Located within the Alps in north-eastern Italy and boasting 18 dizzying peaks towering above 3,000 meters, the Dolomites are a range that has captivated ardent shredders for years. Its versatile off-piste terrain will welcome you with open arms no matter if you’re a newcomer to the backcountry or an experienced skier with acres of snow under your belt. Far from the crowded ski resorts and tracked-out snow, this UNESCO World Heritage site serves as an ideal area to refine your skills. However, regardless of how skilled of a skier you are, you have to approach every backcountry trip with extra caution due to the threat of an avalanche. The Dolomites are an ideal classroom setting to learn how to avoid panicking if things go south. Add to that breathtaking landscapes and the idyllic atmosphere in rifugios, the traditional huts scattered along the way, and you’ll be blown away by this majestic range. Join an expert guide and reach new heights in the backcountry! Find out why the Dolomites are one of the best places for backcountry skiing in Europe.
Discover the influences of three different cultures in rustic huts
Escape the packed resorts and let the vast backcountry be your classroom
The incredibly diverse off-piste terrain offers opportunities for newbie and seasoned skiers alike
Head straight to the Dolomites’ backcountry and discover the world of backcountry skiing! Learn useful skills on the diverse off-piste terrain and get your first taste of the backcountry. Master the fundamental ski touring techniques and skills by starting off slowly on easy descents and slowly progress towards more challenging terrain. Learn how to stay safe with an avalanche education course and enjoy the gorgeous vistas in the process. Join your private expert guide who’ll navigate you throughout the way.
To begin your exciting backcountry adventure, you’ll arrive in Alta Badia and check into your hotel. In the late afternoon, meet with your guide for a trip briefing, equipment check and trip orientation. Encircled by the stunning peaks of the Dolomites, it is safe to say that Alta Badia is in the heart of the Dolomites. Take in the gorgeous scenery around you and discover the influences of three different cultures in this lovely destination. You’ll have dinner and spend the night in your hotel in Alta Badia.
Today marks the first day of skiing off-piste in the Dolomites. You’ll have breakfast and kick off the day with some easier descents and progressively move on to more challenging terrain throughout the course of the day. Use the incredible system of lifts that access off-piste terrain. Your guide will assess your ability and tailor a perfect backcountry experience for you by providing tips and techniques to help you improve your overall skiing ability and performance. The guide will also help you work on some specific aspects of your technique and body posture that require adjustment. You’ll have dinner and spend the night in your hotel in Alta Badia.
A private transfer will take you to Pederü at the foot of the Fanes-Sennes-Braies National Park. Continue to your rifugio and by snowcat and have breakfast.
For the next three days, you’ll focus on skiing, orientation and avalanche skills. Your guide will continue coaching you and fine-tune your technique to cope with different snow conditions and slopes, as well as teach you additional skills and terrain-specific tips. Learn how to use and care for your equipment, change your boots and bindings from climbing to descending and how to manage your climbing skins. This course will also offer some tricks and techniques to ski more efficiently with climbing skins, do kick turns (including uphill kick turns on steep snow slopes), teach you how to don and climb in ski crampons and when it’s time to remove your skis and start boot packing.
Over the next three days, you’ll learn about avalanche safety and search and rescue techniques, equivalent to a one-day avalanche awareness, search and rescue foundations training course. By the end of these first three days, you should feel confident and ready for the next part of the adventure! You’ll have dinner and spend the night in your rifugio.
After your breakfast, you’ll continue your adventure in the Fanes-Sennes-Braies Natural Park! Your guide will select the most suitable daily excursion according to the group abilities and snow conditions. You will spend the night in a mountain hut and have dinner there.
After breakfast, enjoy more ski touring in Fanes-Sennes-Braies and once you’re done skiing, take a private transfer to Pederü, and then head to your hotel in Alta Badia where your stored luggage will await you. Spend the night and have dinner in Alta Badia.
To cap off this backcountry experience, you’ll have breakfast in your Alta Badia hotel and depart on your own.
57hours is committed to providing safe outdoor adventure experiences. We require all guides using our platform to have a COVID-19 safety plan and to make the details of that plan accessible to travelers. In most cases, group sizes will be reduced, guides will avoid overcrowded locations, and other safety measures will be met depending on the location and activity.
We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, guides and the communities they’re traveling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in the Dolomites, Italy, please refer to Italy’s Ministry of Health Website and Italian National Tourist Board Website.
Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!
What you get in this adventure:
What’s not included:
To enjoy this backcountry adventure, you need to be in very good physical shape. You will be on your feet for multiple hours a day for 5 full days, covering multiple miles of terrain every day. You will need to manage controlled descents in variable conditions. All participants should feel comfortable on challenging blue or black-level resort runs and be able to carry a loaded daypack while skinning up variable degrees of terrain.
Backcountry skiing isn’t just for pros looking for the ultimate thrill ride, it’s also beginner friendly, meaning anyone with solid blue level resort experience can have fun in the backcountry. If you’ve never backcountry skied before, heading out with a guide is your best bet. They’ll take care of the planning, introduce you to the basics, like skinning uphill, and teach you how to manage the terrain. They also have the experience and avalanche training to keep you safe.
For technical backcountry ski touring gear, you will need to bring:
For personal items, we recommend bringing:
All mandatory gear can be rented if you don’t have your own. You can rent:
Ski rental locations are in Corvara, Alta Badia, and should be picked up the night prior to your outing. If you need to rent gear, let us know and we can help make arrangements.
Group sizes and pricing:
Ski touring in the Dolomites can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements:
If your group has skiers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
To get to Alta Badia, most people fly into Innsbruck Airport, Austria, about 2.5 hours away from Alta Badia or Venice-Treviso Airport and Venice Marco Polo Airport, Italy, both just under 3 hours away from Alta Badia. From there, you can rent a car or take a bus.
The major airport is Milan Malpensa Airport, about 5 hours away from Alta Badia. From there, you can rent a car or take a train and bus.
Once you and your guide agree on the details of your itinerary, you will arrive in Alta Badia and check into your hotel there. In the late afternoon, you’ll meet up with your guide. The guide will choose the appropriate terrain dependent on conditions and the ability of the group.
Book your spot for 2024 with a 30% deposit. Payment of the balance is due no later than 60 days (2 months) before departure for Italy. For “last minute” bookings (trips booked 45 or fewer days before departure), full cost is due at the time of booking.
In case you need to cancel your trip, the following fees will apply:
– 91+ more days prior to departure: 20% loss of trip cost & 10% transfer to a future trip (within one calendar year)
– 46 to 90 days prior to departure: 100% loss of deposit
– 31 to 45 days prior to departure: 50% loss of full amount
– 30 days or less prior to departure: 100% loss of full amount
These charges are a percentage of the total cost of the booking. The days indicated are from the trip departure date. All cancellations must be made in writing.
