In der Ferne

Buon Anno...

2012-01-01T10:10:00.005+01:00

A tutti gli Amici del blog :)...

Sulla vetta del Lagorai : Cima Cece metri 2754

2011-12-12T18:35:00.005+01:00

ciao a tutti ,questo è il mio primo "viaggio" dentro a questo bel blog;)) si accettano consigli e osservazioni....

Il Lagorai è una vasta fascia di monti in territorio trentino che divide la Val di Fiemme e la Val Travignolo a settrentione,dalla Valsugana a sud.Essa segna una sorta di confine naturale tra le Dolomiti e le Prealpi venete,si estende per circa 50 km ,dalla piana di Pergine ,al Passo Rolle.Tuttavia la catena principale del Lagorai si estende con andamento pressochè rettilineo dal Passo Manghen al passo Rolle.
La catena del Lagorai può costituire il terreno ideale per una fantastica traversata di più giorni,una vera alta via,chiamata "Translagorai".
Questa catena rappresenta una delle aree di maggior naturalità dell'intero territorio provinciale,includendo alcuni trà gli angooli più selvaggi delle Alpi.
Lagorai è un nome che ha radici nella parola lago,infatti numerosi sono gli specchi d'acqua alle quote più o meno alte.
Notevoli sono i percorsi di trekking attraverso sentieri,mulattiere trincee e strade della prima gurra mondiale.
U'n escursione che voglio inserire è quella della nota ,per bellezza e lunghezza,Cima Cece.

Dislivello mt. 1200 circa ------per escursionisti esperti,tratti alpinistici (ma è fattibilissimo)

La Valmaggiore è quella la in fondo,e quella stradina sterrata finisce alla malga ,da dove parte il nostro tour ; foto scattata dalla cima Moregna mt.2517 con il lago omonimo

Dalla stessa cima Moregna,lo sguardo arriva fino alla nostra cima Cece,che è quella sopra alle chiazze di neve:la nostra meta

lassù la cima in versione invernale

Da Predazzo indicazione per la Val Maggiore ,una bella stradina ,un pò ripida ,vi porta alla malga Val Maggiore (mt 1608) dove si lascia la macchina,si percorre la mulattiera (segnavia 335) che risale il versante sinistro della valle,si arriva ai piedi di un ampia conca al laghetto Valmaggiore mt.1910,proseguendo per il vallone a zig zag si accede alla forcella Valmaggiore mt.2180 dove si trova il bivacco Paolo e Nicola

poco prima della forcella Valmaggiore

forcella Valmaggiore ,siamo più o meno a metà del nostro percorso

cavalli selvaggi nei pressi della forcella

ora si lascia il sentiero 335 per immettersi nel 349 che fa parte della mitica "Translagorai" si sale il vallone ,numerevoli resti militari ,

(ecco in estate cosa si puo ammirare)

fino ad arrivare in un pianoro da dove poter ammirare il famoso Dente di Cece e il Campanil di Cece

si prosegue e superato un facile canalino si arriva ad un bivio,si lascia a sinistra il 349 per prendere a destra il sentiero che porta in cima (indicazioni) da quì 30 minuti circa si arriva in vetta ,in totale 3 orette per l'intera ascesa ci vogliono

vi presento un mio amico alpinista si chiama Gordon

volendo al ritorno si può proseguire per il 349 fino a forcella Cece e poi dirigersi verso questo bel laghetto della Caserina e giu fino al lago di Cece per poi proseguire fino alla Val Maggiore,in questo caso ci vogliono altre 3 ore.

Ciao e buona Montagna a tutti e un salutone a Nachtmusik ;))

L'Altopiano delle Pale di San Martino...

2011-11-13T11:08:00.015+01:00

L'Altopiano delle Pale si erge ad una quota intorno ai 2500 metri circa...

Ciò che colpisce è la quasi totale assenza di vegetazione, che fà sembrare questo luogo un posto quasi "lunare"...
Anche in piena estate è spazzato da venti piuttosto freschi, quindi, per sicurezza, si consiglia abbigliamento adeguato...EccoVi a dimostrazione qualche scatto...Buone passeggiate a Voi tutti...

Vranica

2011-10-23T20:18:00.013+02:00

Vranica is mountain in central Bosnia which is located between cities Fojnica and Gornji Vakuf. Belongs to a chain of Dinarides. The highest peak is Nadkrstac with a height of 2112m. There are a yet few peaks in excess of two thousand meter.

From the time of Rome over Vranica led many caravan routes that connected Bosnia with the Mediterranean. The mountain is rich in ore and on it are now visible traces of the old medieval mines.

On the Vranica is growing few of endemic plant species. The best known are: Vraničko zvonce (Edraianthus niveus), Vranički virak (Alchemilla vranicensis) and Vranička ovsenica (Agrostis vranicensis).

On this mountain there are several lakes, of which the largest and most famous is Prokoško lake. For that lake is customary to say that is the glacial lake although it has its tributaries and the water that drains from lake arises small river Jezernica. Because that reason I´d rather call it a combined like.

Prokoško lake is famous for what it has always
been home of Triturus alpestris reiseri, who is
now greatly compromised (due to carelessness)
and perhaps disapeared from this lake.

The easiest way approach to Vranica is via Fojnica. (Gravel road a distance of 14km. to the lake Prkoško). Marked trails depart from the lake leads to the mountain peaks which offer superb views of the lake and surrounding mountains.

Com'era e com'è...

2011-10-23T09:10:00.000+02:00

Potete vedere in queste due foto il ghiacciaio della Fradusta, sulle Pale di San Martino...La prima risale ad una escursione fatta nell'estate del 1996, mentre la seconda foto è stata scattata il 20 Agosto di quest'anno...15 anni...A Voi notare la differenza...

15 secondi di Val Venegia...

2011-10-16T20:58:00.001+02:00

Non avendo tempo per postare foto Vi metto questo piccolo video fatto in una delle più belle valli Dolomitiche...Mi scuso ancora per la bassa qualità...Buona visione...

Human stupidity at its... extreme?

2011-10-09T12:22:00.001+02:00

When you see and breathe something that has been there for thousands of years before you, is infinitely stronger and more important than you are, do you behave as a guest, respecting its rules, or you take up the role of the Lord of Everything, insisting on everything being put to your service, no questions asked?

It is said that Albert Einstein once remarked, on being asked about the limits of human brain, that human genius had its limits. For human stupidity, however, he wasn't sure.

That such an observation is painfully truthful, you can read in the account of what an expert alpinist found on climbing Mount Antelao (3,264 m) in the Dolomites. It borders with unbelievable. And once again it is proven - however you think you might fool it, the Mountain knows.

Click here to read the story (in Italian). Let us know if you need a summary in English.

Camminare sui Lagorai...

2011-09-26T21:38:00.000+02:00

Metto questo piccolo video di bassa qualità ( e mi scuso), per farvi vedere cosa vuol dire fare trekking sui Lagorai...Vedrete che vi verrà presto nostalgia dei sentieri tra i prati :)...

A refreshment in hot days

2011-09-14T21:30:00.002+02:00

Lake Šatorsko

2011-09-06T21:35:00.001+02:00

This pearl is in the western part of Bosnia, at 1488 metres above sea level, at the foot of Mount Šator (1872m). It is of glacier origin, with very clear water that gets green or bluish, depending on the angle and the time of the day. They say that the deepest the lake goes is about 7 metres. There are some fish in it, but most of them are very small - due to low temperatures, ice and the fact that the lake is not too deep, few of them survive the winter and live to see the following spring.

In one of the following posts, we will "visit" Mount Šator, until then, enjoy the view!

Civetta, passeggiata fino al Rifugio Tissi...

2011-08-01T22:20:00.014+02:00

Un bel giro, che offre interessanti scorci su questo bel gruppo Dolomitico è quello che parte da Capanna Trieste, in Val Corpassa...Lasciata l'auto, si percorre l'ampia carrozzabile bianca che porta al Rifugio Vazzoler (Cartina Tabacco 015 , sentiero 555)...La strada s'arrampica ripida con dei tornanti, la visuale che però si ha della Val Corpassa man mano che ci si alza è grandiosa...
Arrivati al Rifugio Vazzoler (1714), si può ammirare il panorama circostante...Bella la vista sul gruppo della Moiazza (con vette che arrivano a 2870 metri), che non è altro che la parte sud del gruppo del Civetta...Si riparte per l'ampia strada bianca, che diventa via via sentiero ( il 560)...Si arriva a Pian di Pelsa, e guardando verso destra ben si nota la monolitica Torre Venezia (2337)mentre guardando avanti, verso Nord compaiono il Col Rean (2281), dove si trova il Rifugio Tissi (2262), e sulla destra, le pareti verticali del Civetta (3220)...Arrivati al Rifugio Tissi, con qualche passo in più si arriva in vetta al Col Rean, che regala una vertiginosa vista sul Lago di Alleghe (966)...Una passeggiata che offre scorci molto suggestivi, ma che richiede un buon allenamento, visti gli oltre 1100 metri di dislivello... Allego video fatto al Rifugio Tissi...Buona passeggiata...

Koplje (The Spear)

2011-07-24T03:19:00.003+02:00

M'illumino d'immenso

2011-07-11T23:19:00.001+02:00

A new generation of Alpine bivouacs

2011-07-08T12:59:00.000+02:00

They look nearly like space ships, they cost around € 200,000 a piece, they are supposed to make the time spent in high mountain more comfortable. The first one to be set up is the one that replaces the old Gervasutti bivouac, property of CAI Torino, at the Freboudze glacier, Mont Blanc, at the altitude of 2,835 m.

However, not everyone is enthusiastic about this novelty, especially hard-core Alpinists. Have a look at the computer simulation of these new bivouacs by clicking here and judge for yourselves.

The magical world of the Lagorai - from Malga Ces to the Colbricon Lakes

2011-06-26T00:36:00.003+02:00

One of the most beautiful areas in the Italian Alps is that of the Lagorai. We have already written about some of the destinations (click here for the related posts) and now we are continuing with the series. This time we will take you to a short, but wonderful trip from Malga Ces to the Colbricon Lakes, via Punta Ces. The map is Tabacco 022, 1:25 000.

