Cortina Night : Prints Available
Today I scored one of my all-time best powder days! More on that below.
Anyhow, six and a half years after climbing via ferrate routes around Cortina d’ Ampezzo and the Dolomites in the summertime, I have returned… this time for winter! Yesterday I took a tram up to the Refugio d’ Faloria, a plush hut situated on the edge of a huge cliff about 900m (3000 ft.) above the town of Cortina. I spent the night up there, enjoying not only a primo view of Cortina, but also a slopeside location to kick off the ski area’s opening day on Saturday.
Sunrise on Monte Cristallo. Though it was dumping snow all day on Friday, Saturday brought bluebird skies.
At 8:30 sharp I was strapping my snowboard on and heading up the hill… probably the first person on the slopes! Though I knew it had been snowing a lot here in the last several weeks, I had figured that there would only be a few groomers open this early in the season. Fortunately, I figured wrong. There was a solid base, great terrain, and powder everywhere.
But the best part: everybody stayed on the pistes and nobody skied the powder! I couldn’t believe it! For six hours straight, I lapped completely fresh tracks all by myself… big faces, long couloirs, tight chutes, pillow drops, cliff drops, tree lines… the works. Unbelievable. This ranks up there with my most memorably epic powder days.
A photo of the top half of a ridiculously tight chute, moments before I charged through it. The crux was only a few inches wider than my board, with vertical walls on both sides! It was so fun to explore all kinds of new terrain, in such great conditions.
Sunset light on Tofane.
Ciao!
Jack,
I can’t believe you took that chute!!! When I saw that picture, my first thought was, “There’s no way Jack took that.” Guess I was wrong. Monte Cristallo looks like it has some epic alpine lines on it! Sweet update, Jack…thanks! Enjoy Italy!
Yeah I saved this chute for my last run of the day, as I knew that certainly nobody would go for it. Also I scoped it out from various angles first to make sure it went through!
If you look closely at the Cristallo sunrise shot, you can see a ski lift (or rope tow?) in the big couloir at far left.
Glad you’re scoring dude!!!
-P&A
Yeah me too! 🙂 Hope it’s snowing a lot in the SJs.
Seriously awesome Jack! That chute is ridiculous. Dolomites are so awesome! Great shot of Cortina!
Thanks Grant! Yeah the Dolomites… They’re my favorite mountains in the world. Along with the San Juans, of course!
Sweet Jack! Thanks for sharing your adventures!!! You are one crazy man on the board!
Hi Susie! Are you skiing in Jackson? I heard they’re having a great early season there.
Awesome pics, thanks for sharing. I am heading to Bormeo this spring. I know different mountains, but now I am really psyched!
Cool… have fun Susan!
That first photo is just heavenly!! Gorgeous.
Thanks Marilyn!
The best night shot in a very long time! Cortina in winter must be pure magic.
Thanks Dave, yeah it’s been awesome to see these mountains smothered in snow! No via ferrate action this time of year though! I’d rather be snowboarding anyways though…
Ughhh, soooo jealous.