Eugene
Member
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2012
- Messages
- 141
During the first week of July, my son and I did a trip thru the Dolomite Mountains in northern Italy starting in San Cassiano in the Alta Baudia region hiking across the mountains to Cortina. We used a trekking company (Dolomite Mountains) to arrange the details and in so doing the hiking was more day hiking and hiking from across between rifugios (huts - which were really small backcountry hotels). In that sense it really wasn't backpacking as we traditionally define it but nevertheless I felt the experience and scenery were worthy of posting in this site.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Bus from Venice to Cortina (2 hrs) an then a 30 minute transfer by taxi to San Cassiano. We arrived in San Cassiano around noon so we had the afternoon to do some day hiking. We took a lift up part ways and then hiked the high country area for around 3 hours. Here are a few pictures from the area:
![IMG_1275.JPG IMG_1275.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66357-027415dfd125b1355a3f0d847038fd78.jpg)
Las Vegas in Italy - a rifugio near the top of the lift.
![IMG_1283.JPG IMG_1283.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66359-c8f7266ff1404f2144a41d40dade080c.jpg)
The views were gorgeous!!
Next a few views of the town area - I know not backcountry:
![20180702_110310047_iOS.jpg 20180702_110310047_iOS.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66360-a8c5c9856bdc7bf15daa3274afcc88d2.jpg)
![20180702_110446072_iOS.jpg 20180702_110446072_iOS.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66361-ebf4599f285fb17d0d5722cc79b2a7dd.jpg)
Day 2:
This day was also a day hike of sorts. We hiked up on the other side of town past a rifugio and back to the hotel for a final night in San Cassiano. The locals cut hay on these steep slopes. I have no idea how they keep the tractors from turning over.
A few more pictures:
![IMG_1286.JPG IMG_1286.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66362-fad439cf412072b138020c53266b4087.jpg)
![IMG_1294.JPG IMG_1294.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66363-597398b90f0d1272c2c8cd54b11c679a.jpg)
![IMG_1296.JPG IMG_1296.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66364-0024c28fb87a00a7e6c9db25e57407c1.jpg)
![IMG_1310.JPG IMG_1310.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66367-b5ef2573195a77e3960852f6ab9a1fdc.jpg)
A chapel/church in the mountains by a rifugio
![IMG_1302.JPG IMG_1302.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66366-64bdeb93e126492accbbed694af561d0.jpg)
A rifugio for lunch
Day 3: Today we start our trek across the mountains to Cortina. Incidentally Cortina was the site of the 1956 Winter Olympics (town of a couple thousand). The lady who met with us and provided us with maps and instructions was a speed skater for Italy in the Lake Placid 1980 Olympics. She vividly remembered the great US vs Russia hockey match. BTW, The hotel/rifugio arrangements which included breakfast and dinner were included in the package.
This day started out with a very steep 400 m climb in about 1.6 km - pretty steep up to a neat high country meadow.
Some pictures:
![IMG_1319.JPG IMG_1319.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66368-734849ea03b71b341e2b7470212f29af.jpg)
![IMG_1324.JPG IMG_1324.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66369-15fd35a8ed13e89dbb9ae1bf1299af0f.jpg)
![IMG_1326.JPG IMG_1326.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66370-40312bd33e177f15638691fdef395fde.jpg)
![IMG_1328.JPG IMG_1328.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66371-e451368d4b92ffebc6bffc1ca3e39b7f.jpg)
![IMG_1334.JPG IMG_1334.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66372-901c0b46d93e3c9b15e625dcb6912c41.jpg)
![IMG_1335.JPG IMG_1335.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66373-0947bc8fad4f7ae76b35abdba41159f1.jpg)
![IMG_1337.JPG IMG_1337.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66374-a6b54ecc28b172347d907eaed1bd7bed.jpg)
![IMG_1344.JPG IMG_1344.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66375-c166dcbf973bebb5e76449fa7a95fdd7.jpg)
Patio of our rifugio for the first night - Rifugio Fanes. Great views and accommodations. Only issues for most of the hike was the mountain rains generally started around 2 pm and continued off and on most of the afternoon.
