Italy: Ortisei, Day 2

The second day we took a bus to Passo Sella to ride the Forcella del Sassolungo gondola (~2180m - ~2680m), nicknamed the "Coffin Lift", as it fits only two people standing, for the novelty of it.

After riding down, we started on the Sassolungo Circuit trail which goes around the base of the Sassolungo Group. Rather than walking the whole circuit as in our original plan, we walked a part of it to catch the Ciampinoi Lift (~2248m - ~1566m) down to Selva di Val Gardena towards the upper end of the valley.

The village of Selva di Val Gardena didn't seem nearly as busy as Ortisei. We walked across town to catch the Dantercepies gondola (~1646m - ~2291m) up to the Cir Peak in the Puez Group (east of Odle/Geisler), right across from the walls of the Sella Group. We had a very short walk before going back down in the gondola.

Selva di Val Gardena is just a short bus ride home to Ortisei. I feel like I'm being spoiled by lifting up and down. We're so used to slowly trudging up and down mountains.

The coffin lift will take us up to the center right notch of the Sassolungo Group. There is a mountain hut / restaurant up there.




Standing in the "Coffin Lift" and watching the hikers (ascending) and cyclists below was fun for sure.








At the top, we found a spot on a bench near where the hikers finished their ascent. Not to mention the view of the circling paragliders.




Then we set out to Ciampinoi, first passing under the Coffin Lift.




Then some stunning views of the Majestic Marmolada Group and the Marmolada Glacier.


This Chair Lift Also Moves Bikes


Our Lunch Spot in an Alpine Meadow at the Rifugio Emilio Comici (Emilio-Comici-Hütte) Facing the Sella Group. It's a popular spot to take a break.




Onward and upward to the Ciampinoi Lift which took us down to Selva di Val Gardena Village.






Dantercepies Lift in Selva di Val Gardena Village.


Nice set of MTB tracks at the top of the Dantercëpies Lift.




And it's a fun and relaxing lift ride back down to Selva di Val Gardena and the bus home.

Italy: Ortisei, Day 1

The Dolomites was not an easy destination to plan for. Our plans must have changed a million times since January, and continued to evolve daily upon arrival: a) bad weather in Bolzano put us a day behind b) we decided to invest in a 3-day lift pass c) John developed a head cold. In the end we hiked less than we expected, but saw more of the area.

The first day, we had a 9am reservation for the Seceda gondola (~1250m up to ~2500m in 2 sections) for the iconic view of the tops of the Odle Peaks (Geisler Group). There were hundreds of people at the top. The views were every bit as impressive as expected. We walked the Seceda ridge trail, semi-experienced the photo points, then took the gondola down.

Being only midday, we beelined to the gondola on the other side of the valley up to Alpe di Siusi (~1250m up to ~2000m), to the largest alpine meadow in Europe. We started walking on trail 6A, intending to make a counterclockwise loop by way of Saltria, but quickly realized the walk would take us down through the meadow and didn't seem appealing, we make a small clockwise loop by Piz Ridl (2108 m) back to the cable car station and went down.

As there seemed to be sufficient time, although John was fading, we walked straight to the other side of the valley and took the Rasciesa funicular (~1350m up to ~2150m). We'd gone a little crazy. We had a short out and back walk to the Cappella Santa Croce del Resciesa, before catching the penultimate car of the day down. The whole day I felt we had been walking at the top of the world.

In Ortisei we stayed at Villa Luise in a room with a great view.




We bought a 3-day Gardena Lift Pass and at 9:00 am the next morning headed straight to the front of the line (1st below) for the 2-segment Seceda Lift.


Looking back to Ortisea from the viewing platform at the Gondola exit.


The view down to the meadow in the Zannes Valley where we stopped for lunch the day before.


We followed the Seceda Ridge Trail to the photo points, paying a 5-euro "photo toll" each.


The Classic View to the Odle Group from the Seceda Ridge Trail


Pics from various photo points.














View to the alpine pastures below the Seceda Ridge Trail.


We head back down to the floor of the Val Gardena. First below (lower center) is the approaching gondola, and to the far upper left is the Alpe to Suisu Alpine Plateau, our next destination. Second below is the in-the-gondola view.




The mid-afternoon cable car to the Alpe di Siusi Altopiano (High Plateau) was not crowded. The official capacity of this car is 16 persons, we were just 2.


We start our walk.




Then head up the ridge (1st below) to Piz Ridl (2108 m) with a great view down to Val Gardena on our left (2nd below) and across the Plateau to the Sella Group peaks (3rd below ) on our right.






And then we rode the cable car down to the valley and walked straight to the other side of the valley and took the Rasciesa funicular up to about 2150 meters / 7000 feet. It's a modern version of an old fashioned funicular!


First below is the view across the valley to the Alpe di Suisi Plateau. Second is the Cappella Santa Croce del Resciesa.




Bonus local color on the walk home to Villa Luise!

Italy: Val di Funes

On our day of departure from Bolzano, the weather was better, so we went for a planned hike. The idea is to head up Val di Funes by (valley) by bus to the Zannes parking lot. Then walk a part of the Adolf Munkel Weg which is a trail at the southern base of the Odle Group, along the edge of the scree. There are numerous permutations. We opted for one going by the three farmsteads(alms)/mountain huts/refugios.

On the way back to Bolzano, we stopped in Brixen to switch from bus to train. While Brixen shared a similar fortune as Bolzano, Brixen was the seat of the bishopric and has more medieval vestiges than Bolzano, therefore more atmospheric. We could have based ourselves in Brixen.

Beginning the day at the Bolzano Railway Station. We will ride this very red OBB Austrian Railway train north to Brixen, then bus east to Zannes.


In this part of Italy, there are many small, industrial sawmills like this one we spotted from the bus.




And more than several modern commercial apple orchards.


At the Zannes bus stop we see some high jagged stone peaks in the distance. Woohoo!


And in a few minutes the southern face of the Odle Group is right above us.




At Malga Glatsch Mountain Hut we turn left towards the Odle Group.






Fairy tale mushrooms.


The trail along the edge of the scree.






Near the Malga Gschnagenhardt Alpine Hut




Cathedral of Brixen with frescoes and cloister. Look for an ostrich in the one fresco.








And we headed home to Bolzano via the Brexin Railway Station (below).