After returning from the Pacific Crest Trail last year, 2 friends in my local hiking group were making plans for a 2023 trip to the Dolomites in northern Italy. Spreadsheet and 3 Night Max had hiked the Tour du Mont Blanc in the Alps staying mostly in Refugio’s and Inns during the time I was hiking the PCT. They were looking to further explore the region but preferred a base in town and to day-hike the nearby alpine trails. It sounded interesting and when asked if I’d like to join them, it took all of a few seconds to accept the invitation. I didn’t really know anything about the Dolomites and certainly didn’t have the international travel experience of my companions, but long-distance hiking has opened my eyes and expanded my horizons in so many ways and here was another opportunity to follow my passion while seeing more of the world and possibly open another exciting door. Count me in!
I feel guilty in not being involved in the trip planning since I was continuing to spend a lot of time backpacking on local trails, but my traveling companions had plenty of experience under their belts and made great decisions. Spreadsheet lived up to her trail name by planning much of the logistics with assistance from 3N Max. We flew into Venice via Madrid and soon learned that Spreadsheet’s checked luggage with her clothing and all our hiking poles had never made it on to the plane and would not be delivered for several more days. After a confusing and long encounter at Lost Luggage we picked up our rental car, a small but roomy Fiat, and drove several hours to our first base of operations, Selva di Val Gardena. We had some initial difficulty with Spreadsheet’s local e-sim card for her phone but eventually got it to work. Google Maps was invaluable for navigation and useful during the rest of the trip. Despite the brutal travel day and being extremely tired, I was mesmerized by the incredible vista before my eyes at our destination.
Our well-furnished 2-bedroom apartment was conveniently located in the charming ski town and a couple of blocks away from a well-stocked supermarket. Before collapsing from exhaustion, we shopped for food for breakfasts and lunches and enjoyed a delicious dinner at one of the few restaurants open on this particular Sunday. Genuine traditional Italian pizza is truly a feast for the taste buds and the eyes!
Our first hike across the Puez-Odle involved taking a scenic gondola ride to Dantercepies and the start of our hike.
Interestingly the trail numbers on signposts didn’t always match up with the guidebook and the map distributed by the tourist office was confusing with south being at the top of the map where you’d normally find north. What I initially thought were distance markers on the signpost actually referred to the estimated amount of time to hike to a specific landmark. We found the Gaia GPS app on my phone to be helpful in navigating, although not all the trails seemed to display. Despite some initial confusion the breathtaking views soon displaced any disorientation.
We hiked up to Passo Cir and took a short breather, observing a friendly Alpine Chough looking for handouts. Any snow encountered was easy enough to traverse by just following in previous hiker’s footsteps and was too slushy for micro spikes to be useful.
An alpine lake was visible on the descent. Next up was Passo Crespeina with some magnificent views in either direction from the narrow path. Refugio Puez had not opened for the season but was a nice, sheltered spot for our picnic lunch.
After a quick glance down the steep path described in the guidebook, plus taking the advice of other hikers, we decided on a different route back to town. We continued on the ridge above the breathtaking Vallunga below on a less steep path, enjoying the incredible views and also passing a herd of sheep.
Stopped for refreshments at a trailside cafe for my first Italian Limoncello Spritz and then what became our post hike ritual of shower and then exploring the local cuisine at a different restaurant each evening.
Yesterday’s sniffles had developed into a cold for Spreadsheet, and she decided to forgo today’s hike and stay put at our apartment in hopes of shaking it off. 3N Max and I headed to the tourist office for suggestions and decided on heading up to the Puez Odle Nature Park on the gondola. We were given directions on taking a bus then a free taxi to the Col Raiser gondola station but decided to walk instead. Glad we did since it was very pleasant along a combination hike/bike path and passing through interesting neighborhoods. Without Spreadsheets excellent navigational skills plus the difficulty of deciphering the upside-down map, we soon got disoriented from our planned route. We evidently missed an intersection so resorted to using my Gaia App and hiked on other trails in this lovely area of meadows and ski slopes.
Although we had purchased round trip gondola tickets, we ended up walking down and back to town. After a day of rest, Spreadsheet felt somewhat recovered and thought she could resume hiking the following day.
We had enjoyed the Raiser Col area yesterday and decided to return so that Spreadsheet could experience it too, plus there were many more trails to explore without repeating what we had hiked yesterday. Back up on the Gondola and soon reached Sofie Hut where I tried an authentic cappuccino and the famed apple strudel at our mid-morning break! Absolutely delicious! I could seriously get used to this style of hiking! No boring trail mix or bars necessary here!
