Dolomites (6 Aug 2022 - 14 Aug 2022)
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Reached Munich a bit late, cloudy, 18 degrees, cooling. Collected our manual car with GPS, started driving out towards the petrol station at Austrian border, omv station at kiefersfelden, to purchase the vignette needed to use the Austrain highways. It was drizzly at some parts. We started off at 840am, and ended up at the service station around 10am. We used the washroom at the service station. WC (washroom) usage cost 50cts and the receipt can be used to offset food and beverages purchase at the stores. We had our simple lunch at the service station. We had 1 hour of complimentary wifi at the station, and used it to plot the route to our hotel tonight. On the google map, the route to our hotel was diverted due to road closures and we were not sure what happened at that time. Before we moved off, we affixed the vignette that we got from service station on our windscreen, for use of highways in Austria.
We passed by Innsbruck and moved towards Italy but the traffic was slow upon approaching tolls in Italy. So many cars driving into Italy from the North. At Brennero, we moved out of highway and started driving along the small roads towards Dobbiaco, before turning to Misurina (a detour due to road closures). Traffic was slow at some parts. I kept getting calls from the hotel that we were supposed to stay in that night, and that can't be a good sign. I went into a random hotel that I passed by in Misurina to request for their help. The staff in the hotel helped me contacted the hotel that we were supposed to stay in that night. Apparently, there were 2 landslides on both sides of the road leading to the hotel, and the hotel was basically stranded in the middle. The owner of the hotel has arranged for us to be transfered to another hotel nearer to Cortina d'Ampezzo town, which was owned by his nephew, at the same agreed price. We noted the address of the hotel (Hotel Menardi) and drove towards the new location from Misurina. There was another road closure near Misurina, which made the journey to Cortina d'Ampezzo even longer than it already was. I had to drive through the winding mountain roads in foggy, cloudy and drizzly condition. We finally managed to reach our hotel for the night around 420pm.
We checked in and were delighted that our triple room was good. Our room had a balcony.
P1. Hotel Menardi
P8. Winter olympics logo below the viaduct, main sponsor was Audi. Many cars parked along the road with hazard lights on, to shop in the supermarket across the stream.
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Day 1: Drive from Cortina d'Ampezzo to Lago Di Braies, then trek to Rifugio Sennes via Rifugio Biella (1496m - 2126m, mostly ascent)
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P11. The yellow building across the lake is the children's respiratory hospital.
Upon reaching the fairy tale land, we noticed that the some of the pine trees were brown. The driver told us that the trees were attacked by bugs, and the local authorities are racing against time to save the trees.
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P14. Lago di Braies, our starting point.
After reaching the other end of the lake, we started the very gruesome switchbacks towards the pass. There was a big group from the USA guided by a lady guide Anna. This group will have the same itinerary as us for the next 2 days. We also met a family of 3 from the Netherlands. Netherlands is a country was as flat as Singapore in terms of altitude. The family had to trek further than us today as they will be staying at a rifugio further down the path.
P19. The signboard still use the old name of Rifugio Biella.
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We walked to Rifugio Biella and carried on to Rifugio Sennes in slight drizzle. Finally we managed to reach Rifugio Sennes around 140pm. The lady assigned us a 10-bed room to be shared with another 3 trekkers, but the 3 trekkers didn't show up that day, we ended up with having the whole room to ourselves. We needed to change our boots to slippers before we were allowed to go up to our room on 2nd floor. Plenty of wall sockets for charging our devices. There were only one shower cubicle on each level, so I went up to 3rd level for the hot shower to avoid the queue in the 2nd level.
P23. The first rifugio in sight - Rifugio Biella.
The cows were grazing on the green plain and their bells on their necks can be heard even from the room. The clouds continue to roll up the cliffs and shrouded the mountains from time to time.
P27. The view from 2nd floor balcony.
Dinner was served in ala carte style. We ordered what we like and the food was rather good. Portion was big and the taste was delicious.
