of the final steep scree slope. Having climbed for three hours,
andnearingthepass,wefoundourselvesona veryloosescree
slopewitha longwayto slideto thebottomshouldsomeoneslip.
Motivated by the need to reach the hut we’d booked for the
night on the other side of the pass, we continued up, but reached
a point where it was just too exposed and dangerous to continue.
Astheafternoonstormrolledin,wedecidedto descendtheway
we’dcomeandstayat anotherhutwe’dpassedinthemorning.
As it happened, our unexpected route the next day over the less
intimidating Forca Rossa was one of the best days of the trip, and
we felt rewarded for making a sensible decision despite losing the
money we’d paid to stay in the hut we didn’t reach. The lesson
was not to trust the track grades on the topo map so early in the
hiking season. It turns out that Passo delle Cirelle had only
opened a few days before we attempted to cross it and the
seasonal snowmelt always washes the scree sections of the track
away. This applies to all of the passes in the Dolomites, we now
know, and you need to plan for this if you’re hiking in late June or
early July.THE FANCIEST HUT IN THE DOLOMITES
After a rest day in Vigo di Fassa (and discovering the clothes-
‘optional’ wellness centre in our hotel, which is typical of the
region and a bit confronting for modest Australians), we departed
for themost spectacular three-day traverse of the Rosengarten
andSassolungoDolomites.Inmanyways,it wasthehighlightof
thetrip.
Without any feeling of guilt, we rode the Vigo Catinaccio cable
car to the base of the Rosengarten, and then started our first
climb of 800 vertical metres to Passo Principe. Along the way, we
were dwarfed by the 1,000 vertical metre walls of CimaCLOCKWISE
FROM ABOVE:
verdant meadows
and snowcapped
peaks — an
ultimate
European
panoply of
features;
taking in the
power of place;
approaching a
very welcoming
'hut'; checking our
bearings.
Outdoor \ 89