An undeniably spectacular ski location, Solda Sulden sits amongst world-class alpine splendour with a backdrop of the mighty Ortler peak & Monte Zebrù both draped in precipitous crumbling glaciers. In fact, even if the snow & skiing here is rubbish, the journey is worth it for the views alone. Would be easy to visit the resort's 3 sectors, spending time on the sundecks of each of the main mountain restaurants just taking in the views ...... so we did! Super pleasant.

Having spent the previous day skiing knee to waist deep powder at Nauders (just 40km as the crow flies to the north), the snow at Solda Sulden was comparatively disappointing. But in what was a tough, dry season for much of the Italian Alps, we suppose it was still quite ok. At least the sun was shining, which was a definite step up from our last visit. Powder was still able to be found in parts off-piste, and the on-piste trails were in top condition, providing some long, fast descents.

Despite the amount of ‘sharks’ lurking in the snowpack throughout the resort’s off-piste, it was still possible (with a little rock hopping) to get into the long (& at times technical) Schöntaufspitze (or Cima Beltovo di Dentro) freeride routes via the Schöntauf 2 chairlift. Routes start either with a short climb and traverse across the top glacier to Schöntaufjoch before its long descent via a couloir, or traversing skier’s right to a col halfway down the Schöntauf 2 Variante and entering a large alpine bowl before a technical mid-section. Both routes end in the Rosimtal valley but are not marked so care should be taken. The valley exits onto piste trail 16 and hence to the cable car and Rosim gondola base. An entire day could easily be spent exploring this splendid freeride mountain zone.

The piste trails in the upper alpine sector are all relatively gentle, with only a couple of black rated runs providing any real pitch, and even then, it's not much. The 1b valley trail is a lovely jaunt to the cable car mid-station. From there the piste is rated black, probably due to its narrowness, but is quite easy all the way back to the valley station. The last parts of both runs are best straight-lined at the bottom to avoid skating (or if a snowboarder, walking). Aside from that long valley run, the best on-piste runs are the rollicking #16 black piste from Kanzel and the #10 intermediate run (but could easily be rated a black piste) on the opposite side of the valley from Langenstein.

The new gondola up to Pulpito is a vast improvement on the old double chair. By far the best surprise in the lift department was the horse-drawn sleigh connecting the new gondola to the Langenstein chair. Whilst it saves a few minutes of pushing & skating to get to the chair, getting towed along by a sleigh is just one of those experiences that puts a smile on your face and improves your ski day immensely.

Eating and drinking wise, how nice is it simply cross a border and immediately pay half the price for a better coffee. Never understood the disparity between overpriced rubbish coffee in Switzerland & Austria, and the affordable, flavoursome coffee in Italy. Maybe it's the price that makes Italian coffee seem less bitter! The K2 at Langenstein serves tasty home-cooked nosh for only a few shekels. The deck overlooks the best sidecountry routes from the Schöntaufspitze side of the resort, so scope it all out whilst chewing your haus wurst, sauerkraut & speck-knödel. The strudel is always fresh baked too. Yummo.

The Madritsch Hütte is beautifully located, with some good drinking options but only a ordinary self-serve eatery in the restaurant. Fabulous spot to suck in some vitamin D though, plus check out all the crumbling glaciers on the Ortler, Zebru & Königspitze.

At the cable car top station, the restaurant serves a scrumptious tiramisu and other tasty treats. The new gondola has a new Cafe alongside, again in a splendid position overlooking the peaks. Best for a drink and snack rather than a meal. Our day ended with some Bombardinos at the Laerchenhof near the main day car park where the cable car seemingly skims the roofs of the vehicles closest to the line. The Laerchenhof is far and away the liveliest of the resort's après ski bars, but was comparatively quiet on this day.

The town of Sulda/Solden spreads thinly throughout the valley over 2km. Too sparse & distant for any feeling of intimacy or vibrance it doesn't feel welcoming - a shame. The sun sets on the main village centre by mid-afternoon in winter. Another reason to stay further up the valley closer to the cable car base.

We drove to Solda from the village of Burgusio as a day trip, arriving in time for first lifts. It is a straight-forward exercise to ski 3 countries (Italy, Austria, Switzerland) from this village by doing daytrips with a well-equipped rental car (snow tyres, AWD). Accommodation is incredibly affordable too. The route to Solda from Burgusio includes driving through the walled village of Glurns, which is one of the best experiences you may have on a road in Europe!
See our video here

Like most area's in the Alps the views are beautiful.
There are clearly defined area's and some of the long "home trails" are fun.
Horse drawn ski tow was a highlight.
See our video here

After a tight winding drive up a pretty forested valley (reminiscent of driving up to a Canadian ski resort if not for a few super-tight sections through rural hamlets!) a surprisingly broad valley opens up from the village of Solda- Sulden ……. or is that Sulden-Solda ……. or just Solda for Italians & Sulden for South Tyrolean german speakers? The valley is splendidly surrounded on all sides by precipitous peaks eluding to the area’s 7 month plus long ski season. A ski area of 3 sectors, Solda has done its best to lift & piste connect the resort, but despite their efforts so far, the wide basin of the valley makes interconnections awkward at best. The disconnected main village doesn’t help it either.

Unlike many glacier-based ski resorts, Solda’s piste trails have a nice even spread for all abilities plus a handy mix of above & below treeline terrain. The weather was feral during our visit emphasising the benefit of below treeline lifts & terrain. The Rosimbahn terrain was pleasant but a little confuzzling where the number 16 intermediate trail (red), abruptly turns into an advanced trail (black), but then reverts to red again down lower - all with no option to get off! Fine for us, but should be marked black or red for its entire length - not both. Due to the weather, we never got to sample any off-piste at Solda. The terrain looks appealing, but the snow was wind impacted & avalanche risk was off the charts. A howling wind & zero visibility limited everything else, meaning our ski time was quite minimal. Of course, after pulling the pin, the cloud base lifted slightly, allowing at least a few photos from the valley!

Several of the lifts in the valley are ancient clunkers in need of replacement - a point seemingly understood by the reosrt. The old Kanzel double is slated to become a 10-seat gondola next season. A new project for the top of the old Langenstein chair for a new cable car to link up with a high ridge at 2,800m & provide runs back down to the main lift base below the glacier is a potential game changer for the resort.

Solda’s village is a modern resort style with a compact centre & the remainder spread along the 2km of road toward the gondola/cable car valley stations. The village feels a little soulless, but no doubt each of the major hotel complexes provide stellar facilities, possibly voiding the need for a vibrant town during a short stay. If only interested in a few days skiing at Solda, & one has your own transport, it may be a better option to stay elsewhere in the Val Venosta, like the atmospheric walled town of Glurns-Glorenza.

We have scored Solda the best we could, but feel we haven’t done it justice. Sadly, it didn’t leave us with much of an impression to want to come hurrying back. We will though! Our week in the Val Venosta was blighted by gloomy skies, high winds & lift closures, so maybe the vibe in Solda merely reflected our own - disheartened. Not the resort’s fault necessarily. A blue sky or fresh powder always changes perspective & we do think the region has huge potential for an amazing all-round European winter experience. Maybe next time the weather will play ball!

You can see our thoughts on the pros & cons on the Solda - Sulden overview page and also see our European ski resort ratings regarding how we score it compared to other skiing areas.

See our video here