#26 w-report is High on South Tyrol PART 2

Skiing Italian-style. It's all about La Dolce Vita in the Dolomites.

A meal with a view. Rifugio Lagazuoi. Image by photographer and best travel partner Gaelle le Boulicaut

I learned to downhill ski at an early age, first in New England and then occasionally in the Alps; I was decent at it but everyone else I knew wanted to be the first person on the lift and the last one down, with only a quick break for lunch, regardless of the weather. Meanwhile, my favorite part was a long lunch in a cozy hut in the middle of a mountain pass. I assumed that there was something weak about my constitution and left it at that.

Until I finally experienced the Italian Dolomites and found my true home. There, the question skiers –even guides--ask themselves as they load their equipment into the gondola is not, “Which run?” but rather: “Where should we eat our next meal?” The skiing conditions within the Dolomiti Superski area (which connects twelve ski resorts, 450 lifts and about 750 miles of runs) in this picture-perfect region north of Venice and south of Austria, are exceptional, there is something for everyone at every level. Most importantly though, this is Italy: the dolce vita lifestyle is strong. The scale and diversity of the Dolomite’s dramatic limestone peaks–which often glows a golden pink color at just before dusk—is awe-inspiring, but so are its foamy cappuccinos and perfect Aperol Spritzes. Just as spectacular as the variety of landscapes and ski runs are the ambitious meals served in all the remote mountain huts scattered through the region. After so many years of feeling like a deviant, I was relieved to understand that I was just an Italian skier in an American body.

“Italians only ski when the sun is out, the trails are perfectly groomed, and they spend as much time eating as they do on the slopes,” laughed Agustina Lagos Marmol, the Argentinean-born founder of the specialty travel company Dolomite Mountains, and a friend. She organizes the most amazing ski safaris throughout the Dolomiti Superski area, where guests can cross through different regions, spending each night in a different hotel. Last year I reported on a gourmet version of one, organized by Agustina, and guided by the most inspiring female guide, Marika Fave, for the Australian magazine Travel + Luxury.

Part of this story is excerpted from an article I wrote for the Australian magazine Travel + Luxury which is unfortunately not online. The story made the cover and the images were taken by Gaelle Le Boulicaut

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WHERE TO STAY IN THE DOLOMITES

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