This time we will take it easy when we visit the most beautiful mountains in Europe. Because of my knee injury and Jasmina’s back pain, it would suit us to make a circular walk and sleep in comfortable hostels. But it was definitely different. Websites showed us that northwest of Italy has no hostels and we left Pedratsches with heavy backpacks.
The climbing path is easy and we could even run a good part of the way under the peak. It was snowing at night and the ice was melting. Stones and icicles are falling from big walls. But this August day is wonderful and it’s a pleasure to walk on the ridge of Sass dla Crusc. Of course, we left our backpacks on a notch. But going down will hurt a lot. The high Fanes plateau is wonderful but my knee is already complaining. There are two cottages near the lakes and we can’t put our tents there. We go to the neighbouring plateau over Passo di Limo and find a remote pasture to put up a tent. We’re in a natural park and we have to hide a little bit.
The same old story happened at night. Noise of the animals around the tent and fear that they will get caught in the ropes and tread us down. I go out a lot and scare them away with sticks but only for a short time. It’s like we’re sleeping on the most delicious grass in the world. The last scene is also classic. When I go out of the tent, there is a bull in the horizon. And everyone knows that the bull isn’t afraid of screaming, sticks or rocks. And I don’t want to fight, there’s just a bit of hope in my heart...
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The weather is bad the next day, but Jasmina gives me the courage to try to get to the valley Travenanzes through the high ridge Monte Ciavala and then to the mountain pass Falzarego. It’s snowing a bit but the path is well marked. Monte Ciavala peak is hard to reach in snow but we’re happy to see the corridor across the ridge. There are some rocks and rocky slopes and then long scree. A paradise for my knee. It’s raining a little bit and behind the Toffana the sun is shining and we make a 1000 metre descend with no problem. And then 400 metres up and down on the other side. We’re tired and the path is dragging despite the picturesque landscape. Despite the crowds of people, they don’t have a restaurant there. Ok, we have to make 3 kilometres more and climb to the neighbouring Valparola pass. All the appetite was gone by that point but the hearty soup is still good.
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There are good two hours of day left and Jasmina knows that I don’t want to sleep next to the road. “Let’s walk a little bit towards the tomorrow’s goal,” I suggest. A little bit turns into a good hour and a half walk. First we go down, then about 200 metres up. Under Setsass, on a beautiful ridge, there are mountains. We settle in an abandoned cottage and close the door with heavy, broken doors.
The third day begins spectacularly. Jasmina is sleeping a little more and remembers me that the sunrises are one of the most beautiful motifs for photographers. And I grab the opportunity and climb to the ridge. The glaciers of the queen Marmolada are shining in the morning sun and then the light shines on its neighbours, which also shines on me, a small human in the middle of the mountains. We enjoy in our breakfast and then I start searching for my car key. Bad guy ran away from me and hid under the rock. I found it completely coincidentally.
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Cold di Lana is one of the easier mountains. Despite being 2500 metres high, it doesn’t have any dolomite rocks. It is also famous by the sad history of World War I. Thousands of people died on its ridges and on other sights in the Alps. But the war was decided elsewhere. The climb on the north ridge isn’t simple, but it’s a path, which is very well protected. The view from the top is one of the most beautiful in the whole Dolomites. You can see the highest and most beautiful mountains of the Dolomites from here. We have to return on the same path as we have to get back to the car to Val Badia.
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The path under Settsasso is beautiful but it’s dragging. It takes us to the Pralongia plateau, which is, surprisingly, very lively also in the summer. You can find everyone in a nice day here. Hikers, cyclers, families, dogs... countless combinations. And we just go from hill to hill, from restaurant to restaurant. We head north. We don’t go to the cableway in Paz d’Ille because we have only an hour and a half walk to the valley. Well, when we come to the river, we also have an hour walk. Will Jasmina’s back and my knee hold out? And they did. And the next day also when we drove somewhere else and climbed another tour.
Vid Pogačnik
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