During dinner, we were all surprised at the difficulty of the trek today.
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Day 2: Rifugio Sennes to Rifugio Fanes (2126m - 2060m, mid way down to Rifugio Pederu 1548m)
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The weather was sunny, blue sky. We walked behind the big group along the vehicle gravel path and it was mainly downhill to Rifugio Pederu. Apparently there was a road that linked Rifugio Sennes to the outside world. We passed by Rifugio Fodera Vadla and continue downhill to Rifugio Pederu. Rifugio Pederu has a huge car park and there were buses that bring trekkers to Rifugio Pederu, so the rifugio was very popular. We had a break there to enjoy the coffee and ice creams.
P35. Starting our trek for the day.
P44. Rifugio Fanes, our destination for the day.
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P47. Rifugio Lavarella.
We had meal plan with Rifugio Fanes, and the first course was my favourite - onion soup. It was so good, I shamelessly asked for a 2nd serving. We then had our main course followed by dessert. Fanes really did all they can to cook us good food.
Day 3: Rifugio Fanes to Rifugio Lagazuoi (2060m to 2752m, up to Forcella del Lago at 2545m, down to Lago Lagazuoi, and then up again to Rif Lagazuoi)
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Glorious sunrise colours today. Totally awesome. The reflections seen at the lake was mesmerising.
V7. Timelapse of sunrise:
Today we had the longest hike out of all the days. We started the uphill battle right outside Rifugio Fanes. We were on trail number 11 and after awhile, we came upon a small rifugio and met a group of strong hikers from France. The mountains were so high on both sides of the valley, we were trekking in shadow in the valley despite sunny blue sky.
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After a short break at Lago Lagazuoi, it was time to trek up to Rifugio Lagazuoi. The sun was relentless that day and our water bottles went dry before reaching Rifugio Lagazuoi. There was no rifugio in between where we could buy water along the way.
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P73. Mind your head!
D1. Drone footages
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We had meal plan (1/2 pensione) for today. The lady owner recommended me their grilled lamb. She told me last time she had a group of 20 hikers and all opted for her grilled lamb.
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P84. Sunset view with the moon. Can you spot Mount Averau and Rifugio Nuvolau in the picture? Unfortunately Rifugio Averau is behind Mount Averau, so you will not be able to see it.
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Day 4: Rifugio Lagazuoi to Rifugio Averau (2752m to 2649m, through Passo Falzerego town at 2105m)
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We walked by trail 401/402 to the town Passo Falzarego below. The Chinese hiker took the shorter tunnel route instead. He paid for the luggage transfer using the cable car. (€6 per piece)
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After getting some souvenirs at Passo Falzarego, we hiked up to Rifugio Averau. The hike was quite narrow and tough on some sections but generally shorter than yesterday's. We reached Rifugio Averau at 1130am. The place was swarmed with day trippers thanks to the easy access provided by the chairlifts. Even the boot room was full of boots.
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We walked up to Rifugio Nuvolau to see the view. There was a long queue of people ordering sandwiches from a grill station. My saliva dripped upon smelling the aroma. We quickly went back to Rifugio Averau for lunch.
P110. Rifugio Averau, our destination for the day, next to Mount Averau.
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After lunch, the few of us trekked down to Rifugio 5 Torri to see some of the dug outs created during WW1 and some rock climbing actions in Cinque Torri. The sun was scorching hot today, moderated by the high altitude cool breeze.
P119. Rifugio Lagazuoi as seen from Rifugio 5 Torri.
P128. Aperol Spritz.
Dinner at Averau was an elaborate affair. We had a few choices for 1st course, then followed by salad, then 2nd course, followed by dessert. We were full to the brim.
Day 5: Rifugio Averau to Rifugio Locatelli (2649m to 2450m, through the town Cortina d' Ampezzo)
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P134. Chair lift to Rifugio Bal De Dones.