Day 4: For this day we started our hike down to Rifugio Pedru. Here we were able to get some lemonade and an apple strudel to help us over the next hump - up a VERY steep "road" where we again climbed up over 500 meters in maybe 2 km. to reach our rifugio for the night - Rifugio Fodar Velda. Now a few pictures from this adventure:
![IMG_1353.JPG IMG_1353.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66376-77800e45533ddd9e0ba159527e4b95d8.jpg)
Looking down the trail to Rifugio Pederu
![IMG_1357.JPG IMG_1357.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66377-3ba56115ccc6d37266f28a4de2257d29.jpg)
Rifugio Pederu - again had some lemonade and a strudel (I think)
![IMG_1361.JPG IMG_1361.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66378-fbf8f9385e358559bbba307a3cce0923.jpg)
Looking down towards Pederu after much of the climb
![IMG_1366.JPG IMG_1366.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66379-693e627a4e69d9188c755772c59da9e7.jpg)
Rifugio Fodara Velda - home for the night
We did a hike down a side trail but as is the rule, about 2 pm it started raining and we returned to the rifugio. Problem this time was it kept raining lightly all night.
Day 5: This day we hiked down down down to Cortina. We awoke to fog and a light mist which lasted most of the day. BTW, if it was sunny the highs would be in the low 70s but when it would be raining temperatures in the low 50s were common.
A few pictures down to Cortina:
![IMG_1376.JPG IMG_1376.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66381-9a741c534f5add3abe5c171392cf24df.jpg)
Fog and clouds over the mountains - sometimes a bit of a break
![IMG_1379.JPG IMG_1379.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66382-430c8e9cf7bb48a7bf8b45cd481ecc8c.jpg)
![IMG_1381.JPG IMG_1381.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66383-0730b2eba81a601596f9ac1203d86e8d.jpg)
Rifugio Sennes for a mid morning break
![IMG_1382.JPG IMG_1382.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66384-fc549c893a6448c88169d042fafffed3.jpg)
Chris drinking lemonade in the rifugio
![IMG_1395.JPG IMG_1395.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66385-08d02d9eb647d3152985bb629525d63f.jpg)
Rifugio Stua on the way down for a snack
![IMG_1396.JPG IMG_1396.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66386-bd331284e07f826269261e01a1201fb2.jpg)
Ruins of an old WWI barracks. Evidently the Austrians and the Italians had a lot of battles in the area of the Dolomites. I have heard that Rommel fought here in WW1 as a mere Lt
![IMG_1403.JPG IMG_1403.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66387-b97c521cf3221b08ab986dff5591c005.jpg)
There is Cortina. We hiked to the entrance of the Natural Area and as part of the package were picked up and transported to our hotel - Hotel Trieste in Cortina.
A few pictures from Cortina:
![20180702_110310047_iOS.jpg 20180702_110310047_iOS.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66388-a8c5c9856bdc7bf15daa3274afcc88d2.jpg)
A neat hotel in Cortina
![20180706_131413311_iOS.jpg 20180706_131413311_iOS.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66389-797ab427ff24f4b9b6ea5cd2753366da.jpg)
Street scene with church steeple in Cortina
Day 6: For the final day we were transported by private transfer about 30 miles NE to Tre Cime di Lavaredo - a famous natural area (3 tops) . I would compare it in visitation to say the Grand Canyon. So we were hiking with thousands of our never before seen best friends. The scenery was superb. This was a tough day of hiking as it was a constant up and down of 2-4 hundred m. The trail at first was like a road but did get rougher as one got further from the start. It was a long loop around the huge tops. The biggest problem was the lose gravel. Going down was difficult to keep from slipping on the lose stone.
A few pictures:
![IMG_1417.JPG IMG_1417.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66390-7943814116a176f54225e4e3ae06f079.jpg)
A neat view of some jagged mountains
![IMG_1418.JPG IMG_1418.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66391-d5f1510e63ffe772f8d860a5fffdbde7.jpg)
Small chapel on the path - note the dress - it was COLD and WINDY
![IMG_1423.JPG IMG_1423.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66392-786f1f164c253fb0700a1a34bdd9ce9b.jpg)
Another view down the trail - note all the people
![IMG_1426.JPG IMG_1426.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66393-a2fe248d8d4334e5a9928d6b131bf95d.jpg)
A view of the trail and tops
![IMG_1435.JPG IMG_1435.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66394-edeeca5ed849b2c8b640c23aeeb022a9.jpg)
A bunker from WW1
![IMG_1447.JPG IMG_1447.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66395-fc0405f3edd42775e857de76f19f2cde.jpg)
Rifugio for lunch
![IMG_1456.JPG IMG_1456.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66396-7f7f6369aefd9f2b9bb00d14dfd5c298.jpg)
A small lake down from the lunch rifugio - note the ice/snow.
![IMG_1463.JPG IMG_1463.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66397-7995f82c5d1f7f3380d158ee2a3931ab.jpg)
View of the Tre Cime
![IMG_1471.JPG IMG_1471.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66398-3fb26504cf57a887bf698dbd07150537.jpg)
Final rifugio around the towers
![IMG_1484.JPG IMG_1484.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66399-2645ab82d107988a3b1a0397aa102891.jpg)
One final picture
I hope this post isn't too much of a stretch of backpacking but I thought some of you might enjoy the scenes.
