The Hidden Valley by Alf Alderson
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Three skiers peek out of a porthole-like opening in the massive rock face of 2,800m Mount Lagazuoi, high in the spectacular and beautiful Dolomite mountain range above Cortina. They look down upon a sprinkling of skiers enjoying the wide, open run beneath, none of whom would ever guess that they were being observed – which was exactly the point.
For the spot where myself, David and Fiona were crouched was an observation post that had been excavated out of the solid limestone peak during the First World War when Italian and German troops fought a two-year battle for control of Passo Falzarego beneath. You can now ski up to the tunnel entrances and wander around inside the galleries to get a feel for what life may have been like up here ninety years ago.
Emerging from the cold gloom it’s a relief to clip back into your skis and swoop off down the long and undulating piste that takes you from the top of Lagazuoi. Towards the bottom of the piste you suddenly zip past a frozen waterfall, cool blue in the mountain shadows, followed by yet another surprise – a ‘ski lift’ in the form of a horse and sleigh. Pay €2, grab hold of the rope behind the sleigh, and travel under one horsepower to the final easy run of the Hidden Valley and your return to Cortina.
Approaching Cortina from Passo Falzarego, as you will after a day skiing the Hidden Valley, the first thing you’ll notice is the limestone fangs of Cinque Torri, thrusting up into sky like broken teeth. Seen from Cortina they appear striking but small – ski beneath them and they’re mightily impressive – so much so that they were one of the locations used in Sylvester Stallone’s climbing movie ‘Cliffhanger’.
Below Cinque Torri is Socrapes/Pocul, unbeatable beginner terrain which was the backdrop to the first Pink Panther film in 1963 as David Niven (well, his double) schussed stylishly down their gentle gradients.
Looming over Socrapes is the bigger and steeper Tofana ski area, and above this again the high level slopes of Ra Valles. I enjoyed some unforgettable off-piste skiing here on a classic Cortina winter morning – a few inches of fresh powder, an iridescent blue sky and even as late as ten o’clock in the morning only four other people on the untracked powder fields before me. Bliss…
On the opposite side of the valley can be seen the resort’s two other ski areas of Faloria and Mietres, where a week later I was yet again lucky enough to score more fresh powder and sunshine, this time picking lines between the trees and eventually heading up to the base of the rickety old chair that takes you to the top of Cortina’s steepest run, 2930-m high Staunies.
The other great ‘sport’ in Cortina is people watching. Once the last chair lift grinds to a halt and the pink and purple shades of sunset fade away on the peaks surrounding Cortina, ladies of a certain age emerge from the shadows to wander down the town’s main strip, the Corsa Italia, bedecked in furs and jewels. And once it gets too cold for people watching – well, this is Italy so fine food and wine are never very far away…