Puez-Odle Ski Touring Traverse

Arrive in Val Gardena / Gröden (1,563m / 5,128’) on your own and check into your hotel. Private transfer is available upon request. Nestled among the mountains of Sassolungo, Puez, and the Sella Massif, Val Gardena is renowned for its fantastic skiing and rock-climbing, as well as for its rich woodcarving tradition, which dates back to the early 17th century. Home to three very different cultures – Italian, Austrian, and the native Ladin – most signage in Val Gardena is also written in three languages: Italian, German, and Ladin!
 
Throughout your trip, you will ski tour in the spectacular Puez-Odle Natural Park, located northeast of the valley. Set in the northernmost part of the Dolomites, this park spreads across Alta Badia, Val Gardena, and Val di Funes, and offers glimpses of the characteristic rock strata of the Dolomites peeking out from beneath the snow-covered peaks.
 
Enjoy dinner tonight at your hotel.

In the morning, meet your UIAGM/IFMGA Professional Mountain Guide and take a cable car to start your ski touring adventure. You’ll begin by gliding down a gentle slope to a rifugio (2,137m / 7,000'), where you will enter Puez-Odle Natural Park. From here, skin across the Seceda Meadows for almost four kilometers (~2.5 miles), up a continuous slope to a Forcella dla Roa (2,617m / 8,586'), the highest point you will reach today. You will be rewarded with a long ski descent to Longiarù in Val Badia. Overnight at a traditional farmhouse or family-owned apartment in this pretty Mountaineering Village.
(~2,5 hours for ascents only, total 12km / 7,2 miles, 570m / 1,880' ascent, 1,200m / 3,959' descent.)

This exciting day of ski touring takes you beneath the majestic and remote Sass de Putia / Peitlerkofel Group, to the Val di Funes / Villnösstal, a true paradise for mountain lovers. Beginning at the top northwestern corner of the Dolomites, you’ll reach the northernmost point of your tour today, a short distance south of the Austrian border!
 
In the morning, ascend through the picturesque Valley of the Mills, passing by the eight restored mills that once were at the heart of the valley’s economy. Continue your ascent beneath the majestic and isolated Sass de Putia, climbing one of its peaks – the Col di Poma / Zendleser Kofel (2,422m / 7,946'). This is the highest point you will reach today. The view from the summit is staggering, with the Odle / Geisler Group dominating the panorama. Enjoy a varied descent across wide alpine pastures, through a rustic forest, and down a fun toboggan run, all the way to Val di Funes.
(~3 hours for ascents only, total 8km / 4,8 miles, 980m / 3,233' ascent, 750m / 2,474' descent.)

Today, you will ski tour beneath the imposing northern walls of the Puez-Odle / Puez-Geisler Group (3,025m / 9,925'), witnessing the ancient rock formations and layers of the Dolomites that have evolved over millions of years. You’ll ski through shady forests, alongside frozen streams, and across snow-covered Alpine meadows. Admire the dramatic rock formations and take in the stunning beauty of these mountains. Throughout the day, you will ski on the Adolf Munkel Weg (Adolf Munkel Trail), one of the most beautiful, well-traveled summer hiking paths in the Dolomites. Located entirely within the Puez-Odle Natural Park, this spectacular route will take you through shady forests, alongside frozen streams, and across Resciesa / Raschötz – one of the most beautiful panoramic plateaus in South Tyrol.
(~4,5 hours for ascents only, total 12km / 7,2 miles, 1,100m / 3629' ascent, 100m / 329' descent.)

Enjoy your final day of ski touring, with a long descent back to Val Gardena, soaking in spectacular vistas of Val Gardena and the surrounding mountains. When you reach the bottom, you have the option to ski the famous La Longia piste – one of the longest runs in the Dolomites ski area. It is also one of the "Legendary 8" pistes – the eight most beautiful slopes in Val Gardena, where you will ski surrounded by icefalls, rocks and spruce forests – an impressive experience!
(~1 hour for ascents only, total 7km / 4,2 miles, 74m / 243' ascent, 530m / 1748' descent.)

Breakfast and departure at your discretion (private transfer available on request).