Alta Via no. 2, The Dolomites, Italy - Eileen's Travel and Mountain Adventures

After 3 years of planning and 2 years of Covid delays, Jim and I finally headed off to the Dolomites on June 30th. We stopped in London for night 1 and Munich for night 2. When we arrived Bressonone, Italy on day 3, Brooke was already there.

The next day, the three of us headed out on Alta Via 2.

A 100-mile traverse through some unbelievably beautiful mountain terrain.

We allotted 14 days so we had time to do Via Ferrata’s enroute.

We would be traveling north to south. The northern dolomites are limestone ridges, sticking up out of rolling ski slopes …

Brooke hiking through the northern Dolomites

… and moonscape terrain.

High moonscape terrain. Reminded us a little of Bryce Canyon National Park.

The northern Dolomites lends itself to cute little towns and lots of huts enroute for afternoon lunches and fabulous views.

There are tons of gondolas with huts at the top. Must be unbelievable to ski here in the winter.

Mountain hut at the top of a gondola. Doesn’t open until the gondola does. We hiked up early morning.

The southern Dolomites are a mixer of all kinds of rock but primarily Limestone (you can tell I am married to a geologist). The terrain is incredibly vertical with grassy, steep hillsides.

Steep grassy slopes in the southern Dolomites

A simple stumble in the southern Dolomites could get you very injured.

Due to the steep terrain, there are several Via Ferratas enroute every day.

In one particular gully, the Via Ferrata was the only possible descent route.

Brooke on Via Ferrata enroute. Descending a gully.

The southern Dolomite terrain doesn’t lend itself to huts enroute. Instead the Alpine Club has built Bivac’s huts on high benches.

These huts are stocked with everything you need to stay for a night. A few pots and pans, cooking fuel, mattresses, and blankets. They are actually quite cozy inside.

Cooking and eating area inside the Bivacco

They aren’t manned so you do have to cook your own meals. Running water is typically somewhere near by.

The weather in the northern Dolomites is also typically drier than the southern. Ironic that this area is where we got the wettest. Our first day it rained for 4 hours. This was the only day on our entire trip where we got rain not just a thunderstorm.

I do think my favorite part of the rain was when it cleared. Brooke and I were on the summit of a Via Ferrata when the weather chose to clear. It was amazing to watch our terrain unfold in front of us.

The northern Dolomites appeared before us

We only experienced 2 thunderstorms in our entire 2 weeks. One while we were stopped for lunch on the side of the trail. (wow was that uncomfortable.) The second was as we were approaching the summit of Piz Boe. Our hut for the night was on the summit.

Our thunderstorm started as hail and quickly turned to snow. Crazy to think we were hiking in shorts.

When the clouds from the storm lifted, we were treated to a spectacular view of Marmolada, the highest peak in the Dolomites.

For those that have never heard of the hiking traverses in Europe, they are everywhere. In the Dolomites, the Italians created Alta Via routes to attracted tourists.

Originally, there were only 2. Alta Via 1 was for anyone who likes to hike. Alta Via 2 was for the adventure hiker. They weren’t kidding.

Dropping into the valley floor in the southern Dolomites

Last luxury hut Rig Cereda in the southern Dolomites

There are currently 9 Alta Vias in the Dolomites. Alta Via 2 is the longest and one of the most difficult. A lot of Alta Via 2 was created during World War I as a route for the military.

I am sure there are more Alta Vias being developed as we speak. There are trails everywhere. Someone just needs to link them together into a traverse.

Brooke and Jim on Via Ferrata. Trails below.

Due to the rugged terrain, the military had to install handlines, ladders, and suspension bridges to enable the troops. After the wars, the locals began to climb the old military routes and the sport of Via Ferratas was created.

Brooke climbing a Via Ferrata. Her new favorite sport.

Via Ferrata climbing is similar to rock climbing except there are no ropes. You climb on permanent cable, …

… ladders, …

… pegs, rungs, …

… and suspension bridges.

Anything they can pound into the rock. You still wear a helmet and harness, but you have two lanyards with carabiners that you clip into the cable as you climb.

