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Unknown hiking area or famous tourist arena? The Via Alpina in north-eastern Italy
by Vincent Neeb and Katharina Boe
Part 1 - from Planica to Forni di Sopra
We start this first week at half past 5 in the evening in Planica in Slovenia,
a famous ski jump spot.
We hike towards the end of the valley.
We soon reach the Triglav National Park.
Here there are south-Alpine plants and great mountains
but which currently still look very white.
Soon we arrive ourselves in the deep snow.
At first it is fun
but when it gets dark, cold and foggy and starts to snow,
the hut is still far away
so that at half past 10 we decide to bivouac under a rock.
After a cold night, we start early the next morning towards the hut
where we warm up and have breakfast.
Slovenia, with its species-rich flora, due to favourable conditions,
is particularly interesting for biologists
since there are here both typical alpine species as well as Mediterranean ones.
There are even numerous endemic species
which are said to have survived the ice age only here in cracks in the rocks.
After an interesting trail in the Soča valley we end the day in Bovec.
The next morning we reach the border to Italy
and the abandoned hamlet Uccea.
We continue on the fascinating and solitary trail no. 732
at times only visible from the markings.
On our lunch break we enjoy the view over the Kanin
which we had initially wanted to cross.
In the Val di Resia we follow a nicely set up path.
We soon reach our overnight place and eat a "frico".
The next day we have a long, solitary stage in front of us.
which leads us again in regions over the snow limit.
This path leads us through the ghost villages Moggessa di Qua and Moggessa di La
destroyed by an earthquake 50 years ago.
The Friuli is still today an unsettled tectonic area.
This is shown by numerous earthquakes.
These often reach up to magnitude 8
stronger than almost anywhere else in Europe.
This could be due to the fact
that here the African plaque moves over the European one
contrary to the rest of the Alps.
On the snowy pass, the area seems almost high alpine.
Soon we reach the small and cosy Rifugio Grauzaria
where we discuss late into the evening with the friendly keeper.
The next day is very rainy
but from the Creta di Mezzodi we have a great view
over the rock towers of the Monte Sernio.
Further down we cross an area full of streams and mysterious woods.
Fortunately, the weather improves
and we reach in the sun the San Floriano medieval church
built here more than 1000 years ago.
The next day we cross alpine meadows
and have to climb again over a snowy pass.
On the up- and downhill way we see the first pastures of our trip
which aren’t very frequent here.
After a night in Ovaro we leave towards Sauris.
In the cultural remoteness of the village,
traditions like the Zahrer Carnival have developed
with primitive wooden figures and particular Christmas parades.
The next morning we can’t believe our eyes.
The sun is shining and we have a great view over the mountains in the front.
After a rest on a pasture
we go on to the highest pass of the first week.
There we enjoy the view which we missed so much over the last days.
Beside the mountains of the Friulian and Pesarin Dolomites
we can even already recognise Monte Pelmo and the Antelao.
On the way down we come upon gentians and a traditional self-catering hut.
In Forni di Sopra in the Friulian Dolomites
we conclude the first part, looking forward to the second one.
Part 2 – from Forni di Sopra to Canazei
We are now again in Forni di Sopra
where we want to start the second part of our tour.
The weather is uncertain and the hour late
but despite the events of the first week we won’t be put off
and we climb in the twilight up to Rifugio Flaiban-Pacherini.
At least, there isn’t any more snow
and the path is neither demanding nor hard to find.
We now are in the Friulian Dolomites Nature Park
and we can look back towards Sauris
as well as upon spectacular rock formations.
After a night in the cosy hut
we set off in promising weather
at quarter past six already.
We do have great plans
and we don’t want to miss breakfast in the rising sun.
But first we have to climb 500m up to the Passo del Mus
on which we already gather our first impressions
on the landscape of the Friulian Dolomites.
After our breakfast on the pass with splendid views
we start the climb down into the Val di Meluzzo.
Lower down, through the trees, we get our first impressions of the Monfalconi
which we will cross later.
They form a bizarre collection of jagged rocks
most of which still unclimbed to-date.
They are unique in the whole of the Alps.
To the West, the view opens on to the Cima dei Preti
the highest mountain of the Friulian Dolomites.
Because of a missing sign
we climb by mistake into the Val die Leone
which however turns out to be a very good decision.
