The famous ski area in Italy is a closed circular route that bends around the mountain range of the same name, which can be traversed in both directions by a chain of interconnected numerous cable cars and trails with a total length of about 500 km. It covers such popular resorts of the Dolomites as Val di Fassa, Val Gardena, Alta Badia, Arabba Marmolada, and is considered one of the most interesting areas for amateur skiing.
The united zone is unique in that in one day you can visit all four ski centers and return to the starting point by the time the slopes are closed. This route has long been appreciated by skiers and snowboarders who prefer varied skiing and a harmonious combination of difficult and easy descents. Taking into account the ascents, its length is about 40 km, if we move "in a straight line". They pass the route on average in 3-4 hours.
You can navigate the Sella Ronda area, which is often called the "round the world" or "carousel", both clockwise and counterclockwise. This allows you to get in different ways not only on the most liked tracks of the "internal" resorts, but also on the adjacent ones. Local piste markings are recognized as one of the best in the Alps.
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The counterclockwise circular route, marked in green on maps and signposts, has 13 ascents and 10 descents. Its total length is 38.5 km. The "green" route is considered to be easier in terms of elevation differences, and in some places, sports fans even have to remember the skills of cross-country skiing.
The clockwise circle, marked with orange signs, has 11 ascents and 8 descents. The 36.5 km trails are more interesting, varied and challenging here - for example, the breathtaking "black" trails from the top of Porta Veskovo!
One of the resorts of the united zone - Val di Fassa - is called the "pearl" of the Dolomites. This prestigious ski area has all the conditions for sports and active recreation. There are trails for cross-country skiing, dog sledding and snowmobiling are also organized. It offers vacationers hotels and residences, bars and restaurants, pizzerias and cozy cafes, numerous shops and boutiques.
Another resort - Val Gardena - is recognized as the best part of the Sella Ronda area. The maintenance of the tracks is impeccable. The longest slopes are located here, large differences in altitude are noted, snow cannons are constantly working, competitions of the highest level are held annually. In addition, Val Gardena is full of fun resort life.
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Another beautiful place of the ski "carousel" - Alta Badia - is dominated by blue slopes. And the most difficult and interesting slopes of the Sella Ronda, with a total length of 52 km and an altitude difference from 1636 to 2550 m, can be found in the Arabba resort. That there are only "black" slopes from the top of Porta Veskovo!
The resorts of the united zone have many sports and entertainment facilities for children. There are winter parks, slopes equipped with special lifts, and playgrounds for training with an instructor.
The developed infrastructure of the resorts, stunning mountainous landscape, excellent snow cover, the richest choice of ski routes, a well-functioning system of lifts make the Sella Ronda area attractive for both beginners and experienced skiers and snowboarders.
Sella Ronda it is customary to be praised, especially among those who are financially interested in sending you to the Dolomites. The main advantage of Sella Ronda, they say, is a huge unified route through several valleys.
In practice, the transition from valley to valley is carried out on foot and using lifts. It is not enough for you to leave one valley and immediately ascend. In some areas, you will first have to move from valley to valley by lift, and then also to climb the mountain on separate lifts. And it's pretty tiresome. It may even seem like you are on the lifts for most of your skiing.
Sella Ronda route you can drive both clockwise and counterclockwise. Clockwise route marked in orange and is considered more difficult. Counterclockwise route is green and lighter.
It should be borne in mind that a difficult-easy route does not mean at all that one is suitable for beginners, and the other is for professionals. Both routes have very difficult red sections, where any beginner (or intermediate skier) can get stuck for a long time and not have time to go around the entire route. In this case, you will have to take a taxi from a foreign valley to your own.
Despite the disadvantages of Sella Ronda in the Dolomites, this is the most interesting place, because allows you to ride throughout the entire territory without moving on public transport. As for the ease of access to all the valleys, it wins in this regard.
Settle in the valley of the Sella Ronda route in which you want to ride or between them. It takes a long time to get to the opposite valley and it can take half a day.
Map and skiing scheme of Arabba
Photos
On the Sella Ronda route. Green route one way, orange route the other.
