TRAVEL. HIKING ADVENTURE.
Between Misty Mornings, Feeding Marmots, and Rainy Afternoons
Day two of our hike up high in the Alps
We left the cottage in the early morning hours. The fog was covering the surrounding mountain range and the sun just kissed the top of the peaks. It was a perfect morning for an early hike.
While our day’s hike to get to the next cottage wasn’t anything challenging for us, we decided to include a summit ascent into our schedule. But instead of climbing up that mountain with a load on our backs, we left the backpacks where we slept that night and traveled light. With just the hiking sticks in our hands and a bottle of water with us.
I couldn’t resist but take all these pictures of the morning views. The fog covering the mountain peaks on the horizon was just too spectacular to be ignored.
The climb quickly began steep and challenging. My husband commented he wouldn’t have been able to do this hike with his backpack. Well, that’s why we left the bags behind.
As always, my dad was ahead of us. Checking out the route and positioning himself to be able to film and photograph us.
We ascended along the ridge.
I stopped more than once to capture the beauty of some flowers blooming at these high altitudes. My favorite ones, of course, are the rare and protected Alpine edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum).
The clouds were moving above our heads and the fog was climbing along the ridge too. Just behind us.
I looked down at my feet to see where I was walking when I spotted this bellflower covered in morning dew. Or was it rain from last night? Campanula alpina I think the flower is called.
And just as I lifted my head back up we were covered in fog. No more views, no more landscape to be seen. We emerged in a soup of thick fog and clouds.
That was when my dad pointed at something ahead of us. Running across the rocks on the mountain ridge, we eventually spotted four rock ptarmigans. In winter, their feathers will be all white. Now it is a mixture of grey and brown which makes them perfectly camouflaged on the rocks.
I apologize for the quality of the images but the view was rather limited and I only had the iPhone as a camera on hand.
We continued climbing through the fog and finally reached the summit. “Croda del Becco” (Seekofel) lies at 2.810 meters above sea level (9200 ft) and might offer a great view of the surrounding mountains.
If you’re not covered in a grey cloud and fog mixture.
My mom was asking me if I wasn’t feeling nervous standing at the edge of the cliff but I denied it. If I’d see how far it goes down there, then maybe yes. But like that, I just imagined there would be a soft meadow 2 meters below me.
Yes, that was how restricted the view was.
And while we were all catching a breath, drinking some water, and taking photographs, I inspected this little rock placed atop here. I admired the lovely painting when I read at the back “Tiroler Wanderstein”.
Hikers take this rock and bring it from one peak to another. What a fun quest, isn’t it?
We simply didn’t take it with us since we weren’t planning on climbing another peak.
And then for a moment, not longer than a breath, the area behind us opened up and revealed the beauty of the lake we walked past the day before. Lago di Braies was shining in turquoise blue even from above and surrounded by clouds.
We were the only ones and first ones up here this morning and used a timer to take a group picture of the four of us.
Oh, and for all those wondering what this mountain looks like on a blue sky day, here is the image taken on a day later.
We kept on looking up at the peak in admiration. It really doesn’t look like a mountain you can ascend without climbing gear and ropes. From both sides, steep cliffs are reaching up to the summit. The only way to get up there really is along the ridge.
And then we stood there where the arrow is pointing at.
It was getting chilly at the top and we slowly made our way back down again.
My dad took this picture of us descending along the ridge. It might give you an idea of how steep that trail was.
And as we got out of the thickest fog some views were revealing the surrounding mountains again.
At some parts, we were on all four trying to get safely down across large boulders.
Back at the cottage we grabbed our backpacks and moved on.
On a beautiful trail not ascending nor descending much, we happily moved along with the weight on our backs.
My husband enjoyed the trail so much, it was the first time he was walking far ahead of everyone else. I couldn’t see him. My dad soon took off as well and there was only my mom and me taking it slow.
While my mom was on the lookout for birds, I was stopping to take pictures of flowers and the scenery.
And then we entered the marmot’s valley. I can’t tell you how many they were. The hills were covered in these ground squirrel’s holes between rocks and grassland.
And these animals were not to be disturbed. They were happily feeding with no stopping. The season was ending and the winter is nearing. They don’t have much time left to get fat and strong for the cold season.
About one beer after the men arrived at the cottage (Rifugio Sennes), my mom and I made it too. We had too much fun watching the marmots.
It was lunchtime and I opted for a delicious soup. A delicacy from Tyrol is bacon dumplings and I got them served in a clear soup. As it was starting to rain and get colder outside, this warm meal was the exact thing I needed.
We checked into the dormitory and picked the best beds since no one else arrived so early. We even had time for a nap sleeping right under the roof and listening to the rain falling onto the cottage.
A bit later that afternoon we headed out with the camera and drone in hand planning to do a filming and photography session but just as we left the door it started to drizzle again.
Hiding the equipment under the rain covers, we just walked around the grassland surrounding the few houses.
Lots of cows were spread across the hills, a few pigs were searching for food, and more marmots feeding among all the farm animals.
It turned out to be just a lazy afternoon stroll.
This cottage was located above the tree line at just over 2000 meters (6500 feet).
We had a more than delicious dinner (more about the foods we ate on this trip in a separate post) and I might have eaten more than I should have. Therefore I headed out once again, after dinner.
It was raining quite a lot and slowly getting dark. But there were lots of dirt tracks around these cottages that I felt safe walking in these conditions.
The air was fresh and all I heard was the sound of the cowbells.
“After a day’s walk, everything has twice its usual value.” — G.M. Trevelyan
These pictures were taken with a range of cameras:
- Canon EOS 750D 20mm wide-angle lens
- Nikon Coolpix L330
- Drone: Mavic Mini
- Samsung Galaxy A51
- iPhone 10 XS
And watch here the full video of our hiking adventure through the Dolomites in South Tyrol, Italy:
More about our first days in the mountains:
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