Italy - Dolomites - SNP - September 1999

We went on an individual trip to the Dolomites organized by SNP from September 6 1999 to September 15 1999. Below you will find in short where we went and what we saw on that trip.
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September 6: Home - La Valle-Wengen

SNP, the Company that organized the trip offered the journey to the Dolomites by train or by plane. Since we did not want to spend a whole day on a train, we choose the latter option. If we had looked at the train schedule, we would have seen that the journey from Bologna (where the plane arrived) to Brunico (the trainstation from where we had to take a taxi to the hotel) was more than 5 hours! SNP now no longer offers to go to Bologna by plane, but to Innsbruck (which is much closer to Brunico) instead. The plane took off from Amsterdam around 11.30 and we landed in Bologna around 1pm. Then we took the train to Brunico (via Verona, Trento and Fortezza where we had to switch trains). When we arrived in Verone we called the hotel to tell them we would arrive late and ask them if they could make us something to eat after we had arrived. Fortunately, that was no problem. We arrived in Brunico around 9pm. When we called a taxi, we found out that it did not cost 12 euro as SNP had told us, but 55 instead. We arrived at the hotel (Al Bagn) about half an hour later. They had made a very nice salad with ham and cheese for us. After that we quickly went to bed.

September 7: Al Bagn - Ciablun - Al Bagn

We had breakfast at 8 and started walking around 9.15. First we came through Lunz and after that Wengen. From there the path went to Old-Wengen. Here we visited a small church. Then we took a wrong turn, went back to the church and saw the path we should have taken. Next we arrived in Ciablun. Around 11.45 we arrived at the Rit Joch (a small lake). There was a slight drizzle, so the view of the mountains surrounding us wasn't very clear. From here the path lead back to Wengen and then back to the hotel, were we arrived around 14.45. In the afternoon we walked up to Wengen again to buy water and postcards. Back in the hotel we spoke some other guests of the hotel who were doing the same trip as us, they suggested we should visit the Sassongher on day 5 (no route was planned for that day).

September 8: Al Bagn - Pares mountain - Al Bagn

Since the weather was beautiful, we decided to switch day 3 and 4, since the route of day 4 would be much nicer with good weather. We started walking around 9am. On the way to the top of the Pares mountain we saw three deer. After a few stops we eventually arrived at the top (2396m / 7,985ft.) around 11.40. Especially the last part of the path leading to the top was very steep. At noon we started descending again (it was quite cold at the top because of the wind). Next we went up the Kreutzspitze. From there we went via Ju de Rit back to the Hotel.

September 9: Al Bagn - Aiarei - Al Bagn

The day started sunny again. From Al Bagn we walked down to Pederoa. From there it was a steep climb to Picedac. After a short break we walked along the road to Aiarei. On the way we saw two deer. Then we walked to the Gröpa where we arrived just afteer 12.30. We had a very nice view of the nowy mountains in the distance. Then it was a different route down to Pisedac and from there the same route (now a steep decline) to Pederoa. We arrived in Wengen around 2.30. The shops wouldn't open until 3 so we waited there. We bought some water and then walked back to the hotel.

September 10: Sassongher

For this day, no route was planned so people who wanted could relax. We had had the tip to visit the Sassongher. We wanted to walk down to Pederoa, but 2 other guests were kind enough to drive us there. In Pederoa we took a bus to Colfosco. We walked to a ski lift and from there took a taxi which brought us to the foor of the Sassongher. Then we started walking the sometimes steep path. The last part Patrica went up alone because Arjen had not eaten enough and had to stay behind. Patricia arrived at the top (2665m / 8880ft.) around 12.35.Then she went down to Arjen and together we walked back to Colfosco. Then back to Pederoa by bus and from there we walked back to the hotel.

Some nice books about trekking/hiking/climbing in the Italian Dolomites:

Trekking in the Dolomites: Italy Trekking Guides by Henry Stedman
Classic Dolomite Climbs: 102 High Quality Rock-Climbs Between the Uiaa Grades III and VII by Anette Kohler, Norbert Memmel

September 11: Al Bagn - Heilig Kreuz Hütte - Al Bagn

We walked from Al Bagn via the Armentara meadows to the Heilig Kreuz Hütte. From there we took route 7 to the foot of the Kreutzkofelgruppe and back. From the Heilig Kreuz Hütte we took a road to Plans and from there to Al Bagn. Back in the hotel we packed our daypack for the next day and night since we wouldn't spend it at the hotel, but in the Faneshütte.

September 12: Al Bagn - Faneshütte

We started walking around 8.50 in the direction of Specia. Just before Specia we took a turn into the woods. Later the surroundings became rocky. Then it was a steep path up to the Joch (2466m / 8,220ft.). We arrived there around noon. Arjen decided he wanted to climb a little higher up the Munteda de Fanes. When he got back we walked down to the Faneshütte. On the way we saw a lot of cattle and also some Murmeltiere. Just before 2 we arrived at the Faneshütte. We checked in and after a cold beer walked to the Limo lake. Back at the Faneshütte we took another beer before dinner on the terras. We shared our room with 6 Norwegians who fortunately hardly snored...

September 13: Faneshütte - Al Bagn

After an early breakfast we started walking again around 7.50. First to the Lavarella refugio and after that across a rocky meadow where we saw some more Murmeltiere. From there we went up the Fanes plateau and after that via route 12 down. At 10.45 we were at the start of the steep way down from the Forcela de Medesc. Here we saw 8 Chamoises. Around noon we were at the bottom of that slope and followed route 15 to the Heilig Kreuz Hütte. There we stopped for a drink. From the Heilig Kreuz Hütte we walked via a snowcave (very nice, though a bit smaller than we had expected) on route 16. We took a wrong turn thinking we were at the crossing with route 13. After an hour we were back at route 16 and managed to find route 13 and walk back to Al Bagn where we arrived around 16.20.
In the evening we got a call from Arjen's parents who were in the neighbourhood for their own holiday that they would pick us up the next day for a trip by car around the Dolomites.

September 14: Car trip in the Dolomites

After packing our bags we waited for Arjen's parents to arrive. When they arrived they told us we could stay at their hotel so they could bring us to Bolzano the next day. After a cappuccino we left Al Bagn. From Pederoa we headed in the direction of Corvara but went left via the Falzarego pass to Cortina d'Ampezzo (famous ski resort) On the way we had very nice views of the Sassongher and the Marmolade (a nice glacier). From Cortina we went across the Cimbache pass in the direction of Toblach. On the way we saw the Drei Zinnen. Then we went to the Pragser see. We walked around this lake and had a large beer on a terras. After that we drove via Brunico to the hotel in Reischach (hotel Petrus).

September 15: Journey Home

We had to leave early to get the train in Bolzano where we arrived around nine. After a cappuccino we got on the train which left just after 9.30. On the way to Bologna we passed through Ora, Trento, Roverto and Verona. From the trainstation we took the bus to the airport. There we learned that another KLM plane had a 2 hour delay and was about to leave. We asked if we could take that one instead of our planned flight 2 hours later. Fortunately that was no problem, so we arrived earlier than expected back in Amsterdam.