High quality, most uplifting

FOR an Italian take on skiing, try the Dolomites, where skiing is pursued at breakneck speed but meals are conducted at a leisurely pace.

AN old-fashioned lift is often a worrying sign for skiers on foreign snow. But the ride waiting half-way down a slope in northern Italy's Dolomites mountains is reassuringly sturdy.

Skis are stashed away at the rear of the solid-looking horse-drawn buggy and sport takes a back seat as we climb aboard. It's a world away from the recent hustle and bustle of the Winter Olympics in Turin.

But despite the traditional introduction, the Dolomites region is renowned for its vast and modern lift system which operates around an equally impressive network of soaring, sheer cliff-faces.

While the Dolomites' ski slopes are world class, the region has resisted embracing mass market food and services. As a result, two local passions are indulged at a vastly different pace. Northern Italians take their skiing, (often conducted at break-neck speed) and their food-stops (which by contrast are leisurely affairs) very seriously.

But our relaxing horse-drawn journey to the Tana del Orso – the bear's lair – restaurant is no time to hibernate. As the buggy winds along a remote mountain track, the Dolomites' towering pinky-white cliffs hold even a tired skier's attention.

The destination is just as engrossing: a traditional farmhouse filled to the rafters with hundreds of teddy bears from around the world – serving regional specialties.

The day's treats didn't end there. The return journey was broken up with a pit-stop at a rifugio (shelter) featuring goat hair curtains and a bar covered in cow hide (animal liberationists rarely venture into these parts).

The unusual venues could have been missed by the untrained eye, but Italo-Australian ski guide and instructor, Marion Murri, ensures Australian and European visitors discover the region's best rifugios and runs.

Murri, who runs Thredbo's Chalet Edelweiss the rest of the year, has spent decades exploring and mastering the Dolomites, as well as alps in France, Switzerland, Austria, and even Romania.

Her tours have widened from ski safaris, where participants ski in and out of a different village almost every night, to include week-long stays in a central resort.

Corvara, a lively town in a prime position on the famous Sella Ronda ski circuit – was the base chosen for this week.

While going 26km in one day on skis may sound daunting, the travelling time is faster by snow than road.

The route is sign-posted according to the direction in which skiers wish to travel around the imposing rock formation at its centre, the Sella Group.

On the way, there are several internationally-acclaimed World Cup runs, including the steep Gran Risa, and the Val Gardena Downhill course, which certainly earns its name.

With the Sella Ronda circuit wrapped up, it's time to focus on other adventurous trips.

A colourful local ski identity, instructor and ex-World Cup freestyle champion, Maurizio Iori, turns up with his family's traditional home-made grappa.

And for the real adrenalin junkies, heli-skiing opens up even the steepest, narrowest chutes, including the memorably long run down the Val Mezdi, which starts between towering cliffs and ends winding through wooded groves.

History buffs won't miss out either. A World War I museum on the mountain provides a chilling insight into the living and fighting conditions of troops holed up there.

The Dolomite ski pass is one of the most comprehensive in the world, providing access to more than 1100km of groomed slopes and spanning 450 lifts on a single ticket.

And a culinary and cultural adventure awaits at almost every turn.

FACT FILE Package: Contact Mountain Adventures on [e-mail] or 02 6457 6806. Seven-night Dolomite Discoveries, including three-star accommodation, half-board, lift tickets, and daily guiding by qualified ski instructors, start from $2200 for bookings accepted before April 2006. Getting there: Major airports include Innsbruck, Verona, Milan, Munich and Turin, liaise with Mountain Adventures.