Well, it’s taken me quite a while to get around to this post. We completed our hike in the Dolomites three weeks ago, but it’s only now that I’ve managed to put all our photos in order – there were three sets of photos to arrange, my wife’s, my daughter’s, and my own. But the work of electronic filing and folderizing is over and I can finally write this post.
My last post had us in Bolzano, visiting Ötzi the Iceman. From there, we took the bus over to the next valley, the Val di Fassa. Just to give readers an idea of this valley, here is one of those bird’s-eye-view maps that clever cartographers come up with. And here is the same map with a rather wonky red line put in by me showing our itinerary. We hiked for six days, staying for the most part in mountain huts. We had the pleasure of being joined by our daughter and her partner for three of those days.
The itinerary didn’t quite turn out as planned. The area had got hit by a terrible storm in October of last year, which brought down thousands of trees and blocked a good number of the paths. The authorities’ plan had been to start clean-up in May, but the valley suffered from unusually heavy late-season snowfalls that month, which meant that when we arrived not only many of the paths blocked by trees hadn’t been cleared but other paths were now blocked because of snow. The result was that we didn’t walk quite as long at high altitude as had originally been planned. But it was wonderful nevertheless.
I’ve done writing. I shall let our photos speak for themselves.
June 16th:
Our first sight of the mountains bathed in the evening rays of the sun
June 17th:
Walking by meadows in flower as we followed the river upstreamThe mountains beckoning, at the end of the day’s hike. Our daughter and her partner are waiting for us at the hotel
June 18th:
In the early morning sunshine, crossing the river which we will follow for an hour or soWe’ve begun our climb off the valley floorWe’re now far above the valley floorWe’re getting above the treeline, into the rock and snowAmong the rock and snow, and the weather is closing inThose heavy May snowfalls! Where is the path?Path found! On our way down to the mountain hut where we’ll be spending the nightThe dam we have to crossWe’ve reached the damThe mountain hut “Marmolada”, where we will spend the nightFrom the terrace of the hut, looking back at the snowfields we crossed
June 19th:
We’ll be going (by cablecar) to that black dot on the edge of the mountain range straight ahead – the Sass PordoiThe mountains on the other side of the Val di FassaView from the top of Sass PordoiThe walls of Sass Pordoi …… and the valley floor far belowWalking down from Sass Pordoi. Our next objective is that dot on top of the small pyramid to the far left. The Sasso Lungo group towers over it.We’ve reached the top of that pyramid (by cable car). Looking back at Sass Pordoi and the Gruppo del Sella behind it.Looking down at our final destination for the day, the mountain hut “Friedrich August”, cowering under the Sasso LungoThe hut’s dog, standing guard on the roofEvening has drawn in
June 20th:
The path we’ll be taking today, snaking away across the mountainsideThe Mountain hut “Sandro Pertini”, first break of the day.Looking back along the path we’ve just walkedLooking down into the Val di Fassa. We have to reach that town at the very bottom.The mountain hut “Sasso Piatto”, our next resting point. Afterwards, we’ll go on to the base of those mountains in the far distance.Looking down into the valleys to the north.Dark clouds have suddenly swept in. It’s hailing! Down below is the valley, the Val Duron, we will eventually be walking down.The Val Duron, now bathed in sunshineThe weather is closing in again. Time to put the rain gear back on.Walking down off the ridge into the head of the Val DuronThe Val Duron beckonsA local inhabitant of the valley nuzzling up to usThe backdrop to the valley …… and the road ahead of usLocal wood carvers have been at work along the wayTaking the chairlift to tonight’s mountain hut. The Larsech group towers up in the distanceEvidence of the catastrophic storm of last OctoberThe mountain hut “Stella Alpina”, where my wife and I will stay for two nights but my daughter and her partner only one
June 21st:
After fond farewells to our daughter and her partner, who are leaving us today, we start walking up through stony detritus towards the Torri del Vajolet, in the shadow of the Catinaccio groupThe mountain hut “Paul Preuss”, our first stop for a breather, sitting precariously on its cliffOnwards through the stone fieldsNow it’s through snowWe stopped for lunch in the Mountain hut ” Passo Principe” (not our photo – source). Braver souls were climbing higher but there was too much snow for us.On our way back down to the “Stella Alpina”, the weather started closing in, wreathing the cliffs around us in cloudsOne last walk before dinnerAs we walk back to the mountain hut, a glimpse of the path we’ll be taking tomorrow morning
June 22nd:
About to plunge into the woodsThe path wends its way through the woods …… to come out into this lovely natural amphitheatreThe mountain hut “Roda de Vael” sits perched on the ridge of the amphitheatre – it’s where we plan to have lunchBut we first have to climb this long, long flight of stepsThe view back from top of the stairs – and evidence of having reached nearly 2,300 metresWe make it into the hut just before it starts raining hardAfter lunch, and after the rain has slackened, we set off again, making for the Passo di Carezza, the end of our hikePlunging views into the Val di Fassa, wreathed in cloudsAs we re-enter civilization, the weather closes in again
At the Passo di Carezza, we took refuge from the rain in a hotel’s restaurant, and drank a cup of tea while waiting for the bus to take us down to the Val di Fassa. The next day, we took the bus back to Bolzano, and from there made our way back to Milan.
We’ll be back in the Dolomites. It’s just too beautiful to pass up. We are still discussing where in the Dolomites to go next. Readers will have to wait with bated breath until next year’s post on the topic to know what we decided.
And here is the same map with a rather wonky red line put in by me showing our itinerary.
We hiked for six days, staying for the most part in mountain huts. We had the pleasure of being joined by our daughter and her partner for three of those days.
the heart thrills 