Monday, August 25, 2025

Alta Via 1: Trekking the Dolomites - Rifugio Passo Duran C. Tomé to Rifugio Pian de Fontana

Alta Via 1: Trekking the Dolomites
Day 8 – Rifugio Passo Duran C. Tomé to Rifugio Pian de Fontana
8/15/23 - 10.75 miles

On the edge of your seats, Dear Reader? Last night Jim and I agreed to go all the way to Rifugio Pian de Fontana today but…did we conquer the Forcella de Zita Sud? Or did we decide to exit the Alta Via 1 by another route?

I woke at 5:00 a.m. in the bunk room at Passo Duran C. Tomé, cozy in my pile of blankets. Um, did we leave our clothes hanging outside overnight? Are they still damp? Yes and yes. I put on my hiking pants, bra, shirt, got back into bed, and they dried just fine with my body heat. Now I could get back to my job of worrying about today’s hike.

Erin and Emily joined us for a simple breakfast, no meat or hot food, but always cake, yogurt in a big bowl, granola/muesli, cheese, bread and coffee. Jim and a hiker from Munich pored over the maps of today’s route and bailout points. It would be our longest mileage day (10.75 miles) but the weather looked very good, so the only thing that could stop us from getting all the way to Pian de Fontana was my case of nerves.

Tents popped up like mushrooms overnight beside the rifugio parking lot

Jim and I started ahead of Erin and Emily, walking on the paved road’s shoulderless curves

After a mile the AV1 turned onto the edge of a pasture. We greeted the resident cows and entered the woods of Parco Nazionale della Dolomiti Bellunesi. Between Malga Moschesin and Rifugio Pramparet is the bailout point. I had 6 miles to think about it.

The cool conifer forest and mossy rocks were soothing, like familiar ground high in the Great Smoky Mountains. The trail was quite steep. I saw daylight break through an open space and stopped to put on the first sunscreen layer of the day. Emily and Erin caught up, also lathered on sunscreen, and passed us.

The trail switchbacked to Forcella Dagarei, undulating in and out of tree cover and shadows of the high peaks. As the sun rose higher, the bright white exposed scree fields below Cime della Forzelete took all our concentration to stay on track. Views across the valley were stunning, a few wispy clouds, not hot yet but that would come soon enough.

Peaks of Castello di Moschesin

Let’s stop and look at these Campanula morettiana

At Malga Moschesin, a couple of buildings designated as emergency shelter
(and a convenient pee stop behind the building) 

A piped spring water trough at Malga Moschesin

The southern end of Castello di Moschesin

Ruins of an old military barracks

We pushed on to Forcella del Moschesin, an expansive grassy saddle where confusion reigned. One sign indicated straight to Rifugio Pramparet, which is on a side trail of the AV1. We should turn right here…we think? Another sign pointed left to Malga Pramper, a smaller accommodation that also serves food.

This is the bailout point descending to Forno di Zoldo at a paved road with bus service. If Jim and I take this path we’ll skip Forcella de Zita Sud and our hike ends today. Decision time: let’s keep going.

Our paper map and GAIA were not much help at this level of detail. Deciding that we were still on the AV1, not the turnoff to Rifugio Pramparet, we retraced our steps to the abandoned building we had seen and, sure enough, we had missed a turn. 

Cima de Pramper

A narrow track behind the old barracks building led straight up a moderate hill, switchbacked down and intersected another narrow track (no signage) and…we ran straight into Erin and Emily.

Whew, we were glad to see them! As we arrived at the true intersection to bypass Rifugo Pramparet, we got our bearings straight and talked (again) about Forcella di Zita Sud. Steve and Emily were ahead of everyone and they had all agreed to meet up and tackle the “knife edge” together. Psychological/emotional support was important for me and this kindness warmed my heart!

Our hiker bubble regrouped for the big push

I wanted Jim to stay extra close, which wasn’t easy with my slow pace going up, but he kept within sight and looked back often. My heart pounded, not just from physical exertion. I felt truly afraid and anxious for the unknown ahead, but I also trusted the people who were with me.

A pause for breath at a small saddle named Portela del Piazedel

Hmmm…clouds were forming and moving up towards us. The wind picked up and thunder rumbled. One of my fears was coming true, getting caught in a storm! But no time to worry or slow down: adrenaline pushed me up the mountain.

Faster, faster!

Emily and Erin quickly conquered the rock scramble, and Jim and I were close behind. Our hiker bubble waited for us and then it was a race to the top. We moved quickly across the “knife edge” without stopping.

