Another wonderful hike, with unexpectedly spectacular scenery. I’d seen pictures but nothing prepares you for the real thing. It was such a contrast here on Alta Via 1, in the Dolomiti Bellunesi of northeastern Italy, to last week in Austria, in part because of the paleness of the limestone rock, the unusual shapes of the mountain peaks and the closed in feel as I hiked high above the tiny valleys. There weren’t the expanses of tussocky hillsides and the jangling cows/sheep, and there weren’t the frequent gushing creeks. The atmosphere was of great quietness and the weather was perfect. In this I was rather fortunate because during my two days break in Lienz and travelling to Belluno it had snowed heavily in the Dolomites and some of the Alta Via 1 was impassable.
Monday August 27
I took the bus from Belluno to the walk start at an isolated bus stop called La Pissa. Actually this is the walk finish, as I was hiking in the opposite direction to the way the route is described, but this suited me as it meant I didn’t have to decide how far I would hike just yet; my route guide had all the bale-out points. It was hard to find the trail, the only disadvantage I found (over my three days) to hiking in my direction.
I had a long climb in beech forest with occasional views, and with these views I soon realised the extraordinary nature of these Dolomite mountains. They are such odd shapes, so abruptly steep sided, and so dry. No cows, very few huts, no streams and few meadows. After a while I reached a rifugio in a clearing and then I climbed to a pass (just marked by a tiny shrine to St Francis), now out of the forest. I reached the Rifugio Pian de Fontana where I had thought I might stay, but decided to continue on to the next rifugio (where I had a booking anyway) as it was such a beautiful day, not a cloud in the blue sky and only early afternoon.
The afternoon's hike was one of the best I have ever done. I had a steady climb up the valley on grass and scree with scree slopes all around. The rock is pale here so the whole feel was of lightness and airiness. It was a long and arduous climb with several 'lips' that I mistook for the pass into the next valley. I was passing small patches of snow.
When I reached the pass I was confronted with an unbelievable view of mountain peaks of all sorts of shapes and plenty of snow, both on the peaks and on my trail. There were snow stripes across the more bare mountainsides and it was altogether almost a lunar landscape.
I hiked carefully along the trail with several snowy interludes which slowed me a little. I crossed many scree gullies, all dry, and could see Rifugio Pramperet on a grassy hillside from far away. The final descent in low pine forest was easy and quick.
The hut was busy and the food was good, with tagliatelle alla Gorgonzola for entree. It must have been German night because the main was frankfurters and dessert was strudel, but I took the vegetarian main option of pieces of tangy cheese, mushrooms and a slab of polenta. Later the owner, also called Giulia, offered me a Grappa and had a chat with me so I could practise my Italian.
Tuesday
Another day of perfect weather. I felt tired right from the start and took it easy. I started with a long descent, which meant I would have a climb later. I meandered in and out of forest, passed lots of hikers and went over a pass. On the far side were long stretches of trail over scree and craggy mountains close to hand. Then I came down through forest and had a couple of kilometres on the road, ending near two rifugios with full car parks and jangling cows outside.
The last forty minutes was on a gravel path climbing sharply. I couldn’t imagine why the path was so busy until I realised people were going up to the rifugio for lunch.
At the top I came upon Rifugio Carestiato quite suddenly. It occupied the entire hilltop, which is to say that the actual hilltop was only big enough for the rifugio - you couldn’t even stand at the same height as the building to take a level photo. The setting was incredible: the place was surrounded in every, and I mean every, direction by high mountain peaks, mostly bare rock and vertical sided. I hadn’t booked but they found me a bed in the annex.
I had lunch of gnocchi al ragu on the terrace of the rifugio and spent the afternoon strolling around and reading in various scenic spots. At dinner I shared a table with a French woman who was an ultra runner: a win-win as I got to speak French and enjoy the topics. After dinner I sat outside and in the half darkness the mountain outlines made an amazing silhouette against the blue-black sky.
Wednesday
Another chance to admire the amazing 360 degree view from the hilltop hut:
Then I set out, a bit among the scraggy dwarf pines and then out onto the scree to traverse those enormous mountains, their peaks towering above. The mountains were so close to my right and the steep drop down to the valley was so close to my left. In some places the scree path was slippery and I fell once, and ran down one short slope fully out of control.
After hiking through one bowl where I seemed to be completely enclosed I reached a pass and then entered another bowl. Just magnificent, and I was grateful to the hikers at Pramperet who had suggested I stay the night at Rifugio Carestiato and then hike on the next day. Those steep sided bowls with impossibly high sides of limestone and scattered forest were something else.
I had stretches in forest but most of my morning was out in the open on the scree. The last few slopes had creeks trickling down, almost the first running water I’d seen here. Then I joined a dirt road, just before Rifugio Vazzoler, for my descent to the village of Listolade. The dirt turned to tarmac after a kilometre or so. I had not had high hopes of this road but it was a surprise: it was alongside a creek the whole way, passing waterfalls. All the way down I could still see high mountains all around.
I arrived in Listolade and checked the bus times. I just had time for a cappuccino and to use the toilet before catching the bus back to Belluno.
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