One of Italy’s steepest runs, state-of-the-art lifts and the impressive backdrop of the Sexten Dolomites: The Rotwand and Helm mountains have a great deal to offer in this category. The Hochpustertal has most definitely become a much more attractive destination since the two peaks were linked. The new Skischaukel not only offers up two fantastic runs – Drei Zinnen (no. 41) and Stiergarten (no. 40) – it also considerably enlarges the options available in the ski area in general.
For instance, you can now explore the region with the “Giro delle Cime” ski tour which encompasses some 30 km of runs and a vertical difference of 5,600 m. This tour of the peaks starts at the Vierschach valley station before continuing on to Helm and Stiergarten and then Rotwand before scaling the Kreuzbergpass and running down into Val Comelico. The pass also marks the linguistic and cultural border between the German-speaking region and the more Italian-dominated Veneto area. The only downside to this tour is that skiers have to take the ski bus on two occasions, though this shouldn’t detract from the enjoyable runs and incredible scenery. Two new lifts designed to remedy this issue are already being planned.
The list of outstanding runs on Helm and Rotwand is pretty lengthy. Visitors shouldn’t miss the chance to try the Holzriese-Abfahrt (no. 3a and 3b), though you will need your wits about you, as its gradient of over 70% makes it one of the steepest runs in all of Italy. The long valley runs down to Sexten (no. 11), Vierschach (no. 13) and Moos (no. 3) also impressed us, as did the Drei Zinnen and Stiergarten trails we mentioned above. The panoramic views of the Drei Zinnen and other Sexten Dolomites will live long in the memory! The option of taking the Ski Pustertal Express and using the Dolomiti Superski pass to also explore the slopes surrounding Kronplatz means that we can only give the ski area top marks in the advanced category!