News from Passo San Pellegrino
Alpe Lusia - San Pellegrino
ARCTIC AIR IN ITALY
ON THE COL MARGHERITA JUST AS IN NY-ÅLESUND
You can breathe the air of the Arctic Circle without leaving Italy. This happens on the Col Margherita, in the San Pellegrino Ski Area, between Trentino and Veneto. The data from the CNR [Italy’s National Research Council] station at the summit, 2,520 metres high, attest to this. Here, in one of the most charming balconies in the Alpine arch, ozone levels are documented as a little less than those in Ny-Ålesund (Svalbard Island, Norway), the northernmost inhabited country in the world, as measured by the Zeppelin Station’s weather instruments. In fact, above Falcade and the San Pellegrino Pass, the air is as clean as it is in Ny-Ålesund, where the CNR’s Italia Dirigible base is located.
The Col Margherita observatory is the CNR’s outpost for studying the chemical composition of the atmospheric aerosols in the Eastern Alps. Italy’s National Research Council (CNR) is Italy’s main research agency: one of its tasks is studying global chemical contamination, the transport and transfer mechanisms for pollutants in various environments, the transformation processes and cycles for chemical substances in the environment, the reconstruction of past and recent climate phenomena and the development of new technologies for the environmental sciences.
Two places with a landscape without equals in the world, one facing the Greenland Sea, the other on some of the most imposing peaks in the Dolomites, from the southern wall of the Marmolada to the Pale di San Martino. See the midnight sun, the aurora borealis, the year-round glaciers and enchanting fjords in the world’s northernmost point, along with mountain peaks, rock walls and sunny paths through the Col Margherita.
The inhabited lands furthest north on planet Earth, in the Svalbard archipelago, record ozone levels of 100 µg per cubic metre, while in the Col Margherita the highest eight-hour value is 99.8 µg per cubic metre.
There are many things to do in summer, starting with the excursions you can see on the website www.passosanpellegrino.it.
For fans of electric bicycles, InAlto – the new mountain lodge located near the station uphill from the cable car – makes available two recharging columns. Interestingly, and accessible with a short walk, the Col Margherita Park near the CNR station contains an interactive rudder that lets you recognize the shape of the peaks of the Dolomites rising all around you.
Alpe Lusia - San Pellegrino
INALTO: A RELAXATION SPOT IN THE DOLOMITES
InAlto is the new mountain lodge dominating the Col Margherita. A wonderful natural terrace at an altitude of 2,514 metres, between Trentino and Veneto in the San Pellegrino Ski Area. This location, integrated with the station uphill from the Col Margherita cableway, offers both uncontaminated pinnacles and offerings for those seeking out a lunch break, a cocktail or a snack with a view. The kitchen offers local specialities with a modern interpretation, and the wine list includes labels from famous vineyards, some from the mountains. The restaurant and its panoramic windows look out at the main spires of the Dolomites, which were declared a UNESCO Natural Heritage in 2009 because of their beauty and unique contours. InAlto is a place where you can feast your eyes on spectacular sights from the south wall of the Marmolada to Mount Pelmo and from the majesty of the Civetta to the Pale di San Martino.
Fans of slower skiing can be transported through the magical atmosphere of the Pista degli Innamorati all the way to Falcade.
This itinerary showcases all the beauty of crests like the Marmolada and the Cime del Focobon, dotted with typical wooden mountain chalets.
The choice of materials and the sweeping windows merge with the countryside that the lovely natural terrace of the Col Margherita offers in every season.
InAlto nestles into a setting of extraordinary beauty that welcomes those who love the mountains and people seeking a sensory getaway among untouched peaks and rocky hillsides. This paradise is accessible to everyone on the Col Margherita cableway, which brings you safely to the top.
Discover InAlto: https://www.inaltocolmargherita.it/it/
Hours: Monday – Sunday: 9 – 17:30
How to get here: the Col Margherita cable car can easily take you to the lodge in just a few minutes. Departure from the San Pellegrino Pass. You can also walk along the 658 path to the Pradazzo crossroads and then follow the path to the 695.
