Buffaure - Ciampac ski area

Buffaure - Ciampac ski area

A ski area away from the centre that takes you a long way. 

In Pozza, you can set off practically from the village itself. Parking at the gondola is free, and within minutes you'll reach Buffaure. From here, you can either start skiing straight away or continue up towards Col de Valvacin. Pozza and Vigo are always in view, while on the other side the slopes fall away towards Val San Nicolò, with the unmistakable Col Ombert marking the horizon. The terrain is mostly made up of intermediate runs; only in the Buffaure di Sotto area does it become gentler, making it suitable for those still finding their feet on skis. But sooner or later, you'll have to make a choice: head back to Pozza or see where the mountain takes you. The first option offers two completely different ways down. The red Panorama runs for more than five kilometres, enters the upper reaches of Val San Nicolò, offers views of Cima Undici and Cima Dodici, and passes close to the little church before reaching Pozza. The Vulcano, on the other hand, takes a very different route: it is a long black run with a vertical drop of more than 500 metres that takes you straight back to the village. Two very different ways to finish your descent - and, if you wish, start all over again. 

To continue towards Ciampac, you need to head in the opposite direction. From Col de Valvacin, the run plunges into Val Jumela, and for a while the whole character of the ski area changes. The villages disappear, leaving only snow-covered pastures and the occasional mountain hut. It is a secluded side valley, with the Catinaccio rising directly ahead - a view best enjoyed in person rather than on a smartphone. The chairlift gradually takes you up to Sela Brunéch, at 2,428 metres, the highest point. 
It's worth stopping here for a moment. Sela Brunéch is a geographical and visual watershed: behind you lie Buffaure and Val Monzoni, while below you can see the final stretch of Val San Nicolò. Beyond the ridge of Val Jumela lies Val de Grepa, another small, secluded valley where, in summer, hay meadows, grazing livestock and a few mountain huts still used by local people remain part of the landscape. Sassolungo, Sella, Pordoi and, of course, the summit of the Marmolada dominate the skyline. 
Then you crest the ridge. 
Ciampac is the opposite of Buffaure. While Buffaure is open and looks out over the valley, here you find yourself inside a vast glacial basin sheltered by Colac and Crepa Neigra. The space in the middle is surprisingly vast, yet the mountain walls remain close on all sides. You feel this particularly strongly as you ascend on the innermost lifts, such as the Sasso di Rocca ski lift. 

At Ciampac, skiers and non-skiers can spend the same day doing different things. The gentler slopes and the beginners' area are suitable for beginners and children, while the play area means you can enjoy the snow even without skis. A snowshoe trail leads away from the lifts, and it takes only a short walk to find yourself surrounded by nature. Those same white expanses take on a completely different character in summer. The meadows become home to marmots, while the landscape offers an up-close look at a particularly varied geology. History, too, has left its mark here: during the First World War, Ciampac lay close to the Dolomite front, where fierce fighting took place. 

With skis on your feet, another choice presents itself. You can head back towards Sela Brunéch and return to Pozza, taking different runs from those you used on the way up, or descend towards Alba di Canazei. To do this, there's the Ciampac, one of the great black runs in the Val di Fassa. From the cable car's top station, it quickly loses altitude, enters the woods and continues for more than two kilometres to the village, with a vertical drop of around 660 metres. It is technical, long and offers little respite. Together with the Vulcano, it creates a feature that is anything but commonplace: at either end of the same ski area, two black runs lead directly down into the villages. 

The sections through the woods can be particularly useful when the weather is unfavourable. If fog or low clouds make it difficult to judge the terrain on completely open slopes, the trees provide more reference points and help restore contrast and depth. They won't turn a day of poor visibility into a perfect one, but they can help you decide where to ski. 

At Alba di Canazei, you don’t have to turn back. From the same starting area, the gondola ascends to Col dei Rossi and, within a few minutes, the Buffaure - Ciampac ski area connects with Belvedere via the Panorama ski tour. From there, you can continue towards Col Rodella and the Sellaronda. The link opens up even more possibilities, but it isn't essential: between Pozza and Alba, there are already plenty of ways to keep changing slopes, altitudes and mountain huts without leaving the ski area. 

Then there's another chapter in this story, right in Pozza itself, separate from the rest. The Ski Stadium Aloch is a black run in the village, reserved during the day for competitive training by national and international teams, while in December it hosts the men's European Cup slalom. 

In the coming years, this part of the valley is set to change once again. The project launched by the Catinaccio Buffaure company includes a new gondola linking Pozza and Pera, creating a direct connection to the Catinaccio area, currently reached by ski bus and a small train.  

 The Val di Fassa/Carezza, Valle Silver and Dolomiti Superski ski passes are valid in the Buffaure - Ciampac ski area.