Jim clipped into the base cable on Via Ferrata

We climbed around some of the original Via Ferrata’s from World War I. Not sure the military was outfitted with harnesses; they probably just used the cables as hand lines. Hoping not to fall.

Jim assessing the start of our Via Ferrata. “Guess we just grab on and pull ourselves up.”

“The White War” during World War I between Austria / Hungary and Italy took place in the Dolomites on / near Marmolada.

Bunkers were dug into the ice. Barracks were established in ice caves to keep the soldiers out of the harsh, winter conditions.

One of our favorite Via Ferrata’s went past gunnery stations, …

Eileen nearing the remains of a gunnery station

Eileen in the remains of a gunnery station

… bunkers, …

… and tunnels built into the rocky ridge line directly across from Marmolada.

Some of the tunnels went to large rooms. Most likely barracks.

Jim looking out from on of the rooms built into the rock during World War I

When the 3 of us started the trek, we believed that most of the hikers staying in the mountain huts would be doing the same traverse as we were. Turns out many hikers were doing smaller loops for just 3 or 4 days. Of the few hikers we did meet doing the entire traverse, many had to bailout for one reason or another.

We had our share of scares the first several days. Day 1 & 2, Jim’s had a pinched nerve in his left knee. We were planning how to get him off the trail when we tried one last thing and gave him one of my migraine steroids. It was a miracle!

Day 4 & 5, I had a severe migraine. A couple of steroids and some really, easy days involving a whole lot of sleeping and it was manageable.

Day 7, Jim and Brooke came down with a cold. In all my efforts to avoid them, I still came down with the same cold on Day 10.

With all that, we all still finished. Brooke and I still coughing up phlegm. If we had known we had to endure all that, we all agreed we still would have done the trip. That’s how amazing the Dolomites are.

Our “trail family” at the finish of Alta Via 2

Our finishing “trail family” was actually a party of 5.

Celebratory dinner! Jim, Eileen, François, Brooke, and Maeve

We met Maeve on day 6 at one of the huts. She is a 28-year old, Irish girl, trying to set herself up to travel full time. She was eager to pick Brooke’s brain. Soaking up all the advise Brooke had to give.

When Maeve came across Jim and I on day 8, me will my head in the creek working on my migraine and Jim analyzing the map, she was intrigued with these strange Americans. We invited her to hike with us.

Later, Brooke caught up with us. (She was big on staying in bed as long as possible and then chasing me down. She might now hike faster than her father.)

Brooke and Maeve stopped for lunch and a spritz at the next hut. Bonded for good and we never let Maeve escape our sight again.

Maeve became our Italian translator and in exchange we taught her how to scramble and took her on her first Via Ferrata.

Geared up and ready to take Maeve on her first Via Ferrata

Not sure if she is as hooked on Via Ferratas as Brooke is but she sure got comfortable clipping and unclipping.

It was incredibly sad when we said our final goodbyes as everyone headed home. The girls already have plans to travel together again.

Near the end of day 11, we were passed by François. He was hiking the entire Alta Via 2 in a week. After joining our group, his finishing time went from 7 days to 8.

Our “trail family” hiking through meadows on our last day

Francios made the mistake of being with us when we missed a very important turn and ended up in a death gully. Once you survive a death gully with someone, you are bonded for life.

Fransua, Jim, and Maeve in the death gully

In our defense, the route used to go up the death gully many, many years ago but the red and white paint was still visible on a lot of the rock.

Trail marker for our trip. The problem is lots of the trails in the area use the same marker.

We all scrambled together quite well. Surprising considering Maeve and François had so little experience.

Francios had done the traverse twice before which came in very handy when we were trying to visualize where the trail went next.

See the trail switchbacking up the face of the rock

There were so many places in the Dolomites where the terrain looked unreal and strikingly beautiful.

We might have hiked around here for 13-day but it so many ways it wasn’t enough.

It definitely wasn’t enough for Brooke. She immediately took a cab to the start of Alta Via 4. She is living her dream. We are so happy to be sharing at least part of it with her.

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