InAlto’s summer and winter seasons are the same as those of the mountain transport systems in the San Pellegrino Ski Area.
Alpe Lusia - San Pellegrino
SAN PELLEGRINO’S KARPOS BIKE TRAILS
PEDALLING WHERE THE AIR IS PUREST
Fasten your helmet, check your supplies and get on your bike. These gestures are rituals repeated wherever you are. In San Pellegrino’s Karpos Bike Trails, these actions come with a backpack of excitement on three single trails and two intersecting flow trails between Veneto and Trentino, between the Biois Valley and the San Pellegrino Pass. These routes make the mountain more dramatic for bike riders with different degrees of difficulty. This project was designed and implemented by the San Pellegrino Ski Area to enhance the Biois Valley area and is supported by Karpos, a young outdoor brand since 2007 based in Fonzaso, at the foot of the Dolomites.
The most experienced bikers can take on the challenge of the habitat of the mountain goat and Alpine ibex, but so can families with children and people on e-bikes. Weave together various uphill and downhill tracks as you explore one of the most fascinating natural amphitheatres in the world. The horizon is marked with pinnacles with the Focobon, the Pelmo, the Civetta, the Mulaz and the whole Pale di San Martino group. On the opposite side you’ll see the Costabella group, Cima Uoma, the Cirelle Pass, with the peaks silhouetted against the horizon to Agordino on one side and the Alpe Lusia on the other. There is always the option to skip the toughest parts using the lift systems of the Col Margherita Cableway, the Le Buse Laresei Chair-lift, Costabella Chair-lift and Falcade Le Buse Gondola-lift, with free bicycle transport. Complete your sensory journey with the different chalets and lodges, where you can sample our traditional foods.
BIKING ITINERARIES
There are two easy single trails that can be enjoyed by anyone with a suitable bike and leg fitness. Number one, called ‘Falcade’, is 10.5 km long with a total elevation change of 829 metres. The average incline varies from 5.5% and 11.6% with bits that are 32.6%. The loop lets you start from either Falcade if you are on the Veneto side, or from the San Pellegrino Pass if you are coming from Trentino. Along the way, sun-drenched meadows expand before you, alternating with stretches in the woods where the light filters through the boughs and the understorey delights you with its characteristic fragrances. Number 3 is of similar difficulty: the San Pellegrino single trail has an elevation change of 611 metres and is 11.3 km long. You can take the Costabella gondola lift up and, after taking in the loveliness of this hollow wrapped in the Dolomites, mount your bike for a gentle descent through bucolic scenery where the bells of alpine pastures mark the passage of time. On the medium-difficulty biking path, you can reach some of the mountain lodges offering the area’s fine dining. Continuing your ride, you will reach Falcade with its characteristic barns and a bicycle path that lets you cross the Plain to the cableway terminal in Molino, which lets you climb up to Col Margherita and the Col Margherita cableway leading to San Pellegrino Pass, to finish the circle back at your starting point.
The single trail dedicated to the Innamorati [lovers] – which is the name of the route – is a medium-difficulty course for bicycling fans running for 13 km with an elevation change of 1,388 metres. The start is at the arrival from Col Margherita, at an altitude of 2,514 metres, from the station uphill of the Col Margherita cableway where the new InAlto is, a great location for a drink or a dinner with a view. A deep breath here will immerse you in an amphitheatre that opens from the south wall of the Marmolada to the Pale di San Martino, with Pelmo, Civetta and Focobon on the horizon. You can bike down to the Valles Pass on the same path that in winter is the Innamorata ski trail. Once in Valles Pass, you continue towards Falcade on part of the regional roadway, then turn right and descend to Malga Valles Alto and follow the Innamorati to Caverson and from there to Falcade. You can take the cableway and then the gondola-lift back to Col Margherita past the Le Buse Chalet and the Laresei Lodge, both of which have breath-taking vistas. The Le Buse Flow Trail, on the other hand, is entirely downhill with two paths of uniform difficulty that should be tackled with special protective gear and full-suspension bikes. This is a great course for bikers who love to concentrate on speed, rhythm and jumps. It provides a medium-high level of training and using a full-suspension bike is recommended. The two trails run past the lingonberry and bilberry plants typical of the area, following the outline of the Pale di San Martino.
