I love skiing. When I swoop down the slope on a crisp winter day I can feel almost as ecstatic as a dog sticking its head out of the car window. Not even freezing cold and snow can deter me as long as I know there’s the sweet reward of hot sauna and tasty meal waiting for me in the evening. So when I finally stretch out on a sauna bench and my toes slowly start to thaw out I can’t really decide if it’s really skiing that I love so much or the well-deserved relaxation afterwards.
Whether we should leave all that out of the equation and change the comfort of an Alpine B&B for a campervan was never really a question. In fact, I was positive that people going on a camping ski holiday are out of their right minds. But then I came up with a plan and called it:
Dolomiti Super Ski by Campervan
The Dolomiti Super Ski is one of the largest ski areas in Europe. 16 ski resorts and one single ski pass make hopping from one ski area to the other as easy as pie. The Sellaronda circuit around the Sella Massif connects four valleys which you can ski without ever taking your skis off. There’s only one downside: If you’re staying in one of the valleys, let’s say in Val Gardena, and want to get to Arabba on the other side, you’ll be skiing along with busloads of other skiers on their way to tick-off the whole Sellaronda. Once you get to your desired slope it will probably resemble a freshly ploughed up field. Far from wave after wave of perfectly groomed terrain, anyway.
My plan was to stay at a different ski resort every night, hit the slopes as early as possible and then move to another place in the afternoon. Since there are either campsites or camper stops at almost every of those ski resorts, this is easier than it may sound:
Day 1: Arabba
Where to camp:
The campervan stop is conveniently located some 200 m away from the valley station of the Portavescovo cable car. Easy walking distance to the centre of the village for an apres ski drink or two.
GPS: N 46.49690, E 11.87623
Where to eat:
- Self-service Rifugio Luigi Gorza at the top station of Porta Vescovo cable car for a quick lasagne lunch and coffee.
- Rifugio Fodom close to Passo Pordoi for wood-fired pizza.
- Stylish new Rifugio Burz on top of the Burz chairlift in Arabba for pizza and cold appetizers that you can wash down with an Aperol as it takes only one short descent to get back to the campervan.
Day 2: Passo Falzarego
Where to camp:
You can park your campervan right at the cable car parking area. It will likely be one of the most picturesque places you’ve ever camped at.
GPS: N 46.51948, E 12.00796
Where to eat:
- Take the panoramic ski tour from Passo Falzarego to Val Badia stopping by the cosy Rifugio Scotoni for lunch.
Day 3: Sexten
Where to camp:
Caravanpark Sexten is one of the most luxurious campsites I’ve ever seen. Admittedly, I haven’t seen that many, but still, this place is not to be missed, if only to marvel at all the huge campervans and wonder who owns these mansions on wheels. Hot shower in the pleasantly warm bathroom was totally worth the 25 EUR we paid for a night at their campervan stop.
GPS: N 46.66775, E 12.39910
Where to eat:
- Camping and fine cuisine? Sure, count me in and book me a table at the Patzenfeld restaurant right at the campsite.
Our trip included only three stops. We decided that three days is as much winter camping as we’re willing to do and March is as much winter as we can bear.
One last tip? Don’t leave home without airtight bags to put away your stinking thermals every night 🙂
Travel-Sehnsucht 