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Spotlight on La VolatA

The name La VolatA is a tribute: the initial and final capital letters honour Alberto Vendruscolo, a pioneer of the San Pellegrino Ski Area. Inaugurated in 2017 and built in preparation for the 2019 Junior World Championships, La VolatA is a masterpiece of technique, speed, verticality and rhythm changes. Considered one of the most spectacular and complete slopes in the Dolomites, it is easily reached by the cable car linking Passo San Pellegrino to the summit of Col Margherita in just a few minutes.

The beating heart of the San Pellegrino Ski Area, La VolatA will host the penultimate races of the Women's World Cup season on 7 and 8 March 2026: downhill and super-G.
Stretching 2,400 metres with a vertical drop of 600 metres and gradients of up to 47%, the course winds down the steepest face of Col Margherita. Thanks to its northern exposure, it maintains compact, grippy snow - the perfect surface for speed events. A complete black run: smooth and flowing at the start, technical and demanding in the middle, thrilling metre after metre all the way to the finish.

For all these reasons, La VolatA has hosted major international competitions over the years: several editions of the European Cup, the 2013 Winter Universiade, the 2019 Junior World Championships, the 2021 Women's World Cup triple event, and - most recently - the 2024 edition, cancelled due to exceptional snowfall.

Technical data - Downhill course

The race starts at 2,510 m a.s.l., at the top station of the Col Margherita cable car. It features an average gradient of 28.4%, with maximum pitches of 47%.
A textbook black run that tests legs, technique and courage: from the smoother opening section to the central passages where speed meets precision, the racing line becomes crucial and every turn tells its own story.
The finish area lies at Passo San Pellegrino, after 2,500 m of pure focus, tension and burning legs.

Descent 2.500m

Height difference 630m

Departure altitude 2.510m

Arrival altitude 1.880m

Technical data - Super-G course

The Super-G starts slightly lower, at 2,480 m a.s.l., from a natural porphyry terrace overlooking the breathtaking panorama of the Pale di San Martino. From the very first metres, the slope invites speed but demands clarity and sensitivity in reading the quick succession of gradient changes.
With the same average gradient of 28.4% and maximum slope of 47%, La VolatA in its super-G version rewards fluid skiing and the ability to sense the perfect racing line, turn after turn.
A black run alternating fast gliding sections and technical segments, where hundredths of a second are decided by precision and instinct.
The finish line is again at Passo San Pellegrino, after 2,400 m of perfect balance between speed, anticipation and control.

Descent 2.400m

Height difference 600m

Departure altitude 2.480m

Arrival altitude 1.880m

Right after the start, athletes face a 190-metre wall with a slight right-hand bend: the Muro Alberto (Alberto's Wall), a key point to build speed before the 200-metre glide of the Pian del Fabion (Fabion Plateau), where it’s easy to lose precious hundredths. Next comes the first major gradient change: 280 metres of the Muro Manfroi (Manfroi's Wall), where skis carve sharply to the left and precision is essential. The course then veers slightly right into the 410-metres La Piana (The Plateau), leading to the most demanding part of the race - the infamous Muri del Poeta (Poet's Walls): over 1,000 m long with the greatest vertical drop of the entire track. Here, maximum focus and line accuracy are everything. The section ends on the Dosso del Camoscio (Chamois Hump), a series of compressions leading into the final schuss. The last 880 metres propel the racers toward the finish area, next to the Col Margherita cable car base station.