ABOUT KARPOS
Karpos is a young outdoor brand that launched in 2007 and is headquartered in Fonzaso at the foot of the Dolomites. The brand is the natural expression of the Cremonese family’s passion for the mountains and the sports that let you experience them. From their love of bicycles and cross-country skiing, their progression to the outdoor world was an entirely natural one. Today, Karpos makes light-weight, high-performance technical articles for outdoor sports, the product of a manufacturing ability with distant roots in its experience with Manifattura Valcismon.
Karpos’ goal is to provide technical sportswear that lets mountain sports enthusiasts explore outdoor spaces and overcome their limits, to leave their comfort zone and thus express their freedom. This means the Adventure Bike collection is an ideal adventure companion for bikers.
Discover Karpos: www.karpos-outdoor.com
The queens of alpine skiing at la volata
San Pellegrino Ski Area black diamond warms up to host European Cup with two Women's SuperG.
After the World Cup, La VolatA slope – the black diamond Champions of the San Pellegrino Ski Area – will host the Women's European Cup.
The queens of alpine skiing will trial themselves between the Col Margherita and the Passo San Pellegrino. On March 2 2021 and March 3 2021, thanks to Fassa Ski Team and its accurate set up, the spotlight will be on the two Women's SuperG.
The promising European skiers, on their way to the World Cup, will compete against athletes from all over the world, ready to join the fray, after the revocation of several races on The Old Continent.
The VolatA, starts at Falcade (BL) and runs out in Moena (TN) and is the borderless black diamond considered the temple of international skiing, thanks to "Piste azzurre" a project by Val di Fassa to enhance the demanding San Pellegrino Ski Area, approved by FISI and FIS for downhill, superG, giant slalom and special slalom races.
The VolatA owes its name to its technical features: the slope stretches down a length of 2,400 mt, with a drop of 630 m and walls that reach a 50% slant. Leading edge of the Alps, it appears to be a perfect fit for even the pickiest skier. The starting point, a natural terrace at 2,514 meters, is a tribute to the Dolomites. Col Margherita reminds an amphitheater, surrounded by delightful peak, is an adrenaline-pumping experience, even for the eyes. The homonyms cablecar allows to reach the top and leads to one of the most charming theaters in the Dolomites, from the south wall of Marmolada, to Mount Pelmo, from the magnificence of Mount Civetta and “Cima del Focobon” to the “Pale di San Martino”.
World cup skiing on the "la volata" slope
On February 27 and 28, 2021
The San Pellegrino Ski Area will host the women's downhill and super-G of the World Cup. Thanks to the "Piste Azzurre" project of Val di Fassa, on February 27 and 28, 2021, the elite of international skiing will put themselves to the test on "La Volata", the black slope of the champions.
This is the replay of two races cancelled a few days ago in Yanqing, China. "This decision, taken during the last FIS council meeting, represents a great satisfaction for our whole territory - says Mauro Vendruscolo, president of the San Pellegrino Ski Area -. The international spotlights are turned on one of the most adrenaline-filled slopes of the Dolomites, confirming the quality of the work carried out in these years by our collaborators, by the Val di Fassa and by our whole area".
"This is, once again, the recognition of Italy's great organizational skills and the willingness of the territory to be always ready for this kind of situation, on which FIS knows it can count," commented Fisi president Flavio Roda.
On La Volata, last winter, the Italian alpine ski stars tested themselves, among them Italian skiers such as Brignone, Bassino, Goggia, Pirovano but also the athletes of the German, Slovenian and other national teams. Among the big names that could be admired on this slope also Dominik Paris and Christof Innerhofer.