If you're arriving from the direction of Falcade, you have to take two mountain passes, Passo Valles (2032m) and Passo Rolle (1984m). Needless to say that the view is absolutely spectacular wherever you turn. While getting nearer and nearer to Passo Rolle, you find yourself before one of the most famous sights of the Dolomites - Pale di San Martino. Its most particular and best known peak sticks out among all the others - the 3186m-high Cimon della Pala, or il Cervino delle Dolomiti (the Matterhorn of the Dolomites), as it is known because of its shape. However, the highest peak of the group is Cima Vezzana, 3196m. Il Cimon nearly always has a cloud over its peak and the locals have an amusing way of predicting the weather according to the cloud: "Quando il Cimon g'ha 'l ciapèl, o che fa brut, o che fa bel" ("When il Cimon has the hat, the weather will be either bad or nice"). We have already posted a wonderful sequence of the phases of the enrosadira (Alpenglow) on Pale San Martino, precisely from Passo Rolle (click here).

A car-view of Pale San Martino, on arrival to Passo Rolle.

Descending from the pass, we head in the direction of a small town called San Martino di Castrozza, well-known for the winter season and the skiing resorts. Also, another view opens up, that of our destination - Lagorai group, with its Mount Colbricon (2602m) and Punta Ces (2227m).

As you can very well see, the rock formation is quite different from the Dolomites, although these groups are quite close to each other. Once we pass San Martino di Castrozza, we take a turn towards Malga Ces and the homonymous refuge, at 1670m, where we leave the car. Due to the weather not being too promising, the decision made is to take the chair lift to the Punta Ces refuge-restaurant. What is waiting for everyone who reaches it is a beautiful 360° view from the platform of the small refuge, showing incredible diversity of the region. If we look down, we see San Martino di Castrozza, at the foot of the huge massive of Pale di San Martino:

San Martino di Castrozza, seen from Punta Ces (2227m)

Southwest brings the enchanting and quite particular Cima Tognola, 2185m, with its zig-zagging track that is one of the best-knows skiing trails in the region:

Cima Tognola, seen from Punta Ces

Straight ahead (east), Pale di San Martino:

North-east view shows an incredibly rich landscape. Colbricon's magnetically attractive vertical "wall" steeply sinks towards a valley that unravels two little jewels, the Colbricon Lakes.

The weather still looks decent on that side, but still, it is better to leave right away. Lagorai area is very famous for its swift weather changes and it is important to be aware of it, once you decide to have an excursion there. In fact, by the time we finish our drink and go out, this is what we find:

Il Colbricon Piccolo (2511m) is already wrapped into a cloud. This forces us to change the itinerary and start descending towards the Colbricon Lakes, by taking the trail no. 348. The rain is starting to hit our heads, but we go on nonetheless. After the first section of the trail, we cast another glance ahead, and this is where another breathtaking view opens up. The clouds over us are in contrast with a still-not-so-covered north side of the sky and it all creats a slightly sinister, but fascinating scene:

Colbricon Lakes are not so far any more, but what is it, there far ahead, so majestic and firm, spiting the clouds?

None other than the Queen herself! She shows us her back, but that is unmistakably she, the 3343m-high Marmolada, with the splendid group that surrounds her. She keeps her jewelry (the glacier :D) in front, like all respectable ladies.

We keep going down and - lo and behold - another wonderful surprise to the north! Another splendid view, another famous massive, Rosengarten, or Catinaccio in Italian!

The moody weather really can't ruin all this, the excitement is overwhelming. We follow the trail 348 to the Colbricon Pass, at 1908m, and there we find out where we could be going if it were not for the on-and-off rain. Every corner here is hiding another surprise, one more beautiful than the other. Here we find out that we are barely 10 minutes away from the lakes.

It is nice to see that the area is not overpopulated with excursionists who do not respect the mountain and its rules. In fact, the Lagorai group is strangely not so popular among the show-off tourist excursionists, unlike the Sexten Dolomites, or Cortina d'Ampezzo and the surrounding mountains. However, it is good to see the persistant and, more importantly, smiling people who are enjoying the gifts of Nature in the bad weather as well, as the rain is a gift too. Just a couple of minutes and there it is, refuge Colbricon, at the bigger of the two lakes, at 1927m.

A short stop, to have a drink and have a look through the window, to complete the feeling of having reached a beautiful spot:

We can't really stay there for good, so we pack up and take the trail no. 14 in order to go back to Malga Ces and the car. The rain has stopped, although there is no trace of the blue skies. The trail takes to a lower altitude, compared to the refuge, and it keeps getting lower, with occasional and short uphill sections. At one point, we turn to have a look at where we came from, towards Punta Ces and Colbricon, the first steep and then horizontal trail 348:

We go on, down and down, until we reach the parking spot, closing the circle at the Malga Ces refuge. On congratulating ourselves that we have not given in to the weather, we toast to this excursion and we make a promise - to come back.

Fuchiade e Valfredda...

2011-05-29T10:20:00.016+02:00

FUCHIADE...Se non avete voglia d'inerpicarvi per ripidi sentieri e per impervi pendii, questa semplice ma lunga camminata, può fare al caso vostro...E' una passeggiata che ha dislivelli massimi di due-trecento metri, ma che v'impegnerà per tutta la giornata...Lasciando l'auto al Passo San Pellegrino, si prende la carrozzabile bianca per l'albergo Miralago...Come dice il nome, presso l'albergo-rifugio c'è un piccolo laghetto, adatto per qualche bello scatto...Lasciamo a parte quest'ultimo e proseguiamo per la strada bianca, segnata come sentiero 607 (cartina Tabacco 015)...Il percorso è molto facile, ondulato, solo una piccola rampa, tanto per fare un minimo di fatica...

Si passa dal bosco di abeti a quello di larici, via via sempre più radi...Pian piano si aprono i pascoli alpini di Fuchiade (o Fuciade 1982 metri)...A corona di questa splendida zona, il Sass de Tas-cia (2866 mt.), la Punta Jigole (2815), Cima Ombrettola (2931), il Sasso di Valfredda (3002) e il Pulpito di Fuchiade (2875)...Mentre, verso sud, si nota chiaramente il versante Nord delle Pale di San Martino...Lungo la strada, da vedere, i bellissimi fienili in legno, a volte arricchiti con decorazioni artigianali...Questa valle è veramente magnifica, ma sconsiglio vivamente la visita nei mesi di Luglio e Agosto, per la "massa" di turisti, a volte poco rispettosi di chi cammina e dell'ambiente circostante... VALFREDDA ...Da Fuchiade, località Sbrinz-Colcedè, si prende la carrozzabile che porta verso il Rifugio Baita Flora Alpina...Arrivati alla baita, si seguono le indicazioni "alta via dei pastori"...Passato un piccolo boschetto di larici, dove frequentemente si trovano anche delle belle genziane, s'arriva in località Casoni di Valfredda...Questa, a differenza dell'ampia conca valliva di Fuchiade, è più chiusa...A far da corollario il monte Le Saline (2402), ancora il Sasso di Valfredda, il Formenton (2937), il monte La Banca (2875), il Pizzo Le Crene (2760), e il Pizzo Forca (2285)...La strada bianca che risale tutta la valle e i vari fienili, alcuni adibiti ad abitazione, diventa , man mano che si sale, sentiero...Originale la piccola chiesetta...Per il ritorno consiglio il sentiero 694 prima, e 670 poi...Prendendo quest'ultimo, s'arriva ad avere una bella visuale panoramica d'entrambe le valli...Arrivati a Fuchiade, con un'ora di tranquillo cammino , si ritorna al Passo San Pellegrino...Arrivati all'auto, volendo, procedendo verso Moena , dopo un paio di minuti si può visitare il grazioso Lago di San Pellegrino, con una bella vista su Cima de l'Omo (3010)...In conclusione, una gita non impegnativa, dal punto di vista altimetrico, ma che richiede un buon allenamento , a causa delle parecchie ore di cammino...Sconsiglio i mesi di Luglio e Agosto...Buona passeggiata...

100 Jahre

2011-05-19T12:17:00.002+02:00

Last night, one man's dying hour turned 100.

18 May 1911 - 18 May 2011

One hundred years ago, on 18th May, in the sanatorium Löw in Vienna, this man drew in his last breath. He was important. He made such an impact on his XX century colleagues that his influence is immeasurable, to this day.

The reason why he is mentioned here, on this blog, is, among others, the fact that many people, not knowing, while listening to quite a bit of his music are also listening to the Dolomites and the Alps in general. He, better than any other composer, gave them voice, for eternity.

So, here, on this little page, we pay a tribute to you,

Gustav Mahler,

bowing to your immense soul, grateful that you left behind such a monument that can proudly stand alongside the peaks that you loved so much.

Wanderungen - At the Gate to the Dolomites, part 4

2011-05-04T21:52:00.000+02:00

Toblach is one of those wonderful places that are a starting point for many other wonderful places. One such area is in the direction of the Pustertal rail, towards Innichen / San Candido.

On leaving Neutoblach / Dobbiaco Nuova to the south, there is a short part of the trail following the state road that connects Toblach with Cortina d'Ampezzo. A left turn among the last houses of the village and that is where the track 28a starts (map Tabacco, 010). At the foot of the 2.581m high Neunerkofel / Cima Nove, this very pleasant and relaxing trail is a perfect afternoon walk. It presents no difficulties, as there is no altitude fluctuation, so it is suitable for everyone. It is more or less parallel to the Pustertal road, but in the woods and connects Toblach with Innichen.

The fame of Pustertal is widely spread and this simple trail yet another proof that every praise of this region is more than justified. At some points, the excursionist can have a wonderful glimpse of the valley on both sides. The main attraction of this short walk is the spring of the river Drau / Drava. This well-known river begins its surface trip here, half-way between Toblach and Innichen.