Key passages along Sella Ronda and the lines for the ski lifts
In the original sense, Sellaronda is a circular route that runs along the trails around the Sella mountain group (Gruppo Sella, Italy). “Sella” in Italian means “saddle”, and indeed, when viewed from above, this dolomite giant, approximately 6 × 6 kilometers across, resembles it. The length of the route is about 40 km (including ups and downs), it takes 3.5-4 hours for an intermediate skier, depending on the queues for the lifts. Movement is possible both clockwise (orange on the map) and counterclockwise (green). The peculiarities of the route will be, for now let's turn to the second interpretation of this term, which is important when choosing a resort and will help in understanding the geography of the ski area.
Val di Fasa is also a valley, located at an altitude of about 1400 meters above sea level. This is one of the most popular ski destinations in our market, which is primarily due to the pricing policy: the cost of living is very low here, even cheaper than in Austrian resorts. At the same time, the quality of accommodation and service is very high, and skiing in the Sellaronda regions is generally one of the best in the Alps. Not to mention the fantastic scenery. The skiing device of the region is as follows. The three towns in the valley have lifts that drop directly into the Sellarondas ski area. it Canazei (Canazei, 1460 m) and Campitello (Campitello, 1440 m), the distance between their centers is about 2 km (20-30 minutes on foot or several stops by bus). In 2015 they were joined by Alba (Alba, 1480 m) with adjoining Peña (Penia, 1540 m), where a new lift was launched to the Belvedere zone. Canazei is somewhat larger in size, there is a more active evening life (although it certainly cannot be compared with daring Austria), Campitello is a very calm and quiet place, Alba is even smaller. Skiing is possible only in Canazei, and even then on the outskirts, so there is virtually no ski-in / ski-out. From Campitello and Alba to the mountain and back - only by lift.
You can get to the ski lifts in the towns either on foot a few hundred meters or 2-3 stops on a ski bus. At the same time, there are enough options for placement directly next to the lift. It should be borne in mind that, since there is only one ski lift for each city, in the morning, at rush hours (9-10 hours), rather long queues can gather, for 30-40 minutes. The fact is that ski buses from all cities of the valley come to these lifts, so the load on the lifts is very decent. So we recommend, if possible, to come to the opening in order to slip past the main stream.
In addition to the main towns in Val di Fass, there are several more (in order of approximation to Sellaronda): Vigo di Fassa (Vigo di Fassa, 1390 m), Pozza di Fassa (Pozza di Fassa, 1320 m), Feather (Pera, 1350 m), Mazzin (Mazzin, 1370 m). The largest of them is Pozza di Fassa, it is also one of the farthest from Sellaronda - 7 kilometers, the rest are very tiny, but there are accommodation options everywhere. It is worth noting that Pozza and Vigo di Fassa, as well as Mazzina and Alba have lifts to their own local ski areas, small, but interesting in their own way.
Region number 3. Arabba
Arabba - a small village, stretching 700 meters in length, height above sea level - 1600 m. There is nothing special about Arabba, except that it is located directly on the Sellaronda route.In terms of size, it is clear that the village is very tiny and there is not much to do in it. And there are very few proposals for accommodation here on our market. On the other hand, from Arabba, the closest path is to the Marmolada glacier (3269 m), from which one of the most breathtaking ski views of the Alps opens, when all the Dolomites lie under your feet and you have the opportunity to trample the clouds. Also in Arabba, advanced skiers may like it, for them there are solid black and red slopes with Porta Vescovo with a decent height difference (about 850 meters).
Region number 4. Alta Badia
The Alta Badia ski area is represented by towns Corvara (Corvara, 1568 m), Colfosco (Colfosco, 1645 m), La Villa (La Villa, 1433 m), San Cassiano (San Cassiano 1537 m), Badia (Badia, 1324 m). They are all small in size, it is most convenient to live in Corvara or slightly smaller Colfosco - both are located right on the Sellaronda route.
There are not so many offers in our market in this region. Firstly, this is perhaps the most expensive resort in Sellaronda in terms of the cost of living, and secondly, the place is very popular, and rooms in many hotels are sold out long before the start of the season. Nevertheless, it is worth paying close attention to it. We recommend spending at least one ski vacation here, first of all for those who are just starting to master skiing, since Alta Badia is characterized by a large number of comfortable blue slopes, along which, without straining, you can go around the entire local region. And, of course, like all the Sellaronda resorts, it is incredibly beautiful and very spacious at the same time. Perhaps this is exactly the place where you will want to return more than once.