It was all over in a couple of minutes. Jim and I looked wide-eyed at each other. After all our (my) angst and doubt, was that all there is to it?? The rock scramble was short and the "knife edge" was broad enough to feel safe. Many times we’ve navigated more dangerous terrain (looking at you, Mount Katahdin). Jim shrugged. “If we had not read the guidebooks we would have just said, ‘That was a bit tricky,’ and moved on instead of stressing about it all day.” As a feeling of relief flooded through me, we laughed at the buildup and took photos and laughed some more.

We made it!


Don’t look back...

The celebration was cut short because we were still in an exposed area. Time to quickly hustle down to Rifugio Pian de Fontana and congratulate ourselves there.

Val de Zita de Fora, a classic U-shaped glacier-carved valley

Ana and Carlos

Up and over that grassy saddle on the left

Somehow we missed the fine print description of the descent. This was not a leisurely saunter down the valley. Stats for this knee-quaking downhill: distance from Zita Sud to the rifugio was 3.5 kilometers, elevation loss was 2,530 feet, took us over 2 hours. Everyone quickly moved ahead except Jim and me and Erin. (She said she was content going at a slower pace, or was she just keeping an eye on us?) 

Long stretches of slippery scree slowed our progress to a crawl. Jim fell once and I fell two times, flat on my back. Erin deadpanned, “Don’t make me do medicine today, guys.”

We descended over a pronounced lip-type rock edge and saw that we were on a sheep track in grassy, rutted pastures. We passed a sign that warned, “Hey, it’s gonna get steep now, y’all!” as though we were just skipping along until then. There were cable assists in all the wrong places. 

That speck in the center is Rifugio Pian de Fontana, miles away from any road
There is a helipad for emergencies

Perched on the precipitous edge of a lush hanging valley, the rifigio consists of four stone buildings and a couple of small wooden storage buildings. The kitchen/dining room is the largest, plus three stone bunkhouses. Generator electricity, no wifi, cash only, simple but ample food, and plenty of soft drinks, beer and grappa (which we sampled after dinner.) This rustic gem was our favorite of our Alta Via 1 adventure.

Our bunkhouse on the hill

Our stone building is quite old, one room with 5 bunk beds, a loft with 3 beds, one bathroom and a cold water shower. I chose the bottom bunk near the window, Jim above. Poor guy, his bunk was precarious, the supporting slats/boards kept popping out, and a too-thin mattress. He did not have a good night’s rest.

Cozy up in here 

Since there are no roads to the rifugio, supplies are lifted up via a dedicated cable car. The owner told me she walks down to town to place her order and sometimes rides back up to the rifugio with the supplies. (Say what???)

We all crowded around the picnic tables on the deck to celebrate the summit and complain about the punishing descent. Euphoria washed over everyone. There was still one more day to hike, but the hard part was literally behind us! After a while I grew tired of the chatter and found a place by the bunkhouses to sit on the grass and write. I hadn’t had many quiet moments like this during hike days.

Excerpt from my trail journal: “I’m sitting on the grassy slope behind the kitchen/dining room building of Rifugio Pian de Fontana. Smoke is rising from a stove pipe in the roof as dinner is being prepared. Most hikers, including our bubble, are toasting to surviving the day. A few, like me, are enjoying a quiet moment unwinding. We are surrounded by granite peaks, most with spotty patches of conifers/trees, and as far as I can see down the valley to the left there are no signs of humans. The sun is going down behind me. Didn’t think I would actually be here. Surreal.”


At dinner, Jim and I sat with a young Italian couple who were out for a few days climbing via ferrata routes and an older-than-us Australian couple who had hiked the TMB just prior to the AV1. (“Practice,” they said.) The gregarious Italians gave us food tips on what to eat when we move on to Florence and Rome after our hike. (A lampredotto sandwich, the fourth stomach of a cow, is a street food delicacy that Jim indulged in Florence.)

At the end of the meal, Jim wanted to try some grappa. The Australians bowed out, but the Italian couple was eager to teach us. We invited the the young man serving to join in.

An iconic photo and memory of this day, higher than high up in the Italian Dolomites,
where everyone around the table is a friend

“Getting to the top is optional. Getting down is mandatory.”
 ~Ed Viesturs








Sunday, August 3, 2025

Alta Via 1: Trekking the Dolomites - Rifugio Vazzoler to Rifugio Passo Duran C. Tomé


Alta Via 1: Trekking the Dolomites
Day 7 – Rifugio Vazzoler to Rifugio Passo Duran C. Tomé
8/14/23 - 7.8 miles

Not as many photos today as Jim and I spent most of our time eyes-on-our-footing navigating over boulder fields and slippery climbs. The shorter distance took some of the mental pressure off, but our guidebooks still considered the route to be challenging. Yet another outstanding day on the Alta Via 1.

