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Feast your senses The Alta Via 1 is the classic Dolomite’s most classic trail, bringing the peaks within arm’s reach as you hike between homely refugios and visit historic war-time fortifications.

Story by Andrea Oschetti

GATEWAY BETWEEN WORLDS Lago di Braies, the mythical entrance to the underworld of the Fanes, and trailhead of the Alta Via 1.

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THE HELICOPTER CLAMBERS INTO THE of rock. There, my childhood self is still running sections of the route per day. Most printed guides sky and reveals the quiet dance of wild peaks. barefoot in the grass and throwing snowballs on to the Alta Via call for moderation. Though the Sheer limestone walls, treasured by climbers, jut frosty winter mornings. distances appear short on paper, the terrain is heavenward. Their faces now blush the gentlest As a boy, I was a restless explorer. I have not rugged and there are a few tricky pitches. pink in late sun, stretched skyward, immovable shaken the habit entirely, but age has refined me. I aim towards Rifugio Biella, the end of the and solemn. I am elated as we rush past sights After returning to Earth, I check into Hotel Ciasa first section in most guides. The trail immediately rich with memories and associations. The Salares in the village of San Cassiano. I rush to turns uphill, some 700 metres of elevation mountain: site of the Dolomite’s last the sauna, to be enveloped in the light aroma of gain. From Braies’ turquoise waters, I climb up glacier and the name of the street on which I grew the wood. The aromatics on the hot stones open through pine forest and soon arrive at a lunar up. Passo Giau, the location of many epic battles memory’s furthest reaches, the cold mountain landscape beyond. in cycling’s Giro d’Italia. The green fields of Alta water balances the smouldering heat, and the The ’ dramatic geology is unique: Badia, long my favourite valley in the Dolomites herbal tea has just the right notes. I am enveloped the home of dolomite rock. The rarity of the ores for adventure and gastronomy. in Nature. found in these peaks is echoed in the gastronomy In a few days I will be scurrying through in the region’s mountain huts. Quite often, such these mountainscapes on foot on the famous STAGE 1: HIGH AMBITIONS refuges are spartan places devoid of pleasure. 150-kilometre Alta Via 1. This is the original The trailhead to Alta Via 1, the High Way to the Here they are temples to good food, wine and high-level route through the Dolomites of mountains, is on Lago di Braies, a fairytale lake hospitality. I stop for tea and strudel, a typical northeastern Italy, one that spices its scenic feasts said to be the location of a gate to the underworld dessert of the Alto , or . with historic and culinary treats. of the Fanes, legendary mountain dwellers. This I resume walking until I reach the sheer Nevertheless, the thought brings a slight alpine lake usually attracts many fair-weather descent to Rifugio Perderu, 500 metres of shudder. Even from the air, the verticality of hikers. To avoid any semblance of a crowd, I have elevation loss. A drizzle begins to fall. This change the landscape is not smoothed. Jagged teeth of chosen my dates carefully. It is September and in the weather is typical. I enjoy a plate of cold rock rear towards the helicopter, threatening to the tourists are gone. cuts – speck is another local speciality – while I swallow it whole. I have opted to climb some I take in the sunrise and shoulder my wait for the rain to pass, chasing it down with a of those teeth using via ferrata, ‘iron path’, a backpack. The skies are perfect, with not a cloud glass of wine. technique born in these mountains. to be seen. The colours of autumn have not With a stomach as full as my pack, I tackle In blissful contrast, the valleys between yet overtaken the green that still lingers in the the ascent to Rifugio Fanes, my stop for the night. PINNACLE OF SUFFERING seduce with gentle beauty. They are an invitation mountain pastures. It is a delight to be outdoors It is a six-kilometre uphill stretch. The light turns , a peak steeped in history and to the idyll of a sanctuary, enclosed by harsh walls early – and also a necessity as I plan to do two and a deepening pink glow announces the day’s tragedy, seen from Passo Falzarego.

