Epic Alpine Adventure
Images: All near Castlerotto, Italy: the Seiser Alm; view from chairlift; sunset on the mountains.
Epic Adventures in Kastelruth
Days 3-4 of tour
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Marinzen chair lift and hike down
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Petting zoo at top!
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Panorama hike on Seiser Alm/ Alpe di Siusi
How many miles I walked
Wednesday (Day 3): 6.17
Thursday (Day 4): 10.27
Notes from the trail:
Try the path above town. Walk past the church and up. And don't forget to have a beer along all the trails.
One Small Slice of the Dolomites
We were met this morning by our bus and Will, and the town of Salzburg gave way to views of mountains in the distance. Then we were climbing those mountains. Will navigated the switchbacks through the dizzying heights and down into the village of Kastelruth/Castelrotto. (We're just over the border into Italy, but this town speaks German first. The Italian government prefers Castelrotto.)
Cary took us on a quick tour of the town, ending at the ski lift. Quick decision - many of us took the lift to the top and hiked back down. The views along the way were just wonderful after a long ride on the bus (see right).
The sun was warm and the breeze gentle during the ascent on the chairlift. I confess I've never gotten off of a chair lift before, and I got a little anxious at the top, checking my belongings about six times. But, as you probably know, there was really nothing to worry about.
Several of our group stopped for a beer, and Beth and John joined me for a walk back down - first into the woods, but then we emerged to see the town of Kastelruth, and the peaks of the Dolomites. (Beware, it is easy to miss an early turn on this walk.)
We returned in time to clean up and join the rest of the group for happy hour at our hotel. It was amazing how many adventures we all had to share after just a few hours on our own.
Images:
The view on both sides of the chair lift
A special greeter at the top; the path goes into the woods
The lift's path and a nice view of Kastelruth
Some
Enchanted
Evening(s)
All of our hotel rooms were comfortable, with touches that matched the hotel. This was my favorite of the trip, homey and cozy . And it had a great view from the balcony for a glass of wine at sunset.
On our second night, a visiting band gave a concert after a parade through the streets. They really did play Bohemian Rhapsody. On the first night, I took a walk along the path above town. I caught the moon and Venus with a little longer exposure on my camera phone.
Seiser Alm and the Panorama Hike
Today was the day. The Panorama hike I'd read about over and over again in the guidebook was on the agenda. Before the tour, I'd hiked as much as seven miles several times each week in 100-degree heat. I hoped to prepare my lungs for the altitude. (Raleigh has none.)
But could I do it? Was it enough?
This morning dawned without a cloud in the sky. Chilly, relatively speaking. I donned my layers and headed to breakfast.
Cary helped to bolster my courage. And another tour member and I decided to try it together, with one agreement. If one of us needed to turn back, the other was free to keep going.
We made it - a bus, two lifts - to the rippling plateau. Even before we took a step, the view was amazing. (Right)
We took the path to our first marker, the Edelweiss hut (second row next to farmer working the field). So far, not so bad, especially with the frequent picture stops.
The second leg, to Mahlknechthutte, was more steep. You could see the path laid out before you, but the visibility was deceptive. The same distant mountain was visible as you went down, and back up. (Row 2, bottom right) We ran into a tourmate and her daughter, who had rented bikes for this part of the trail.
After some mineral water and the all-important pit stop at the hut (bathrooms are very nice), we continued on. Here, it was just as far back as it was forward.
We had a close encounter with the animals of the plateau . Some horses blocked the path, and these cows (third row) wanted us to stay a little longer.
Past the horses and cows, we descended into a gorge. The sound of water hitting rock echoed around us. We crossed the stream at the base of the hill, and started up the other side. (There was a snack break here, if we're being honest.)
We passed the church noted in the RS walk description. Though we didn't go up, we looked all around us. Panorama, get it? (photo at top of section, below top left.)
The path disappears into the woods. We encountered mountain bikers and plant enthusiasts. We saw families and dogs and heard many languages. The folks on this trail were diverse and dedicated.
When we emerged from the woods, we could see the flag of Zalligerhutte. That flag kept us going - the altitude was a lot, the sun had gotten warm, and breakfast was well behind us. We arrived at the hut, finding two of our tourmates had saved a spot for us.
How nice that they believed we would make it!
Below, from top left: A bench with a view, signage on the path; tourmates enjoying the view; the gorge we walked down into; horses along the trail; Zalligerhutte view.
A Word about Epic
I named this scrapbook Epic Alpine Adventure for a reason. The views on this tour never quit. Many of the experiences make my best-in-life list. (Climbing an extinct volcano in Iceland still tops it.) And my fellow travelers were a unexpected bonus.
On an epic vacation, it's hard to choose your favorite part. But, inevitably, people will ask.
I usually answer the Dolomites. The scenery here was so open and towering at the same time. And I found a friend to tackle a challenge with me.
But that's not the only reason. Sometimes by myself, and sometimes with courage drawn from the group, I challenged myself to do things that I hadn't done before. And a vacation that shows you what you're made of is, by definition, an epic adventure.