If anyone would like more information just leave me a note in your comments and we will figure out how to connect.
Enjoy
Itinerary:
Day 1: Bus from Venice to Cortina (2 hrs) an then a 30 minute transfer by taxi to San Cassiano. We arrived in San Cassiano around noon so we had the afternoon to do some day hiking. We took a lift up part ways and then hiked the high country area for around 3 hours. Here are a few pictures from the area:
![IMG_1275.JPG IMG_1275.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66357-027415dfd125b1355a3f0d847038fd78.jpg)
![IMG_1280.JPG IMG_1280.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66358-36016bf70e14fc6a72722c89b3a93518.jpg)
![IMG_1283.JPG IMG_1283.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66359-c8f7266ff1404f2144a41d40dade080c.jpg)
The views were gorgeous!!
Next a few views of the town area - I know not backcountry:
![20180702_110310047_iOS.jpg 20180702_110310047_iOS.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66360-a8c5c9856bdc7bf15daa3274afcc88d2.jpg)
![20180702_110446072_iOS.jpg 20180702_110446072_iOS.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66361-ebf4599f285fb17d0d5722cc79b2a7dd.jpg)
Day 2:
This day was also a day hike of sorts. We hiked up on the other side of town past a rifugio and back to the hotel for a final night in San Cassiano. The locals cut hay on these steep slopes. I have no idea how they keep the tractors from turning over.
A few more pictures:
![IMG_1286.JPG IMG_1286.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66362-fad439cf412072b138020c53266b4087.jpg)
![IMG_1294.JPG IMG_1294.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66363-597398b90f0d1272c2c8cd54b11c679a.jpg)
![IMG_1296.JPG IMG_1296.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66364-0024c28fb87a00a7e6c9db25e57407c1.jpg)
![IMG_1310.JPG IMG_1310.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66367-b5ef2573195a77e3960852f6ab9a1fdc.jpg)
A chapel/church in the mountains by a rifugio
![IMG_1302.JPG IMG_1302.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66366-64bdeb93e126492accbbed694af561d0.jpg)
A rifugio for lunch
Day 3: Today we start our trek across the mountains to Cortina. Incidentally Cortina was the site of the 1956 Winter Olympics (town of a couple thousand). The lady who met with us and provided us with maps and instructions was a speed skater for Italy in the Lake Placid 1980 Olympics. She vividly remembered the great US vs Russia hockey match. BTW, The hotel/rifugio arrangements which included breakfast and dinner were included in the package.
This day started out with a very steep 400 m climb in about 1.6 km - pretty steep up to a neat high country meadow.
Some pictures:
![IMG_1319.JPG IMG_1319.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66368-734849ea03b71b341e2b7470212f29af.jpg)
![IMG_1324.JPG IMG_1324.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66369-15fd35a8ed13e89dbb9ae1bf1299af0f.jpg)
![IMG_1326.JPG IMG_1326.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66370-40312bd33e177f15638691fdef395fde.jpg)
![IMG_1328.JPG IMG_1328.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66371-e451368d4b92ffebc6bffc1ca3e39b7f.jpg)
![IMG_1334.JPG IMG_1334.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66372-901c0b46d93e3c9b15e625dcb6912c41.jpg)
![IMG_1335.JPG IMG_1335.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66373-0947bc8fad4f7ae76b35abdba41159f1.jpg)
![IMG_1337.JPG IMG_1337.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66374-a6b54ecc28b172347d907eaed1bd7bed.jpg)
![IMG_1344.JPG IMG_1344.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66375-c166dcbf973bebb5e76449fa7a95fdd7.jpg)
Patio of our rifugio for the first night - Rifugio Fanes. Great views and accommodations. Only issues for most of the hike was the mountain rains generally started around 2 pm and continued off and on most of the afternoon.
Day 4: For this day we started our hike down to Rifugio Pedru. Here we were able to get some lemonade and an apple strudel to help us over the next hump - up a VERY steep "road" where we again climbed up over 500 meters in maybe 2 km. to reach our rifugio for the night - Rifugio Fodar Velda. Now a few pictures from this adventure:
![IMG_1353.JPG IMG_1353.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66376-77800e45533ddd9e0ba159527e4b95d8.jpg)
Looking down the trail to Rifugio Pederu
![IMG_1357.JPG IMG_1357.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66377-3ba56115ccc6d37266f28a4de2257d29.jpg)
Rifugio Pederu - again had some lemonade and a strudel (I think)
![IMG_1361.JPG IMG_1361.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66378-fbf8f9385e358559bbba307a3cce0923.jpg)
Looking down towards Pederu after much of the climb
![IMG_1366.JPG IMG_1366.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66379-693e627a4e69d9188c755772c59da9e7.jpg)
Rifugio Fodara Velda - home for the night
We did a hike down a side trail but as is the rule, about 2 pm it started raining and we returned to the rifugio. Problem this time was it kept raining lightly all night.