We set out from Rifugio Vazzoler in the chilly early morning. The sun was just beginning to peek over the eastern peaks, spotlighting Torre Venezia. All else dozed in deep shadow. As we walked down the gravel road, we got into a deep conversation about being able to look at a mountain for hours, what is it about nature that fascinates, how can we spend more time outside for our mental health? We tabled the discussion in favor of enjoying the moment.

A transparent stream crossing

The AV1 turned off the gravel road onto Trail #554 and our big climb of the day to Forcella Col dell’Orso commenced, alternating between deep forest – felt so good to walk on dirt! – and scree/boulder fields with cairns to mark the way.

Torre Venezia and her sisterhood of Civetta peaks in full sun


We enjoyed the shade for a while longer. Now that we’re at lower altitude, the sun will be pretty hot when it reaches us.

Our sights were set on the forcella…but to our dismay, the high point we were heading to was false. At the turn we saw the “real” pass still far away. Boulder fields became harder to navigate as the trail contoured around the flanks of the Moiazza mountain range. Blazes and cairns were scarce as we crept carefully over and around large boulders. 

The last pitch was crazy steep, loose slippery scree, taking all my concentration. A man appeared at the top of the section and proceeded to barrel his way down. I yelled and waved my hands for him to wait until I reached the top. There was no safe way for him to pass me and I was unwilling to step aside or stop. (Seriously? Rant over).

After the final short, steep, exposed scramble, the forcella was not a place to stand and celebrate. Unlike other passes we’ve encountered, this was simply a very narrow low point bridged by tree roots…yes, tree roots. 

Forcella Col dell’Orso

Once we were on stable ground we gasped at the view

Repeat, repeat, repeat: the trail passed through dwarf pines and soft dirt and open boulder fields at the feet of towering splinters of rock overlooking Busa del Camp far below. Then out of nowhere we reached the edge of a pasture valley and the ruins of Casera del Camp. Woohoo! We’re close to Forcella del Camp.

An extended break was called for (eat, drink, breathe, pee, sunscreen, adjust backpacks). Looking across the valley, I was enamored by the scene: a tree-covered slope with a sheer rock face on the left side and a tiny dairy farm at the edge of the valley. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if that was our rifugio for tonight? But miles to go before we sleep.

Forcella del Camp was an easy traverse between Busa del Camp and Val del Cantoi, followed by a blessed downhill stretch, still mostly rocks and some exposed areas. Rifugio Carestiato (our lunch stop) was about an hour away.

We felt we were “nearly there” when the GPS took us off the wide track to a narrow track through dwarf pine woods – good shade, but are we climbing again? Where did the trail markers go? Does the GPS say we are on track? Is this a shortcut to Rifugio Carestiato? Shorter distance does not mean shorter time if it is steep. Jim and I were not amused.

Suddenly we popped out of the trees beside the deck of the rifugio. This was the correct way after all! The deck was packed with people.

Rifugio Carestiato

Ana and Carlos were at a table by the deck. They’re staying there tonight but have to wait until 3:00 pm to check in. (Steve and Emily are also staying here.) We squeezed in with them and ordered a Coke for Jim, a Fanta for me, and two sandwiches, but I had little appetite. Cheese and ham on dry bread is sometimes literally hard to swallow.

Again I brought up the subject of the “knife edge” coming up tomorrow, weighing heavily on my mind. Ana and Carlos didn’t know anything about it either, but we figured we would all find out.

Our rifugio for the night – Passo Duran C Tomé – was 45 minutes further, part rugged road and part deep dirt track. During our planning, I was confused by the name but eventually understood that Passo Duran is the mountain pass and C (Cesare) Tomé is the rifugio. It sits by a paved road and is a favorite of motorcyclists and other travelers. The main floor is a café and the floor beneath is for overnight guests, two rooms with a total of 16 bunk beds.

Passo Duran C Tomé

We were early, the cafe was very busy, and the young manager, Mark, was not ready to check us in. We strolled over to Rifugio Sebastiano next door, hoping they had good wifi. (They did not.) We cooled our heels, wet our whistles and shared a strudel.

Mark eventually showed us the bunkrooms and the one shower that had unlimited free hot water – yay! We were keen to take showers before other hikers rolled in. Jim went first and screamed…no hot water. He finally withstood the cold to get clean. My turn: I tried, managed only to lean over and get my hair wet, the water so cold it hurt my scalp. When something sounds too good to be true… 

Bunks (no shower photos)

We hand washed clothes and hung them out in the sun to dry.

Emily and Erin soon arrived. We hadn’t seen them all day. They took cold showers and the four of us settled on the deck to let our hair dry and have adult beverages. As we were hanging out, a propane gas truck pulled up. 


The building had run out of fuel, no cooking, no hot water

Our toughest day yet coming up, then one more, then we're done. Lawd have mercy! 
Chin chin!

“The hardest mountain to climb is the one within.”
~J. Lynn