end. As the stars begin to come out, I navigate at carbonate rock and glacial ice instead of clay best way is to descend through the via ferrata and towards the huts’ beckoning pricks of light in and sand. To help with troop movements on the WWI tunnels. the distance. For over a century, Rifugio Fanes crags, ladders, cables and pegs were placed – the Nature remains indifferent to the tragedies has been taking in mountaineers and I savour its inspiration for via ferrata. Military manoeuvres of human history. Conflicts, nationalities comforts modern and traditional, after a long day in the mountains were daring feats of alpinism, and frontiers mean nothing. 19th-century in the mountains. admirable but for the fact that they were aimed at philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, a hiker himself, death and destruction. railed against the conventional moralising STAGE 2: THE SCARS OF WAR As with any military mountain expedition, attitude towards Nature of the time, especially My second day on the Alta Via starts with a steep from Hannibal onwards, the armies would soon that towards mountains. descent through a conifer forest. I soon reach the learn that the environment can be more deadly In The Birth of Tragedy, he argued that uphill struggle to the high plateau of Lagazuoi, a than any artillery fire. Many perished under all meaning we find in Nature is “the offspring stony landscape beautiful in its austerity. avalanches or in the freezing cold, earning it the of a longing”, ultimately “the offspring of The Lagazuoi saw the bitter confrontation name La Guerra Bianca –The . fear”. We are profoundly moved at the sight between Italian and Austro-Hungarian forces Many of the tunnels and galleries built of mountains and meadows, out of a primeval during WWI. It is almost unthinkable today that during the war remain. Some require special habit, born of trepidation. Further meaning these peaceful peaks could have been a battlefield, equipment and a couple of the via ferratas are then emerges to the point we can find immense the silence cut by the crack and hiss of flying difficult. Volunteers have turned the area around pleasure in Nature. But make no mistake, bullets, and the din of men labouring madly, Lagazuoi into a museum, to bear testimony to Nature has no opinion of us. exposed to weather and enemy fire, to carve out one of the calamities of the last century when this Attached to a vertical wall, I am exposed refuges in the hard rock. beautiful place was awash in blood and fire. on three sides to the void and feel very much in WELCOME RESPITE As unlike the trenches in the war’s western At Rifugio Lagazuoi, a stunning panorama touch with that primeval fear. Via ferrata has Rifugios have guarded mountain passes theatre as it’s possible to imagine, here too there opens up over the valley of Cortina, the its physical demands but is more challenging to such as Passo Giau since the early days was only bloody stalemate. Soldiers on both sides renowned ski destination which will host the the mind than the body. Thanks to its carefully of mountaineering in the Dolomites. attempted to dig mines under enemy positions to Winter Olympics in 2026. There is a cable car placed aids, a harness and carabiners are all blow them up, only here they were chipping away from the rifugio to the , but the that’s necessary to climb routes that would be