We continued on up to Seceda and more incredible views, winding our way through scenic meadows and even seeing a field of donkeys, before taking the gondola back down. 3N Max and I were able to use our return tickets from yesterday.
Took notice of the many unmown meadows filled with wildflowers on our way back to town. Environmentally friendly and so attractive!
Really taking to the Italian custom of sipping on a Spritz aperitif at the end of the day and before dinner. Tried the Limoncello and Campari recipe but the clear winner, the Aperol spritz! Refreshing and delicious! Spreadsheet’s luggage finally caught up with us!
We had hoped to hike an ambitious circuit described in our guidebook around Sassiopiatto and Sassolungo where Spreadsheet had done some rock climbing in her 20’s, but she wasn’t feeling 100% yet so we decided on a modified hike instead. Really nice to have the option of taking the gondola as we did again today. We again ran into confusion with the maps and numbered routes and Spreadsheet decided to take a gentler route while 3N Max and I decided to attempt a route around Sassolungo. Made the mistake of not carrying a map or guidebook and relied on my Gaia App but all worked out fine. Fantastic scenery and few other hikers seen on the first leg.
Rocks and scree were abundant today! We somehow lost the trail at one point, and it was a bit of a scramble up a scree field to get back on track.
Stopped to eat lunch and purchase beverages at Refugio Vicenza while eyeing the steep snow and scree covered trail ahead of us. Didn’t look too bad and others seemed to be negotiating it ok, so up we hiked.
Little did we know what we were in for! One of those situations where when you start to have second thoughts, it’s really too late. You are already committed! Snow sometimes up to the knees, deep holes, melting snow creating streams, unstable scree etc. etc…..
We made it! Slushy snow and slippery tread, sometimes on all fours, clutching unstable boulders with frozen hands!
Recovery from our ordeal involved a cappuccino at the cafe on the summit. We saw with relief that the steep scree covered trail down the other side could be avoided by taking the gondola down to the bottom. The attendants quickly shoved us into the tiny compartment with just room enough for the two of us to stand and down we coasted.
The remainder of our hike seemed quite easy compared to earlier. I did make the mistake of thinking we could take a short cut to get back to town but led us in the wrong direction. We ended hiking up to the gondola station, taking it down and eventually caught up with Spreadsheet at the apartment. She had hiked an out and back to the tiny gondola station but on much gentler terrain.
Seemed like perfect timing to move on to our next destination as a bike event had brought loads of cyclists to town for a weekend race. What was a sleepy little village when we arrived turned into a bustling town overnight! I enjoyed the stay and outstanding hiking in Selva a lot!
It took several hours of driving along scenic, winding roads to reach our next destination of Cortina d’Ampezzo. At first glance it appeared to be a larger town than Selva and with a pedestrian downtown shopping area. Parking was somewhat of an ordeal as we were required to buy a permit from a vending machine with multiple issues hindering purchase. Everyone seemed to be having problems even the Italians who could read the instructions, but finally success. Some shops were closed for lunch, and we evidently had arrived a few days before the high season started and many had not opened yet. We enjoyed lunch then made our way to our next apartment about a mile from downtown in the Chiave neighborhood. Again, a well-appointed comfortable space and this time with the added luxury of a washing machine.
The guidebook had warned us that Hike #13, The Refugio Vandelli Traverse was a busy and popular trail, but we were still surprised at the traffic and busloads of hikers being discharged at the trailhead. I suppose it was the weekend plus the start of the tourist season. It sometimes seemed like a conga line of hikers up to Refugio Vandelli and Lago di Sorapiss. Despite the crowded trail there was no denying the magnificent scenery.
As has become custom on our hikes, a mid-morning cappuccino break at the Refugio. When in Italy……
Lago di Sorapiss was a fantastic surprise with its incredible turquoise color, a result of the melting glaciers. Tons of people here and hard to believe that I was able to snap these photos almost human free. Ugh…..drones though! We did manage to find a quiet spot on a huge boulder, looking over this spectacular lake for lunch.
Evidently most people hike in and out, so as we branched off on another trail to make a loop, the trail became decidedly less crowded and more enjoyable.
The hike became quite interesting after cresting the Forcella Marcoira. I quote the guidebook “Now watch your step as the path plunges over scree and loose rocks for the next 200 metres.” The key words were “plunges”, “scree and loose rocks”! It was quite terrifying and a bit more warning than “watch your step” was warranted. We pretty much slid down on our rear ends, all acquiring small rips in our britches. The scree felt very unstable and being so steep there was no way to stop once you started sliding down. No photos really captured how frightening this section was since we were all too busy figuring out our next move rather than trying to document our slide down.
Fortunately, the trail quickly returned to being pleasant again for the rest of the hike back to the start. 3N Max announced she was done with scree, and we all agreed that we were too, but….