We took the chair lift down. Annareta was already waiting for us in front of her taxi at Rifugio Bai de Dones. She drove us past some scenic road to Rifugio Auronzo, which was the starting point to Rifugio Locatelli, our destination rifugio for the day. She told us some scenes in the latest spiderman show was filmed in the Dolomites.
P135. Cortina d'Ampezzo.
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Food was good though. We could see the three towers (Tri Cime) directly from the rifugio. The lakes below were scenic as well. When the day trippers were gone, the place become quieter.
We hiked down to the lakes to take picture. There was no wind and the reflection picture was good.
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The kitchen staff in the refugio played songs in english while they were working there. We like the songs they played.
Day 6: Rifugio Locatelli to Ortisei via Cortina d'Ampezzo
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P177. The climbers on Tri Cime.
P181. Ortisei.
Ortisei is another lovely skiing town, similar to Cortina, but in different provinces of Italy. We saw some family spa hotels. The tourist office there sell posters at one euro each, a steal. There were a few cable car services that start from Ortisei.
Dinner was at a tripadvisor recommended restaurant, and the food and service were both excellent. We were given complimentary dessert alcohol at the end of the meal.
Day 7: Ortisei to Munich
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In the past, petrol prices were cheaper in Germany and Austria compared to Italy but ever since the war started, petrol is cheaper in Italy so we filled up the petrol near Ortisei. The petrol stations were unmanned during the weekend so we had to figure out how to pay for petrol. No change will be given so we were careful not to insert too much notes. We inserted a 20 dollar bill and pumped, followed by another 10 dollar bill, just to make sure we dont overpay. Otherwise we could only get back petrol credit from the petrol station next week, which was not possible in our case.
Drove to Munich. Yunos' phone google map was set to avoid tolls, so we were in country lanes before we managed to get back to the highways after the car GPS came to our rescue. The drive to the hotel was challenging, as driving in the city was always stressful for me.
The hotel was near the Munich Train Station. Marienplatz was nearby. There were buskers in the pedestrian shopping district near Marienplatz.
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The hotel was right outside Munich Train Station. The underground was full of shops that sold all kinds of food.
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Notes:
(A) General:
1a. Euro was at a low when we were there.
1b. Traffic from Germany into Austria and Italy are busy during weekends.
1c. Road signs here are in German 1st, then Italian.
1d. WW1 history link: The Dolomites served as the arena for much fighting during World War 1 (WW1). Many of the paths were military ‘roads’ built during this period and other evidence of the conflict is still on display in the form of bunkers and tunnels.
(B) Hiking related:
2a. AV1 route and length: The AV1 is the long-distance trekking route in the Dolomites. It crosses the entire range from north to south so it is a superb showcase for the sheer beauty of these mountains. It is the perfect way to explore the range’s exquisite beauty and its fascinating open-air museum of WW1 history. It is a linear route, entirely within Italy, between Lago di Braies in the north and Belluno in the south. On the journey, you cross incredible high mountain passes enabling travel from magnificent valley to magnificent valley. And there are exquisite alpine plateaus, wonderful grassy pastures and carpets of wild-flowers, the like of which you will never have seen before. The route is 121km long, with 7,200 metres of ascent and 8,200 metres of descent in total. The highest point is 2752m. We didn't complete the whole length though, only select a portion of it (from Lago di Braise to Rifugio Averau) for our hiking. Rifugio Locatelli, our last stop, is not a part of AV1.
P218. AV1 route and the portion we trekked.
2c. Hiking conditions and toughness: AV1 is still ok, and weather plays a large part in terms of safety factor. We were blessed with good weather during our days of hiking. The trails will become very slippery if the rain comes, and this will add difficulty in both ascending and descending.
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2d. Bring enough water especially on long treks with no supply rifugios along the way, like between Rifugio Fanes to Rifugio Lagazuoi.
2e. Weather and climate, temperature: It was cold despite the sun.
2f. Guided tour: The guide will provide you with history and geology information that one will not get by self-guided hiking option.
