Photos by: Dino Colli,
Diego Gaspari, Antonio Colli, Stefano Zardini, Luigi Alverà, archivio G.I.S.
Panoramic webcam offered by G.I.S.
Short history
A white carpet over Cortina
It was the evening of 13th March 1962, on a Sunday just like many others. The train that had been going for years from Cortina d'Ampezzo to the pearl of High Pustorthal and back, was majestically entering the railway shed of the Dolomite resort for the last time. For those magnificent coaches, drawn by a powerful steam-engine, the "retirement from service" time had come. This is an unpleasant why to put it , but it is just what happened.
Today, and nearly forty years have elapsed since that last journey, nothing remains of the legendary railway, but for the marvellous route cut through rocks and connected by breathtaking bridges over dramatic gorges. This route has come to a second life in the last few decades.
Once the rails have been dismantled and the old "fire-drake" has been dismissed, the railway road has remained as the natural recreational connection between the two resorts. In the winter, the track is crowded with many cross-country skiers that slide on the snow, while in the sunny periods it becomes the favourite route for hikers and bikers who escape from the hot temperatures of the plain to discover an extremely charming itinerary.
Therefore a very attractive itinerary, worth scheduling now that the part leading from Fiames, near Cortina, as far as Cimabanche, has been completely renovated . The need to transform and improve the surface on this stretch had been felt since long. It was necessary to smooth the unevenness left by the rails.
The G.I.S. is in charge of the maintenance of the cross-country ski tracks in Cortina's area. In this valley it is well understood that tourists should be offered the opportunity to practise both disciplines - cross-country and alpine skiing - since both have acquired the same reputation and are enjoying the same favour.
Making artificial snow, distributing this snow over the stretches where natural snow is lacking and , thanks to the new homogeneous surface, grooming all the track are becoming easier and more effective, and probably even less expensive. This clear example of "common good " management is certainly to be followed; it clearly demonstrates to what extent the spirit of enterprise will reward Cortina d'Ampezzo . The town wishes to become a reference point, both for classic and free technique, for all the skiers coming from everywhere , lured by the snow-cover, guaranteed from the beginning of the winter season, and by the many events scheduled on the winter calendar - the most famous being Granfondo Dobbiaco-Cortina, the long-distance cross-country ski event that takes place on the first Sunday of February.
Well, you should really try it! Riding a mountain bike on the unpaved carpet as far as Passo Cimabanche will last as an unforgettable memory in our hearts of mountains lovers, who appreciate the sensation of a pleasant fatigue. Then winter comes and snowfalls along with it: it is the season of cross-country ski. A whole year along the route that keeps the memory of the puffing and panting steam-engine alive.
