Slide on down to Saslong

PAUL OGDEN and his daughter follow in the tracks of Brit ski racer Konrad Bartelski with a visit to stunning Val Gardena in Italy

WE’VE all enjoyed the recent Eddie The Eagle movie, remembering how an Englishman took on the world (sort of ) on skis. But there is another man who lit up British snowsport a few years earlier and, unlike our loveable Eddie, has been largely forgotten.

It is 35 years ago next month that British downhiller Konrad Bartelski stunned skiing by coming second in a World Cup race, just a tenth of a second off top spot.

I can still hear David Vine’s excitable commentary on Ski Sunday as Konrad almost slid across the finish line on his backside after his remarkable run. Following his triumph, one shocked French commentator exclaimed: “It’s not possible, it’s an Englishman.”

As a 14-year-old looking forward to his first school ski trip, Konrad was my hero, and the place where he achieved the highest British placing in any World Cup race became iconic to me – Val Gardena. Along with the likes of Kitzbuhel, Schladming and Val-d’Isere, the name Val Gardena is synonymous with the glamour, danger and excitement of downhill to a generation of Ski Sunday fans, and on a holiday with Crystal I finally got the chance to follow in Konrad’s ski tracks.

Even on a late season break, the legendary Saslong World Cup run was open with its full, beautifully groomed length. From 2,249m up the Ciampinoi peak down to the pretty village of Santa Cristina, it is a headacheinducing, leg-screaming black run.

All right, I went down its sister red run a few times first, but I got to the big one in the end – though I took rather longer than Konrad’s stunning two minutes and seven seconds.

The majestic run, in the shadow of the brooding 10,000ft- tall Sassolungo mountain, is the jewel in Val Gardena’s crown, but there are many other smaller gems to enjoy along the Gardena valley, which is made up of three distinct communities, Ortisei (its bowls too low for decent Easter skiing), picturesque Santa Cristina, and livlely Selva, sitting up the valley at 1,563m.

As with most of my experiences with Italian skiing, queues on the pistes were practically non-existent, especially midweek, and there is exceptional value for money to be found.

The snow on the valley’s slopes was excellent. This part of Italy – South Tyrol – is usually blessed Top spot – the Hotel Alpino Plan in Selva, Val Gardena with great, late-season skiing and there are effective snow-making facilities if necessary.

My daughter, Maddy, and I stayed in a family-run hotel at the edge of Selva, Hotel Alpino Plan, which was virtually ski in and out even in March. But you can catch a free five-minute bus ride into town if you want to pick up the cable car before strapping on your skis.

The three-star hotel was simple but immaculate, a historic building plastered with memorabilia by owner Luis Demetz of his many years as a ski instructor in the resort and welcoming host to both the British and US ski teams when they come to the valley.

His family now runs the place with good humour and bonhomie but the best aspect of our stay was the terrific food. It is amazing how easily you can ski off a four or five-course meal and come back hungry the next night.

Our meal was a treat, with the waiting staff dressed in typical Ladin costume (they still speak their own language in this part of the Alps) presenting a fivecourse celebration menu which included consommé with port, spinach dumplings with ham in cream sauce, baked neck and ribs of pork and pancake with cranberry jam.

The place has a big, warm boot room – always a bonus as many small hotels have ones so tiny you are falling over yourself even