In the Italian Dolomites, close to the border separating Italy and Austria, the locals are Ladins, a distinctive mix of Germanic Austrians and Italians. They have the Teutonic appreciation for hard work and flawless craftsmanship and the Italians' love of la dolce vita, the sweet life, which is evident by the way they smile and the way they take pleasure in their surroundings.

At northern Italy's Sella Ronda, skiers take time out for la dolce vita as they navigate a 40-kilometre circular route

The Globe and Mail
By Lori Knowles
Saturday, November 13, 2004

SELLA RONDA, ITALY -- When the sun sets over the Italian Dolomites, the mountains turn a hazy, chalky pink. The colour, so popular on Milan's fashion runways last season, causes locals in the cobbled piazzas of mountain villages to stop short. They stare, as they would at a pretty fashionista or a painting by Modigliani.

But if you ask why the alps sport a frothy, rosy complexion, the corners of their mouths draw down and their eyebrows draw up. Translation: "No idea, Signora. But isn't life beautiful?"

And life can be beautiful when you're skiing the Sella Ronda in the Dolomites.

The Sella is a massive oval rock -- or group of rocks -- also known as a massif, or what Italians call a massiccio...It's silver in colour, jagged, and it's surrounded by the snow and ice of a northern Italian winter.

Beneath the Sella are ski runs, streams of white trickling down from the base of the rocks. The runs belong to eight different ski areas, all interconnected. Together they form the Sella Ronda, the ski route around the rocks. It's a 40-kilometre circle tour on which one never skis the same run, or rides the same lift twice. It can take an entire day to ski the Sella Ronda...

There are four main entry points huddled around  Italy's Southern Tirol Sella:
Corvara, Arabba, Canazei and Selva di Val Gardena -- all tiny ski villages with churches, colourful shops, narrow streets and cafés filled with fabulously-dressed Italians. Ski lifts are stationed in the midst of these villages, waiting to carry you up to the foot of the Sella.

>From the beginning, it's obvious Italians love their high-tech lifts. Cable cars, chair lifts, and only a few T-bars zigzag up and down the pistes. Many are brand new and most are high-speed -- and that's a good thing. A skier who completes the route will typically spend about two hours riding these lifts -- about 25 in all. Add to that time spent in queues, time skiing the trails, time eating pasta, and time sipping wine and cappuccino, and it's no wonder skiing the Sella is an all-day affair.

You can ski clockwise around the Sella, following the orange arrows that mark the route. But it's just as easy to do it counterclockwise by following the green arrows. Trails are clearly marked and it's tough to get lost. The Sella is a heck of a big rock, and it's never far from view.

Ideally, the sun will be shining brightly when you ski the Sella. The pistes hover around 2,500 metres above sea level and most are above the tree line. Fog, wind and driving snow can be blinding. The locals recommend starting the route by 10 a.m. to reach your the final lift before it closes at 4 p.m. But it's best to start even earlier -- more time for a relaxing circuit.

On the slopes -- when compared to North Americans -- Italians prefer their skiing relaxed. The runs around the Sella are mostly beginner and intermediate level of difficulty. They're always well groomed and the locals ski them slowly. They take time to stop, chat and admire the sweeping panoramas. They take time to sip cappuccino before lunch. And they take time to eat pasta tossed with seafood, flown in fresh from the Mediterranean.

There are rifugios (mountain huts) sprinkled all over the slopes. Inside them, fires glow, local wines flow and food is abundant, fresh and delicious.

The people you'll meet in the rifugios will be a mix of tourists and locals. In this region, close to the border separating Italy and Austria, the locals are Ladins, a distinctive mix of Germanic Austrians and Italians. They have the Tuetonic appreciation for hard work and flawless craftsmanship and the Italians' love of la dolce vita, the sweet life, which is evident by the way they smile and the way they take pleasure in their surroundings.

After eating lunch the way the Ladins do -- favouring a hearty mix of pasta, seafood, meat and potatoes -- it will be all you can do to finish skiing the circuit. But finish you must. Or not. This is Italy, after all. Whether you complete the Sella Ronda in a single day, or whether you stop, snag a shuttle back to your hotel and promise to finish your tour domani (tomorrow), it's no big deal.

What is important is that you skied the Sella Ronda Italian style: slowly, appreciatively, and with flair and passion. If you choose to sit for a while and simply take pleasure in the dreamy, pinkish hue of the Dolomites, that's okay. Pack your bags.

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