The Ladins have always called it this, from the time when there were a few mud tracks and no ski-lifts. It was the circuit on skis around this massif in the Dolomites, the Sella, across the four passes, which the Ladins used in order to keep in contact with the other inhabitants in the area. Nowadays the name still means the circuit around the Sella massif but it has also come to indicate what amounts to a sort of merry-go-round for skiers, the only one of its kind, a series of ski-lifts and downhill runs, all linked to one another and set against a background of woods, rocky peaks and expanses of snow that is no exaggeration to call extraordinary.

Joining the skiing circuit is easy: just follow the roads that take you to one of the four villages around the Sella mountain: Selva di Val Gardena, Corvara, Canazei, Arabba. The length of the circuit, including both, ski lifts and ski runs, is a little less than 40 km and it is an easy route to ski along. But, because it is high up in the mountains, you need to check the weather forecast in order to avoid running into snowfalls or high winds which can turn what is supposed to be an enjoyable day out into an unpleasant and risky enterprise, with the danger of getting stranded. Any skier interested in doing the Sellaronda must be fit, even if the runs themselves are of middling difficulty rather than advances.

The time spent on ski lifts of teh Sellaronda is about two hours altogether, without counting the time spent queuing for them or having a break in one of the many refuges dotted along the circuit.
Some more instructions: you are advised to start the circuit no later than 10.00 in the morning, although it is a good idea to start even earlier, especially if it is the first time you have tried it. Another word of warning: you must reach the last Pass by 15.30 otherwise you will miss the last ski lifts; they close between 16.00 and 16.30. All of the runs together take about one and a half hours, depending on how good a skier you are.

Text: Dolomiti Superski