The last two days on the Grossglockner went exactly to plan, even though the views on top weren’t quite there. That meant I had a couple of days up my sleeve and went for an additional item to tick off the bucket list. The spectacular Dolomites in Italy.
They were actually a fairly short drive away so was there by lunchtime. It was quite distracting to be driving into a ruggedly mountainous area. Once I finished driving up a steep and winding toll road to the Auronzo Hut, the full beauty of the limestone Dolomites revealed themselves through the clouds around their jagged peaks. The clouds added an air of mystery to them. I decided to walk around the Drei Zinnen (Three Tines) which is signposted as a 4 ½ hour walk.
The Dolomites were declared a UNESCO World Heritage area in 2009. It is spectacular with the sharp Limestone peaks reaching over 3000 meters. A Mecca for climbers. And photographers, not to mention thousands of tourists that come for a casual walk. The area seemed a lot drier than the other Alpine areas I had been to in previous days. I finished the 10km walk in 2 ½ hours including photo stops and a quick look at the 2 crowded huts I passed on route.
A clarification here. Huts in Europe are usually large with café areas and often some basic overnight accommodation. Once back at Auronzo hut for a real Italian cappuccino before heading to my hotel next to Lake Misurina, another incredibly scenic spot full of tourists. Dinner of course had to include an authentic Italian Pasta washed down with some nice red. After breakfast, with another coffee, I headed off back towards Germany and Munich. This meant driving across the whole of Austria and the Brenner Pass. Having said that, it is Europe and not Australia, so got to my Uncle’s and Aunt’s place by mid-afternoon for a refreshing drink on the back verandah.
Regards
Walter
