Powder Pozza: Skiing Buffaure-Ciampac on a Zero Visibility Snow Day

This post covers our 4th visit to Pozza di Fassa. You can read the main post if you’re interested in skiing Buffaure-Ciampac above Pozza in general.Read the other post if you’re a blue-sky-sunny-day-only kind of rider.

Visiting Pozza - Buffaure on a Powder Day

Getting to Buffaure - Pozza on a Snow Day

Accessing Val di Fassa

To get to Pozza, you have to get to the Fassa valley in the first place. We’ve already said that we like the Trento-Egna-Cavalese-Pozza route over driving up the valley straight from Trento but there are a few things to consider when it’s dumping snow.

Snowy Roads Ask For Snow Chains

If you’re not coming through the valley, you’ll be to crossing mountain passes. And those can be tricky in snowy conditions.

First, a quick praise to the Trentino and South Tyrol road maintenance teams: They do a stellar job and already at around 8am on Sunday, they were out and about clearing the roads! But regardless of how good of a job they do, you should definitely be ready for some snow on the road. You definitely have to have decent winter tires and ideally snow chains at hand.

There are even days when there are police checkpoints upon entering the mountain roads and they will totally turn you around if you don’t have snow chains in the car. Even if there’s no police, you don’t want to be the silly guy in a VW Golf getting stuck halfway up a steep hill blocking the road for everyone.

With that said, we have a four-wheel-drive and new winter tires and we did not have to put the snow chains on at all. But be prepared.

Traffic in the Mountains on a Snow Day

Nobody likes traffic on the mountain roads. Add snow and it’s hundred times worse. It only takes one tourist in a rental car that is not used to driving in the snow and the whole road grinds to standstill. And let me tell you, there is usually plenty of tourists like that. We all like to ski.

Luckily Google Maps is pretty good at spotting that. Even if there is not a full blown traffic jam, but just a few cars going slow, the map will show it as orange or red. So do your homework and before heading out, check the map and make sure your favorite route isn’t suddenly 2 hours longer. That exactly happened to me this Sunday and instead of my usual route I ended up taking the Trento-Bolzano-Carezza-Pozza route. It’s usually a bit longer but this time it was an entire hour shorter than the alternatives.

Traffic in the Fassa Valley on a Snow Day

Once you make it to the valley, there’s unfortunately only one road up. And it will be busy. There will be cars going 10kmh - either tourists or just the local nonnas going about their business. The valley is their home and we’re just visiting, so we respect them. But nobody likes to sit in traffic instead of getting their turns in.

On top of that, especially in the morning, not all the sidewalks will be cleared yet and there will be a lot of skiers wandering into the road. And we all know how nimble one can be in the clunky ski boots. Not very much. So even if you’re the last year’s rally champion, it’s probably good to take it really slow at least through the towns.

The worst part of the valley is the stretch between Pozza and Canazei. Very busy.

Random Winter Events in Val di Fassa & Parking

The fact that it is snowing doesn’t mean that life stops in the valley. I was so excited for the fresh snow that it didn’t even occur to me that I should maybe check if anything is happening in Pozza. Big mistake.

Turns out, that on this very weekend, the traditional Marcialonga cross country skiing event was taking place between Predazzo and Canazei.

Not knowing that, I roll into Pozza, heading towards my favorite Pozza Buffaure Location Copy GPS parking lot, just to find out that the entire town of Pozza is closed for cars as of 8:15. It was 8:25. Dang.

Having no other option, I decided to go further up the valley and ski wherever I can park. I drove by Campitello di Fassa Location Copy GPS but the parking lot by the cable car was a mess and I am not a huge fan of the cable cars in general. They go only every so often and you end up waiting a lot.

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Next up was Canazei Location Copy GPS . Same situation plus it only has access to Belvedere while I was still hoping to ski Buffaure. My last hope was the parking lot in Alba Location Copy GPS at the north end of the Buffaure ski area. Being the last stop in the valley, it was significantly less busy. Good to know. I accepted that I’d have to pay 10 EUR for parking there for the day, and I was putting my board on in no time ready to get some turns in.

Skiing Buffaure on a Snow Day

How Crowded will Buffaure-Ciampac Be?

Best Runs on a Powder Day in Buffaure-Ciampac

The visibility was not great, so I didn’t waste any time enjoying the views and I got straight into shredding. Well actually, not before I swapped my normal lens on my goggles for a high-vis one. Trust me it makes a big difference. You go from a blind boarder tumbling down the run to one of the few who can see.

Panorama & Vulcano Runs

Col dei Valvacin

Orsa Maggiore

From Col dei Valvacin I took the short red run to the Orsa Maggiore chair lift. The good thing about that lift is that it has the plastic bubble cover so you can get nice and cozy even when it’s still snowing.

