Today would be a half day walking as I had to get two busses to the start at the lake but it would be uphill the whole time. I stopped many times to take photos and use that as an excuse to catch my breath. There were so many times I was just standing admiring the beauty around me and enjoying the whole experience before enjoying a relaxing evening with some new friends at the Rifugio.
The start of the day meant getting a bus to Dobbiaco and then a connection to the Lago Di Braies, the bus journey from Cortina being very scenic but also a bit scary speeding through the forests, I was glad to reach Dobbiaco as the next bus ride was much smoother. I reached the bus stop beside the Hotel and was immediately impressed at the scenery around it. I spent a while getting my stuff together before starting off and heading around the lovely lake.
It was really busy walking around the lake, many tourists would be sharing this path with me around the side of it, the lovely blue water looks amazing with the hills as the background. After a while I reached the end of the lake, a waymarker pointed uphill away from the lake and this is when I felt that my walk really started as I left the crowds behind me and headed uphill, it wouldn’t be long before I was puffing away and stopping to enjoy the view behind me back to the lake.
The path was very nice to walk on, occasionally a waymarker would be painted on a rock just to reassure me I was going the right path. It was nice but it was also quite steep as it zigzagged it’s way uphill, the hills at the side of me looking very scenic as the light shone on them as did the hills behind me. It was to be a short day but I had many breaks and there were many rocks beside the path to sit on. The good gravel path eventually finished and became more rocky and even more zigzag which meant slower walking but there was no rush today.
The higher I went, the rockier the path got but also the views back towards the lake got better. As I approached a short section with a cable to hold onto I was greeted with a bench in the middle of nowhere with amazing views, I could have sat there for ages but I had my lunch there. I had passed a handful of walkers going in the opposite direction but more and more passed now and a few were heading up just behind me so I left the bench to them and continued on my way.
After crossing the next little section, the ground got a bit wetter and I started heading towards a steep cliff, I then saw the cables in the rocks and used them to help me up the next bit, watching I didn’t lose my footing on the slippery rocks. I was glad to get up through this section and a little bit of level walking, the first since the lake. Sadly it didn’t last long and I was heading upwards again, the scenery was almost moon like.
Just above me I saw a few people walking in the same direction as me, it took me ten minutes to reach that bit and took a rest. I looked up and saw what I assumed was the summit. There was snow around me but not on the path thankfully but it was still a chilly day, no shorts and tshirt today. After my break I quickly reached the summit and saw Rifugio Biella not far down below me, but the view as I reached the summit was certainly a “wow” moment as new scenery energed before me.
My first day was almost over but it felt strange walking downhill, taking care on the slippery rocks. I entered the Rifugio and was met by pleasant people who thankfully spoke good English. I found my room, thankfully a bottom bunk and grabbed a beer which is almost the same price as a Cola and enjoyed the view out the window at the start of tomorrow’s walk, it was a bit chilly to sit outside with my beer sadly today as patches of snow lay around. I later found out that if I'd walked this route the previous day I'd have been walking in lots of snow, not the sunny day that I'd enjoyed.
To say I’d enjoyed today’s short but strenuous walk would be an understatement. It had stayed dry but was a bit chilly and this meant incredible views and I know there are many more to come in the remainder of my walk, hopefully the weather will behave as well giving me fantastic views of the beautiful mountains all around me.
The Rifugio Biella - Night 1
I stayed the night at Rifugio Biella, it was a lot better than the reviews made it out to be, don't always belive what you read. Ok, the toilet was indeed a hole in the floor but the food was good, the company was very pleasant, the people running the Rifugio had put all the English speaking people at the same table so we had a good evening, and they even had wifi, which reviews suggested that it didn’t. I had a good sleep and it felt good to be back on a special trail.