2g. Water supply: Not all water is potable supply, you will need to use water filter or water sterilisation tablets to purify the water for consumption. You might have to buy bottled waters.
2h. Avoid cramps by taking medications or do stretching before and after the trek.
2i. The trails are maintained in good condition, and repair works were carried out every year after the winter season. The trails are well sign-posted. The rifugios might have changed name, and the sign posts might still be in their original name, so do take note while navigating. Always check with other hikers along the way or the rifugios if not sure.
(C) Rifugios related:
3a. Rif. = rifugio = Ucia = hutte.
3b. Book rifugios one year in advance in order to secure bed at popular spots. If you prefer private room (sometimes come with attached bathrooms), you must book early. Phone call reservation is better than email.
3c: Always change your boots to slippers/sandals before going up to your room. You can ask them for sandals/slippers if you didnt bring your own. Tables will be assigned during breakfast and dinner time, no free sitting unlike lunch time.
3d. Some allow check in early, some don't. Some allow credit card payment, some don't, due to wifi issue.
3e. Some requires you to settle the bill the night before if you decided to start the trek early, some will only settle the bill the next morning.
3f. Most offers packed lunch for the next day, upon request the night before.
3g. There are always last minute cancellations, so single traveller usually can get space if they come in without booking. For booking of private rooms, if there are cancellations, your dorm booking might be upgraded to a room if you have made such requests before.
3h. Most rifugios have assigned table and seat during dinner time. One will have choices of primary and secondary, and dessert.
3i. Booking by email is convenient, but will take some time before you get definite reply. Phone bookings are the speediest option to get confirmation.
3j. Rifugios sell souvenirs, t-shirts, Dolomite stamp passports, do take a look at some of their product offerings. Some have postcards that are free for use. Most have unique stamps for stamping in Dolomite passport. You can also sign in at the visitor log book and leave some words.
3k. In general, outdoor seating for lunch time is more popular than indoor seating. While there might be a long queue waiting to order food for outdoor, there could be empty tables in the restaurant. Before you join the long queue to order food and take it otuside, maybe can take a peek at the indoor dining area.
3l. Bring your own sleeping bag or sleeping bag liner for the rifugio bunks.
3m. Rifugios accessible by vehicles: Some rifugios are accessible by chair lifts, some by cable cars, some by road vehicles. The rifugios use road vehicles to get supplies.
3n. Wifi in rifugios: Rifugio Locatelli does not have wifi, therefore they dont accept credit card payment, only cash. The rest of the rifugios we stayed in have wifi. Sometimes the wifi signals were strong in the public areas like the dining hall and less so in the rooms.
(D) News:
4a. Hiker fell to death:
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5a. Land and property prices in Cortina: Local government (Venice Province) does not provide subsidy to local residents to buy houses and property, as a result, foreigners swooped in to buy the land and properties and drove up th prices. The local government in Belluno does provide financial support to help local residents purchase land and houses.
5b. Foreign workers in the rifugios: Mostly africans.
5c. Employment in Northern Italy and tax rate: There are jobs if one is willing to work in the Northern Italy. Many southerners come to the North to seek employment. Tax rate is a whopping 68%.
(F) Tourism related:
6a. The extraordinary beauty of the Dolomite landscape and its geological and geomorphological significance have led to the pale mountains - as the Dolomites are also known - being included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 26th June 2009.
Source: https://www.dolomites.org/dolomites-unesco-world-heritage/
6b. Cycling and marathon in Cortina: There are many cycling and marathon events around this region during the summer period every year, and you might face with road closures and hotel room shortages during such events.
6c. Tourists from Russia: The Russians like to go to the Dolomites for skiing etc. This year, the locals expected less tourists from Russia.
6d. Winter activities, winter tire: winter tyres are compulsory between November/December. Cortina and Ortisei and many other towns in Dolomites are popular winter skiing towns. These towns are busy with winter activities every year.
