The ski touring season has begun and so we sent three of our ski slaves to one of the most beautiful areas in the Alps, the Dolomites, in conditions that were still a little poor. They traversed the Dolomites in five days and, with the best will in the world, didn't choose the easiest route. Here's a little foretaste before the depths of winter finally come to an end and give way to spring with better touring conditions.
Alta Badia, Sellaronda, Kronplatz or Cortina d'Ampezzo... - these are the names that first spring to mind when you think of the snow-covered Dolomites. But at the beginning of March, we were able to experience for ourselves that the Dolomites have a completely different, much more pristine and very lonely side. We crossed these rugged limestone giants with their gentle alpine pastures and endless plateaus in five days with daily stages of between 1000 and 1700 meters in altitude from west to east, from Sas Rigais to the Three Peaks, from Vilnöss to Sexten...
A few years ago, Stefan Herbke described his self-planned tour with the following words: "Scenic highlights non-stop, rewarding summits, great descents and a logical route where you only touch the valleys briefly and then climb straight back up on the other side without any major detours" This has been engraved in our minds and what better time to tackle this tour than in 2009, when South Tyrol was blessed with huge amounts of snow. Particularly pleasant, perhaps even a little luxurious, is the fact that you descend into the valley every day, where lovely and affordable accommodation with half board awaits you. Not only does this lighten your backpack immensely, you also get to enjoy South Tyrolean cuisine and get to know the exceptionally warm-hearted inhabitants of this German-speaking province in northern Italy.
Golfing in the Dolomites in winter!
Well, not quite? To be precise, it was almost spring. To be a little more precise, the "Golfen" was also just a pre-summit of the Toblacher Hochhorn, which we chose to get in the mood for the following five days in the Dolomites, check the snow conditions and test our fitness. After just a few hours, this warm-up, accompanied by the best views of the Dolomites, was successfully completed and in the afternoon we finally made all the important preparations for the upcoming tour. This meant checking the avalanche report again - which is only published three times a week in South Tyrol - and parking a car in Sesto, our destination. We decided to spend the night in the car, cosy and inexpensive. Still a little excited and full of expectations, we finally fell asleep before another few centimetres of fresh snow fell during the night.
Day one | start of the tour
The first stage of the day leads from the last end of the Villnöss valley, the Zanser Alm (1685 m) up to the Zendleser Kofel (2422 m) in the constant sight of the Sas Rigais and Furchetta. The route now descends along the ridge to the north-east into the hollow to approx. 2300 m. If you still haven't had enough, you can make a detour from here to the Kleine Peitlerkofel (2813 m) to enjoy the fantastic view from there and get a taste of the days to come. However, the snow conditions should be safe for this. Now down to Misci/Campill (1530 m) to the Speckstube. There are no shops in Misci.
5-6 h
After a rather cold night in the car, we were woken up by the first rays of sunshine and blue skies. Wrapped up in down jackets, we equipped our skis with skins, switched on our avalanche transceivers and set off, still a little stiff from the cold. Our first summit of the day: the Zendleser Kofel. Warming rays of sunshine, but an icy wind and the fascinating view of the north faces of Sas Rigais and Furchetta accompanied us on our way. The panorama from the summit gave us a first taste of the scenic impressions that we were to soak up over the coming days.
After a somewhat windy snack in the shelter of a bouldering block, we tackled the second summit - the Kleiner Peitlerkofel. However, the ascent in its south-facing gully required us to pay attention to the right choice of route and challenged our stamina for the first time. But even here, the view of rugged rock faces and huge walls made us forget all the exertions of the ascent. The heavily blown but compact snow cover made the descent a little rough but very safe! We finally reached our first destination for the day with smiles on our faces as we were bathed in sunshine. In the valley, we immediately found our sleeping accommodation for the first night. We had no idea to what extent our accommodation would turn out to be a land of milk and honey that we can only recommend: the Speckstuben. Just this much: I had somehow missed the fact that pasta is an appetizer in Italy. And so I was speechless when a large plate of spaghetti bolognese was followed by half a pork knuckle. Well, we certainly had the necessary bedtime energy for that night?
Day two | "Where is it supposed to go through here?"
From Misci (1530 m) through the Zwischenkofeltal valley, which seems to end in a basin of steep rock faces with no way out. Only after approaching closer does a small saddle become visible - the Puezscharte. However, this can be an unavoidable obstacle in poor snow conditions, so in the worst case scenario you may have to turn around and take the bus around the day's stage!
The Puezscharte leads to a plateau and now offers a number of options. The most rewarding is probably the Puezspitze (2918 m) - safe snow conditions are also required. The view from the summit is incomparable and almost the entire Western Dolomites spread out before you.
However, if you've had enough after the Puezscharte, you can set off straight away to cross the plateau to the south-east and ski down into the Edelweiss Valley, where you can touch the slopes of Colfosco on the last few meters. Continue by bus to La Villa. Here it is best to look for accommodation on the eastern edge of the village (Suracinias) - early booking recommended.
