Drove towards Italy, the scenic way (seems like it all is around here!). Lots of hay being done in various ways; hand mowing, hand raking, machine raked, ride on lawn-mowers, 4WD small truck pickup arrangement and also some round hay and silage being done.
Various hay gathering techniques, including hand raking by farmers...
We initially detoured to the town of Sesto Sexten as we wondered if we could walk to the famous Dolomites 3 peaks from that area, as the road toll the main way was quite expensive, but we couldn’t… we would have to walk a couple of days to get there due to the required chairlift not yet being open!!
So instead we went to Lake Largo de Braies, a beautiful mountain
lake. It was very busy, it was very hot! We walked around some of the lake,
lunching on the shore and watching the little fish drift.
Back to the car, the GPS said 44 C… our parking ticket sitting on the dash had
blackened and curled on the edges!!!! (would have made an interesting call to
the Peugeot help desk pleading self combustion!)
Drove through spectacular scenery, mountain rocks and very windy roads to our hotel accommodation at Pocol. Once checked in we drove back the short distance to Cortina d’Ampezzo for a look. A ritzy resort town surrounded by imposing rock mountains that has just been announced as the hosts for the 2026 winter Olympics… it will be a stunning location.
Drove through spectacular scenery, mountain rocks and very windy roads to our hotel accommodation at Pocol. Once checked in we drove back the short distance to Cortina d’Ampezzo for a look. A ritzy resort town surrounded by imposing rock mountains that has just been announced as the hosts for the 2026 winter Olympics… it will be a stunning location.
Back to our hotel and a short walk to the neighbouring hotel
restaurant for our first Italian meal. Beetroot ravioli (not the Italian name)
was very good.
Noticeable along all these windy roads, once again, is that there is lots of cyclists out training, getting exercise, searching for the meaning of life etc.
Left early after breakfast for a 15 minute drive, up more windy
roads and past more cyclists, to Passo Faltarego which is 2104 m. There is a
cable car to Mount Lagazuoi but we opted to do the 1 hour walk up. It took us
longer than that however as we puffed our way up through snow near the top. Near the top of little Lagazuoi 2778 m is a Refugio offering food,
accommodation, a Finnish sauna and magnificent views.
The top was quite busy due to the cable car access but not
too over-crowded. Being close to the Austrian-Italian border the whole range of
mountains were a war zone during WWI between the Austro-Hungarian and Italian armies.
The Lagazuoi area is now an open air museum with trenches, tunnels,
emplacements, barbed wire and huts still present. A very tough area in which to
fight a war. The top area features the Austrian emplacements on the ridge-lines.
Of course, a UNESCO world heritage site.
After some recovery time and the obligatory Apple Strudel we
walked down to a tunnel entrance. The Anticina Tunnel is a km long,
vertical’ish, route that was originally made by the Italian soldiers as access
and possible explosive placement near Austrian positions. The top of the tunnel
was exploded in June 1917 but has been restored. So with helmets and headlights
we walked down with a few other people going down or up, and a few peepholes on
the way; it was a good experience. Amazing to see the sleeping barracks carved
into the rock. It would have been a cold, wet existence over the 2 years 1915-17
for the soldiers posted there fighting the climatic elements, avalanches, as
well as each other.
Remains (partly recreated) of WWI trenches and barbed wire high in the mountains
After we walked down to the car we backtracked 5 km and grabbed a chairlift up the opposite side of the valley to Cinque Torri (5 peaks). A fabulous looking ski area with reconstruction of the Italian WWI trenches and command posts which looked across and up the valley to Lagazuoi and beyond. As a soldier this would be a preferable location, if you had to be stuck up a mountain under fire!!
There's always one....
Day 1 Val Gardena area
We originally had plans of doing a day walk from another
town but with a chairlift 5 minutes walk away it seemed silly to drive
anywhere. So we took 2 chairlifts to get to walks around the Sassolungo group
of mountains.
We didn’t have a map as such, but the paths were well
defined. Caro opted for the skinny route under the mountain…. Noel followed…. and
walked about an hour until we reached Emlio Comici which is about 2000 m. This
is a very modern Refugio complete with espresso's, deck chairs, automatic
toilet doors and a Range Rover on a pedestal being advertised outside.
Apart from the restroom we resisted its charms and carried
on walking through the Citta de Sassi, big rock formations and fabulous views
to the Dolomite peaks in every direction. Just as we were starting to get a little tired and
hungry we spotted the most amazing thing…
A phone box shaped gondola disappearing into a cutting away
up above us… now that could be perfect. So we purchased tickets and got literally manhandled by 2 attendants into one of the moving phone boxes, only just big enough
for 2 people, and sent on our way up to Toni Demetri Hutte. This is a Refugio
offering food, accommodation and stunning views, what fun!
The hut was still surrounded by snow, a metre plus at the
back of the building. So of course we ordered Apple Strudel (now becoming
connoisseurs) and after some discussion with very helpful staff we decided to go
over the top and down the cutting on the other side. This will put us in the
right spot at the end of the day to catch the Monte Pana chairlift back to
town.
The gondola ride drops you at the Refugio, located in the right hand side 'saddle' visible up high. Not for the faint of heart with the gondola's swaying in the gentle breeze!
Photo at Refugio Toni Demetri of the end of winter team clearing the snow from the building!... GO STIHL!!
Refugio Vicenza Langkofelhutte about halfway back down walking track
There was snow for a start with quite a few hikers coming
up, which must had been hard work. The path was well packed in places so we made our way
down past another Refugio, Vicenza Langkofelhutte. Out of the cutting and then
through forest tracks to the Monte Pana lift.
On the way down we watched some kids having their ski jump
lessons after school, and then chair lifted back down to our accommodation.
Yee haa... a different type of after school activity. Jump and run-off area all under water sprinklers to give the slip/slide effect and 2 coaches giving tips from tower on the side....
Day 2 Val Gardena area
Needing to do a not quite so energetic walk today we took a
bus to the gondola Col Raiser and whizzed up to 2019 m in minutes… easy!
This is opposite our previous day mountains and has lovely views
of that walk area. Our hike wound its way up through flowering meadows
and past many small chalet huts (presume privately owned) and Refugios to the
top ridge-line of Forcella Pana and along to Seceda Hutte at 2500 m. A lot of
people about but with so many trails and hikers spreading out it wasn’t that
noticeable.
Apple Strudel at a Refugio on way up and a beer at the Seceda (highest point and terminus for a huge cable car), before a meander back to our chairlift in the afternoon heat. A great way to spend the day and we are so pleased with our whole time in the Dolomites area.
Apple Strudel at a Refugio on way up and a beer at the Seceda (highest point and terminus for a huge cable car), before a meander back to our chairlift in the afternoon heat. A great way to spend the day and we are so pleased with our whole time in the Dolomites area.
Shot of Pug's GPS just so you know we aren't kidding about the mountain roads being twisty!!
