Tuesday, April 22, 2025

Alta Via 1: Trekking the Dolomites - Rifugio Fodara Vedla to Rifugio Fanes

Alta Via 1: Trekking the Dolomites
Day 2 – Rifugio Fodara Vedla to Rifugio Fanes
8/9/23 5.25 Miles

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. 

Are we ready? Jim says let’s go!

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.

Dolomite cliffs peeking through larch trees

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.

This girl does not know she’s about to slip

Rifugio Pederü sits in the valley, dwarfed by Cima Forca di Ferro looming above at 8,314 feet

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. 

Coffee break

A jolly bunch of young German guys were already enjoying post-breakfast beers at Pederü
(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 right-side path cutting across the slope is for hikers,
the left-side gravel road is for mountain bikers

The path looks narrow up ahead, but it’s about five feet wide (at least that’s what I told myself)

Looking down at cascading Rio San Vigilio

Remember to stop and look around

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.

Almost there!

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). 

We arrived at 12:30pm and sat outside, trying to stay awake until lunch arrived 

View from the covered deck

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). 

Our bunk bed on the near right

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.

An August night cold enough for puffy jackets

Rifugio Lavarella

Everything was so darned postcard perfect

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…

Chin chin!

“May your trails be crooked, winding,
 lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. 
May your mountains rise into
 and above the clouds.”
~ Edward Abbey


Saturday, April 5, 2025

Alta Via 1: Trekking the Dolomites - Lago di Braies to Rifugio Fodara Vedla

Alta Via 1: Trekking the Dolomites
Day 1 - Lago de Braies to Rifugio Fodara Vedla
8/8/23 - 8 miles

This morning’s pre-hike jitters on a scale of 1 to 10: about 15. It’s the same for every multi-day hike I’ve ever endeavored…and they all turned out okay, so this must be a good sign.

After loading up on the generous hotel breakfast, Jim and I hurried to the bus stop for our final ride to the Alta Via 1 starting point. At 7:30 a.m., we were the first people there (no tickets, first come, first served). Local Bus 442 filled up and we were on our way.

Lago di Braies (Pragser Wildsee in German) is an enchanting, picture-postcard destination. There’s a fancy resort hotel and crystal clear reflections in the serene alpine lake, which of course is encircled by a meandering 2.5-mile trail. August is holiday month in Europe and the resort was quite busy. Oh, look, they’re still serving brunch - could we just hang out here?

The first signpost is a reminder that the Alta Via 1 is a route through the Dolomites on existing trails. Red-and-white markings are common for many routes in Europe and the key is the trail number. Jim and I started our trek on #1 and our first waypoint was Rifugio Biella, a 3-hour hike (notice no distances listed). I was pretty sure this bit was gonna be more than 3 hours.

The gentle warmup quickly turned away from the lakeshore onto a broad path
headed towards the mountains.

Our friends Chris and Andy hiked the AV1 a few weeks earlier and told us about their adventure. Chris’s description of this “brutal” first day had me quite worried. They had a later morning start, nearly 3,000 feet of elevation gain in just 3.5km, a hot day above tree line, each factor adding to the difficulty. With all this in mind, I lowered my expectations to a long hard slog at 1mph or less.

Fortunately, Jim and I had an earlier start (more shade) and 37 degrees F, which made a world of difference. Still, the hike up to the pass Forcella Sora Forno was intense. I stuck to my 1mph plan, stopping often to look back, take photos, breathe and marvel. We’re really here!

Views down at Lago di Braies, backed by green mountains and massive slopes
of talus/scree/rock pounded by time

Still looking back, Lago di Braies just outside the left side of the photo
Grande Apostolo dominates the scene

A sturdy (?) staircase with a helpful cable handrail

Up ahead, rounded rocky mountain tops and severe triangle points. Near the middle of the photo below, you can faintly see the trail on the scree slope. The big rock hump is a tiny bit of Croda del Beco. The deep notch to its left is where we are headed – Forcella Sora Forno – then continue around the back side.

As we climbed higher, the grade got steeper. Above the tree line, talus and scree (I’ll call it rubble) was crazy slippery, so I was extra careful. I mean, I was s-l-o-w! Jim was great about staying within sight.

Cable assists – would you want to walk up this crack in the rock without something to hold onto?
Don’t look down!

Hikers moving up slow and steady on the last push to Forcella Sora Forno

Looking back from the pass: stunning. How fortunate we are to be in this place!

There was a brief unexpected climb beyond the pass (I hate when that happens) but I kept my turtle pace and pushed on. The reward was the Bovine Welcome Committee.

Around the back side, looking down at Grande Apostolo’s green slope
and our zigzag up through the valley

A short steep descent to rustic, old fashioned Rifugio Biella

I had tried to book accommodations here to make our first day short, but without success. Having met our first big challenge (in 3.75 hours, not bad after all), it was time for a break. We went inside the rifugio looking for water. A sign was posted “nonpotable water” (there was bottled water for sale) but the toilets were not working because no water – ugh! Glad we weren’t staying here after all. Lesson: don’t be shy about peeing behind a rock.

We were carrying snacks, as always, but the idea of a meat/cheese sandwich appealed to Jim. I had other ideas. How about strudel with ice cream and a Fanta Orange?

Leaving Biella behind, we followed mountain bikers on a jeep track along
the southeast face of Croda del Beco

All signs point to the next rifugios on different route numbers, so be sure you know where
you want to go. Our next waypoint on 6A is Rifugio Sennes, 3km/40 minutes

This section was chill, a pleasant walk through grassy boulder fields

Entering Parco Naturale Delle Dolomiti D'Ampezzo, similar to our national forests
that border each other

Rifugio Sennes

More modern than Biella – the beer was flowing and so were the toilets! Hikers and mountain bikers were scattered everywhere, people lying in the grass, filling every seat at the outdoor bar area, sharing beers and stories and enjoying the exceptionally fine weather. I didn’t begrudge them the frat party atmosphere. (I had also tried to book accommodations here, but they were full.) Jim and I stopped to use the toilets and look over our maps, then moved on.

The last leg of our first day was another 3km to Rifugio Fodara Vedla. Leaving Sennes, we crossed the main road in the photo above and took Route 7, a less-traveled trail descending down through the forest to a small, secluded valley.

Rifugio Fodara Vedla

Fodara Vedla has an adults/family resort vibe, pricey but our only choice after striking out with the two rifugios we had passed. With its inviting outdoor deck, Tyrolean décor, huge dining room and bar, we were impressed and ready for some comfort.

We checked into our private room with a private bath and shower and this amazing view
from our balcony. Heaven!

After dropping our gear, we went back outside to enjoy the feeling of NOT hiking. Jim had a beer and, since ciders are scarce, my new standard celebratory beverage is an Aperol spritz. Such an immense feeling of relief/release – the anticipation of the first day is over and we are doing this!  

Cheers to a GREAT DAY in the DOLOMITES!

Next, showers and clean clothes were in order before dinner at 7pm. While Jim was getting ready, I stepped onto our balcony. I noticed we shared the balcony with the adjacent room and its door was open. Suddenly, a man stepped out onto the deck in his underwear! As we exchanged hellos and what-a-nice-day-it-is, his grown son joined us, wearing boxer shorts. Next, another adult son emerged (fully clothed) to join the conversation. A lovely family from Germany, riding mountain bikes in the Dolomites for 5 days. One of the charms of multi-day adventuring is encounters with fellow travelers (clothed or not…)

Fodara Vedla, our balcony at top right

 Distance hiked: 8 miles/13km  Elevation gain: 3,060 ft

"The difference between try
and triumph is a little umph."
 Author Unknown