Arabba - Marmolada: Ski area guide

Arabba-Marmolada is the eastern gateway to the Sella Ronda. The ski area joins the modern resort of Arabba with the Queen of the Dolomites, the Marmolada, whose glacier reaches 3,265 metres above sea level.

The two halves complement each other. Arabba is technical and steep; the Marmolada is vast and silent, a world of rock and ice.

The Marmolada glacier

The highest peak in the Dolomites (3,343 m) has one of the few skiable glaciers left in the Italian Alps. The glacier descent is one of the most memorable in the Alps: the snow stays soft and well packed late into the season, when runs elsewhere have already been baked hard by the sun. Setting off from the Pian dei Fiacconi cable car and skiing down the tongues of the glacier, with Dolomite walls towering on either side, is hard to describe to anyone who has not done it.

One thing needs saying plainly: the Marmolada glacier shrinks measurably every year. Skiing it while you still can is not a tourist slogan. It is an honest assessment of an opportunity that climate change is making rarer every season.

Skiing in Arabba

The Arabba sector, separate from the glacier, has about 50 km of runs that are, on average, harder than the Dolomite norm. Red and black runs dominate. If you are a strong skier looking for real gradient and runs that demand technique, Arabba will not disappoint.

The main gondola climbs to Porta Vescovo at 2,478 metres, with outstanding views of the Sella group and towards Val di Fassa. From the top, the runs back to the valley follow steady slopes with a big vertical drop, so you get long descents without a break.

Arabba on the Sella Ronda

If you ski the Sella Ronda anticlockwise, you have to pass through Arabba. The village sits exactly where the Campolongo Pass (towards Alta Badia) meets the Pordoi Pass (towards Val di Fassa and Val Gardena). That makes it a strategic base for covering the whole circuit as efficiently as possible.

Arabba is fully part of Dolomiti Superski: one ski pass gives you access to more than 1,200 km of runs across the Dolomites.

Arabba as a base

Compared with other Dolomite resorts such as Cortina, Alta Badia or Val Gardena, Arabba feels smaller and more low-key. The village is compact, the essential services are well organised and there is a good choice of places to stay without overdevelopment.

Hotels and restaurants are generally cheaper than in the area’s more glamorous resorts. If you want as many hours as possible on the snow, and less time (and money) spent off it, Arabba is one of the smartest choices in the Dolomites.

Season and access

The Marmolada glacier also opens in summer, roughly between June and July, offering one of the few chances for summer skiing in the Italian Alps. The winter season runs from December to April.

From the south, take the A27 motorway to Belluno, then the SS203 Agordina road to Arabba. From the north, the most scenic route comes from Trento via Val di Fassa and the Pordoi Pass. It is a mountain road that is only open in good weather, so always check conditions before you set off.