Ski World Cup
One month left to the Val di Fassa World Cup
Three women speed events on the slope La VolatA
24 - 28 February 2021
Just one month separates the Val di Fassa from the Alpine Skiing World Cup, after having chased it for more than 30 year. On Friday, February 26th, the slope La VolatA in the ski area San Pellegrino will host the first of three women speed events, entrusted by FIS to the Ski Team Fassa. Three races that will be preceded by two days of training. The programme will start with the Downhill that should have taken place in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, followed by a second Downhill on Saturday 27th and by a Super-G on Sunday 28th, both scheduled in Yanqing.
This is a very important occasion for Val di Fassa to show its organizational skills and therefore the committee that will face this challenge has been made up in a record time, to perform well in order to gain a steady place in the next World Cup calendars.
The executive team, headed by Andrea Weiss, is made by the vice-president Davide Moser, also representative of the Municipality of Moena, by Leonardo Bernard for the Ski Team Fassa, Tiziano Mellarini for the FISI and Renzo Minella for the Ski Area San Pellegrino. Cristoforo Debertol has been chosen for the key role of event manager, while Cesare Pastore and Rainer Senoner are the race directors.
Now the slope La VolatA is being accurately prepared according to the FIS rules, after the technical inspection made by the FIS responsible Peter Gerdol, also in order to write the health protocols. From next week already, the slope will be open for the first training sessions of the Italian National teams, to refine the preparation for the upcoming World Ski Championships in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
To accompany this 30-day countdown, the Organizing Committee has made a suggestive video clip - which can be watched on the Val di Fassa official Facebook page -, which narrates the history of skiing in the Ladin valley and in which one of the event testimonials, the Kitzbühel champion from Moena Cristian Deville, presents La VolatA.
Deville isn’t the only champion representing the Val di Fassa: just think to pioneers such as Rinaldo Cigolla, Giuliano Talmon, Angelo Pitscheider, Guido Margoni, Daniele Chiocchetti, Tone Valeruz, the brothers Anastasia and Igor Cigolla, Diego Amplatz, Stefano Costazza, Angelo Weiss, Chiara Costazza and to the current athletes Stefano Gross, Federico Liberatore and Monica Zanoner, beside the several young athletes that have worn the Italian national suit.
So, Val di Fassa is ready to enter the world of the top-class skiing: an opportunity to show its connection with the alpine skiing, first as a resort that is part of the biggest ski carousel in Europe, the Dolomiti Superski, and then also as a destination whose sport story starts back in 1988, when the champion Alberto Tomba began to train here with his coach Flavio Roda (now FISI president). A story that was reinforced in 2001 with the first of 28 European Cup races and then in 2006 with the beginning of the Piste Azzurre project, which entitled the valley as the training center of the Italian National team, passing through the extraordinary experience of the 2019 World Junior Alpine Skiing Championships, whose closing ceremony also took place on February 27th. More than 80 international FIS races have been hosted here till nowadays
Val di Fassa ski winter 2020/21
The two ski resorts “Val di Fassa – Carezza” and “Alpe Lusia – San Pellegrino”, 210 kilometres of slopes, about eighty chairlifts, cable cars and cabin lifts, 4 ski tours such as the famous Sellaronda and the spectacular ski tour Panorama, six snow parks for the ski and snowboard addicted.
Up to now, unfortunately, the stop of the ski season hasn’t given the possibility to enjoy the new works of the lifts companies, such as the new lifts in the ski area Belvedere in Canazei, where the new 6-seat chairlift Kristiania awaits the skiers, and in the ski area Carezza, where there’s a brand new 10-seat automatic coupling cabin lift and a longer version of the 6-seat automatic coupling “Tschein” chairlift.
In the ski area Buffaure in Sèn Jan/Pozza di Fassa, the red slope Buffaure di Sotto has been modified and has been turned into a blue slope, to become a perfect field school, equipped with a carpet too. The snowing system then has been enhanced by “Ski Stadium Aloch” in Pozza, also federal training centre part of the “Piste Azzurre” project in collaboration with FISI.