6-8 h
After a hearty breakfast, we strapped on our skis and set off on our second day's stage towards the Puez peak. The trail leads through the untouched Zwischenkofel valley, surrounded by the rugged mountain giants. However, there was one small obstacle: the Puezscharte, a narrow and steep gully that opened up before our eyes in this lonely mountain world. We had to be careful and so we conquered it one by one, armed with crampons. For me, the ascent also turned out to be a little hairpin training, which I was able to make good use of over the next few days. Once I reached the top and caught my breath, I was in danger of losing it again. Wow - a vast and lonely plateau opened up before my eyes, with the impressive facades of the Sassolungo and the Sella group in the background. Sorry, guys. You're welcome to run up the Puez peak. I'll just sit here, enjoy this unique view and let the sun tickle me... In the evening, however, I regretted not applying a second layer of sun cream...
Once again, the hard and blown snow conditions gave us a rodeo ride into the valley, but with all the safer avalanche conditions, as this descent had some steep turns. We covered the last few meters on the flat slopes of the Val Badia ski area and gave our burning soles a little breather. Once we arrived in La Villa, we found spartan but comfortable accommodation and (once again) went to bed very early that evening
Day three | Hut magic
Depending on the snow conditions, it's almost worth taking a cab for the first few meters. From La Villa (1450 m) you climb up to the Lavarella saddle (2533 m). Once there, another seemingly endless plateau awaits, as well as various options for summit destinations. The most rewarding is probably the Heiligkreuzkofel, which is not quite 3000 meters high. This is in no way inferior to its neighbor, the Zehnerkofel, especially because the "Zehner" with its 3000 meters of altitude difference attracts huge numbers of summiteers every day. The destination for this stage is the Lavarella hut (2050 m altitude - tel.: 0039/0474/50 10 79, www.lavarella.it). This is where a little of the Austrian-South Tyrolean ski tourism in the mountains can be found, although there is no comparison to the large ski resorts.
After an initially seemingly disorientating walk through the noble ski village of La Villa, we strapped on our skis a short time later to tackle the winter hiking trail in the direction of the Lavarella hut and the saddle of the same name. Strong icy winds threatened to throw me off balance again and again as I made my hairpin bends towards the summit. Snow conditions pressed down by the wind, peppered with accumulations of drifting snow, demanded my full concentration and coordination. All hail the crampons - what would I have done without them? After what seemed like an eternity, with the wind constantly whipping in our faces and our fingers freezing cold, we reached the ridge. But not for long - it was pretty uncomfortable up there. While endurance bomb Michi quickly preferred the summit option, we set off on the odyssey towards the LaVarella hut. The next seemingly endless plateau took our breath away - in two ways: on the one hand, it gave us fantastic views, on the other hand, it seemed never-ending and orientation was not easy at all. Unexpected rockfalls turned this area into a "minefield".
But when I later took a sip of my shandy and a forkful of my apple strudel at the Lavarella hut, it was all somehow quickly forgotten?
We rounded off this exciting day with polenta, pasta and bacon dumplings and made ourselves comfortable in our hut sleeping bags.
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Day four | The key section
This stage can be described as the key section of the entire tour. Because if the snow conditions here are unsafe, you will clearly have to find a detour to this route - but that shouldn't be a problem. It's also worth starting early!
From the Lavarella hut, it's a leisurely descent on the winter hiking trail below the Ciaminscharte, which is not only steep (40°) and long - it doesn't offer a single safe place to rest. From the saddle (2395 m), a next "gateway" opens up to the north-east. The next 100 m in altitude demand absolute caution before you can now enjoy the most beautiful descent of the entire tour through the Grantal valley, which leads to the Vodera-Vedla (1966 m) hut. Now you have to climb another 100 m eastwards across a plateau, down to the Rif. Ra Stua (1688 m) and back up to the Lerosascharte (2020 m). Here a further ascent to a nameless hill (2302 m) is recommended. Not only because of the scenic attractions, but especially because of the descent.
For those who still have enough energy left in their legs, the final battle against fatigue in the Colfiegoscharte (2721 m) is highly recommended. This offers another incomparably racy descent.
In any case, descend to Gemärk and continue by bus. However, if the journey to Dobbiaco seems too long, you should look for accommodation in Misurina early on. Otherwise, there is no way around a detour to Dobbiaco to find a place to stay overnight.
