ON THE SLIPPERY SLOPE…A DOLOMITES ADVENTURE

Vacationing in the Alps is one of my favorite activities, and hiking the Dolomiti is a dream finally come true. I had just a few hours to decide whether I should heed the last-minute call to go to this absolutely wondrous region. The rest of the hurried preparations is a blur, only to be recalled in bits and pieces. Having very little experience with solo travel, I had no real clue what I would be doing once I landed at the airport, or, how I would transport myself and my huge suitcase (you see, I don’t travel light) from the airport to the hotel in Venice where I would be staying until the actual hike started. Fortunately, the arrangements were very well planned out and I had good company throughout, on the city tours as well as on the trek.

In Venice, one pleasant surprise was a baggage handler with a hand cart who suddenly materialized beside me and for a pittance, led us (me and my luggage) in the sweltering sun safely up and down numerous stone stairs, past numerous ice cream shops, past numerous waterways to Casa Caburlotto, a delightful hotel tucked away from the bustle of the main street (highly recommend this place to stay at in Venice; very clean and quiet, and religious, with a curfew!). Venice needs at least 3-4 days to enjoy, but I had only two, so had to make the most of it. Coasting on the waterways in a gondola is an over-rated past-time I feel, time better spent walking the numerous bridges over the waterways and gawking at the ones in the gondolas.

The actual trek started with a bus transfer from Cortina d’Ampezzo, past gorgeous views of the mountains. The itinerary highlights the major points covered. The trek over seven days was not hard at all. The Dolomiti are made of a sedimentary carbonate rock, limestone, which do get slippery when wet. We were blessed with great weather for most of the days. There were some steep drop-off points in a few areas but nothing heart-poundingly steep or treacherous. The knowledgeable French guide made sure EVERYONE stayed safe. A few things from the trek stand out startlingly clear. Luggage: Pack light, only the essentials. The mule accompanying the trek (itself on or off another vehicle) “refused” to carry any ounce above 7 kg, per hiker!

Accommodations: Clean bunk beds. Hot pre-paid showers daily, each lasting a full two minutes. One will come to know the value of time! Meals: I gained weight with all the delicious hot food served at breakfast and dinner. Palatable or delicious (subjective view) lunch was prepared by the guide at convenient rest stops, we just needed to help carry the food items every day. In addition, there were cafes with delicious pastries along the way. Trek: The trails were along gorgeous landscapes, strikingly stark at times with scree but just plain beautiful. There were up mountain passes and down deep valleys. The pace was moderate, I never felt rushed, except when overwhelmed by the first full view of Tre Cime. A sight to remember…

I did not want this trek to end and was sorely disappointed when end it did and I had to face the reality of returning to where I came from. I would love to hike the Dolomites again, another region perhaps?