There are also some remains of the combat days in the world wars, another dimension that this region, this time unfortunately, is famous for. The photo shows a bunker, camouflaged as a rock.

On coming closer to Innichen, there are a few options to consider, such as catching up with the trail no. 28 and reach the Jorahütte / Rifugio Jora, at 1.308m , or take the chair lift from the end of no. 28a to the Haunoldhütte / Rifugio Baranci, at 1.499m, or go back to Toblach by train (5-minute ride), or on foot. The advice is to reach Jora and Baranci refuges for one very simple reason - you will see this:

It is the famous mountain called Haunold, or Rocca dei Baranci in Italian, and it rises 2.966m above the sea level. Magnificent, it displays the full splendour of a landscape characterised by the dolomite rock.

In case that the choice falls upon the Haunoldhütte / Rifugio Baranci, you must be ready for a lot of mess as it seems to be a fun-park, rather than a proper mountain refuge. Therefore, if you love mountains for what they really are, do avoid this and many other places in August. In case you are lazy to walk back, you can use this. It is fun to do, but it does confuse the cows :). In the summer, it is dismantled to leave place to the ski resort.

Once here, there is a wide choice of trails and directions... not to mention Fischleintal / Val Fiscalina! But about that, some other time :)

Magic

2011-04-22T15:47:00.001+02:00

This incredibly beautiful video is made of a few series of shots and shows Spanish mountains matched with the outstanding view of our galaxy.

Enjoy!

Tamer / San Sebastiano...

2011-04-11T14:07:00.014+02:00

Il gruppo dolomitico Tamer-San Sebastiano, si trova tra la valle del Cordevole e la val Zoldana...Pur non essendo molto conosciuto ha vette che sfiorano o superano i 2500 metri...L'ambiente poco accessibile e la difficoltà dei sentieri, rendono questo gruppo montuoso poco trafficato anche nella stagione migliore...I principali sentieri partono da Passo Duran, o da Malga Caleda Vecchia...E proprio da quest'ultima parte il sentiero che mi accingo a spiegare...Porto al seguito la cartina Tabacco 025...Il primo breve tratto non presenta alcuna difficolta, si procede lungo il sentiero tra i boschi...Poi , il sentiero comincia ad inerpicarsi, diventando a tratti molto ripido e difficoltoso...Non di rado, per salire m'aiuto anche con le mani...La prudenza nel procedere è consigliabile, alcuni tratti sono veramente impegnativi..Pian piano il percorso s'addolcisce, e arriva a congiungersi con il sentiero 524...Questo ora bisogna seguire...Si entra così nel Van de Caleda, classico avallamento-pianoro ai piedi delle montagne...Davanti a me la Cresta Sud di San Sebastiano (2420 mt.),
mentre a destra scorgo il Tamer Grande (2547 mt.) e il Tamer Davanti (2496 mt.)...Girandomi indietro, guardando oltre il Tamer Davanti, scorgo in lontananza anche la sagoma del Monte Agner...Salgo ancora, camminando sul classico sfasciume dolomitico...Arrivo al bivio: da una parte il sentiero porta alla vetta della Cima Nord di San Sebastiano (2488 mt)...Quest'ultima ora è ben visibile, così come la sua forcella...Decido di proseguire dall'altra parte, verso il Tamer...Salgo verso Forcella La Porta, il sentiero è ora molto difficile, perchè ripido e ghiaioso...Non di rado faccio un passo in avanti e due indietro...La cosa è veramente stancante, ma non mi tiro indietro...Nei pressi della Forcella, incontro l'unico escursionista della giornata...Arrivato alla Forcella, mi fermo, mi rifocillo un attimo, e ammiro il panorama dall'altra parte, che da su Cima della Gardesana e su Cima De Le Forzelete (entrambi sui 2440 mt), altre impervie cime del gruppo Tamer-San Sebastiano...Riprendo il cammino verso il Tamer, ora seguo la piccola cengia, a tratti molto esposta..Salendo lo scenario si amplia, e scorgo distintamente il Moiazza e la Civetta e la Cima Nord di San Sebastiano...Noto anche la profonda spaccatura che divide il Tamer Grande dal Tamer Davanti... Il sentiero è molto molto difficile, a tratti franoso, salgo in verticale per qualche metro, ma a pochissimo dalla vetta mi fermo...Il percorso non mi dà fiducia, e non sentendomi sicuro, preferisco tornare indietro...L'escursione non dev'essere una "conquista della vetta", ma una piacevole e varia camminata nello splendido ambiente dolomitico...Prendendomela con calma, comincio a scendere, seguendo il percorso inverso, guardando sempre gli spettacolari panorami che queste montagne sanno offrire...Arrivo all'auto mi cambio, e faccio un breve salto a Passo Duran, per fotografare la simpatica chiesetta, e ammirare il Pelmo, che però è coperto dalla sua solita nuvoletta...In conclusione, il gruppo Tamer-San Sebastiano piacerà a chi ama le Dolomiti poco frequentate , un ambiente intatto e non facile ...Occorre però un buon allenamento, tanta attenzione, e rispetto per la montagna...

Path to the Sky - Bioč mountain

2011-04-05T22:56:00.003+02:00

A part of Bioč mountain range, June 2010.

Wherever we go...

2011-03-30T12:15:00.003+02:00

... it's them that we keep coming back to.

DOLOMITES

UNESCO Natural World Heritage

Carnival in the Dolomites

2011-03-28T17:07:00.014+02:00

Carnival has passed. Archaic rites have been celebrated throughout Europe, which have striking similarities, studied by the ethnologists, as you can see, for example, on this YouTube channel. The Valley of Fassa, in the Dolomites, is no exception. The main characters of the Carnival in Val di Fassa are the Marascogn, with their decorated hats, who dance shaking their bells, and the wonderful Bufon ("The Joker"), with its long nose, a spyglass (actually, just an imitation of it) and a rod. The Bufon walks with his legs bent, keeping his head at a low level, beating people with its rod, and spying people through his spyglass. Once he decides his target, he jumps and starts mocking him (or, more often, her) in a scornful and audacious way, saying terrible things about that person, often using verses in rhyme, in Ladin. He is anonymous, and is authorized to say any sort of things during the Carnival about anybody! The above short video, from an Italian state television program, shows what happens, with a short interview with a sculptor of traditional Carnival masks in Fassa (facéres, in Ladin)! Do you want a Bufon to entertain you?

(Note: we have not made nor uploaded these videos ourselves; they are not ours and we are just putting a link to them, believing that it is now public domain material).

Odle : Le guglie Dolomitiche

2011-03-19T18:20:00.005+01:00

Sono situate sopra la Val Gardena. Le splendide guglie delle Odle,viste dalla forcella Pana, ad ovest del massiccio. Provenendo dal rifugio Firenze, si sale quasi fino ai contrafforti del Gruppo piegando poi a sinistra, con visuale aperta a nord sulle Odle ed a sud sul Sassolungo, si raggiunge forcella Pana.

Sempre partendo dal rifugio Firenze, piegando quasi subito a destra sul sentiero che alla fine porta al Puetz, si ha una visuale diversa, ma sempre spettacolare del massiccio.

The beauty of Passo Feudo

2011-03-14T20:51:00.022+01:00

(click on the images to enlarge them)

Passo Feudo, the Feudo pass, lies at an altitude of 2190 meters just beside mount Latemar, in the territory of Predazzo, where the Fassa valley joins the Fiemme valley. It can be reached from Predazzo, through an interesting walk, or by a cableway. It can also be reached from the area of Pampeago, communicating with Obereggen and Val d'Ega.

Approaching the pass, we meet a little chapel, turned in order to welcome who is coming up from the valley.

The name "Feudo" comes from the "Territorio della Regola Feudale" (Feudal Law Territory), a local traditional community organization of ancient origin for the administration of the mountain territories.

The position of the pass is remarkable, being at the border of Trentino (province of Trento, of Italian and Ladinian culture) and Alto Adige (South Tyrol, province of Bolzano-Bozen, of German culture); actually, while at the Rifugio Passo Feudo (the "refuge hut" on the pass) the keepers speak Italian or Ladinian, and the food is Italian or Ladinian as well, only a short walk is enough to cross a cultural border and to find oneself in Alto Adige-South Tyrol, surrounded by German-speaking people, Kaiserschmarrn (great!) served in the huts and - alas - cheap folkloristic Tyrolean songs broadcast on the local radio.

Passo Feudo can also be a starting point for a walk to Rifugio Torre di Pisa, to Mount Latemar, or to the group Monte Agnello - Dos Capèl: indeed, a lot of people come here to climb up to the Rifugio Torre di Pisa, the most famous refuge hut in the area...

...the name of which recalls a great rock tower which can be seen beside it, on Mount Latemar, resembling the famous "Leaning Tower" of Pisa. Anyway, one can simply stay at the pass or in the local refuge hut (Rifugio Passo Feudo) to watch the panorama, or go towards the radio and television relay antennas which lay in a really wonderful and charming meadow on Dos Càpel.

Many rare and valuable alpine flowers can be seen, sometimes in high numbers. The botanical interest of the area is very remarkable, reinforced by the fact that the two sides of the pass (the one towards Latemar and the other towards Monte Agnello and Dos Capèl) have often different species of plants, owing to the different kinds of soil and exposition to sun and wind.

Behind these male flowers of Antennaria dioica you can see the valley descending towards Pampeago and Obereggen:

Also people with an interest in geology will find some didactic illustrated signs on parts of the trail.

In any case, one will admire breathtaking sights, not only towards the fascinating cima d'Asta…

...and the dark, forest-covered Lagorai mountains...

...but also towards the poetic Pale di San Martino...

...then the fantastic, impressive and majestic triangle of Antelao, where, according to the myth, the legendary goddess Samblana, queen of the iced world, lives with the souls of the dead children, with Mount Pelmo beside it…

…as well as, on the opposite side, towards Alto Adige-South Tyrol, Pampeago, Obereggen and distant snowy mountains:

With a short walk, one can also see the South side of Marmolada and, climbing up just a little, even the Sella group with Sass Pordoi and Piz Boè.

