Between 30 December and 1 January, Alta Badia's ski instructors come down the slopes with torches at Colfosco, San Cassiano, La Villa, Badia and Corvara, and on the night of the 31st there is dancing in the squares of Corvara and San Cassiano.
In Alta Badia the year ends on the slopes, with the ski schools' torchlight descents, listed in the tourist board calendar under the Ladin name Defilada cun i chentli: the instructors ski down in the dark carrying torches and, in some villages, anyone who signs up with the ski school goes down with them. On Wednesday 30 December there are descents in three villages. In Colfosco the Scuola Sci Colfosco children set off at 16:30 and the instructors at 17:00, followed by a laser show with a DJ and a raffle run by the volunteer fire brigade, until 19:30. In San Cassiano the Scuola Sci Dolomites comes down from 17:00 to 18:00, on the Armentarola run, and the Scuola Sci San Cassiano from 18:00 to 20:00, with hot soup at the Piz Sorega hut and a DJ. In La Villa, from 18:00 to 19:00, instructors from the La Villa and Dolomites schools ski down the Gardenaccia, the run that lies right in the village, and afterwards there are mulled wine and hot drinks.
On Thursday 31 December, from 17:30 to 19:30, it is Badia's turn: the Scuola Sci Badia instructors come down the La Crusc run in a long snake of lights, with tea or mulled wine and a DJ at the bottom. The night is spent in the squares. In Corvara the party runs from 22:30 to 1:30 in the town hall square, Via Col Alt 36, with music and some of the Christmas market huts still open; in San Cassiano from 22:30 to 1:00 in the village centre, with DJ Da Smasher.
On Friday 1 January, from 21:00 to 22:00, Corvara rounds things off with the Scuola Sci di Corvara's New Year torchlight descent and ski show, with the Carabinieri, a presenter and a DJ; at the end the Sassongher is lit up.
Where New Year in Alta Badia: torchlight descents and village parties falls in the Dolomites year, and what happens in the other weeks: Best time to visit the Dolomites: a month-by-month guide.
Good to know
- Admission: The tourist board pages list no tickets for watching the torchlight descents or the parties in the squares. Where guests can take part, you sign up with the village ski school to ski down with a torch, and no price is published. You need the lifts to get up the slope: in Badia the La Crusc gondola takes participants up between 16:45 and 17:15 on 31 December.
- To ski down with a torch you need ski gear and warm clothing. You sign up with the ski school running the descent: phone numbers and email addresses are on the Colfosco, San Cassiano and Badia event pages at altabadia.org. The La Villa page lists no sign-up.
- San Cassiano, 30 December: the Piz Sorega gondola stays open until 17:00. Badia, 31 December: participants ride the gondola up between 16:45 and 17:15, booked through the Scuola Sci Badia.
- Getting there: the SS244 Val Badia road leads to La Villa, Corvara and Badia. For San Cassiano take the SS37 from La Villa, for Colfosco the SS243 from Corvara, and in Badia the San Linert road. The tourist board asks visitors to use public transport where they can.
- Mind the dates: the descents at Colfosco, San Cassiano and La Villa are on 30 December, Badia's on the 31st and Corvara's on the evening of 1 January.
Official website (tickets & info) ↗
Dates, times and prices change every year: always check the official pages before you go.