Regional Personalities

The Trail Pioneer

Walter Felderer

It all started among friends: on the way home from the Pustertaler Ski Marathon (now the 3 Zinnen Ski-Marathon), Hans Reier had the idea of bringing a public cross-country race to his own region. At the time, the Pustertaler Ski Marathon was the only citizen race in all of South Tyrol. Reier and his colleagues, including Walter, soon realized the potential of having "their own" cross-country trails in their sunny and spacious valley. In 1983, there was just a 5 km loop in S. Maddalena. But a year later, everything changed.

1984: The first Gsiesertal Lauf

It quickly became clear that Walter was the perfect person to take the reins of organization. Negotiations with landowners, discussions with experts, and coordination with hoteliers followed. Thanks to the incredible dedication of everyone involved, within a year, the necessary infrastructure for a ski marathon was built. Today, it is one of the most renowned and popular events in the Alps. "Except for the Covid year in 2021, the race has taken place every single year since its foundation," Walter proudly recalls.

Cross-country skiing legends

Today, the event welcomes around 2,600 participants from 40 nations – as many as there are inhabitants in the Val Casies Valley. Among them are some of the biggest names in cross-country skiing, all of whom Walter can list effortlessly: Anders Aukland, Michail Botwinow, Silvio Fauner, Giorgio di Centa, Ole Einar Björndalen, Bjørn Dahlie, Anders Gløersen, Jewgeni Dementjew, Justyna Kowalczyk, Lorenzo Romano, Siegrid Mutscheller, Lorenzo Busin, and Malin Börjesjö. Why do they come here? "Because our valley offers a unique setting between the Dolomites and the Alps, top-notch trails, and a shared passion for the sport."

Walter's 5 reasons to ski in the Val Casies Valley

Beyond snow reliability – and thus the certainty at registration that the race will take place – our region offers several advantages for cross-country skiing

: Trails are groomed daily with cutting-edge technology. Rentals and ski schools complete the offering.
: Val Casies Valley-Monguelfo-Tesido is one of the eight regions within Europe's largest cross-country ski network in the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage site.
: Along the trails, restaurants serve nutritious local specialties. How about dumplings, barley soup, or pizza?
: Many hotels and guesthouses are located directly on the cross country ski trails, offering convenient access. In Monguelfo, there's also a connection to the 3 Zinnen Dolomites region.
: Many hosts are passionate cross-country skiers themselves and understand their guests’ needs, offering insider tips.

"While artificial snowmaking below 1,000 m will soon become unsustainable in many places, Val Casies Valley-Monguelfo-Tesido will likely maintain excellent conditions for the next 20 years."

With trails situated between 1,200 and 1,500 meters, cross-country skiing here remains a reliable winter experience. "A true gift from nature," says Walter, who still prefers starting his ski runs right from his doorstep. Looking back over the last 40 years, he takes pride in the winter sports opportunities that have been built with dedication and teamwork.

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