3 Peaks Dolomites Skiing & Snowboarding
3 Peaks Dolomites - Drei Zinnen (Tre Cime as well perhaps!) ski resort is striking for its modern lift system & long perfectly groomed pistes. Ski 3 Peaks Dolomites for some fast & fun action in a landscape that is Austrian to the north & definitely Italian to the south - all from the comfort of your own brand-new gondola!
The Tre Cime Dolomiti ski & snowboard terrain at first glance appears to be extensive. The healthy 115km of trails on a skiable vertical of almost 1,100m gives an impression of a large ski resort with plenty of oomph. And in part its true. But (why is there always a but?), aside from the main ski resort area centred on Sesto-Sexten, a fair portion of terrain (around 35km worth) is actually in a group of smaller ski areas only connected by train or bus. The appetisers at San Candido & Dobbiaco et. al. can be explored at anyone’s leisure. For the sake of this section we will concentrate on the main course from Versciaco up to Helm/Monte Elmo, down to Sesto & up the Croda Rossa.
The bulk of the skiing takes place on Monte Elmo or Helm, depending on your language proclivities. The mountain has north-aspect terrain toward Versciaco & sunny south facing runs towards Sesto. Helm is the highest point in the resort, at only 2,200m, really isn’t that high at all. However, one can ski a lovely 1,070m vertical down some glorious piste from top to bottom at Versciaco. The 900m vertical descents from the summit down to Sesto are less inspired due to a flattish middle section before a grand finale down the black Kristlerhang slope as it seemingly plunges onto the roofs of Moos before making a hard left to the base of the Helmjet gondola.
The Croda Rossa is the other main area. Rising from Bad Moos (love that name), the 600ish metres of skiable vert is north aspected & includes the allegedly steepest piste in Italy - Holzriese. A long run out ensures that any fears of a missed turn on Holzriese can be overcome by bleeding off speed down the bottom! From the top of Croda Rossa, a couple of long, long traverses & surface lifts go toward Val Comelico. Its sole chair & 800m of vertical offer some long crisp skiing but is the journey really worth it? Possibly not.
Between the Croda Rossa & Helm is the saddle at Signaue & the Stiergarten containing a series of gondolas & nice fall line intermediate trails that are enjoyable in anyone’s book.
3-Peaks-Dolomites is generally snowboard friendly but there are some long connecting trails in the Sesto valley that may cause issues (i.e. walking) & there is no terrain park. Those seeking man-made terrain features should apply elsewhere. We did not sight one snowboarder whilst at the resort.
Three Peaks Dolomites Skiing Highlights
The 3 Peaks Dolomites skiing highlights are a rite of passage according to Powderhounds. They are only to be undertaken when there is no powder because skiing powder ALWAYS takes priority. Tick off the following when at Drei Zinnen.
- Complete the full Grande Giro delle Cime tour of the ski resort. The journey is around 34km & involves taking two ski buses to link with Val Comelico. Start & finish either in Sesto or Versciaco. Carefully look at the bus timetable to/from Val Comelico because it is a limited service.
- Catch the first cable car or gondola up to Helm & watch the sun rise over the jagged Dolomites to the south before plunging down the full skiable vertical to Versciaco.
- See how few turns you can do on Italy’s alleged steepest piste - the Holzriese on Croda Rossa.
- Whether you are with children or not, check out the beginner lifts at Waldheim to get a sense of learning to ski in an über traditional setting.
- If you have skied all the Sesto side, get a taste of the real Italy by taking the long traverses & bus to Val Comelico. Check your German at the door, Italian is actually spoken here! Go figure.
- From the top of Helm, ski across to the Rifugio Gallo Cedrone (Hahnspielhütte) for a quick meal & then ski back into the resort via the lightly treed off piste terrain below the hut.
- Skin or hike up to the top of Hochgruben (2,538m) above Helm. Drop into Sillian (Austria) on one side & take the train home! (Avalanche gear required!)
- On at least one day, take the train from Versciaco to Perca & ski the amazing Kronplatz. Step from the train directly onto a gondola - of course!
- Ski directly to the door of the bar at Punka in Versciaco & indulge in some après whilst pondering some fine schooming on the Three Peaks piste.
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Trail Map
The 3 Peaks Dolomites ski trail map provides a reasonable perspective of the lifts & pistes, however the distances & scale between certain points is grossly under-represented. Major examples are the distance & gulch between the Helmhanghütte & the end of piste 40 (don’t try to ski it!) & the traverse from the Croda Rossa to the bus stop at Bagni di Valgrande near Val Comelico (it’s a lot longer than it looks - 10km all up).
Check out the ski trail map for Tre Cime Dolomites below.
Ski Lifts
The lift infrastructure at 3 Peaks Dolomites is way over the top comparative to the ski terrain. It is akin to many Japanese ski resorts in parts - i.e. one lift for one run - but in this case the lift is a brand new 8-seater gondola. Awesome for a visitor but one does wonder? The seemingly excessive lift system does leave plenty of room for growth & extension of the ski area and if current plans are realised, 3 Peaks-Drei Zinnen will be a huge, interconnected ski wonderland one day……….. just not quite yet.
