Cortina, Italy Ski Extravaganza 2005
Report by Ray Muggli
Early March saw eighty-four Happy Campers heading to the Airport. We were Italy bound for skiing in
the Mighty Dolomite Alps. Excitement ran high as the plane pulled away from the gate at SFO. Oh my,
a twenty something year old guy named “Dave” couldn’t find his gate and the plane had to return to
pick him up. Security and his bags on board you know. What fun the Après group had with poor Hapless
Dave. Hee---Hee. The party atmosphere caused the Pilot to declare turbulence so everyone would take
his or her seat. The turbulence was smoother then a smoothy. On our return trip, they declared a new
rule prohibiting gatherings in the aisle. Know as the “Turbulence rule”. Yes, the pilot announced it.
We arrived in Venice and a Bus Ride to Cortina. The first of many “Happy Hours” at the Parc Hotel
Victoria bar in Cortina started a Good night of “Stay Awake”. We knew we must sink in to European
time. The Five-course meal fortified us to walk up the hill and get our “Super Dolomite Passes” for
skiing. We were now “Good to Go”. Party On.
The next Morning, we took the Tram to the top of Faloria. The view over the edge took your breath
away. Literally!! Twelve of us began the runs at Misurina. . Sandy Saadi, David Whetzel, Bob Suzuki,
John Stoddard, Linda Eaton, Wanda Ross, Tim Fergon, Bob Rogers, Mark Nave, Austin Parlette,
Heather Purcell and yours truly. One of our first runs required us to climb around the “CLOSED”
sign to go down the PTEX run. Rocks were embedded in the moguls. How exciting. OK, just don’t
look at your bottoms. Everyone loved the run up the Colure in the Dolomite Rock Formations called
Son Forca-Forcella. The gang came screaming down. Yahoooooo! We had stopped for our first of
many Hot Chocolates that week. The Chocolate was so Thick that I left my spoon sticking straight
up in the middle of the cup. Welllll, Almost that thick. It seems that nearly everyone skied Faloria
that day.
The next day was another Super Tram ride to the Top of the Tofana Dolomite Peak. We took a chair
up the Colure to the top of Tofana. Everywhere I looked up there were Après members. Austin Parlette
led a group of us around the top. When it was time to go down to mid mountain we started down a
solid Ice double black diamond run. Most everyone got down the first section. The second leg
found Sandy Saadi asking “Where did the run go?”. Errrr, That Ice Cliff is the run. Oh Well,
we got our most challenging run of the week under our belts early in the trip. We met the rest
of the group at mid mountain where Ed Martin led us on a Toboggan like run through the trees.
“The Trees are my Friends, They will not hurt me”. It was a fun group. The beautiful Sunshine
made the day like good ice cream on Hot Apple Pie.
Our first Après Party took over the entire fifth floor at the Victoria Hotel. Food and Alcohol
stations were set up on tables. We appropriated tables and glasses. The fifth floor hall and
rooms were full of Happy partygoers. The Hotel tried to shut the party down. Silly People.
Going up a Tram two days later, some Americans said they heard about a Victoria Hotel party
that rocked Cortina. Ah Shucks!
The next day was the Bus ride to Krown Platz Mountain further East in the Dolomites. The top of
the Mountain was a Wide-open expanse with runs going down on all sides. A Five Mile long Four
thousand foot drop black diamond run capped off the day. Capped off the day. OK, It was so
much fun we kept doing it. There were runs down to near by villages that everyone enjoyed. Bob
Roger’s Daughter (She joined our group from Africa where she is in the Peace Corp) led us on
the Speed run to end all Speed runs. What Fun. Oh, We later got lost and and Ray M. said to get
off the Gondola here where all the signs said DO NOT GET OFF. After all, it was Europe. We not
only made the Bus but also got to the Outdoor Bar in time to sing and dance and Kick up a Storm.
The Europeans finally tried to join in the Après Fun.
That night saw a large group take the Snow Mobile ride up to a restaurant for a large Italian
dinner. A romantic evening.
A highlight of the week was the large Après group taking the bus with guides to Gruppo Sella.
There we did the entire Sella Ronda. The guides led us from Mountain to Mountain. This group
of Dolomite Mountains forms a 22-mile circle. It is a famous Run in Europe. “Run” is the
operative word here. The Royal Hotel Group had a Party that night that took over the entire
second floor. Everyone showed up and what a time. Later that night was a live band after
dinner and we had our own Sella Ronda dance. We were having Way Too Much Fun.
The next day we took a bus to the Passo Falzarego Tram that went STREIGHT up the Cliffs to
the top of Lagazoui. You could ski back down and take the Tram again. Looking over the
edge of the Tram Platform was an exercise in Vertigo. We then skied down the backside and
ended up taking, chairs, Palmas, taxies, and Oh Yes, Horses. That is right, we all grabbed
hold of the towrope and horse drawn sleds carried us across a snowy flat area. Yes, I got some
you know what on my skies. Heeeeee! Now we have skied it all. Later in the day, Bob Rogers,
His daughter, Bob Suzuki and I headed back to town. We took a taxi back to the Passo Falzarego
to catch the bus to town. The bus stopped in the middle of nowhere and said end of line.
We asked the driver how we were going to get back to Cortina. The driver pointed off over
a ridge and said “SKI”. How naive of us. What an adventure.
On Saturday we were off to Venice. The bus company tried to confiscate our bus on the way
to help out another bus of theirs broke down on the side of the HiWay. Like that would be
happening. We did get into Venice a little late but still made the surprise City tour to
the Glass Blowing factory.
The next few days were romantic and filled with “Wonder” at the beauty of Venice. Of course
we all took Gondola rides through the backwater ways. It was the only way you could see Marco
Polo’s old house. Maybe a little smooching. There was mixing with the locals, back street
cafes, Piazza San Marco, the Bridge of Sighs over to the old Prison, the Rialto Bridge and
of course the Ubiquitous “Shopping”.
The Italian Flu was not on the trip agenda. It had a very good Run.
Many Après people headed to Rome, Florence and other parts of Italy. The rest headed back to
California to await another adventure next year.