There are here many examples of south-alpine vegetation
but also other plants present in all limestone mountains of the Alps
like the edelweiss and the gentian.
Of course there are also chamois here, like everywhere in the Alps.
We now are in the core of the Monfalconi
and the rock formations become more and more fantastic.
These seemingly impossible rock silhouettes
are created from the erosion of softer rock layers.
After a strenuous climb
we have lunch at almost 2300 m altitude.
Then, on beautiful meadows, we pass an emergency shelter
on the highest gap of that day.
There a magnificent panorama of the Dolomites opens up.
We can recognise the Antelao...
as well as the Monte Pelmo and the Marmolada.
We will climb these in the course of our tour.
After a night in the Rifugio Padova
we continue with a view on the Spalti di Toro
towards Cadore.
Further down we come to a cave and a stream.
After having updated our blog in this hut
we reach the Lago del Centro Cadore lake.
In the densely populated Cadore valley, beside tourism,
hydroelectricity and the implantation of a few industrial zones
constitute the main source of revenues.
Also, the majority of the ice cream parlour owners in Germany
come from the Cadore.
By a chapel we have beautiful views
over the mountains that we already crossed.
On a high-altitude trail we cross little hamlets on the slopes.
It is slowly getting very hot
and we continue through shade-less pine tree woods towards the Antelao.
From there we have a great view
on the imposing plaques of the Antelao
before making a detour to a waterfall.
The ascent follows a suspended valley underneath the mighty Antelao.
We overnight in the Rifugio Galassi with a view on the Marmarole massif.
The next morning we set off very early for our ascent of the Antelao.
Already in the early morning, we have a view in all directions.
At half past six the alpenglow begins
particularly intense in the Dolomites.
Soon we reach the first climbing passages.
We have breakfast on a very exposed spot over 2600 m.
Then we climb up the famous plaques of the Antelao.
The last climb to the summit still holds some adventurous passages for us
before we can enjoy the overwhelming view.
After the exciting descent we have a lunch break at the foot of the mountain.
After this strenuous tour
we decide to stop already at the Rifugio Scotter for the night.
The next morning we have a magnificent view
on the Monte Pelmo and the Tofane.
Our route then leads us into another deep valley
where we have breakfast.
Then we climb through a lonely, vegetation-rich landscape
underneath the Monte Pelmo.
Further up we arrive in a landscape with beautiful pastures
and great views over high summits.
Underneath the rock faces, we walk on a beautiful high-altitude trail.
We have lunch on a meadow full of edelweiss.
Then on the Via Alpina we reach the Mondeval basin.
There, a completely preserved skeleton
was found in the thumb of a prosperous warrior of the mesolithic
below a large rock.
Numerous smaller finds in this area
prove that the high plateau was colonised
from approx. 10,000 BC
which is very unusual at this altitude.
From a wind gap we have a great view
over Cortina d’Ampezzo and the surrounding mountains.
Then our route takes us over another high gap to the Passo Giau.
By the pass road we meet a huge flock of sheep.
The next morning we stand soon again on a ridge
right in front view of the Marmolada.
After the descent we have breakfast near the medieval castle Andraz
already part of the Livinallongo municipality.
It was built in 1027
and can now be visited.
It was initially built to secure the transport of iron from the Monte Pore.
Then we reach Livinallongo, where we replenish our stocks.
We cross the valley.
On the other side, there is a solitary natural landscape
with marmots which aren’t particularly shy.
Soon we are on the Padon ridge with a great view on the Marmolada.
Here, many local ski resorts have been combined into one
which considerably disfigured the summer landscape
and massively damaged the vegetation.
Therefore there are hardly any animals left.
After a night in the Marmolada hut on the Fedaia pass
we start very early again the next morning
since today we want to climb the highest peak of the Dolomites.
After breakfast, we cross the small icy Vernel glacier
where crampons are helpful.
Then via the long, well-secured via ferrata on the western ridge
we reach the summit of the Marmolada.
On the frequented summit we have
a gigantic 360° view over the mountains all around.
After a long rest
we descend through the beautiful suspended valley
down to Rifugio Contrin.
At daybreak we conclude our tour
on the Troi de Ladins over Canazei.
With the support of a Via Alpina Travel Fellowship