6e. Food in rifugios and towns: Good food and good drinks, many different options. We were surprised to find a restaurant in Ortisei that offer halal menu.
(G) Getting around:
7a. Complimentary bus ticket in Ortisei: The ticket gives you access to unlimited use of local buses (valley and town), just make enquiry with the hotel you stay in.
7b. Taxi or car rental: Taxi transfer can be a convenient option compared to car rental. You don't have to worry about leaving your car in car park while taking an extended trek.
7c. The nearest international airports/train stations: Venice, Innsbruck, Munich, Milan are popular airports for landing near the Dolomites. Dobbiaco (Toblach) has the nearest train station to Cortina d' Ampezzo.
7d. Driving in mountain roads: Winding and steep, and have to take care of the cyclists as well as wider campervans. Stressful. We rented a manual car which could be challenging for those who are used to automatic car driving.
7e. Pump petrol in unmanned stations: Get help from local if you cannot read the instructions in German/Italian at the self-pump station.
(H) Social, culture, food and others:
8a. Filming in Cortina: The Spider-Man: Far From Home locations (and plot) have left Venice! Nick Fury has hijacked Peter’s summer vacation and the teenagers are on an upscale bus towards Prague instead of Paris. The title card says the gang are travelling through the Eastern Alps in Austria. In reality, the scenes set in Austria were shot south of the Austrian border (and just north of Venice) in the Italian ski resort town of Cortina d’Ampezzo.
8b. Friendliness of people: Polite and friendly locals. They are very helpful even though sometimes language might be a barrier.
8c. star pictures: Sadly the sky was cloudy on some days and I couldn't take starry sky pictures. However, worthy to note that Rifugio Averau has been awarded the most beautiful sky award in 2021.
8d. Tv in the room: Plenty of channels to choose from. We watch the sports channel. Italians love watch soccer.
8e. Marine geology: The area around Cortina was a shallow sea, reclaimed by ammonites, fish and mussels. The sea was dotted with volcanoes.
8f. German is the 1st language in the region, italian second and the locals think that the teachers from the south couldn't speak italian. Most road signs have German, followed by Italian.
8g. Ladin: The Ladins are an ethnic group in northern Italy. They are distributed in several valleys, collectively known as Ladinia, which include the valleys of Badia and Gherdëina in South Tyrol, of Fassa in the Trentino, and Livinallongo (also known as Buchenstein or Fodom) and Ampezzo in the Province of Belluno. Their native language is Ladin, a Rhaeto-Romance language related to the Swiss Romansh and Friulian languages. They are part of Tyrol, with which they share culture, history, traditions, environment, and architecture. A blue-white-green flag was adopted, symbolising Ladinia's forests, the snow-covered peaks, and the blue sky above. The Ladin movement was suppressed under the Italian Fascist regime, when many Ladin citizens joined the German emigrants under the terms of the 1939 South Tyrol Option Agreement.
8h. Beer and wine: Both are good.
8i. Apple strudel, desserts and gelatos: So many good desserts in this region that one is spoilt for choice!
8j. credit card payment: If you book a hotel, do inform them that they can deduct deposit from the credit card or just hold an amount as guarantee, without really charging the amount to the card.
8k. How to open the door and window in Italy: Tell you next time.
8l. There is also a charming legend related to Lake Misurina. Misurina was a little capricious and spiteful girl, who lives literally held in the palm of the hand of her giant father, the king Sorapis. To fulfill another Misurina’s desire, her father went to the Monte Cristallo fairy, to obtain a magical mirror. The shrewd fairy proposed a deal: she granted her mirror to the girl if only the king had agreed to become a mountain. Misurina did not care right away and grabbed the mirror: at the same time the King Sorapis turned into a mountain! Desperately, the child felt dizzy and she fell from the top with the much-needed mirror. That’s when from the good King Sorapis’ dead eyes began to shed his sorrowful tears, which formed the lake Misurina.
Travel article on Dolomite was published by Singapore chinese newspapers on 10 Nov 2022.
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