5:30-7 h
Caution was the order of the day. The view up into the Ciamin ridge instilled us with great respect. Its steepness, ruggedness and uncertain snow conditions made us proceed with great caution. And so we played it safe on the ascent - we climbed the almost 500 m individually! During the ascent, we were relieved at this point too, as the snow conditions proved to be quite safe. Once again, we benefited from the packed snow. Arriving at the Ciamin saddle, I almost tripped over my own legs because I was so amazed that I got my crampons caught in each other. The eastern Dolomites presented themselves to us in their true size and ruggedness in the most beautiful weather, the deeply incised valleys, the lonely atmosphere at these heights was breathtaking. The last gully out to the next saddle to the north-east turned out to be a challenging balancing act, but one that could be accomplished with a great deal of concentration and attention. The reward was that I felt like I was the greatest mountaineer of all time (sorry, Reinhard? - er, Reinhold?!?). On the descent down to the Fodera-Vedla hut, we found a huge potential of untouched powder turns and an incomparably playful terrain in which we could let off steam. This was probably the most beautiful descent. After a hearty snack, we headed towards our penultimate stage destination. On the last few meters of altitude towards the Lerosascharte, each of us felt the fatigue of the last few days in our legs and the sun grilled us mercilessly. Nevertheless, we reached the saddle and even decided to climb another 300 meters to have a more beautiful descent. Finally, finally, it was time to take off the skins for the day - and just let it go.
On the bus towards Schluderbach, my eyes kept threatening to close and I only wanted one thing: to get out of these touring boots, which by now had taken on the smell of expired mountain cheese. However, it would be many hours before I was freed, as Schluderbach turned out to have no place to sleep. And so we had the honor of being taken to Toblach by an Italian celebrity in the form of a successful middle-distance runner who was completing his training session today on cross-country skis. A short time later, we found ourselves sitting in ski boots and eating delicious pizza in a restaurant, not exactly smelling pleasant. I checked: it was shortly after 8pm when I was finally able to take off my ski boots, which had apparently become a part of me. It must have been less than five minutes later when my eyes finally closed?
Day five | Under the spell of the Three Peaks
The last stage not only offers one of the most impressive views of the north faces of the Three Peaks. Everything is on offer here once again. Depending on your condition and remaining fitness, day five can be adapted to suit all requirements without missing out on the magnificence of this area. However, there is one more delicacy to mention here: If you climb up from the south between the western and large peaks, you can also ski down the north side through a narrow gully!
Past the Drei Zinnen Hütte (2405 m), you finally descend via a wonderful descent into the Bachental valley to Bad Moos/Sexten (1360 m). There are regular buses back to Pusterta if you haven't parked a car here.
4-8h
Getting up on our final day was really hard. My legs just didn't want to do it anymore. Only the view of the most famous highlight of our tour, namely the circumnavigation of the Three Peaks, gave me the last bit of strength and made my legs march. After an entertaining drive up towards the Auronzo hut, during which our friendly Italian driver kept emphasizing the huge amounts of snow that hadn't fallen for around 30 years, we climbed up one last time. The spectacular and breathtaking view of the Three Peaks towering above us was a welcome distraction from the pain in my calves. When we finally reached the top, the passionate climbers Michi and Olav went into raptures about the route potential of these walls. "See you again in summer!"
Interestingly, we were the only ski tourers on this Sunday in what is probably the most breathtaking spot in the Dolomites. Just watching the giants and well-saturated from the many impressions, we made our way to the Sexten valley - having lost some of our skiing elegance and ease over the last few days. Ignoring the biting pain in my thighs one last time on the absolute downswing, I just managed a tired but happy smile for the camera. I can only vaguely remember the ride out of the Sexten valley and back to Toblach. I only really came to my senses over a latte macchiato and a slice of cream cheese cake.
Well, it seems to me that I'm only really processing the many wonderful and unique impressions of this week in the Dolomites as I write these lines. We worked ourselves to the bone, we stank, we were exhausted and at the end of our tether, the descents were mostly fun-free and the wind whipped us while the sun burned our skin mercilessly. Instead, we discovered the originality and solitude of the Dolomites in such a touristy Alpine region, felt the friendliness of the locals and enjoyed the fine delicacies. And at this point, pride and happiness spread through me.
Map material:
Tobacco Topographic Maps 1 : 25 000
030 Brixen / Vilnöss
07 Alta Badia
03 Cartina d?Ampezzo
010 Sesto Dolomites
Ski touring guide:
Rother ski guide
Val Pusteria (2004; Rudolf and Sigrun Weiss)
Dolomites (2005; Stefan Herbke)
Best time of year:
March/ April
Bus timetables:
South Tyrol information:
0039 0471 99 99 99 - www.suedtirol.info
Requirements:
A challenging crossing with some long daily stages, which definitely has the potential to become a classic - a "Haute Route Dolomiti".
A good sense of direction is required on this crossing and hairpin bends in steep terrain should be well mastered. A good 1000 vertical meters are part of the daily program and place high demands on endurance.
Crampons are a must in any case, as well as crampons in bad conditions. You can leave the ice axe, rope and harness at home with a clear conscience.
Avalanche equipment and appropriate knowledge go without saying.
Text: Hanna Finkel, Olav Schmid