Passo Feudo is wonderful, believe me.

Un quarto d'ora...

2011-03-13T09:18:00.005+01:00

Dopo una giornata passata a camminare su queste fantastiche montagne, decido d'aspettare il tramonto...Mi fermo a Passo Rolle, e nonostante un forte vento mi metto in attesa...Sono le 19,15 quando le Pale cominciano a "colorarsi"...Dapprima di un caldo colore giallo ocra, che pian piano vira verso un rosso arancio...L'enrosadira si mostra in tutta la sua magnificenza, lasciando i molto turisti estasiati per tanta bellezza...Minuto dopo minuto cambia lo scenario e dopo un quarto d'ora cala il sipario su questo spettacolo che queste montagne sanno offrire...Scende la sera, dai Lagorai spunta la luna...E' giunta l 'ora di tornare a casa...

Symptoms

2011-03-11T20:42:00.001+01:00

There is a certain condition called acute dolomitis. It is quite serious and, to quote an expert on the matter, it manifests itself through tachycardia, hypertension and an incontrollable desire to immediately transport oneself to the Dolomites. The infected have a fire in their eyes and are extremely resiliant, as they never complain, no matter how many miles they have to walk and how steep the trail is. Hearing the word "Dolomites" triggers in them an energy bolt, their whole faces light up and they start looking for their equipment. If it is not possible to leave immediately, with all the gear, it is better to move out of their sight.

There are quite a few symptoms, but when you get to the point when you see the peaks of the Dolomites everywhere around you, the condition is irreversible and highly contagious.

Happy infection!

Seven Wonders of Rila

2011-03-06T16:34:00.018+01:00

In the northwest of Mount Rila in Bulgaria, there are seven Rila lakes of glacial origin, situated from the altitude of 2095 metres the lowest, to 2535 m.the highest. The cirque of the Seven Rila Lakes is the largest in the Rila Mountain. It is centred west of Haidyta Peak (2465 m), south of the rocky slopes of Razdela Ridge (2618 m) and 2696 m high Otovishki Peak, found towards the west of the peak, directly above Kidney Lake. The cirque opens to the south and feeds the German River, which is the main source of the river Stryma. The entire area is concentrated within the boundaries of the Rila National Park.

The path that we chose starts from the small town of Banja Sapareva, below the northwest slopes of Rila, and goes further to the Skakavitsa Hut, located near the 70m-high Skakavitsa waterfall and continues with a relatively easy trail to these lakes.
We found a good place for camping and set up a tent near Ribnoto Jezero, at 2184 m (Fish Lake), where we spent a few very nice days. The following photos show one part of the beauties of this magic place.

Haidyta Peak (2465 m), as seen from Bliznaka Lake (Twin Lake)

Bliznaka Lake (Twin lake) 2243 m, the largest of the seven lakes.

Reflection in the emerald-colour water of Twin Lake.

A view of Babreka Lake (Kidney Lake) 2282 m

Crystal clear water of Okoto Lake 2440 m (Eye Lake), the deepest (37.5 m) and the coldest of the seven lakes.

A view of the Eye Lake from the ridge.

Pale di San Martino dalla Val Venegia...

2011-03-05T19:45:00.008+01:00

Questa è il panorama che si gode da Malga Venegia...Uno spettacolo d'estate , ancor più nella stagione invernale, quando nelle belle giornate si apre questo scenario mozzafiato...Consiglio abbigliamento adeguato (siamo a 2000 metri) e ciaspole al seguito...Buona passeggiata...

Lively traffic, eh?

2011-02-28T16:24:00.002+01:00

Animal tracks in the woods, mountainside. Enjoy guessing which track belongs to which animal :).

Lago superiore di Fusine

2011-02-26T14:55:00.006+01:00

Mi incammino sul sentiero che circonda il lago, fino al punto in cui il possente gruppo del Mangart si specchia nelle limpide acque del lago......

Gruppo del Sella

2011-02-25T19:39:00.006+01:00

Dal passo Gardena, ci avviamo verso i Cir. Poco prima di inoltrarci tra le guglie, ci appare il gruppo del Sella in tutta la sua bellezza !

Dal passo Manghen al lago delle Stellune, e ritorno...

2011-02-23T09:23:00.020+01:00

Una bella giornata di Giugno è l'ideale per una bella camminata sui Lagorai, l'aria è frizzante, quasi primaverile, e questi monti di porfido sembrano appena essersi svegliati dal lungo inverno...Dopo qualche ora d'auto arrivo a Passo Manghen,

base ideale di partenza per questa interessante escursione...Zaino in spalla e con me le cartine Tabacco numero 014 e Kompass numero 74...Dal Manghen partono due sentieri che seguono le creste per poi arrivare al lago delle Stellune, io prendo il 322 salendo verso il versante sud del monte Ziolera (2478 mt.)...Il primo tratto è ripido, ma non eccessivamente, e un paio di "tornanti" aiutano ad arrivare alla Forcella del Frate , 200 metri più in alto del Passo Manghen...Ora dalla Forcella si apre uno scenario molto bello che spazia dal Monte Val piana fino alla celeberrima Cima D'Asta (2847 mt.)...

Il panorama merita una piccola sosta ...Riparto, ora il sentiero è costituito per lo più da dolci saliscendi, tengo un buon ritmo di camminata e mi godo il panorama, veramente ampio che si ha da questo versante...Dopo aver girato attorno allo Ziolera, arrivo alla sua forcella a 2281 mt., ora dò un'occhiata al versante nord, e dall'alto scorgo il Lago delle Buse,

bellissimo specchio d'acqua che il cielo fà diventare azzurro...Si resta sempre affascinati da tanta bellezza...In più scorgo e controllo il sentiero che dovrò fare al ritorno...Riparto la mèta è ancora lontana...Il vento, "compagno fedele" di queste creste, anche oggi mi fà compagnia...Diventa forte presso Cima Buse Todesche, ma le capre che quì trovo,

sembrano non curarsene più di tanto...Sono forse più incuriosite dalla mia presenza... Volgo lo sguardo verso nord, il vento è molto forte...Ora vedo la Pala del Becco , più in basso il laghetto del Montalon, e in lontanaza, la Cima delle Stellune (2605mt.)...

Riprendo il cammino, arriva alla forcella Pala del Becco, quì il sentiero si potrebbe ricollegare con quello a nord della catena, ma preferisco rimanere a Sud...Ora il sentiero è poco agevole si cammina su grosse pietre franate...La stabilità non è tanta, ma con un pò d'attenzione si passa indenni questo tratto non lunghissimo...Arrivo al laghetto del Montalon, unico luogo dove trovo un pò di gente, dedita alla pesca in questo piccolo specchio d'acqua...Riprendo il cammino, ora sono nel versante nord della catena montuosa, il panorama diventa quello classico dei Lagorai, una pietraia...

"Aggiro" il Montalon, e proseguo...La lunga camminata è ora arrivata alla sua mèta...Dall'alto scorgo finalmente il Lago delle Stellune...

Finalmente è arrivato il momento (dopo quattro ore di cammino) di fare una piccola pausa e rifocillarsi...Il tempo sorprendentemente è molto quieto, solo qualche nuvola, nulla più...Mi godo il silenzio di questo piccolo paradiso, interrotto solo dal rumore del vento e dell'acqua...Ahimè, le cose belle non durano in eterno, e l'orologio mi dice che forse è meglio che io torni...Riprendo il sentiero 322, non prima d'avermi gustato il tutto per l'ultima volta...Il sentiero nel versante nord, è meno "complicato" dell'altro, un pò monotono forse con i suoi saliscendi, ma permette di fare strada molto velocemente...Ogni tanto mi volto indietro,

per godere di queste belle vette silenti...Dopo sei ore di cammino i piedi cominciano a farmi male, ma con più calma ora cammino, guardando se per caso noto qualche animale...E' oramai tardo pomeriggio quando arrivo al Lago delle Buse...

Anche quì mi fermo a contemplare questo placido specchio d'acqua, lontano noto una "rabbuiata" Cima delle Stellune, e m'accorgo di quanta strada ho fatto...Vedo qualche turista, la maggior parte si fermano quì, d'altronde Passo Manghen è solo a mezz'ora di cammino...Dal Lago delle Buse il sentiero che porta al Passo Manghen non è granchè bello, qualche sasso di troppo crea qualche problema ai miei piedi...Arrivo ora in vista de "L'Eterno" , un vecchio pino cembro, nato, cresciuto e morto sopra un masso...

E' incredibile vedere come questa conifera aveva allungato le sue radici fino al terreno pur rimanendo stabilmente sopra la roccia...Pochi minuti e sono a Passo Manghen, vedo più di qualche motociclista (luogo questo molto ambito per gli amanti delle due ruote)...Dopo otto ore tornare alla "civiltà" è una sensazione strana...Torno a casa, soddisfatto però per una così bella giornata...

He's never left

2011-02-08T00:55:00.000+01:00

As we have already written a couple of times before (see the blog archive), the great Austrian composer Gustav Mahler spent a lot of time in the Dolomites. The breathtaking landscape, the peaks, the valleys, the glaciers, they are built into his music. What you can see on the photo below is a proof that at least a part of his being remained among the beloved peaks... the unmistakable profile, sketched out by the shadow of one part of the Cadini di Misurina, seen from the road that takes to Lavaredo.

Winter Wonderland - Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage

2011-02-05T22:01:00.001+01:00

What is it, there in the clouds and fog?

2011-01-22T23:13:00.002+01:00

Answer: Cime d'Auta, Marmolada group, Dolomites.

Merry Christmas, once again

2011-01-06T16:49:00.005+01:00

To everyone who celebrates Christmas tomorrow (Orthodox Christians), all our best wishes!

Мир Божији, Христос се роди!

Со Светлым Рождеством Христовым!

Dal Passo Rolle al bivacco Aldo Moro...

