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Friday, July 20, 2012

Hiking the Dolomites









On the road between Austria and Italy 
Not for your average hiker.......be prepared
As i get ready to visit my friends from Alta Badia (Northern Italy) i do a little research on the history of the area and i am getting exited to explore the Dolomites. I find out it has a many complex routes through the mountains called Via Ferrata ( Italian for Iron Road) as it was passages built during World War 1 with a series of ropes, ladders and wooden structures to help move the Italian Army through this mountain range. Going forward to modern times we have steel cables, iron ladders and metal rungs (stemples) which are anchored into the rock so we can enjoy our high altitude trekking. Also look for the route in the Eastern part of the Dolomites that includes the Lagazuoi Tunnel built during the great war that has been brought up to speck for safety as you wont be disappointed.  Now once your start your journey you can go for days and stay in Rifugis 
(mountain huts) which in a lot of ways will remind you of a Hostel, just bring your own sleeping bag for obvious reasons and your bedding plus meals will be provided for an affordable cost. (KeyTip...don't forget to bring your own snacks and personal hygiene items) Now to finish up, we are again dealing with nature so i use the line.....common sense isn't so common lol   Rule 1) Don't hike alone for safety reasons
2) Stay hydrated as your at 6,000ft, so you exhale & sweat 2x as much as if you were at sea level     3) Bring additional clothing as the weather can change in a hurry   4) Cell coverage is good in Italy so bring a phone and add the emergency #s for the area   5) Finally be aware of falling rocks and loose footing as your are in the mountains. Enjoy
Lagazuoi Tunnel

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