Day 0: Arrive & Meet
Day 1: Refugio Pizzini
If weather cooperates we will ski down the 9000’ Mer de Glace and take the Montenvers train back to town. Along with spending time at altitude we will review some of the basic skills needed for the trip. As well as make some great turns down an incredible backdrop. And if we are lucky, maybe ski through some ice tunnels.
Arrive in Santa Caterina Valfurva and settle into the vibrant culture of the Italian Alps. Today is all about tying up loose ends, recovering from travel, and preparing for the climb ahead. Take time to manage jet lag, relax, and explore the charming streets, cozy cafés, and stunning alpine scenery that make this place a true paradise on earth. Dinner tonight will be a good intro into Italian cuisine.
Day 2: Gran Zebru
Today is one of those ski days that can lean towards adventure and mountaineering objectives or can be targetted toward good snow and fun laps. We will return to the Pizzini hut for the evening.
Day 3: Suldenspitze
An adventure day, up and over Suldenspitze and into the Sulden ski Resort. We will have a nice lunch, take the lifts up and ski over Passo del Madriccio and down to Zufallhütte, where an option exists to enjoy a unique hut sauna.
Day 4: Cevedale or Pascale
From the Zufallhutte we will climb back over Cevedale or Pascale in order to drop south toward our favorite Refugio of the trip, the Branca!
Day 5: Branca Base Camp
We will spend the next 2 nights at Refugio Branca, which has the best food in the range, as well as the best access to big couloirs and huge mountains. The family that has run this hut has been running it for over 90+ years. Passed down from generation to generation, if you stay up late enough you can hear stories from many years past.
Day 6: San Mateo
Todays word is “Cannoli.” Why you may ask? Because the locals call every couloir a cannoli and today we have infinite amount of cannolis to chose from.
Day 7: Exit day and Roman Baths
We will try and ski on our exit day. Getting home earlier enough to shower and hit the Roman Baths from 500AD. These baths have been visited by Leonardo daVinci and many other famous figures from the past. It is the perfect way to finish a wonderful week in the Italian Alps.