictly no faffing! On most days you will ride 20 or more ski lifts; 2 mins lost 'faffing' on each lift losses an hour a day. Whilst we build in a certain amount of 'wiggle' room, we do keep the pace steady and constant. But don't worry, when you contact us, we will discuss your ski ability and fitness before you book.

What is a 'good intermediate' ski ability? - the term 'intermediate skier' is liberally banded about. Some over estimate, some under estimate. 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 all day. Our ski days start around 8:30 and finish usually around 15:30 or later. 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 back-pack - 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 back-pack on the ski lift is 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 advise that you remove the pack. Our back-packs are carefully chosen and especially designed for skiers. You get to keep the pack after your Dolomites Ski Safari. You are only required to ski with your back-pack 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!

Do the Rifugio have WiFi? All Rifugio have WiFi. Some are better than other but posting your pics to Facebook 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 snow storms 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 free skiing 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, 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’! All Inspired ITALY Dolomite Ski Safaris are ‘on-piste’ ski tours. 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.