Hiking in the Dolomites – Introduction to via Ferrata
I crept along the narrow ledge, carefully choosing each step along the cliff face. Hundreds of feet below was a valley of jagged rock and certain death. My heartbeat quickened and my hands felt clammy but I was smiling, smiling as broadly as I had in a very long time. This seemingly foolhardy experience was a dream come true for me.
The Dolomites – A Hikers Paradise
I had arrived in the town of Cortina in northern Italy the previous day, planning to spend three days hiking in the spectacular Dolomite Mountains. Surrounded by walls of impressive peaks, Cortina was the ideal base for my hiking plans.
On my first morning in Cortina, I visited the local Alpine Guide Cortina office where I booked a place on a guided hike to one of the nearby mountains. Guide Cortina uses local guides to help people navigate the surrounding mountains and are brilliant at it. I’m introduced to Giovanni and Piero, our guides for the day. The tour had six people from Brazil, USA and UK. We split up into two groups and joined the guides in their car as we drove to the trailhead. Giovanni has been guiding for eighteen years and is also a ski instructor in winter.
“I read this area was a battlezone during the first world war,” I said to Giovanni, prompting him to explain more. “Yes, this is true. Italy and Austria fought a war in these mountains for many years during the war. The Italians built tunnels and large caves under the Austrian positions and filled the caves with explosives. They were actually trying to blow up entire mountains. The debris is still visible today from the blast, which removed part of the mountain.”
Lagazuoi and Kaiserjager Circuit
We arrived at Passo Falzarego, the trailhead for Lagazuoi, our mountain for the day. The start of the hike was a tough, steep ascent along a well-signed gravel trail. It wasn’t long before I had to remove my coat and beads of sweat trickled down my forehead. That was early September and apparently the best time to hike in the Dolomites.
As we got higher, the views were staggering and I couldn’t stop taking photos at every opportunity. At one point, Piero picked up what I thought was a small rock and tossed it to me. The weight told me it was metal. “This is part of a shell that exploded here during the war,” he explains. I found it amazing that remnants of the war can still be found so easily. Later, Giovanni bent down and picked up an old bullet casing he had found. Anywhere else, I would have suspected they had these items in their pockets to be “found” for their delighted clients but not here. The debris of a war fought over one hundred years ago was everywhere.
The White War in the Dolomites
As we hiked higher into the mountain, Giovanni pointed out barbed wire tangled with rocks, stone entrenchments and rock windows cut right into the mountain from within an elaborate cave system. Evidence of the terrible war was everywhere we looked. This was early September and yet large snow drifts two feet high lined the path. Frozen waterfalls dotted the cliff face. We were over 2,500 meters high and most of the surrounding peaks were over 3,000 meters. This was a high altitude tour.
Introduction to Via Ferrata in the Dolomites
We stopped at the bottom of a steep but narrow gorge running up the side of the mountain. It was lined with wooden logs to create a rough stairway. “Now it is time for the via ferrata,” declared Giovanni. Via ferrata means iron road in Italian and refers to the network of steel steps and cables that assist walkers and climbers across the Dolomites. Originally created to assist soldiers during the first world war, they can now be found in many countries but they were born in the Dolomites. I had been waiting to do this for twenty years, ever since seeing a magazine photo with a woman dangling on a via ferrata with some mountain village an impossibly far distance below. Now, I would have my chance. Via ferrata gear is simple; a harness goes around your waist with two short lines attached to clips. The clips are always attached to the steel rope and are designed to protect you in case you fall. Donning my rock helmet, we were ready to go.
Taking care with each step, I clip on, move up, clip off and clip back on. Slowly, we move higher up the gorge. At times, I stopped and realised I was on a narrow rock ledge, perched high above a very long drop. I loved it. It’s fun and exciting, the perfect mix of danger and safety. We crossed a wooden suspension bridge that added even more drama to the day. I looked at the others and everyone wore broad smiles – it was exhilarating.
Rifugios in the Dolomites
Another thirty minutes and we reached the top of Lagazuoi Piccolo, Little Lagazoui. At 2,800 meters there’s nothing piccolo about this peak and I got the feeling it must be some joke the local Italians created. Yet again, I’m left dumbfounded by the surrounding mountains and Alpine majesty of the Dolomites. It was a near religious experience for me, the beauty and mercilessness of those peaks invoked some deep emotions in me that I couldn’t explain.
Once we completed the obligatory photo at the top, we headed the short distance to Rifugio Lagazuoi, a mountain guesthouse with a restaurant and bar. This is also easily accessible via the cable car which is an option if you feel too tired for the return journey to the car park below.
Rifugios translate to mountain refuge and can be found all across the Dolomites. They range from very basic to luxury but all offer a place to sleep right in the heart of the mountains. We had a sandwich and coffee at Rifugio Lagazuoi, which also had many shell casings from the war on display.
Returning to the trail, it was time to make our return journey downhill. “The Austrian army was stationed here during the war,” said Giovanni as he panned his hand across the mountain top. “They controlled the pass below and like the Italians, dug many tunnels.” He pointed to the doorways and windows they dug into the mountain. “It is possible to go through these tunnels all the way to the bottom of the mountain but it is too icy inside and too dangerous.” I was disappointed as I had hoped to do just that. Large snowdrifts surrounded the path and the path was treacherously slippery in places. I tried to imagine what this place must be like in the middle of winter, with so much more snow, ice and bone-chilling winds. I then tried to imagine poorly clothed soldiers shooting and bombing each other in such terrain. I just couldn’t, I hadn’t the smallest idea of the suffering those soldiers on both sides endured. Fighting on top of mountains…madness. I later learned that more soldiers died there due to the extreme conditions than from enemy fire.
The remainder of the hike was downhill and easy, no via ferrara required. I was silent on the way down, thoughts of an incredible experience replaying in my mind. Those mountains had cast a spell on me and I knew there was no breaking it. I knew I would be back, there was no doubt in my mind. I was hooked and I wanted more.
Category: Italy
