If Marmolada is the Queen of the Dolomites, the beautiful Becco di Mezzodì, in my opinion, is the undisputed crownprince! Becco di Mezzodì – the ‘peak of the midday’. So named because if you look at it from Cortina at noon, the sun is directly above it. Long a target of mine, I have tried …
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My other favourite lake in the Dolomites. Lago Fedara. Ample space to swim. Space to sit and relax. Situated next to Rifugio Palmieri, or as it’s better known, Rifugio Croda da Lago. A perfect oasis on the route to many other destinations in the Dolomites. With Becco di Mezzodí standing guard at the head of …
Continue reading “Lago Fedara – enchanting lake at Rifugio Croda da Lago”
Way back in 2004 on my very first trip to the Dolomites, after a long day’s climbing that got me back to my tent at well after 11 pm the evening before, I decided a rest day was in order… and took my first walk to Lago Sorapiss. Totally enchanted with this beautiful lake I …
I’ve woken at Rifugio Torrani many a times over the years. I’ve woken here after a night of snowfall in late August. And I’ve woken here when mist obscured almost everything in sight. But, there’s nothing quite like waking up here on a clear day and the peaks on the other side of the valley …
For three years Barbara and I have tried to get ourselves to the top of Monte Civetta via ferrata Alleghesi. Last year we tried twice. On both occasions we were thoroughly thwarted by severe weather conditions. And the last thing in the world you want when you’re hanging onto a metal cable is for a …
Saturday. Sunny. Clear skies. We decide to do a via ferrata on Paternkofel near the Tre Cime di Lavaredo. After breakfast we head off, not realising we’re about to join the rest of Italy (and a few other countries) who all decided to converge on the Tre Cime! By the time we get there the …
I wake at about 5 am with the sound of raindrops on the tin roof of the rifugio. A few minutes later the pitter-patter turns into a downpour Noah would have thought was the start of the great flood. Thunder crashes and rolls across the hut. It sounds like we won’t be climbing Torre dei …
Monday. After a leisurely breakfast, having decided that Sorapiss is out of reach for today, I suggest to Barbara that we take an easy walk to Rifugio Galassi, at the base of the climb to Antelao. Perhaps a somewhat more realistic beginning to our nearly three weeks trekking in the Dolomites. About an hour later, …
Sunday. Today we’re making our way to the beautiful rifugio San Marco, where we’ll be based for the next few days. Ever since my first visit many years ago, after a particularly long day in wet treacherous conditions, coming from rifugio Vandelli via ferrata Vandelli, when Andy and I arrived after almost all the dinner …
As soon as we set foot on the mountain, we realised that we’ll need a change of plans… A quick search last night for a possible trip led us to Graustock Klettersteig in the Engelberg area. Into the bag went the ferrata kit, along with the new superlight cutting board I got for father’s day, …