"Non Abbiate Paura"

September 21, 2018

Witten, Mom, & Me at the Start of Our Hike

One of the reasons that I was so excited to go to Lago di Braies was because of the exceptional hiking in the Dolomites. There are hundreds of trails meandering through the Dolomities, connecting the various towns and other landmarks, with each one denoted by a red-white-red blaze, often with a trail number emblazoned over it. Rather than identify distances, the trail markers and signs provide time estimates to get to various locations.

The Tre Cime di Lavoredo (the “Three Peaks of Lavaredo”) are one of the best-known mountain groups in the Alps, and one of the most photographed mountain clusters in the world. Like many of the peaks in the Dolomites, these three peaks - Cima Piccola (“Little Peak”), Cima Grande (“Big Peak”), and Cima Ovest (“Western Peak”) - are made of layered dolostone. Until 1919, they formed part of the border between Italy and Austria. Now, however, they lie wholly within Italy but still stand as the linguistic boundary between the German-speaking and Italian-speaking portions of Italy. The tallest of the three peaks reaches 9,839 feet and its north face - first scaled in 1933 after an ascent time of 3 days and 2 nights - is still considered one of the great north faces for climbing in the Alps.

The drive from Lago di Braies to the Tre Cime Loop Trail was treacherous. It was only about 15 miles of driving, but took almost an hour to make the drive because of the hairpin turns and roads that sometimes reached a 16% grade! On the way up we drove past what appeared to be two teams of cross-country skiers - one men’s team and one women’s team - that were on roller skis going up the mountain. Thinking about their trek up the mountain still amazes me. I definitely couldn’t do that, even if I was in peak shape!

Tre Cime di Lavaredo

There are a number of alpine huts along the trails through the park (and the rest of the Dolomites) that serve as rest houses, restaurants, and safe places for hikers to weather storms. We started our trek from one of these huts - Rifugio Auronzo - and set out up the 105, which makes up about ⅔ of the loop trail around the Tre Cime. It was really cool to see the Tre Cime from 360 degrees, over the course of the day. About an hour into our hike, we came across a lovely little stone shepherd’s hut and cafe where we got a few beers and a fresh cake made with regional cheese. After our brief break at the hut, we set out for Rifugio Locatelli and the hike got quite a bit more challenging, winding down and then back up the Pian da Rin basin. The Rifugio Locatelli was completely destroyed by shelling in World War I, and you can still see rock windows blown out of the surrounding cliff side that soldiers used when battling over the Sasso di Sesto. Once we got to Rifugio Locatelli, the hike got much easier, and it only took another hour to get to Rifugio Lavaredo and then back to Rifugio Auronzo.

We reached the base of the Tre Cime themselves at the Forcella Lavaredo, a point that Pope John Paul II reached and declared, “Non abbiate paura” (“Do not be afraid”). Those words really resonated with me, and keep running through my head. They are so fitting for such a magnificent view.

We made it back to Pragser Wildsee at 3:30 p.m., at which point we unsuccessfully tried to put Witten down for a nap and spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing. In our rush to finish the hike in the morning, we skipped lunch, but Witten was hungry so Kati, Witten, and I grabbed a quick bite to eat at a small bar/cafe that had really crummy food. Afterward, we had a few drinks at the hotel bar and explored the area a little bit more. We also got Witten an adorable traditional Austrian dress that she looks amazing in.

Because Witten refused to take a nap, we decided to put her down to bed early and stagger our dinners. Boy did Witten need the sleep, she went down almost immediately! My parents took the early dinner shift, starting at 7:00, and Kati and I switched with them around 8:15. Again, dinner was good, but left something to be desired. Kati started with a mushroom and vegetable crepe, followed by a pretty good ossobuco, while I had a basic tomato soup and then a dish of mixed seafood. We were supposed to have a mint sorbet for dessert, but they must have run out because they started bringing everyone a lemon sorbet, which was very tasty. By the time we made it back to the room, Kati and I were exhausted and passed out to prepare for another exciting day in the morning.