The major current limitation in the lift system, the lack of connectivity to Val Comelico, will soon be fixed (read below). The other major limitation was the Helm cable car (as the only access from Sesto), which was replaced for the 21/22 season by a gondola. Also completed was the upgrade of their oldest clunky 2-person double chairlift to a new high-speed 6-seater hooded chair with heated seats, which goes with the ongoing theme of ‘only the biggest & best will do at 3 Peaks/Tre Cime/Drei Zinnen’.
Future Lift Projects
Based on planned projects, the future looks bright at Drei Zinnen. Other gondola projects to link the main resort to nearby Sillian in Austria is a game changer. Sooner on the cards though is the installation of two new lifts (gondolas or 6-seater chairs) to finally link the small but excellent Val Comelico with the main resort - a huge expansion in skiable terrain on a lovely cold, north-aspect. Sounds like that’s the time to re-visit!
Lift Passes
As with most Dolomites ski resorts, at least two main ticketing options exist. The 3 Peaks Dolomites- Drei lift pass is around €6 cheaper per day than the second option, a Dolomiti Superski pass. A Drei Zinnen lift ticket is valid for all the disconnected local ski areas including Dobbiaco, San Candido (Monte Bianchi) & Val Comelico.
A Dolomiti Superski pass gives one unfettered access to nearby ski areas such as Alta Badia, Kronplatz & Cortina. A host of other Dolomites ski resorts are also valid with a Dolomiti Superski pass. If staying predominantly in Three Peaks, there is probably little value in getting the pass, unless a few days at neighbouring Kronplatz are on the cards.
All lift passes are 5% cheaper is pre-purchased online at least 2-days before you intend to ski.
Check out the gargantuan ski trail map for Dolomiti SuperSki below.
Anyone with an Ikon Pass can ski up to 7-days shared between: Cortina d’Ampezzo, Kronplatz/Plan de Corones, Alta Badia, Val Gardena/Alpe di Siusi, Val di Fassa/Carezza, Arabba/Marmolada, 3 Peaks Dolomites, Val di Fiemme/Obereggen, San Martino di Castrozza/Rolle Pass, Rio Pusteria - Bressanone, Alpe Lusia - San Pellegrino, Civetta. Holders of an Ikon Pass can ski for free for 7-days, with no blackout period. Holders of Ikon Base Plus Pass and Ikon Base Pass can ski for free for 5-days with no blackout periods. You can go directly to the chairlift or gondola with your valid Ikon Pass as there is no need to stop at a local ticket window. The Ikon Pass is valid in the Dolomites from 15 November to 15 April in a given season.
On-Piste Terrain
Novice & Beginner
For the one of the most beautifully traditional learn to ski areas, Waldheim near Sesto is hard to beat. Hay barns are amongst snow laden meadows backing up into forest. The area is not piste or lift linked to the main 3 Peaks resort however is included in the lift pass. The novice area at Versciaco has better links to lifts, transport & resort infrastructure but without the ambiance of the Waldheim area. Other beginner lifts dot the landscape at most villages & towns (Moos, San Candido, Dobbiaco et al).
Beyond the novice areas, progressing beginners can spread their wings in the upper Monte Elmo and entire Croda Rossa sectors of the resort. Nervous learners may want to download on a gondola to get back down to the valley if not confident on intermediate piste trails. Another lovely option, especially mid-week when it is quiet, is the 'local ski hill' at Innichen/San Candido. The 350m of skiable vertical is perfect to get your turns going for bigger and better challenges.
Intermediates
With nearly half of the piste trails at Three Peaks RRRR (rollicking red rated runs), there is no shortage of sensational skiing for intermediates. The 7km journey from the top of Helm to Versciaco is rated intermediate. Point the skis & let it rip!
Advanced
Aside from a handful of nicely pitched piste trails, advanced skiers should seek their glory elsewhere. The few main 'black' runs include the steep 'Holzriese' at Croda Rossa, but the rest are fast but not challenging.
Off Piste, Freeride & Backcountry Terrain
Three Peaks Dolomites doesn’t appear to have much in the way of off-piste terrain, but if you look hard you can find tree skiing & high alpine offerings. The lightly treed, rural landscape above Sesto on the flanks of Monte Elmo looks particularly in deep snow. The opportunities dramatically improve in a deep snow year, but the reality is this is a piste skiers hill. Early bird skiers on a powder day will be all alone though - worth noting!
The high alpine has some great backcountry opportunities. A skin up to the top of Hochgruben above Monte Elmo/Helm will reveal some tasty backcountry terrain. Drop north into Austria straight down to the train station at Sillian (sounds easier than it is!) or drop south back into the ski resort. Stiergarten is another option for a starting point. Scope it out carefully.
A multi-day ski tour to the Tre Cime via Val Fiscalina would be a grand undertaking. One day….