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reserved for professional climbers elsewhere. see cyclists toiling up the road below, paying their While you’re there… This is controversial among some true climbers. respects to a different legendarium. Alpinist Reinhold Messner, who hails from As its name suggests, the Alta Via always THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHER these very valleys, holds that true alpinism is an takes you to altitude. All day I gaze at, then walk active ways to get among the Dolomites, inward movement rather than a flashy display of beneath iconic towers, under walls of majestic starting with Alta Via 2. Another epic daredevil techniques and heavy-duty equipment. dimensions. The names of the peaks ring strange, long-distance route, it features 12,500 Still, the essence of alpinism also includes even for an Italian like myself: Spiz di Mondeval, metres of climbing, broadly running going beyond what you thought you could do. I Corda da Lago, Becco di Mezzodi, and others north-south from Brixen down to close am clinging to the wall, looking for a foothold. I I fail to remember. I make excellent progress, to Feltre. soak in the view outwards: it is reserved for gods reaching the skirts of Mt Pelmo, a highlight of the Then there’s Dolomites Bike Day, and demons and yet I get to see it! Self-doubt and Alta Via. I am hungry and despite my high spirits held every June, which sees three famous fear fade away as a rush of endorphins forces me my legs are protesting a little, so I decide to ease passes – the Falzarego, Valparola and to focus. My foot finally finds the spot. my pace and indulge for the rest of the day. Campolongo – closed to road traffic. The From Falzarego Pass I climb up to Rifugio I reach Rifugio Fiume, right in front of Mt resulting 51-kilometre counterclockwise Averau, which has some of the best food and Pelmo. In the hut, there are only a couple of route includes 1,370 metres of climbing views in the Dolomites. There is another ferrata seasoned hikers. The mountains are glowing with and draws every kind of rider. in my way. The Alta Via has alternate routes for enrosadira, ‘turning pink’ as their constituent The Sudtirol Ultra Skyrace is the those who don’t wish to risk any sort of exposure minerals bloom in the warm light of sunset. The region’s blue riband trail running event and there is always a way to circumvent the hut is warm and we are bursting with happiness: with four distances on offer from 27-121 ferrate. But though I am tired, I know the Averau tired but energised, sharing our waking dream, kilometres, all starting and/or finishing ferrata is one of the easiest in the Dolomites . . . every detail, every smell, every flavour and view. as memorable as Michelin-starred experiences I’d in . and the rifugio’s aperitif always tastes better with It is a state we left behind in childhood. Wonder had lower down in the mountains. your senses wide awake. and joy, just for the sake of it. Before beginning the Alta Via, I spent a We share the refugio’s simple but wholesome couple of nights in San Cassiano, the gastronomic STAGE 3: food and a little wine, and exchange tales. First gem of the Dolomites. There my friend Clemens TASTES OF THE MOUNTAINS one, then the other, disappears to enjoy the Wieser (above), owner of Hotel Ciasa Salares, The following day I continue the ascent to Rifugio slumber of the righteous. I stay behind to review lured me not just to the spa but also to his Nuvolau, which is perched dramatically on the my notes and check my equipment: tomorrow Chocolate Room, a food experience like no other, mountaintop like a tenacious wisp of cloud. I take will be the most challenging day on the trail. merging the pleasures and instincts of childhood in the view then begin my way down to Passo With everything in order, I sit back for a few with the sophistication of high-quality chocolate. Giau, the legendary mountain pass from the Giro minutes and reflect on our meal. Though simple The chef brought out a serving of ice-cream d’Italia, one of cycling’s three Grand Tours. I can it had been prepared with loving care, every bit covered in chocolate fondant while Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ played in the background. He had chosen the music to create a psychedelic atmosphere. Walking around that room, you can taste 130 varieties of chocolate from all over the world – it was like being given the keys to Willy Wonka’s factory as a kid. There are no niceties here. You don’t have to ask, just go with your gut to find your way around. San Cassiano is a small village, secluded in the valleys of South Tyrol. Curiously, this tiny nook in the Dolomites houses more Michelin stars than many cities. Three of them belong to St Hubertus, the prestigious restaurant led by legendary chef Norbert Niederkofler. Chef Norbert blends creativity and technicality in a cuisine that is exciting, heart-racing, mind-blowing. He is the composed conductor that paces the orchestra. His staff cook and plate, he dictates the rhythm. Every time he STEEP TAXERS gives an instruction, the whole kitchen swells The near-shear descent to Rifugio Pedretti PROVING GROUND with a harmonious “Yes, Chef!” is typical of the Dolomites, adding to The Averau is one of the vertiginous peaks whose “My cuisine has three principles: mountains, the difficulty of trail-builders. heights can be explored by means of a via ferrata. seasonality and no waste,” he explained to me. “This means, fermentation. Buying the whole

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SYMBOL OF THE DOLOMITES The tremendous peaks of Monte Civetta. Those who prefer to avoid exposure can use forest trails to circumvent the via ferrata.