2011-01-04T13:04:00.017+01:00

*NB For our non-Italian readers, you can try the button on the right side of the page for the translation, if it is not working, then try this. If you are still having difficulties in understanding, do let us know in a comment below the post.

28 Agosto non la miglior giornata forse per una bella camminata in montagna...Troppi turisti penso, ma poi mi vengono a mente le altre camminate sui Lagorai, e, sapendo di trovare poca gente parto tranquillo...Equipaggiato di tutto punto e con cartine Tabacco al seguito (la 022 e la 014) , parto dal parcheggio poco dopo il passo, sentiero 348...Vado a passo spedito, e supero molti turisti che poi si fermeranno al rifugio Colbricon posto sulla riva di uno dei due omonimi laghi...
Passati i laghi già non vedo anima viva, continuo e arrivo al Passo Colbricon...Lì prendo il sentiero 349 e inizio la salita...La salita è subito dura non ci sono tratti che lasciano respirare...In compenso il panorama assume un aspetto maestoso, e dietro la Cavallazza spuntano ora le Pale di San Martino...

Dopo tanta fatica raggiungo il passo tra il Colbricon e il Colbricon piccolo a 2420 metri...Mi guardo un attimo attorno e vedo solo tre persone nei pressi del Colbricon Piccolo...Nulla più...La giornata è bella e soleggiata, cosa che raramente m'è capitata sui Lagorai...Finita la breve pausa , decido di proseguire, il bivacco è ancora distante...Passo dopo passo arrivo ai 2500 metri d'altezza...Ora son ben visibili le Cime di Ceremana...Proseguo tranquillo, ora il sentiero è completamente su rocce e materiali franosi...Qualche scampanellio mi distoglie un attimo dal percorso...A quanto pare non sono solo...In questo "mare" di rocce di porfido è facile perdersi, fortuna che il sentiero è ben segnato...Sono piuttosto stanco , il sentiero non è certo agevole, ma continuo , il mio interesse è arrivare al bivacco...Proseguo , e, finalmente, dopo quasi quattro ore arrivo al bivacco Aldo Moro (2565 mt.)...Trovo un solo escursionista, non mi dispiace la cosa, in fondo i Lagorai mi piacciono anche per questo...Mezz'ora abbondante di pausa, il tempo di rifocillarsi e di godere un pò del sole...Sole che però dura poco, com'è consuetudine le creste cominciano ad annuvolarsi...Dopo aver scattato qualche altra foto, decido che è il momento di ritornare indietro...Ma poco dopo essere partito, ecco che mi capita una cosa che mai prima m'era successa : perdo il sentiero, e non vedo più la segnaletica...Stò tranquillo, in fondo basta andare verso Est, e le Pale son sempre ben visibili...Per fortuna vedo, dopo un'ora di cammino, un escursionista sul sentiero...Sentiero che, in linea d'aria, è cento metri più in basso...Con molta attenzione scendo vero il sentiero, cercando di non scivolare : il porfido infatti è molto abrasivo, e non è il caso di scivolarci sopra...Ormai è pomeriggio inoltrato quando arrivo verso il Colbricon Piccolo...Ora vedo bene il Passo Rolle, e noto che delle nuvole si stanno "posando" sul passo...Con calma scendo, evitando di farmi male...Dopo una tranquilla discesa, arrivo al Rifugio Colbricon, sono le 18, 30 e lungo il lago e al rifugio non c'è anima viva...Ormai il più è fatto, mezz'ora di sentiero piuttosto facile, mi porta a Passo Rolle...Arrivo all'auto , mi cambio e aspetto...Aspetto l'enrosadira sul Cimon della Pala...Le nuvole lo coprono in gran parte, ma quel che si vede è comunque uno spettacolo, che chiude degnamente una bella giornata...

Happy New... hick.... Year :-)

2011-01-01T12:33:00.001+01:00

A feast for the palate

2010-12-27T18:14:00.005+01:00

Sometimes, tradition can be quite wonderful. That is especially the case with food. This time we'll present you a special way of making food, widely known and very spread in the Balkans. It dates back to many, many years ago and it used to be a common way of baking bread and making meat and vegetable dishes. Now it is considered a specialty and can be found in better restaurants. It is called sač, where sač is actually a cone-shaped metal or tin lid that comes with a metal ring, to keep the embers and ashes from falling down, a metal container for the food and a metal tool that is used for lifting the lid. The lot may also contain a stand for the food container, under which the embers are put, but the container can also be put directly on the embers. These parts, all of them important, are traditionally made by blacksmiths, such as this one, but now, unfortunately, this trade is dying away and everything is replaced by industrially made goods which, mind you, have a very different quality and are totally deprived of charm, to say the least. There is no universal size, of course.

So, the first thing you need is the fire, more precisely embers from the fire. It is spread enough for the whole area of the food container to be secured and also a bit beyond. On it goes either the metal stand or the container itself (round). What goes into the container is your choice. It is greased with oil or grease and what you can see on the photo is veal in spices plus onion (on the photo the meat is half-done).

When it is ready to be covered, the person who is doing all takes the little shovel and puts , in this order: the lid over the food container, the metal ring on it, then embers and ashes. It is done so that the food can have the same temperature on both sides. When this is over, the whole lot looks like on the photo below.

Then, at the point when the meat is nearly half-done, you add the rest, in case you have vegetables you want with meat. In this case, you can see small potatoes (new crop, this is autumn) and carrot, spices according to the taste. This is usually put over the meat.

Once it is done, the lid is put back on and is removed occasionally to check the progress and add some water when necessary.

When you feel it is done, you take the lid off one last time, like this.

And when you do it, you find this.

The meat is under the potatoes. At any rate, they say (and the author of these lines confirms) that the potatoes prepared this way are so good that people mostly forget about the meat. Of course, this is just one combination of ingredients that you can make. It is actually ad libitum, as you can imagine.

If someone among our readers has tried it, it would be lovely to know about their experiences.

To all our readers...

2010-12-23T13:38:00.002+01:00

... who celebrate Christmas on December 25th and to everyone who celebrates the New Year, the members of the team of this blog wish all the best, many new mountains to visit, many new peaks to conquer. You are welcome to share your trips and photos with us as guest authors.

Let's all toast to... the journey!

Merry Christmas & a prosperous 2011!

Near the Rifugio Mulaz, Val Venegia, Dolomites

A door to another world

2010-12-13T09:59:00.002+01:00

Altschluderbach / Carbonin Vecchia, Hochpustertal / Alta Pusteria

About a stone, and why I didn't move it.

2010-11-27T00:34:00.027+01:00

July 2009, at the border between the regions Trentino and Veneto, on the Alps, Italy.

After having followed one of the most beautiful and fascinating trails on the Dolomites, I am now walking at an elevation of 2250 m (7382 feet) across a cold and vast stone field, a scree, endlessy struck by icy winds, where even the few plants suffer in a heroic struggle with an everlasting winter. No trees around me; there are not even the small dwarf mountain pines, that usually survive these conditions. The grass is very low, the junipers are very few and not taller than a few centimeters.

This area remains free from the snow only for a very short time span during the year, according to what the keeper of the mountain refuge hut nearby has just told me, and this winter twelve meters of snow fell here. Twelve meters… more than 39 feet…!

I can see only some small groups of Antennaria flowers, the so-called mountain everlasting or catsfoot flowers, like small white clouds on the grass. Then, some common saxifrages, and barely anything else.

I'm walking, alone.

I am sitting on a stone, flat as a table, listening to the silence, when, suddenly, beside a common saxifrage, an ordinary Saxifraga paniculata, I see it. What a wonder!

Tiny flowers of the purest white are nodding to me from under a stone: they are calling me, they are staring at me.

Leaving anything else aside, I reach them.

Flowers of Androsace? They are so rare, those dwarf rock jasmines, it would be beautiful to see them!

No. They're not them. So, maybe, a rarer kind of saxifrage… Saxifraga caesia?

Well, yes, I'm quite sure now, when I'm writing here, but then, on the mountain, I wasn't so sure.

It's strangely low on the earth, much lower than usual. So low that I can't even see the stems. Those flowers dare not grow higher than the stone that stands nearby protecting them, or else they would be freezed by the wind, overwhelmed by the snow.

Sure, I would really know if a caesia can be so low on the ground, it's unusual…

There is a simple solution to get rid of any doubt: to observe its leaves.

But one should move the stone: the leaves must be under it, if this plant has leaves (and it must have them).

And now I begin to suspect something.

I inspect the area, carefully, walking while I keep my eyes fixed to the ground, for some thirty meters all around: no, there are no other similar plants.

Whatever it be, this one is the only plant of its species in all that vast scree. I remember that I hadn't seen the like of it even on the trail I walked on to come here.

Perhaps some others had existed before, but, anyway, had not resisted enough.

I approach the little plant, pure, gentle, tender. Will I look at its leaves? If so, I must move the stone.

I think. This plant is the only one of its species which resisted, perhaps because the stone is granting it a special microclimate, absorbing and releasing heat, protecting from the wind, preserving the soil, and… will I move that stone?

Sure, it's true, I would really like to check those leaves…

Well, let's begin to take some photos of it, I say to myself, meanwhile I'll think a little more.

But, while I am taking the photos, I start with surprise. There is something on the flower that was not there, before.

From under the same stone, a black ant has reached the white flowers. With no hesitation, directly. It looks like it is just visiting its backyard kitchen garden and probably it's exactly what it's doing. It climbs upon a flower, it sucks its nectar… first, the flower on the left…

…then the one in the center…

…then the one on the right…

Look! It returns under the stone, where, probably, it lives together with other ants. And will I move that stone?

Sure, if I don't move it, I will never know without any doubt how the leaves of that flower are like. If I move it, perhaps I destroy the ants' and the flower's home, forever. No more protection from the wind, no more nectar for all, no more heat.