For skiers who like to explore new areas during their ski safaris, we recommend that, among other things, be sure to look into the ski area above Kolfosko (the highest point is 2128 m). This is a branch line from Sellaronda that usually passes by, meanwhile there is a very beautiful view of the surrounding mountains from there, and two or three local routes are very pleasant.And of course, an interesting sightseeing route will be a ski safari to the extreme point of the region - an ascent to the Santa Croce white church (2045 m) at the foot of the Sas dla Crusc rock mass above the town of Badia (the height of the massif itself is 3026 m). For beginners it will be a real little adventure, for more experienced skiers it will be an opportunity to enjoy the spectacular scenery.
Let us mention two interesting opportunities that significantly expand the ski area. There is a bus service to two neighboring Dolomiti Superski resorts - Kronplatz and Cortina d'Ampezzo. Kronplatz can be reached in about 20 minutes from the lower station of the ski lift on Sponata (1703 m, see on the map lift number 64 next to Badia). Buses to Cortina d'Ampezzo leave from Armentarolla (in the lower left corner of the map) towards the Falzarego Pass. Distances there are relatively short, you won't have to shake the bus for a long time. Note that you can return from Kortintsa back to Badia on skis, along a long red trail with a height difference of about a kilometer.
Canzei is nestled in the heart of the Dolomites.
The plane offers breathtaking views of the Alps. This mountain system is divided into a huge number of regions, about 20. One of these regions is the Dolomites. 
But this is the Dolomites, but not high, without snow. These mountains are characterized by a light color, because they are composed of limestone and dolomite 
Mount Colac in Alba di Canazei
From the center of Canazei, a cable car called Belvedere leaves. This is the only way up to the slopes. There is another ski lift in the neighboring town of Campitello, but it is less popular. There is even a separate ski area in Alba and Penia, but we went to Canazei on ski buses - there is a huge scope for choice.
View of La Crepa Neigra
We bought the Dolomiti Super-Ski pass, which allows skiing in all resorts of Val di Fassa. And the territory there is truly huge, it covers four valleys. The most famous route is Sella Ronda, a circle that encircles the Sella mountain range. It can be driven both clockwise (red route) and counterclockwise (green). The tracks are blue and red. It took us about 4 hours of leisurely driving around the circle.
The highest point of the frame is Sass Pordoi peak (2950 m), which is part of the Sella array. You can come to the top by a lift, directly to the house called "Shelter" Maria "(cafe, bar, souvenirs, observation deck). The steepest and most terrible trail leads down from the peak. will come if something happens.
He's bigger
Sella Ronda - an alternation of many kilometers of ski slopes with lifts. Some parts of this path caused me a real surprise: here and there you need to take off your skis and cross the roads on foot! In one place we came across a turnstile, in front of which skiers and boarders who had come from the circle were piling up. After a certain time, the turnstile opens, releasing the crowd onto the highway. It is logical, otherwise the cars would simply not be able to get through the constant flow of skiers :)
This is how it looks.
I liked the "red" circle more than the "green" one: it has fewer long gentle sections.
Piz Boe (3151 m)
Chair lifts or funny "eggs". Near the short blue slopes, you can also climb the drag. 
In summer, a trekking route can be taken in these mountains. 
The trails are well spent every night, but by 14-15 hours, snow bumps form in the busiest areas - they spoiled my life a lot. 
We were very lucky with the weather: almost all days were sunny, with temperatures around zero or slightly higher.
Of course, this is not always the case. In case of heavy snowfall, "traps" have been built to protect against avalanches. 
There were a lot of people, but they practically did not interfere with anywhere. Except, perhaps, the "hummocky" places mentioned above.
A place close to ski lifts, cafes and toilets. 
Standard track. 
In some places Sella Ronda runs right through the narrow streets of the towns. In every city you can stop for a bite to eat, buy souvenirs and just take a walk. But real skiers don't need it! It is important for them to go :) 
Mount Sassongher (2665 m) and the city of Corvara at its foot.
And this is Sella Gruppen on the opposite side from Canazei. Right in the center is the val Mezdi slit. 
In addition, café houses are often built at the points of embarkation / exiting the lifts, where you can eat or soak up the sun in a sun lounger.