The bad thing is that the only run it has, the long-ish red no.12, is not steep enough for these conditions. I did it once and I was basically scrambling to get enough speed to make it all the way down. Unfortunately there was not enough snow yet to venture around the marked run and I so moved on and tipped over to the Ciampac basin.

Ciampac Basin & Visibility Difference

The top of the Ciampac basin has 2 options. Either you go straight down the steep black, or you take the more winding red detour.

I went down the black first and I quickly learned that the visibility on this side was much worse. Even with my bright lens, I couldn’t see much and I almost ate it a couple times when the bottom seemingly fell off from under my board. That was not a fun feeling.

I think the difference in the visibility boiled down to the fact that the wind was coming from the north-east that day and while the west part of the ski area was somewhat sheltered by the mountain, Ciampac was getting the direct hit.

Although steep and fun, it was not the most enjoyable riding and I decided skipping the Roseal-Giumela lift and went straight down to the top station of the Alba-Ciampac gondola. From there I took the black run that leads down to the parking lot. The visibility was a little better at the lower elevation and all was good again. The run is long and just the right amount of steep. It was as much fun as the “Vulcano” black on the Pozza side. I did it a couple times.

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Where to Go from Buffaure

Because I was alone that day and I had no-one to talk to, I was going through the ski area pretty fast. I covered the entire Buffaure-Ciampac and it wasn’t even too long after noon. What to do next?

Since I was on the Alba side, I decided to take the Col di Rosc gondola and check out the Belvedere ski area. We peeked there once before and I wanted to see it during these snowy conditions. I eventually ended up snowboarding all the way to Arabba - the boomer paradise (as I like to call it - no offense though). Full blown posts about these areas are coming soon.

Buffaure-Ciampac on a Powder Day - Is it Worth It?

Based on my experience, I would totally return to ski Buffaure again on a fresh snow day.

It was considerably less crowded than Canazei and Belvedere and it has a handful of really fun runs. And as we know, there are plenty of cozy huts both on the Pozza side and on the Ciampac side so if the snow picks up, there’s always a place to warm up nearby.

On top of that, if it weren’t for the Marcialonga cross country event, I’d be able to park in Pozza for free and I would save myself from having to drive through all the busy towns up in the valley.

And finally, if you get bored with Buffaure, it’s really easy to hop on the Col de Rosc cable car from Alba and head over to Belvedere or further around the Sella Ronda circuit.

P.S. Where to Stay in Pozza di Fassa (Ski Base)

Just to reiterate, when we visited Pozza in the summer, we stayed at Hotel Laurino Website Location and we had a really good experience (no affiliation though). But there are also plenty of other options in Pozza and its vicinity:

Where to stay around Pozza Buffaure - Val di Fassa

Here's a map of the accommodations in the area. We also included some of the places we visited and the parking spots for better orientation.

In full transparency, we do get a commission if you book through our map. But don't worry, it's not coming from your pocket! The prices you see are the same as what you'd find on the booking platforms directly. And it helps us keep the site running.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the altitude/elevation of Pozza Buffaure - Val di Fassa?

The elevation range is 1,350m - 2,420m.

Is Buffaure-Ciampac worth skiing on a snowy, low-visibility day?

Yes, based on this trip it was still worth it. The area felt less crowded than bigger neighbors, and there were several fun runs that rode well in fresh snow. Having good visibility gear made a big difference.

Which runs are best for powder at Buffaure-Ciampac?

The Vulcano black run stood out because it stays steep and kept speed better in fresh snow. The Panorama red run was fun up top but flatter lower down, which felt slow in deep snow. Col dei Valvacin and the Ciampac black were also enjoyable depending on visibility.

How crowded does Buffaure-Ciampac get on a powder day?

It can be quieter than you might expect. On this Sunday after fresh snowfall, lifts and slopes were not busy, especially on the Pozza/Buffaure side when Pozza access was closed.

What’s parking like in Pozza di Fassa on busy winter weekends?

It can change quickly with events. On this day, Pozza was closed due to the Marcialonga race, so parking had to be found elsewhere. The Alba lot at the north end of Buffaure was less busy and worked as a backup.

Do you need snow chains to drive to Val di Fassa in a storm?

You should be prepared for them. Even if roads are cleared, checkpoints can turn drivers around without chains, and conditions can worsen quickly on mountain passes.

How is visibility different between Buffaure and Ciampac in bad weather?

Visibility can vary by exposure. In this case, the Ciampac side was much worse, likely due to wind direction, while the Buffaure side felt more sheltered.

What’s the easiest access route to Pozza di Fassa in snowy conditions?

Routes can shift depending on traffic and road conditions. Checking Google Maps before leaving is useful; on this day, the Trento–Bolzano–Carezza–Pozza route ended up faster than the usual approach.

Can you ski to other areas from Buffaure-Ciampac?

Yes. From Alba, it’s easy to hop on the Col di Rosc gondola and access Belvedere, with the option to continue farther around the Sella Ronda circuit if conditions allow.