The Civetta resort in the spectacular Dolomites is one of skiing's best-kept secrets. Only 1.5 hours from Venice or Treviso airports, this is where the Italians go to ski, particularly at the weekend, so everything has to be perfect. They're not after big hotels and lashings of apres-ski: they want great skiing conditions, reasonable prices, good food and a traditional Alpine welcome.

So if you want a resort where Monday to Friday you can sometimes be the only person on the slope , the food is cheap, the locals are friendly and the snow is beautifully groomed, Civetta is for you.

There are plenty of restaurants on the slopes, and the standard of cuisine is what the locals would expect, but the choice is more limited in the villages and you may find there are only two or three near where you're staying. Similarly there are plenty of bars at the bottom of the slopes for a beer or two when the slopes close, but apart from night-ski evenings, they tend to close soon afterwards and the bars in the villages tend to be for drinking and chatting rather than dancing the night away. Prices for everything are way less than in some more popular resorts.

The slopes are mostly below the treeline, so sheltered even in the worst weather and the snow stays crisp, but that does mean they tend to be narrower than some open mountainsides. There is plenty on offer for beginners and intermediates, but not so many black runs if that's your main aim.

Having said that, the run from Monte Fertazza down to Alleghe drops 1,100m, so your thighs can still get a good workout!

Other Dolomiti SuperSki resorts are within an hour's drive, if you want some extra challenges, particularly the spectacular "Sellaronda" clockwise and anticlockwise tours, which you can pick up at San Cassiano.

But the icing on the cake is the night skiing from the Pecol gondola between 7:30 and 11:00pm, which can be as many as 4 nights a week during high season and happens to be the biggest night ski facility in Europe. And is included in a weekly ski pass!

You can probably guess where I'll be going again this winter!
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Powderhounds loves Civetta.. Civetta is everything we love in a ski resort. It is still a real local ski hill & doesn't have the feel of the large 'industrial' resorts of the Sella Ronda. Quiet most days (sunny weekends do get a crowd; or at least a Civetta version of a crowd, i.e not much of a crowd), lift lines are non-existent, the resort ranges across a massive area book-ended by the imposing monoliths of Civetta & Pelmo. But for all its breadth, it is still comfortably approachable for families with children.

Lifts are perfect for the terrain - slow enough to take in the view, fast enough to not get frustrating. There is tree skiing and loads of tree-lined runs for great sliding even in poor weather - the runs into Pecol-Zoldo, Pescul or Alleghe are all awesome. Piste trails are so diverse from one end to the other that it feels like you have skied three different resorts in the one day. The villages on the Zoldo & Pescul side of the resort are some of the most traditional in the entire Dolomites. There are rifugi to stay in. There is classic ski touring & backcountry skiing, particularly awesome on the northern flanks of Pelmo. And of course there are a multitude of mountain bars & restaurants for sustenance & the obligatory Aperol Spritzers & vino. What's not to love. Well it does lack lift-served, big vertical alpine freeride terrain & a deep, natural snowpack, but nothing is perfect and we are forgiving Civetta for those cardinal sins! That;s what love does.

Civetta is only a short bus ride away from the Marmolada Glacier & the Cinque Torri area of Cortina, adding even more diversity to the resort. It is a lynchpin in the Great War Ski Circuit as well, so alot of people get a glimpse of it's potential, but never stay to fully try it out. Ski Civetta at the height of the season when the snowpack is deepest, or come in early Spring when it is warm & inviting. Fabulous place. So why haven't you been?
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We skied Civetta in February as part of the Dolomites Great War Circuit Ski Tour.

It was at about this point where my legs were at their quivering limits and for the most part all I could think of was a bex and a nice lie down!

Having said that Civetta looks to be an intermediates or Groomerhounds paradise. Interesting rambling rolling groomers take you to the 3 villages surrounding the mountain.

Do be careful of drunken idiots pretending to be uber drivers. Choose a bus to get around! [Editors note - Use only the regular designated bus between Pescul (Civetta) & Fedare (Cinque Torri - Cortina)]
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Have been to Civetta in summer for climbing & winter for skiing. It is my favorite part of the Dolomites. Civetta feels more remote than the other ski areas. The villages seem older, as if set in another time. The pace is slower. The people friendlier. Skiing is great, but mainly on-piste. 
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Set spectacularly below the looming Monte Civetta and above the deep valley and lake at Alleghe, Civetta is the Dolomites best kept secret.

A large ski resort, Civetta has three main base areas at Alleghe, Pescul & in the Val di Zoldo. All have direct access to the ski resort via either gondola or chairlift.

Pescul is our favorite due to its peace & quiet - a classic Dolomites mountain village. Alleghe is a full-service town that will appeal to everyone, and is best placed to link by bus to the nearby Marmolada glacier.

We first visited Civetta during an early autumn climbing trip. It was clear even then that this was a wonderful location for some relative peace & quiet. Our skiing visit to Civetta was on a very cold gloomy late February day. Visibility was not great, so photos are few.

The ski area is relatively low in elevation, in fact one of the lowest in the Dolomites. The vast majority of Civetta's ski terrain is below 2000m but it is extensive. The rambling terrain covers all directional aspects and is mostly at or below the tree line. The upside is that sheltered skiing can be found somewhere in the resort on bad weather days.

The piste trails at Civetta provide great fun for all abilities, but advanced skiers will have to push hard to get the most out of it. Advanced skiers can ski trees above Pescul or try their hand at the relatively limited alpine off piste. Lower pistes can get very icy particularly on the long valley run into Alleghe and the lower sections of valley runs into Pescul and Val di Zoldo.

We are looking forward to returning to Civetta on a sunny day in powder to get a full sense of this beautiful place.

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