We decided on Hike #19, Round the Croda da Lago. This was rated a medium grade 2 hike, with only one mention of scree. We decided to go counterclockwise so we would encounter the scree early on and could abort if we didn’t feel comfortable. Surprising again to see a lot of cars parked at the trailhead and again a bus load of hikers. Unfortunately, the leader hadn’t informed the group about hiking etiquette of speaking quietly while hiking or letting faster hikers pass. “Excuse me please” and politely pushing past seemed to get the message across!
We soon were above tree line, scrambling around and over rocks but nothing impossible.
We made it to Forcella di Formin with its extraordinary views. Perfect spot for lunch!
We did encounter some scree on our descent, and I found it easier to take sideways steps and move to the side of the trail for more stability. We did diverge from the guidebook track to what looked like a short cut but possibly setting ourselves up for a steeper scree filled trail. Maybe we were getting better at handling it because we managed it this time.
Mandatory Cappuccino break at the Refugio Palmieri besides pretty Lago Federa. The trail back to the start was extremely pleasant with lots of wildflower observations once we got past the bus crowd one more time.
Hiking the Alp di Sennes Circuit today. This turned out to be my favorite hike in the Cortina area. Sure, a few cars in the lot but not the crowds of the last few days. The hike began at Rufugio Ra Stua which was also a dairy farm and situated in a lovely valley. I always find grazing cows to be a tranquil sight, and these had bells around their necks adding to the whole alpine ambience.
We began to climb on an old roadbed. This is the closest we had come to the Austrian border and was an area of much conflict during World War I. Many informative plaques and stone and timber huts along the way that were used during the fighting. Even a small chapel at Refugio Fodara Vedla.
We eventually left the road for a trail with an abundance of wildflowers. I have really enjoyed the National Geographic App called Seek to identify the magnificent flora of the region.
We had decided to stop at Refugio Sennes for lunch and it did not disappoint.
With full bellies we made our way back to the parking lot passing some great scenery including some interesting-colored rock faces.
As we neared the Refugio and dairy, the tinkling sound of cow bells could be heard again. Wonder if it is annoying or comforting for the cows to listen to that all day? Sounds lovely to me.
We picked up a man hitchhiking as we headed back to town. He was Italian but spoke English well and told us he had injured his leg and got separated from his hiking partner son. Back at the apartment I decided to take a stroll around the pretty Chiave neighborhood as bells began to toll from the ancient village church.
For our last hike in Cortina, we chose the classic Tre Cime di Lavaredo loop, with the expectation it would be crowded because of its popularity. Access was via a toll road with a long line of vehicles waiting to drive the 7km up to several huge parking lots. Reminded me of the throngs on Mt Washington in the White Mountains of New Hampshire when I hiked in that area.
Despite the crowded trail the scenery was dramatic. Again, lots of WWI memorials and historical artifacts.
Another reminder of hiking in New England was a manmade cairn garden similar the one in Vermont on the Long Trail/Appalachian Trail. Can’t say I am a fan of this type of so-called art, or the hearts and initials made of rocks further down the trail. In my opinion it’s graffiti and I don’t like it. It detracts from the natural grandeur right before your very eyes.
What a fantastic adventure this has been! Magnificent scenery, fantastic hiking and incredible food and drink with two amazing women and great travel companions! I feel so fortunate to have had this opportunity to broaden my horizons yet again. It certainly made me aware of a different style of hiking and I like it. I now have my eye on the Tour du Mont Blanc and the Alta Via 1 for future long hikes in this region. Anyone interested?
Actually, we weren’t finished yet because we drove out of Italy, a short distance through Slovenia and onto the Istria peninsula of Croatia to decompress for several days before heading home. We stayed in a beautiful villa, a short walk from the Adriatic Sea in the village of Kavran. A quirky and scenic spot that seemingly has not been discovered by the multitudes yet or perhaps it was early in the season. Fields of olive trees and grapevines everywhere. We were an easy target for some local thievery by being sold an extravagant 20€ watermelon. It was a really good watermelon though! I loved it here!!
Before heading back to Venice and the flight home we visited the nearby larger town of Pula with its outstanding Roman coliseum and quaint winding streets. It just happened to be the day after the Croatian holiday of Anti-fascist Struggle Day, observed every June 22!
Sigh! Back to reality! The day after I arrived home, I ordered an espresso machine online and picked up a bottle of Aperol from the liquor store. Aperol Spritz recipe: 3 parts Prosecco, 2 parts Aperol, 1 part club soda served over ice in a wine glass with an orange slice. Salute!
Nemophilist Hikes 