Every skier should have one
A descent of 'Hidden Valley'
Favourite runs: we all have them. My own include the Vallée Blanche above Chamonix for the sheer scale of the scenery and the sense of skiing along the top of the Alps; the beautifully conceived Wozzley's Way at Telluride in Colorado, for the variety of terrain it packs in; and the gentle, winding Jouvenceaux run at Sauze d'Oulx in Italy, for the way it dips in and out of the trees and visits tiny hamlets on what is a sort of skiers' ramble. But the "must do" descent is the 5km of the Armentarola valley in the Lagazuoi ski area of Cortina d'Ampezzo, also in Italy.
Favourite runs: we all have them. My own include the Vallée Blanche above Chamonix for the sheer scale of the scenery and the sense of skiing along the top of the Alps; the beautifully conceived Wozzley's Way at Telluride in Colorado, for the variety of terrain it packs in; and the gentle, winding Jouvenceaux run at Sauze d'Oulx in Italy, for the way it dips in and out of the trees and visits tiny hamlets on what is a sort of skiers' ramble. But the "must do" descent is the 5km of the Armentarola valley in the Lagazuoi ski area of Cortina d'Ampezzo, also in Italy.
Cortina is a beautiful resort, thanks to the deeply riven faces of its mountains: the snow that settles in the wrinkles catches the light, giving an extraordinary depth to the rocks. The so-called "Hidden Valley" drops down from the top of the Lagazuoi cable-car into a narrow cleft with characteristic, two-tone brown Dolomite faces crowding in on either side. The Fanes range, stacked up on the right, does a passable imitation of Monument Valley, familiar from movie westerns; to the left the mountains are not so high but are decorated with the blue-white filigree of frozen waterfalls. The piste twists and turns for much of its length; and throughout it is enclosed by the valley walls, creating a mysterious, secret ambience. Oddly - perhaps because returning to the main part of the ski area takes a little time - the hidden valley is not heavily skied, despite its beauty and renown: I have travelled right through it and seen only four skiers along the way.
Why does it take so long to get back? Partly because it is a long journey, partly because the drag-lift to the nearest chair is quite slow. It is a one-horsepower device: the horse trots up the gradual incline, dragging two lines of skiers and boarders hanging on to ropes.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies