This week we decided to check out the Latemar Dolomites, which includes the interconnected areas of Obereggen, Pampeago, and Predazzo.
We visited on January 3, a Saturday, which, in hindsight, is a very important detail that explains… a lot.
Getting to Latemar Ski, Obereggen & First Impression
Depending on where you’re based, you can access the ski area from 3 different locations. Coming from Trento, we chose Obereggen: a quick drive on the A22 to Bolzano and then a straight shot up the valley via Ponte Nova. Sounds like a no-brainer.
We arrived in Obereggen around 9:30 a.m., feeling pretty proud of ourselves for getting out the door at a reasonable hour. That pride lasted approximately thirty seconds, because the parking lot was already completely full.
We ended up parking along the street and walking to the lifts, but there is not endless street parking. It felt like we were close to the very end of it. So if you’re planning to drive here on a weekend and park in Obereggen, get there early. Like, earlier than you think.
That said, since this was January 3, we think a lot of people might still be on holiday, which could explain the chaos. Not totally sure, but we’ll report back once we visit again on a non-holiday weekday. Next time we come to Latemar, we’ll choose one of the other two parking options: Pampeago or Predazzo . But more on that later.
Once we got to the base area, I immediately had to use the ladies’ room.
First impressions? The bathrooms were giving strong “this place hosts absolutely unhinged après-ski parties” energy.
And yes, can confirm. There were multiple après parties throughout the day and fun, upbeat music playing across the mountain.
Chasing the Sun on the Latemar Slopes
We took the first lift up and slowly made our way toward Predazzo, because that’s where the sun was hitting. Blue skies, sunshine, great vibes… except it was a Saturday.
Enter: the weekend warriors - the type of riders who compensate for a lack of skill with sheer confidence.
The crowds combined with the humble-at-best amount of snow we’ve got this season so far made for an icy hellscape that wasn’t exactly conducive to comfortable riding. We had several near-accidents and things felt rather chaotic.
Feeling a bit overwhelmed, we stopped for an espresso to regroup. We found a really cool hut ( Ganischger Alm ) and sat outside at a table right in front of roasting meat, which felt extremely correct. Later, we saw online that this place is notorious for its beer, which alone has David convinced it’s worth another visit.
When Everything Stops Working
After our espresso break, we kept following the sun. Morale was high. Things were feeling good.
And then… boom.
I caught an edge near the bottom of a run and absolutely ate it. I still don’t really know how it happened, but I slammed my tailbone hard and was pretty miserable for the rest of the day.
Then, around 1:15 p.m., as we were waiting in line, the lift in Predazzo completely stopped running.
Not a short pause.
Not a “technical delay.”
Fully. Stopped.
The polizia showed up and started redirecting people, which made everything feel very official and very… prolonged. Everyone in the lift line then mass-migrated to the nearest hut, which conveniently already had an après party going.
Watching a huge group of adults line up to take a magic carpet up to a hut was honestly hilarious.
Here’s why this was actually a problem though:
If that lift isn’t running, there’s no way to get back to Obereggen from that side. That’s where we had parked, and getting stuck in another town can mean an expensive taxi if there are no shuttles.
Your only options if you’re stranded:
- Take a very short lift and repeat the same run
- Take a gondola all the way down
Neither sounded appealing.
So… we waited.
Throwback to when David got stranded at Passo Sella 
As we mentioned, David is no stranger to skiing in the Dolomites—he used to come here with his parents all the time. One day, back in the early 2000s, David (about 10 years old at the time), tired after a long ski day, wasn’t exactly cooperative, haha. His parents did not include that delay in their calculations and as a result of that, they all ended up stranded just below the ridge at Passo Sella.
They left their car in Campitello di Fassa that day and took the Campitello gondola up to the ski slopes. On return, you have to take the same gondola back as there is no slope going down to Campitello.
To get to the upper station of the gondola, you have to take a short chairlift from the basin at Passo Sella. For some reason, this chairlift used to close earlier than the gondola back in the day.
Cut to little David dragging his feet towards the chairlift, the parents are nervous, and sure enough, as they approach and the liftie sees them coming, he puts up the big “Chiuso/Closed”. Not even the two little crying kids could change his mind.
Luckily for them, in the nearby parking lot, there are already taxis lined up. Waiting, like vultures, for the unlucky skiers trapped on the wrong side of Passo Sella.
David’s dad goes to negotiate and the taxi driver, with a grim look on his face, goes:
Sure, I can take you. It’s a 5-minute ride and it will be 100 EUR for the whole family.
Après-Ski, but Make It Budget-Friendly
We hung out at the après spot with a growing crowd of stranded skiers.
Luckily, David had made us sandwiches that morning to save some money.
Unfortunately, you’re not allowed to eat outside food at the tables.
So, we ate our sandwiches in the kids’ play area nearby. It was sunny, warm-ish, and right next to the hut.
After finishing our sandos, the lift still wasn’t moving, so we had a beer. Strictly for morale.
Finally, around 2:30 p.m., the lift started running again, and what followed was basically a mass exodus from the hut straight into the lift line. We joined the mob and eventually made it back to Obereggen.
My body was sore.
My legs were cooked.
I was very ready to call it a day.
The Riding Experience in Latemar
Latemar has a fun, lively atmosphere and genuinely beautiful views. There’s also no shortage of cool places to stop for food and drinks, which definitely adds to the overall upbeat vibe.
That said, from a snowboarding perspective, this area wasn’t our favorite.
There are:
- A lot of short runs
- Lots of short lifts
- Quite a few catwalks
For us, it wasn’t ideal. Especially when it’s crowded. Between the crowds, the lift breakdown, and the layout, it didn’t feel like a go-to resort, at least not on a weekend.
One Big Exception - Sledding
The sledding here looks insanely fun. Like… I would absolutely come back just for that.
There are three sledding slopes, and all of them looked like a total blast. Also, there’s an alpine roller coaster called the Alpine Coaster Gardonè, which sits right next to where we got stuck at the top of the Predazzo–Gardonè bubble car. So yes, temptation was real.
And at Obereggen, every Tuesday and Friday, you can ski and sled at night from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
So honestly, I get the hype. This place offers a lot more than just skiing, and if sledding or nighttime activities are your thing, Latemar suddenly makes a lot more sense.
Final Thoughts & How to Do Latemar Right
Latemar Dolomites ended up being our least favorite resort so far.
Highlights
- Lots of sun
- Amazing views
- Fun, lively vibes
- So many spots to eat and drink
Lows
- Very crowded on weekends
- Short runs and lots of catwalks
- Not the most snowboarder-friendly layout
- Midday lift breakdown that stranded half the mountain
Would we go back?
Yes. Definitely at least for the sledding. But we’ll probably give it another chance for snowboarding too. But when we go again, we’ll try to do it right:
- We won’t go on a holiday weekend, or even better, on a weekend in general.
- We’ll wait for better snow conditions. The resort is spread out, which is annoying when you’re restricted to the catwalks, but on a powder day this means a lot of open terrain.
- And finally, we’d park in Pampeago . It’s more central, so you don’t have to traverse the whole mountain if you want to see the whole resort. Plus, you can end the day with après-ski at Ganischger Alm and then just ski down to your car without having to worry about making the last chair.
- For anyone planning on visiting Latemar via Predazzo, just keep in mind that that access won’t be available during the Winter Olympic Games in February 2026.
Happy riding, spaghettos,
~Daysi 🏔️
Important disclaimer: this review is based on one day only, and it happened to be a very busy Saturday with a major lift issue.
