In daily life my breakfast is just coffee with too much sugar, but calorie intake is important for hiking. Today I had yogurt with cereal and fruit, same for Jim plus a plateful of sliced meats and cheeses. (I eventually learned to load up on the proteins, too.) There was a phenomenal variety of fresh breads. No photos because I was too busy eating the ubiquitous, delicious croissants.
Waving goodbye to Fodara Vedla, we began our descent on a gravel road, until we figured out that the real path cut across the road multiple times. VERY steep, slow going with creaky knees but without bursting lungs. The sky was a bit overcast and the temperature was just right. Today’s hike is “only” 5 miles.
Back on the gravel road, other hikers were on the move up and down the trail, including two men carrying infants in their arms (suppress safety judgment). A young woman led a mule loaded down so heavily with supply bags that he swayed. I couldn’t help but feel a little sad for the beast of burden. He was a bit hard to control with people and occasional SUVs passing, and the woman was not amused as she coaxed him along.
The road changed to concrete with gravel, winding in serpentine curves down towards the U-shaped glacial valley called Val dai Tamersc. The curves reminded me of Walter’s Wiggles Trail at Zion National Park. Breathtaking view but watch your step! And I was glad not to be hiking up carrying a baby.
A steep road made of concrete and loose gravel means at some point someone is going to fall. I made a slight sideways step and, just like in the cartoons, both feet went out in front of me. I landed on my back, smacking my right elbow full force. No broken bones, fortunately, but impressive bruises the next day. Thank goodness for my stuffed-full backpack that “softened” the impact.
There is road access to Pederü with buses delivering mountain bikers and dayhikers (which explains those people carrying infants for a short hike to Fodara Vedla). Mountain biking is hugely popular, especially with e-bikes.
(We'll see them again today)
After the break, we crossed crystal clear Rio San Vigilio and faced the day’s uphill challenge ascending the far slope of Val dai Tamersc. Very steep UP, similar to yesterday but not nearly as long. There were many hikers of all types on this section, older folks, children, families.
The cloud cover did its work keeping the heat away. Going reasonably slow, my breathing was not labored, I didn’t get winded, and had no sore muscles from yesterday’s efforts.
the left-side gravel road is for mountain bikers
At the top of the main climb we stopped for another break and sat beside a family that started a conversation. They lived in Berlin and wondered why we would come so far from the US for hiking? We had an enjoyable conversation for a brief moment in time and did not see them again. Snapshots from the global hiking community lift my heart up!
On the plateau, scrubby evergreen trees and grass along the relatively flat trail. The last push to our home for the night was easy walking but looked like it might rain, so we hustled.
Rifugio Fanes is similar to Fodara Vedla, light wood from floor to ceiling and all furnishings, amazing views from every window, a large covered deck, an informal bar inside, a muti-room dining area. It also has a playground and saunas (reserve in advance).
When I booked our accommodations months in advance, only beds in a large bunk room were available. We were familiar with such setups from our Tour du Mont Blanc hike. Since we were the first to arrive, we chose our bunk bed carefully near the door, quick access to the bathrooms down the hall (Jim top bunk, me on the bottom).
I didn’t expect to shower today, but the early bird gets the hot water! I put on my hut clothes (i.e. clean) and we settled in at the inside bar with hot coffee, wifi scrolling, uploading photos to Facebook world and sending messages via WhatsApp to the kids.
Across the valley is Rifugio Lavarella, where friends Chris and Andy stayed on their AV1 adventure. This rifugio’s claim to fame is the highest microbrewery in the Dolomites. Before dinner, Jim and I strolled through the pasture, captivated by the robust creek that seemed to spread everywhere. We never made it inside the microbrewery.
At dinner we were seated at a table with two German couples (seems like everyone is from Germany today) but they were not interested in talking beyond commenting on the weather. On the menu: we started with barley soup, then salad, then Jim had a chicken dish and I had a chickpea patty with ratatouille and Tyrolean potatoes (round hash browns). Dessert was a light fruity cake with lots of clotted cream and almonds and cocoa powder – yum! One of our favorite meals on the trek.
As Jim and I prepared for bed, our bunkmates strolled in: the rowdy group of 20-something German guys we saw at breakfast – 9 guys, to be exact, hiking for 5 days on the AV1. They had made it to the Lavarella microbrewery. I had low expectations for a quiet night! But they were very mature, engaging, and conversed in English for us limited Americans to understand. The group’s informal leader started this tradition of an annual friends trek that his parents and grandfather used to do.
Tomorrow looks like good weather but a very challenging route. There are easy and hard options. If I had only known…
lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into
and above the clouds.”
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