This wonderful, fantastic little plant has a protection, granted to it by Heaven, after many, many months of work and hidden efforts in order to achieve that peculiar, fascinating situation… and that ant, too, received a home from the Providence…

…And me?…

I stand up and go away. I return to the mountain refuge hut, thankful for the little, big event I met, wondering if anybody will ever understand what I experienced in those minutes. Yes, because I'm thinking about that warm and generous stone, refuge of beauty for the flower, and to that ant. And I'm thinking about that small little stone, the one which circles around the Sun, the one that the Mystery of existence gave us, miracle oasis of life and beauty, last hospitable home in the known universe.

And I'm thinking about that tiny ant walking on it, that is me.

Yes, it was very important to know the exact species and subspecies of that flower. It's always important, to me. To be grateful for the beauty of life, probably, in that very moment, was more essential.

(La traduzione italiana di questo post è sul blog di GKweb)

Wanderungen - Monte Piana

2010-11-21T16:27:00.006+01:00

On the regional road connecting Toblach and Cortina d'Ampezzo, if you're coming from the direction of Toblach, past Val Popena Bassa, there is a turn about 200 yards before the Lake Misurina (of course, in case you are coming from Cortina, you pass the lake and turn right). Turning left, you leave the Cristallo group behind, reaching another turn after 500 yards. Left takes you to Monte Piana (authorised vehicles only, but you can walk it no problem) and straight ahead takes you to Lavaredo toll point and finally to Rifugio Auronzo. Proceeding a bit less than a mile from the crossroad, you will see a lake on the right side of the road. It is called Lago d'Antorno, because of the nearby Cima d'Antorno (2214m) that belongs to the group Cadini di Misurina. It is a small mountain lake, situated at the altitude of 1880m. It has beautiful scenery - if you look from the north side to south, you see the enormous group Sorapiss (highest peak 3200m), and seen from the south, it seems at the foot of Lavaredo's famous three peaks. On the opposite side of the road from the lake, there is Rifugio Lago d'Antorno. Here you can stamp your Dolomites Passport and also leave the car, as you don't need it further from that point. If you follow the road only a bit further in the direction of Lavaredo, on its left side you will see the beginning of track no. 122, that is a part of Sentiero Italia. It immediately takes you into a pine forest.

The first part of the trail is at the same altitude as the lake, but then it gradually climbs. At one point, you may decide whether to reach the road taking to the top mentioned earlier, or to stay on trail 122 till it comes out on the road itself. As in most climbing excursions, the view changes after every step and it also becomes more and more spectacular. Dolomites are an inexaustible source of marvels.

If every now and then you stop for a moment and stand facing Cadini di Misurina, you can observe how the peaks and massives that surround the area play hide and seek with you and the pine trees. The more you climb, the more they uncover, the less breath you have, but not due to the trail. It is the beauty of what you see that leaves none indifferent. About a half way up, you can already see the Cadini group very well. The striking view of Forcella della Neve (Snow Pass) is the most attractive part of the whole group. It is easy to distinguish the highest peak of the group, Cima Cadin di San Lucano, 2839m.

Cadini di Misurina as seen from Rifugio Bosi

On your right, you have a fine glimpse of Torri di Popena (2479m) and Corno d'Angolo (2430m). On your left, you see the decorous southwest side of the Drei Zinnen, that from this angle look like zwei Zinnen or even only one, with Rifugio Auronzo at their foot. Not to be forgotten also Sorapiss far south, with Lake Misurina.

Drei Zinnen / Tre Cime di Lavaredo, seen from Monte Piana

It is important to mention that this area was a part of the field of heavy combat between Italian and Austrian troops in the Great War, with 14.000 lives lost. Monte Piana was one of the very important points as it dominates the zone significantly. Therefore, once you reach the top, apart from the Rifugio Angelo Bosi (2205m), situated at the foot of the 2324m-high peak, there is a war museum, with various objects from the war, as well as a chapel dedicated to the Italian soldiers fallen across this mountain. There are two parts of the top area, one is called Monte Piana and the other, where the Austrian soldiers were holding their positions, is called Monte Piano.

This is one of the most beautiful panoramic trails in the area, with about 400m of difference in altitude between the Lake Antorno and Rifugio Bosi. On your way down from the refuge, you can either follow the way you took in the arrival, or take an unmarked, but very evident path to shorten the descent. Either way, it is a lovely trip.

Monte Piana, with Rifugio Bosi (far left) and Croda Rossa d'Ampezzo, seen from Lavaredo.

The map to use is Tabacco 010, Dolomiti di Sesto / Sextner Dolomiten, or Kompass 003, Cortina d'Ampezzo / Dolomiti Ampezzane.

The Dolomites have various sounds...

2010-11-05T11:23:00.001+01:00

Wanderungen - Monte Cristallo or ... Croda de Bertoldo

2010-10-23T23:54:00.003+02:00

When you look from Toblach / Dobbiaco towards Höhlensteintal / Val di Landro, far, far ahead you will see sharp rocks sticking out, slightly lighter in colour than the rest of the landscape. They seem to be near Toblachersee / Lago di Dobbiaco. But they aren't. Taking the road that connects Toblach with Cortina d'Ampezzo, you leave Toblachersee behind and proceed through the valley, to Dürrensee / Lago di Landro and beyond. And there it seems you will hit a huge group of rocks, immense and powerful, a stunning creation of Nature, called Monte Cristallo.

This splendid mountain group, site of heavy combat during the World War I, belongs to the Dolomites of Ampezzo (Dolomiti Ampezzane). Its highest peak is 3221m above sea level. One of the most famous parts of this massive is the glacier Cristallino, that served as inspiration to the Austrian composer Gustav Mahler, and is now nearly gone. First ascent dates back to 1865 and the honour to write a piece of history belongs to the Viennese mountaneer Paul Grohmann, accompanied by two expert mountaneers from the Ampezzo area, Angelo Dimai e Santo Siorpaes.

There are two via ferratas (Klettersteig):

1. via ferrata Ivano Dibona

2. via ferrata Marino Bianchi.

Dibona is the longer one of the two.

Like every other part of the Dolomites, Cristallo is magical. The legend tells us of a royal castle that once existed on this mountain, of the king's daughter and the shepherd who won her hand by telling a special story. The shepherd's name was Bertoldo and the inhabitants of the Ampezzo Dolomites still call Cristallo "Croda de Bertoldo".

One more pearl to visit...

Vuoto

2010-10-20T17:44:00.001+02:00

MANCHI

Wanderungen - Mount Dimitor

2010-10-15T03:03:00.004+02:00

A change of scenery!

This time we are in Bosnia, some 12 miles away from a small town called Mrkonjić Grad. The idea was to climb the highest peak of the area, Mali (Little) Dimitor, 1483m, and mark the track together with the members of the local mountaineering society. Why it is called "little" and is the highest peak, nobody knows for sure.

The car was left at the locality known as Štrbina (more precisely Mala Štrbina), to be picked up later. A beautiful day, though with haze, meaning we wouldn't have a perfectly clear view of the area once we're up at the peak. The whole region is very hilly and has abundant forest resorts.

The first part of the track was mostly clear and slightly bush-covered, a tree now and then. A cold morning, still lots of dew on the leaves and frost on the grass. We were proceeding more slowly than normal, due to the markings we had to leave behind us. It was of utter importance to do it properly, so as the others coming to this mountain after us could follow the horseshoe-shaped track without difficulties. Red and white paint colours, circles and lines... from each mark place, one must see the next two. Otherwise it is no good.

After two hours of walk over meadows, occasionally dotted with trees, we arrived to the first break spot. We marked it as a break spot :-). A ten-minute interval just to check on the situation, take a shot of the good old home-made Slivovitz (any excuse is good), and have a very fine side view of the most challenging part of the track - 1311m-high Kozija Strana (something like "Goat Cliff"). That was also the point at which the forest was starting.

The forest in this area is mostly consisted of beech trees. Walking across an at-least-3-inches-thick layer of fallen leaves can be exhausting, especially if you're going uphill.

We had a very steep section to take us to the top, a small and bald piece of land bathing in the sun, which we reached 1,5 hours after leaving the break spot. Lunch time! And, naturally, an occasion for taking another shot of Slivovitz (so that we could go on, you know). We were enjoying the marvellous view and the autumn sun. On one side, we could see the beautiful slopes around the village Medna (click here for the photo gallery, the website is in Serbian, but at least you can see the photos) and layers of mountains closing with Šator (1875m) in the municipality of Glamoč.

A view from the peak, Mali Dimitor, 1483m.

On the other side, the view of Lisina (1467m) sticks out in the front, but far behind we could spot the 1943m-high Vlašić. Also, we had a lovely view of Kozija Strana, showing us what was in store once we left the peak.

Up to this point everything was quite easy. After a 40-minute break, we left the peak, climbing down on the side opposite from the arrival direction. That side is very steep, steeper than the arrival track, so we were proceeding slowly between the tall beech trees. We found quite a few den holes of various animals, along with bear poop. Fortunately, we met none of the owners. We decided that there would be no more breaks till the end of the track, so we were proceeding with a steady pace. The forest area of the track was ending with a short and steep part, leading to the beginning of... the Goat Cliff! It is a one-to-two-metres-wide ridge, with extremely steep sides and a scary perspective for those with vertigo. However, it is lovely, though challenging at points, and offers a beautiful view towards the villages Podrašnica and Podselo, together with Lisina, on one side, and the other part of Dimitor on the other side, looking down into the valley.

A view of the villages Podrašnica and Podselo from the Goat Cliff.

Once this part was crossed, the rest was really easy. Going down, through the bushes, to a village road, and then to the main road. Crossing the main road, we proceeded by taking another road, leading to Zelenkovac, where we arrived 4,5 hours after leaving the peak and where we decided to stop for a drink. Dusk was already closing in and, after an hour of chatting next to a cosy fireplace, we took off. But not before looking at the incredibly starry sky. This region has fantastic air and lovely landscape and it's worth all the effort.

Per i tuoi 35 anni...

2010-09-28T22:03:00.000+02:00

... e il cuore che si è fermato.

A little companion

2010-09-21T01:29:00.003+02:00

There is a lovely companion waiting for you in the mountain refuges all around Südtirol / Alto Adige, unless you don't have it already. It is called the Dolomites Passport. Yes, you've read well, it is a passport. For every person whose heart is in the shape of the Dolomites.