At first I was terribly jealous of these resting men, but a little later we found a cafe with a whole battery of folding chairs and settled on them, drinking mulled wine ... 
And contemplating the mountains, the Sella massif. 
Around the World Sella Ronda
Vertical drop: 1060-2949 m.
It is worth visiting the Dolomites if only to try out the fantastic roundabout around the Sella mountain range (Sella, or Gruppo del Sella). Where else in the world can you find such a unique opportunity, without taking off your skis, to ride the slopes of Val di Fassa, Val Gardena, Alta Badia and Arabba - the four most famous resorts of this ski El Dorado?
A huge snow-covered area and a lift system that works with the precision of a clockwork. Well-groomed, varied tracks and incredibly beautiful landscapes. You can ride clockwise, guided by bright orange arrows. Likewise counterclockwise - green arrows will show you the direction. Skiers are more likely to choose orange pointers, because it is faster and more varied. Snowboarders also prefer orange ones: in this case, they will bypass almost all the drag lifts, except for one connecting Passo di Campolongo and the Bec de Roches. Transitions between resorts are clearly marked on the route with special signs. Each participant of this fan trip is given a detailed scheme of Sella Ronda, where heights, lifts, tracks are indicated. Don't get lost! An experienced skier can make a "round the world" trip in less than three hours, but you don't have to rush ...
Green circle (counterclockwise movement):
total route length - 38.5 km,
of them:
tracks - 23 km;
lifts - 15.5 km;
15 lifts;
the time spent on the lifts - 2 hours 5 minutes.
Orange circle (clockwise movement):
total route length - 36.5 km,
of them:
tracks - 23 km;
lifts - 13.5 km;
11 lifts;
time spent on the lifts - 1 hour 40 minutes.
So, let's start the conquest of Sella Ronda!From the town of Campitello (Val di Fassa resort) we will take a telecabin up to the Col Rodella peak, from there, from a height of 2428 m we will slide down a long descent to Plan de Gralba, (1780 m), and now we are at the Val Gardena resort where the tip of the Sassolungo peak rests against the sky.
From Plan de Gralba, you can choose two paths: go down the long red trail to the valley to the town of Selva Gardena or take a funicular to the Piz Sella peak (2284 m) to conquer the black trails, one of which regularly hosts the Cup stage the world. All these slopes also lead to Selva Gardena, from where you can continue to the town of Santa Cristina and then to Ortisei, where there are a huge number of trails for every taste. But we turn right and from Selva Gardena we take a cabin lift up to Passo Gardena, from where we slide down to Alta Badia (1433-2138 m), a very beautiful resort, where mostly blue tracks prevail. For those who like more challenging slopes, we advise you to go to the Piz-la-Ila peak (2077 m) and then go down to the town of La Villa along a puzzling black trail. By the way, from this town you can take a bus to the Kronplatz resort, which is also part of the Dolomiti Super Ski system.
But our path goes to the right again. From Corvara we ascend to Crepe de Mount (2190 m). From here you can go to the top of Mont Vallon (2550 m) to conquer the black trails or smoothly descend through several transitions to Arabba, where there are many difficult trails, very steep and with a good elevation difference.
From Arabba along the system of lifts we get to Marmelad (3343 m), with its magnificent virgin slopes, where there is a real space for ski "bison". (By the way, the Marmalada lift system is included in the Dolomiti-Super-Ski pass). From Arabba you can also take buses to the Cortina d'Ampezzo and Civetta ski areas.
But our path will pass from Arabba through Pont de Vauz to the Passo-Pordoi pass (2239 m). From there we will take a funicular to the top of Sass-Pordoi (2950 m), where the best observation deck in the Dolomites is located, and after looking around, we thank fate that it brought us here and gave us the opportunity to see these incredible beauty of the mountains. Fans of extreme skiing can go down from here along unmarked, almost steep slopes.
From Passo Pordoi to the end of our journey, Val di Fassa, there are two paths: you can drive across the Belvedere plateau, rich in slopes of any difficulty, to Canazei, or, taking a funicular, return to the starting point of our route, the peak of Col Rodela. and from here go to Campitello. And now our "round the world" is completed.
Of course, such an event full of impressions should be noted and, taking off our ski boots, we will go to some nice bar to talk over a glass of good wine that "only mountains can be better than mountains ...". And the next morning we will again go to the "round the world".