Day 5: This day we hiked down down down to Cortina. We awoke to fog and a light mist which lasted most of the day. BTW, if it was sunny the highs would be in the low 70s but when it would be raining temperatures in the low 50s were common.
A few pictures down to Cortina:
![IMG_1376.JPG IMG_1376.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66381-9a741c534f5add3abe5c171392cf24df.jpg)
Fog and clouds over the mountains - sometimes a bit of a break
![IMG_1379.JPG IMG_1379.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66382-430c8e9cf7bb48a7bf8b45cd481ecc8c.jpg)
![IMG_1381.JPG IMG_1381.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66383-0730b2eba81a601596f9ac1203d86e8d.jpg)
Rifugio Sennes for a mid morning break
![IMG_1382.JPG IMG_1382.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66384-fc549c893a6448c88169d042fafffed3.jpg)
Chris drinking lemonade in the rifugio
![IMG_1395.JPG IMG_1395.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66385-08d02d9eb647d3152985bb629525d63f.jpg)
Rifugio Stua on the way down for a snack
![IMG_1396.JPG IMG_1396.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66386-bd331284e07f826269261e01a1201fb2.jpg)
Ruins of an old WWI barracks. Evidently the Austrians and the Italians had a lot of battles in the area of the Dolomites. I have heard that Rommel fought here in WW1 as a mere Lt
![IMG_1403.JPG IMG_1403.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66387-b97c521cf3221b08ab986dff5591c005.jpg)
There is Cortina. We hiked to the entrance of the Natural Area and as part of the package were picked up and transported to our hotel - Hotel Trieste in Cortina.
A few pictures from Cortina:
![20180702_110310047_iOS.jpg 20180702_110310047_iOS.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66388-a8c5c9856bdc7bf15daa3274afcc88d2.jpg)
A neat hotel in Cortina
![20180706_131413311_iOS.jpg 20180706_131413311_iOS.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66389-797ab427ff24f4b9b6ea5cd2753366da.jpg)
Street scene with church steeple in Cortina
Day 6: For the final day we were transported by private transfer about 30 miles NE to Tre Cime di Lavaredo - a famous natural area (3 tops) . I would compare it in visitation to say the Grand Canyon. So we were hiking with thousands of our never before seen best friends. The scenery was superb. This was a tough day of hiking as it was a constant up and down of 2-4 hundred m. The trail at first was like a road but did get rougher as one got further from the start. It was a long loop around the huge tops. The biggest problem was the lose gravel. Going down was difficult to keep from slipping on the lose stone.
A few pictures:
![IMG_1417.JPG IMG_1417.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66390-7943814116a176f54225e4e3ae06f079.jpg)
A neat view of some jagged mountains
![IMG_1418.JPG IMG_1418.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66391-d5f1510e63ffe772f8d860a5fffdbde7.jpg)
Small chapel on the path - note the dress - it was COLD and WINDY
![IMG_1423.JPG IMG_1423.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66392-786f1f164c253fb0700a1a34bdd9ce9b.jpg)
Another view down the trail - note all the people
![IMG_1426.JPG IMG_1426.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66393-a2fe248d8d4334e5a9928d6b131bf95d.jpg)
A view of the trail and tops
![IMG_1435.JPG IMG_1435.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66394-edeeca5ed849b2c8b640c23aeeb022a9.jpg)
A bunker from WW1
![IMG_1447.JPG IMG_1447.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66395-fc0405f3edd42775e857de76f19f2cde.jpg)
Rifugio for lunch
![IMG_1456.JPG IMG_1456.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66396-7f7f6369aefd9f2b9bb00d14dfd5c298.jpg)
A small lake down from the lunch rifugio - note the ice/snow.
![IMG_1463.JPG IMG_1463.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66397-7995f82c5d1f7f3380d158ee2a3931ab.jpg)
View of the Tre Cime
![IMG_1471.JPG IMG_1471.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66398-3fb26504cf57a887bf698dbd07150537.jpg)
Final rifugio around the towers
![IMG_1484.JPG IMG_1484.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/66/66399-2645ab82d107988a3b1a0397aa102891.jpg)
One final picture
I hope this post isn't too much of a stretch of backpacking but I thought some of you might enjoy the scenes.
If anyone would like more information just leave me a note in your comments and we will figure out how to connect.
Enjoy