It looks somewhat like a real passport, it is in three languages (Italian, English and German) contains important phone numbers that can come at handy during excursions, some information on flora and fauna of the region, as well as a small map of the Dolomites, indicating their groups and sections.

You can use it to write down your impressions and the data of your mountain trips, as well as collect stamps you can find at every mountain refuge (where you can also buy the passport that costs 6 Euros). All the stamps are different and usually give you the name of the refuge and the altitude, plus sometimes the phone number or another addition to the design, if it is near a famous peak or so. A fine gallery to keep memories alive.

The publisher of the passport is Light Hunter of Cortina d'Ampezzo (producing also wonderful and funny mountain-thematic T-shirts and lots of other items of the sort).

Autumn in the mountain

2010-09-05T23:40:00.001+02:00

Homemade plum jam!

The procedure (in this specific variety) is the following:

1. shake the plums off the tree and separate them from leaves and grass and whatever else doesn't belong there

2. open them and remove the seeds

3. you can either mince them (with a machine) or leave them as they are (the photo shows minced plums); mincing helps to shorten the cooking process; put them into a container in which they will be cooked; you have to stir all the time!

4. once the mass has boiled, at some point add sugar

5. when it is done (became dark and thicker and so on), remove from the heater or fire or whatever it is that you used

6. fill the previously warmed up jars with jam

If you have a different recipe, shoot!

Dolomiten - die schönsten Berge der Welt

2010-08-23T11:39:00.001+02:00

Tread softly...

2010-08-21T17:30:00.002+02:00

Had I the heaven's embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,

I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

William Butler Yeats

Lungo Miramare, Trieste

Wanderungen - At the Gate to the Dolomites, part 3

2010-08-13T22:02:00.015+02:00

In one of the previous posts, Gustav Mahler, Austrian composer, was mentioned as someone who was closely connected to Toblach. This part of the Wanderungen is dedicated to his trails at the Gate to the Dolomites.

Mahler's visits to South Tyrol had been numerous, before he finally decided to spend his summers there with his family. He loved to tour the Pustertal on bike and on foot, and he knew the area very well when, in 1908, he rented a house for a whole summer. The house was a big farmhouse, previously owned by aristocrats and at that moment belonging to the farmer Sebastian Trenker and his family. The Trenkers were situated on the ground floor, first and second floors being rented to tourists. Half-way between Toblach and Niederdorf (Villabassa in Italian), among woods and meadows, in the area known as Alt Schluderbach (Italian Carbonin Vecchia), it was a good place for Mahler to be based at and work in the little hut he had constructed for this purpose. When he arrived to Toblach, he had two pianos brought into the house and an upright one for the hut. Unlike today, there were two ways of getting to Toblach by railway - direct train from Vienna (non-existent today, but there are plans to revive that part of the railway to form the Pustertal rail again), and the usual one from Munich via Innsbruck (change at Franzensfeste/Fortezza).

Today there is a summer festival dedicated to Gustav Mahler, entitled Mahler Musikwochen, starting in July and ending in August. Part of it takes place at the Kulturzentrum Grand Hotel (across the street from the railway station and at the foot of the Neunerkofel/Cima Nove), built in 1880, and the discography award is usually announced at the hut, or the Häuschen, as it is usually called there.

There are two famous photographs of Mahler in his Wander-clothes (for one of these click here), somewhere in Fischleintal (Val Fiscalina). Mahler loved the Sextener Dolomiten profoundly and immersed himself in Wanderungen whenever it was possible. At page 205 of the fourth and final volume of his monumental Mahler biography (Gustav Mahler. Volume 4: A New Life Cut Short (1907-1911), Oxford University Press, Oxford - New York, 2008), Prof. Henry-Louis de La Grange writes the following passage:

"(...) The Grand Hotel's publicity folder proposed many enticing destinations for those interested in excursions, and gave details of other modern hotels where tourists might have lunch or stay overnight. Most of these hotels had been built in the early 1900s, along the road leading south to Cortina and the Ampezzo Valley. Mahler knew them all: en route for Misurina he had sometimes spent the night in the 230-room Grand Hotel Baur at Landro-Höhlenstein, and from there he was able to admire the craggy outline of the Drei Zinnen (or Cime di Lavaredo). In 1904 he had walked round and round the nearby lake, the Dürrensee, searching in vain for the musical ideas he needed for the first movement of the Seventh Symphony, and had complained to Alma about the loud and primitive yells of the soldiers garrisoned in the Landro barracks. A few kilometres further, the Grand Hotel Ploner, Schluderbach-Monte Cristallo, was the one where he had chosen to take refuge during most of that tragic summer of 1907. In Misurina, at an altitude of 1,800 metres, another large hotel occupied the narrow southern bank of the Lake. It was well known to Mahler as the usual destination of his short excursions from Maiernigg, climbing all the way up to it with his bicycle in earlier years, or using the Grand Hotel's horse-drawn omnibus in more recent times. (...)"

The route described here is a very special one, with spectacular scenery, among lakes and peaks, which will be described to more detail in one of the next posts. In the years in which Mahler came to Toblach, it was a relatively peaceful area and the hut he composed in was in the midst of a green meadow, surrounded by a couple of trees. This hut is the only one among those that Mahler had built that has preserved its original appearance. Trenkerhof was a 100 metres further. Today, Trenkerhof is called "Gustav Mahler Stube", hosts a restaurant in the ground floor and the family of the owners on other floors. The apartment the Mahlers used during their stays used to be open to public for visiting, but from this year it is closed down to the public. But, let's follow things in order.

There are various ways to reach the Mahler Stube. Two, if you're coming from Toblach, depending on whether your starting point is Alt Toblach (Old Toblach) or Neutoblach (New Toblach). The nicer way, partly leading through the woods, is from Neutoblach, starting at the Skihütte in the village Rienz. It is the track No. 27, very easy and very pleasant, about 30 minutes from Neutoblach, with a high probability of seeing animals, such as deer, in their natural surroundings. The middle section of the track is covered by woods, the other two are beautiful meadowland. A lovely view of Toblach as well. On arrival to Alt Schluderbach, you'll see a lot of cars in front of the former Trenkerhof and today's Mahler Stube. Lots of noise and movement. If you come up with an idea to see the Häuschen, you will be stopped by a fence and an electric gate with a sheet of paper stuck to it saying that if you want to go in, you have to buy a 4-Euro ticket in the bar. Next to the gate there is a box with a few kids in it of which one is supposed to tear your ticket and push the button that lets you in. The boy usually asks you if you want to buy food for the animals as well. No, it isn't a mistake, there are animals. Actually, quite a few of them. There is a zoo around the Häuschen... pigs, goats, horses, sheep... The smell "welcomes" you right at the gate. The final irony - the man who sought peace for all of his life, came for it to Toblach, his portrait being printed on the menu of the Stube restaurant, and the place where he wrote Das Lied von der Erde, the Ninth Symphony and started the Tenth is now mixing these sounds with various oinks and other onomatopoeic exhibitions of the sort. Even if there aren't many people around (it's usually families with kids), if you stay there for more than two minutes, you'll inevitably be driven away by the smell. "Eeeeewiiiiig.... OINK!"

To all this, Mahler would probably have said something similar to what he wrote in a letter from Toblach, quoted in de La Grange's afore-mentioned volume 4, at page 460:

"I am now beginning to find the still life down there [the ground floor of the house] quite intolerable. The slaughter of the Holy Innocents is nothing and the Battle of the Centaurs child's play compared with what I would like to do when I hear the animal noises of the merry montagnards and inhabitants of this house... Later I think twice about it and plan to move somewhere else. O! O! O! If only once in my life I had the good fortune to be left in peace. These people are making an appalling noise!"

* The photo of Gustav Mahler is an archive photo and was made in New York in 1910.

On the road again!

2010-07-29T17:58:00.000+02:00

See you in the Dolomites!

Auf wiedersehen in den Dolomiten!

Ci vediamo sulle Dolomiti!

Wenn aus dem Himmel...

2010-07-24T16:00:00.001+02:00

Wenn aus dem Himmel hellere Wonne sich

Herabgießt, eine Freude den Menschen kommt,

Daß sie sich wundern über manches

Sichtbares, Höheres, Angenehmes:

Wie tönet lieblich heilger Gesang dazu!

Wie lacht das Herz in Liedern die Wahrheit an,

Daß Freudigkeit an einem Bildnis -

Über dem Stege beginnen Schafe

Den Zug, der fast in dämmernde Wälder geht.

Die Wiesen aber, welche mit lautrem Grün

Bedeckt sind, sind wie jene Heide,

Welche gewöhnlicher Weise nah ist

Dem dunkeln Walde. Da, auf den Wiesen auch

Verweilen diese Schafe. Die Gipfel, die

Umher sind, nackte Höhen sind mit

Eichen bedecket und seltnen Tannen.

Da, wo des Stromes regsame Wellen sind,

Daß einer, der vorüber des Weges kommt,

Froh hinschaut, da erhebt der Berge

Sanfte Gestalt und der Weinberg hoch sich.

Zwar gehn die Treppen unter den Reben hoch

Herunter, wo der Obstbaum blühend darüber steht

Und Duft an wilden Hecken weilet,

Wo die verborgenen Veilchen sprossen;

Gewässer aber rieseln herab, und sanft

Ist hörbar dort ein Rauschen den ganzen Tag;

Die Orte aber in der Gegend

Ruhen und schweigen den Nachmittag durch.

