Which ski resorts are recommended to expert skiers? Where to ski with difficult slopes? Many ski lovers should have asked themselves those questions, maybe after a not so thrilling downhill. Some ski resorts, yet big or spectacular, sometimes aren’t able to satisfy everyone because they don’t offer difficult slopes where to challenge oneself or skiing fast. To be honest, we must say that you can ski faster more likely in a smaller ski resort, where the slopes are not crowded. However, there are some big skiing areas that have rather technical slopes. Here you will find some examples.
Resorts with difficult slopes for expert skiers
Arabba (BL – Veneto)
In the dolomitic ski area of Arabba the most technical slopes are located in Porta Vescovo area, where three blacks and three reds go down to the village after more than 800 m of drop, served by the DMC gondola lift for 25 people and the Funifor.
Cortina d’Ampezzo (BL – Veneto)
Maybe most renowned for its shops and lifestyle than for its slopes, Cortina can give strong emotions to the most demanding skiers, who find there satisfying slopes such as the Olympia, the Forcella Rossa and the Vertigine Bianca in the middle part of Tofane ski area, in Pomes area. Faloria skiing area is even more challenging.
Kronplatz (BZ – South Tyrol)
The Black Five are the calling card of Konplatz – Plan de Corones. They are the Silvester, Hernegg, Pre de Peres, Erta and Piculin slopes, that together arrives to 26 Km (25% of the ski area), with a gradient that in many points arrive to 60%. Except for Pre de Pres slope, the others offer about 5-6 Km of length and 1000-1300 m of drop. During the building of Herrnegg slope, the builders refused to send there their bulldozer, fearing that they would have overturned. That’s because the project was suspended and they realized another black slope, the Sylvester, to finish the Herrnegg only many years later.
La Thuile (AO – Aosta Valley)
La Thuile is a wide ski area with a harsh climate and a perfect snow quality. There are seven black slopes in two areas: four cross the woods and are served by ski lifts coming up from the valley bottom; among them there is the number 3, Franco Berthod, that reaches a 73% of maximum gradient. The others go down from Belvedere area near the French frontier. Besides this group of slopes with very interesting drops, there are other medium and easy slopes.
Val Gardena (BZ – South Tyrol)
The slopes for experts in the Val Gardena ski area are located in Ciampinoi area, where the famous Saslong starts to reach Santa Cristina. There are other two slopes, less famous, but maybe more thrilling, going down to Sëlva. Another interesting area is Dantercepies, with two very fast red slopes.
Small but challenging
Piazzatorre (BG – Lombardy): it is a small ski resort with rather challenging slopes not far from Bergamo and from Milan. Recently, it widened itself connecting two different ski areas.
Valgerola (SO – Lombardy):a chairlift serves two technical slopes, a red and a black slope that are pretty long and not crowded. The offer includes a platter lift and a magic carpet for beginners.
