Black Vertigo Re-Opens At Cortina (27-Feb-11)

The steepest slope with, Cortina says, the longest continual vertical in the Dolomites, has re-opened

The steepest slope with, Cortina says, the longest continual vertical in the Dolomites, has re-opened above the famous Italian resort.

The historic Forcella Staunies piste, which opens with an slope of 64%, set between beautiful snow- capped peaks and with breathtaking views of the entire Ampezzo valley if you dare to look up, was created for the 1956 Olympics as a back-up if snow cover was not adequate on lower runs.

The piste descends from 3,000m through a steep, narrow gorge between two rocky cliffs, with a panorama where the sky and the earth appear to fuse together and spectacular views to the very centre of Cortina.

The run is accessed by first taking the Rio Gere chairlift to Son Forca, from where you reach the Valgrande-Staunies chairlift, which takes you up to 3,000m altitude and breathtaking views of the Dolomites. Plunge headlong down the slopes of Mount Cristallo, following a 3km long descent which arrives at Padeon, at 1,982m altitude.

 http://www.dolomiti.org/dengl/cortina/index.html