What the Sellaronda is
The Sellaronda is a ski circuit around the Sella massif, the huge rock fortress at the heart of the Dolomites. In one day you ski through four Ladin valleys — Val Gardena, Alta Badia, Arabba and Val di Fassa — and over four mountain passes: the Passo Gardena, Campolongo, Pordoi and Sella. You never ski the same run twice, and you end up exactly where you started.
It’s not about steepness. It’s about the journey: the scenery changes around every corner, and by the evening you’ll have skied around one of the most spectacular mountains in the Alps.
The numbers
| Total length | 44 km |
| On skis | about 23 km of pistes |
| On lifts | about 21 km of lifts |
| Time | around 6 hours, without a long lunch |
| Difficulty | intermediate, needs some stamina |
| Directions | clockwise (orange signs) or anticlockwise (green signs) |
| Ski pass | Dolomiti Superski (the circuit crosses several ski areas) |
Clockwise or anticlockwise?
Both directions are signposted all the way round, so you can’t really get lost.
- Clockwise (orange): generally considered the slightly easier and faster direction, with more lift time and gentler runs. A good choice for your first lap.
- Anticlockwise (green): a little more skiing and some longer descents. Dolomiti Superski calls it its favourite. Our choice once you know the circuit.
Where to start
You can join anywhere on the loop. The classic starting points are:
- Selva (Val Gardena): the Dantercëpies gondola takes you straight up towards the Passo Gardena. Our favourite base. See our Val Gardena guide.
- Corvara or Colfosco (Alta Badia): central, sunny, and surrounded by the best huts. See our Alta Badia guide.
- Arabba: the steepest and most alpine section, and the gateway to the Marmolada glacier.
- Canazei (Val di Fassa): good value and lively in the evenings.
How to do it right
Lee’s insider tip Start before 10:00 and make sure you’ve reached the last pass by 15:30 at the latest. Miss a lift at the end of the day and you’re facing an expensive taxi ride round the mountain. Check the weather: in heavy snow or strong wind some lifts close, and then it’s better to stay in your own valley.
- Ski it on a weekday if you can, and avoid the busiest holiday weeks: the lift queues at the passes are shorter.
- Take a guide for your first lap. A local ski guide knows the shortcuts, the quiet runs and the best lunch stop, and gets you back on time. We’re happy to book one.
- Have lunch, but don’t linger too long. Plan your stop for the halfway point.
- Bring your ski pass in an outside pocket: you’ll pass through a lot of gates.
Where to stop for lunch
The circuit passes some of the best mountain huts in the Dolomites. On the Alta Badia side, the huts around Corvara and Colfosco take mountain food very seriously; on the Val Gardena side, the Ciampac Hütte at the Dantercëpies and the Rifugio Emilio Comici at Plan de Gralba are worth the stop. Tell us your direction and pace and we’ll suggest (and book) the right hut.
Lee’s all-time favourite: Rifugio Friedrich August, “home of the yaks” If you ask Lee for the best hut in the Dolomites, the answer comes before you’ve finished the question. The Friedrich August sits at 2,298 m on the Col Rodella, just above the Sella Pass on the Val di Fassa side, with the Sassolungo right behind it and the Sella and Marmolada opposite. In winter you can only reach it on skis, and it’s right on the way when you ski the Sellaronda.
What makes it special: the hut runs its own organic farm, and Tibetan yaks and Scottish Highland cattle graze the pastures around it all year round. Their meat ends up on the menu, next to Ladin and Tyrolean classics with a modern touch, pizza from the wood-fired oven and a seriously good wine list. And the cream-filled krapfen at the long wooden counter are legendary: come early, they sell out.
The hut is named after Friedrich August III, the last King of Saxony, a passionate mountaineer whose trail still passes the door. Our tip: on Wednesdays and Saturdays there’s a dinner evening, with a snowcat ride up from the Sella Pass. Booking essential, and we’ll gladly do it for you.
Beyond the classic loop
Once you’ve done the Sellaronda, the Dolomiti Superski pass opens up a lot more: the Great War ski tour around the Col di Lana, the Hidden Valley below the Lagazuoi with its horse-drawn tow, or the Marmolada glacier from Arabba for strong skiers. We’ll happily build a week around them.
Snow
The Sellaronda runs at around 1,500 to 2,500 m and relies heavily on excellent snowmaking, so it’s usually open from December to early April. For measured natural snow depths in the area, see the snow sections in our Val Gardena and Alta Badia guides.
Want to ski the Sellaronda? A hotel in Selva or Corvara, a local guide for the first lap and a lunch table at the halfway point: tell us your dates and we’ll send you two tailor-made proposals.