animal not just the fillet.” of his ego.” STAGE 4: WALKING THOUGHTS crack will hold, and the mountain won’t spit me Highlands in the 1940s. “Knowing another is endless. And I have Late at night, with dimmed lights, we poured Clemens’ approach captures the essence of Monte Pelmo is a lonely giant, standing apart out into the void. “Here then may be lived a life of the senses so discovered that man’s experience of them the last drops from our bottle. Chef Norbert the Dolomites. Traditions have endured without from other Dolomite peaks. I start the day in the After I clear Monte Pelmo, I continue towards pure, so untouched by any mode of apprehension enlarges rock, flower and bird. The thing to be raised his glass: “We cook the mountain.” clipping the wings of a constant drive to improve. pale dawn, even before the alpenglow sets in. I Vazzoler, always in sight of the Civetta, another but their own, that the body may be said to think. known grows with the knowing.” On another occasion, I was with Clemens “If we had fully embraced KM0 cuisine we would am aware of the toil ahead. Pelmo was one of the Dolomite peak steeped in climbing history. When Each sense heightened to its most exquisite When I finally reach the Vazzoler Rifugio, in his cellar at Ciasa Salares and he handed me a just eat cheese, potato and pine kernels; it is all first peaks in the Dolomites to be “conquered” in the adrenaline wears off, I sit on a boulder to awareness, is in itself total experience. This is the instead of continuing on the Alta Via I take a side bottle of 2017 Lezèr Foradori. that grows here”, Clemens had told me. Instead, the late 19th century but it remains a fearsome ponder the feats of the morning. Mountaineering innocence we have lost, living in one sense at a trail that descends to the road. I slowly make my “This is a punk wine,” he said. “It is free from here it seems reasonable that the caretaker of a obstacle, via ferreta or no. I have to risk some of seems to be divided into two camps, those who time to live all the way through. way to the bus stop. There are five more stages the orthodoxy of sommeliers.” simple rifugio opens a rare Pichon Baron 1990 for the most exposed pitches of my journey, though wish to conquer Nature, and those who wish to “It is an experience that grows; undistin- to , but this is the end of my Alta Via. I Clemens eschews the pesticides commonplace me while I’m still stood in my ski boots. There’s hikers can choose to stay on the northwestern conquer the self. I side with the latter. guished days add their part, and now and then, am full with things to be known. As I wait for the in most vineyards, and doesn’t add sulfites to obvious love for excellence in things that take time, face of Pelmo and rejoin the main trail after a To me, Nature demands total supplication, unpredictable and unforgettable, come the hours bus, I fiddle with my maps, now full of scribblings stabilise the wines and lengthen their life. things only revealed by the gnawing of wind, ice two-hour hike. an idea that poet and mountaineer Nan Shepherd when heaven and earth fall away and one sees a made on the trail. Transcribing them back home “For biodynamic wines like this one,” he and rain, just as the Dolomite faces that blush with The nuts and cams of via ferrata have explains exquisitely in her book The Living new creation.” in Hong Kong will be laborious work, but I stay continues, “the work is in the vineyard, not the enrosadira only after being exposed by Nature. improved hugely over the years but it still Mountain where she narrates her experiences It is communion therefore, not possession, true to Nietzsche, who distrusted any thought cellar. The winemaker has to put the terroir ahead requires a leap of faith to trust that both gear and of walking in the Cairngorms in the Scottish that drives me to the peaks. that was not conceived while walking. AA

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PRACTICALITIES What to take Club. Make sure you book in advance. Download the AV1 guide in English at http:// In San Cassiano, en route for the When to go rifugios.net/av1.pdf. A quality map is highly mountains, stay at Ciasa Salares, https:// Unsurprisingly, late June to September, with recommended. Look for paper maps 3, 24, www.ciasasalares.it/en/, for fine food, wine the schools on holiday, is the busiest time. 25 and 31 by Tabacco or else download and hospitality; or RosaAlpina for a touch Choosing a shoulder month ensures emptier Tabaccomapp, https://tabaccomapp.it/en/. of glamour, https://www.rosalpina.it/, where trails and refuges, though beware of going too Most rifugios require a sleeping bag liner you’ll find the Michelin three-star St Hubertus early or late unless you are especially hardy. and if you are a light sleeper, don’t forget a pair restaurant. of earplugs. On the trail, hiking poles make How to get there the stony ground underfoot less arduous. Contacts Munich and Venice are the nearest The via ferrata on Alta Via 1 are all Some legendary names in alpinism have international airports. The nearest rail station optional but you’ll need experience and your started off guiding in these mountains. A guide is Villabassa (Neiderdorf), from where bus 442 own gear, or else to connect with a guide. helps you get more out of the trails and via runs to Lago di Braies from late June to late ferratas, especially if you don’t have experience September. Daily trains also run from Belluno Where to stay with climbing or climbing gear. CASTLES IN THE AIR to Venice at the other end of the trail. Public Camping is not permitted on AV1. Instead The author’s travel company, Blueflower, The enrosadira, or alpenglow, sets aflame the transport is the most cost-effective way in and use the beautiful, comfortable rifugios, some https://blueflower.la plans trips encompassing faces of , some of the out, but a private transfer is faster and easier. private and others run by the Italian Alpine the pick of the Dolomites. most recognisable peaks in the Dolomites.

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