Friedrich Hölderlin

A view from Passo Giau

Sfumato

2010-07-20T14:40:00.006+02:00

"(...) How can I not love these mountains when I see them? How can I not feel the shiver of my heartbeats on catching the glimpse of this vast space covered with snow that fills me with a limitless feeling of belonging? I’m shuddering with the thought of being there, in the lap of those breathtaking slopes, free to be who I am. The mountain accepted me, it did not give me birth, I was born elsewhere, but here I was reborn, taken to this giant mother’s bosom the way I was, naked before it in my will to survive and adopted by it for as long as my eyes can see it breathe. It embraced me the way I now embrace its peaks, my gate to the beyond, the guardian of my sleep and of my sanity in sleepless nights, music to my being, endless range of colours that wrap this little pile of wood that I call my house. I want to fly there, I want to open all my windows and play to the butterflies that come to the wild flowers around me, I want to let my hands go and listen to the music of the mountain the way it listens to us and yes, it is a declaration of love, what else can it be, so open and unconditional? Total giving without asking anything in return, without hidden intention, innocent and pure like the very origins of existence, something greater than we are, something better than we are, something that is expecting us. (...)

(...) Being here is being in another world. Every living creature is more sensitive here, somehow all senses start working with double capacity, seizing every possible grain of energy to…create. Even when one can’t sleep, there is always something to live here, there is another face of this haven that comes alive in the dead of the night, when it is much easier to open a door to the beyond and this is a perfect place. Snow nearly opens the door, so all one has to do is walk in. It takes great strength to take in all that. But one gets stronger here. Even in the dark periods of one’s life, there is something comforting in this place, something supportive that tells tales when one’s eyelids are heavy and tired of misunderstandings. Gesundbrunnen.

To walk this path doesn’t mean much if one doesn’t stop somewhere in the middle, standing half turned around and casting a look straight ahead and up and down the vast space that seems to have no end. Up here, one can hold the time by the tail and let go when one feels like it. Up here, things and events do not flow horizontally but disperse in all directions. Up here, one can stand and listen to the song of the wind that brings the call of life that one cannot ignore, once one put one’s foot this high. Up here, one can hear the music of the Earth interwoven with the one of the Heaven for here Heaven and Earth are one. The mountain is never in debt with who comes with open arms. The mountain plays no tricks on who comes with a heart in shivers. It fears the indifferent. (...)"

Thinking...

2010-07-14T23:31:00.000+02:00

150 Jahre...

2010-07-07T00:48:00.005+02:00

A great composer, a passionate mountaineer.

Born 150 years ago on this day.

To him a heartfelt tribute and a thank you for all the special moments from the past and who knows how many in the future.

GUSTAV MAHLER

In Fischleinboden/Piano Fiscalino

(Sextener Dolomiten/Dolomiti di Sesto)

* Archive photo

Wanderungen - At the Gate to the Dolomites, part 2

2010-07-05T20:23:00.009+02:00

For anyone who comes to Toblach, perhaps the easiest excursion is the one to the Toblachersee/Lago di Dobbiaco (Lake Toblach). The difference in the altitude is about 50m. In order to know precisely where to go and how much time you need for getting there, you need a good map. The best thing to do is to go straight to the tourist info point that is in Via Alemagna/Alemagnastraße, the street that connects the two parts of the village, Alt Toblach/Dobbiaco Vecchia (Old Toblach) and Neutoblach/Dobbiaco Nuova (New Toblach). There you can find all the necessary maps - the map of the village is distributed for free and the one that contains all the necessary data for hiking, trekking etc. in the area costs 7 Euro. You can find it in proportion 1:25 000 and 1:50 000, the publisher is Tabacco and it is brilliant. The one you need is "foglio 010", Sextener Dolomiten/Dolomiti di Sesto, 1:25 000.

The track to the lake, the No. 29, is circular and there are two possible ways to take it. The "nicer" one begins in the smaller village nearby, called Rienza/Rienz (also the name of the river that runs through it and is directly connected to the lake, its fount is under the three peaks of Lavaredo). Thanks to the maps and the markings of the CAI (Club Alpino Italiano), it is easy to find the start and follow your specific track. For a short distance, the path to the lake follows the No. 3, which is the one belonging to the Dolomiten Höhenweg/Alta via delle Dolomiti (its first section is the No. 16, leading to Sarlkofel/Monte Serla.) Once you arrive to the first spot where these two paths are separating, you will see a clear sign showing you where to proceed. There is one more spot further away from where you can take the No. 16 again and that too is marked. That is where you leave asphalt and take up the road through the woods.

The view is beautiful, as you are at the beginning of Höhlensteintal/Val di Landro, a very attractive area around the flow of the river Rienz/Rienza. As everywhere in the Alps, here too you can find small shrines dedicated to Jesus, with a crucifix carved in wood, some flowers and sometimes also a notebook where you can write a few words. They have simply become a part of the landscape. You are practically going up river, with Sarlkofel/Monte Serla on your right and Neunerkofel/Cima Nove and the river on the left.

Depending on your physical condition, the time you should need to reach the lake is between 30' and 40' (unless you're racing someone in which case it takes less :). The view on the arrival is very nice and it is better than from the other top of the lake. The mountains are reflecting on the water and it is very relaxing to sit nearby and enjoy the landscape.

For the lovers of "civilisation", there is a hotel, a restaurant, a camping area, boat-rental and so on. You can stop there, but it would be such a pity, given the fact that you can go around the lake, partly along the track No. 14, following the informative Naturerlebnispfad/Sentiero natura, which is especially nice if you have kids with you, since it has information about the flora and fauna of the surroundings.
One of the rewards you get for taking that path is that, when you reach the lake from the other top, you can see a part of the famous Birkenkofel/Croda dei Baranci. Although a part only, even that is breathtaking.

Birkenkofel / Croda dei Baranci, seen from the Lake Toblach

Once you go around the lake, you can cross the bridge and go back to Toblach the same way you came, but in order to keep the variety, you can just go along the path you're on and keep the river on your left in going towards the village. The path in question is a cycling path, next to the river, right below the state road. That path will take you straight to the intersection of the village Rienz/Rienza and Neutoblach/Dobbiaco Nuova.

The excursion is light and suitable for everyone. Two hours are quite enough to reach the lake, have lunch, if necessary, and go back to the starting point, without any rush. The landscape is very pleasant for the eyes, but also for the body, as the mountain air, combined with the woods, has significant positive properties. For those who are tired easily or simply want to sit down and relax, there are numerous benches along the track.

Highly recommended.

Distance: around 8km, from the beginning to the end of the track.

Wanderungen - At the Gate to the Dolomites, part 1

2010-06-26T15:14:00.013+02:00

When more than a hundred years ago Gustav Mahler decided to spend his summers in this then-Austrian part of the Dolomites, it wasn't a random decision. The choice fell on a village at the very opening of one of the most spectacular mountain ranges our planet has, a small comune called Toblach. Today it is both Dobbiaco and Toblach, as from 1918 it has been in Italy, and is a part of the province of Bolzano/Bozen, in the region of Trentino - Alto Adige/Südtirol.

For more information about Toblach, click here (Wiki in Italian), here (the official website in Italian and in German) and here (Puster Valley info in 5 languages).

In the body of this post, click on the photos to enlarge.

If you are coming from the Italian side, most probably you'll pass through Verona. From there, the train will take you to a small station in Fortezza/Franzensfeste. While waiting for the panoramic Pustertal train, you can already get immersed into the mountain atmosphere. The station is usually full of people with rucksacks and trekking boots, families with kids, all sorts of languages. If you're lucky and the weather is ok, once you board the train for Toblach, you're in for a treat. The trip lasts for about an hour and 15 minutes. The closer you are to Toblach, the more spectacular the view.

Once past Villabassa/Niederdorf, the waiting is nearly at an end and all you have to do is admire the surroundings, announced by the sharp peaks of the Sarlkofel/M. Serla group, the highest one being at 2378m.

The railway, following the flow of the river Rienza/Rienz, takes you past Alt Schluderbach/Carbonin Vecchia (that will be described in one of the upcoming parts of the Wanderungen), and very soon you will have before you the full splendour of Cima nove/Neunerkofel, which dominates over Toblach, reaching as high as 2612 m (Cime Ganda/Gankofel right behind is 2692m).

Neunerkofel / Cima Nove

On leaving the station, when you stop and look in front of you, you see the beginning of the Höhlensteintal/Val di Landro, rocks rising above tree-covered slopes in a mystic invitation to enter a different world. It is here that you understand why you are told you are at the Gate to the Dolomites. It is a road that takes much further, towards the Toblach Lake, Landro Lake and, among other breathtaking places ... the three peaks of Lavaredo.

Now it's time to push the gate a bit and sneak into the beyond.

A view towards Höhlensteintal / Val di Landro, with Monte Cristallo far ahead.

Sympathie was ist das?

2010-06-24T22:05:00.006+02:00

Sympathie was ist das. Mein Hund und ich schauen uns an. Aug in Aug verharren wir.
Tierpsychologen behaupten, daß das jeweils schwächere Tier den festen Blick des stärkeren nicht aushält, es unterwirft sich. Mein Hund denkt nicht daran, den Blick zu senken, er schaut mir direkt und lange in die Augen. Schließlich sage ich seinen Namen, leise und zärtlich. Da verändert sich etwas in seinen Augen: sie werden tiefer und leuchtender, von innen her feucht.
Es ist der Blick der Liebe. Wie geht es zu, daß ein Tier liebt? Es ist natürlich, daß ein Haustier dem Brotgeber anhängt. Das ist etwas anderes. Diese Augenblicke intensiver Liebe haben damit wenig zu tun. Das ist ein begehrensfreier Blick, das ist ein reines Geben von Seiten des Tieres. Aus diesen Hundeaugen spricht etwas, das ich göttlich nennen muss, um es zu verstehen. Die unendliche Sympathie, welche die gesamte Schöpfung verbindet, sammelt sich im Auge meines Hundes.
So muss es einst gewesen sein, als das Lamm neben dem Wolf schlief, der Mensch neben dem Löwen.
Das nannte man Paradies.

Luise Rinser
"Winterfrühling"
Tagebücher 1979-1982

To the journey!

2010-06-23T16:05:00.007+02:00

Toblachersee, Pustertal (Dolomiten)
Lago di Dobbiaco, Alta Pusteria (Dolomiti)
Lake Toblach, Puster Valley (Dolomites)