Unusual Itinerary: 5 Night Trek in Tre Cime Nature Park
Base Town: Dobbiaco in Val Pusteria South Tyrol, Transport to Trailhead: Tourist Bus #446 to Sexton, then Val Fischalina bus to Hotel Dolomitenhof
Croda Rossa di Sexton and Popera
Before arriving in Italy, we did not make any advance reservations at rifugios. This had the upside of eschewing the popular courses and crowded huts in favor of those off the beaten path. We spent our first Dolomites multi-night trekking experience in the mountains on the east side of Tre Cime Nature Park, entering from Val Fischalina and exiting in Val Grande. We did Via Ferrata (VF) Nord Croda Rossa, VF Strada Degli Alpini, and day walks through WWI history in Croda Rossa and the Popera plateau.
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The eastern mountain area of Tre Cime Nature Park is a unique region because it encompasses the historically German-speaking territory of South Tyrol and the Italian-speaking territory of Veneto, with a sprinkling of Ladin native culture. Both provinces were formerly part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, but were awarded to Italy after World War I under the 1919 Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Separated by a mountain pass, there are perceptibly distinct cultural, architectural and linguistic differences between the two areas. The residents themselves in both provinces refer to South Tyrol as the “German side” and Veneto as “real Italy”, while also venerating the original Ladin culture.
Nights 1 & 2: Rotwandweisen Hut at base of Croda Rossa di Sexton
We took two buses from our base town of Dobbiaco to Val Fischalina, alighting at Hotel Dolomitenhof. We dropped our backpacks at a cafe while we did a short jaunt up the beautiful “Fish Bowl” (Fischalina) valley to its termination at Rifugio Fondovalle (Talschlusshütte), about a 30 minute walk.
There are a number of exciting trails originating from Rifugio Fondavalle, including a trail up to Locatelli Hut at Tre Cime di Lavaredo (the famous Three Peaks). Our destination lay on the opposite side of the valley, though, at Rotwandweisen Hut at the base of Croda Rossa di Sexton. We turned back along the flat gravel road of Val Fischalina, grabbed our backpacks from the cafe, and found the trailhead to Rotwandweisen. There is a lovely cable car that whisks visitors up to the hut, but we were excited to start re-building our trail legs so we huffed and puffed up a vertical hill beneath the cable car. Within 90 minutes, we were sipping a couple of aperol spritz refreshments on Rotwandweisen Hut’s sunny deck and gazing at the wondrous spread of wildflowers — pops of yellow, white, orange, and pink — speckled throughout the lush green meadow. On the horizon sat Croda Rossa di Sexton, a massive hulk of weathered grey limestone, with a prominent col nestled amidst various peaks. Through binoculars, we attempted to discern the via ferrata routes and assess the terrain at elevation. Alas, we would just have to wait and see!
We were fortunate to have our own small bunk room at Rotwandweisen Hut, with a small sink, closet and desk. The hut is family-owned by a generous and friendly married couple. As resident experts of the hiking courses in this region, they helped us plan daily excursions on via ferratas Strada degli Alpini and Nord Croda Rossa that took into account current trail conditions. Even in the early weeks of July, there were lingering snow fields and not all trails were passable. The wife, Ilke, is a wonderful cook. We feasted on 3-course meals + dessert in the evening and hearty breakfasts that included a spread of meats, cheeses, fresh yogurt, bread, oatmeal and fruits. Nom nom nom…
On day 2, we took our time heading out for the day’s excursion. At 10:00 a.m. under strong sunshine, we strode across the meadow and into the forest along via ferrata Strada degli Alpini. This is one of the most accessible and popular via ferrata courses in the Dolomites and is usually completed over 2 days with one night at Rifugio Zsigmondy-Comici. Since we were unable to score a last-minute reservation at Comici Hut, we did approximately half the Strada degli Alpini course, turning back at Cengia della Salvezza (a well-known promontory) to spend another night at Rotwandweisen Hut. Since we had walked along Val Fischalina and hiked up its east ridge yesterday, we only missed a small portion of the whole course — but hit the most photogenic sections. For more photos, details of our experience, and impression of via ferrata Strada degli Alpini, click here.
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On day 3, we tackled via ferrata Nord Croda Rossa. After breakfast, we were out the door at 9:00 am, expecting a 2:00 pm return from the day’s “easy” loop and summit of Croda Rossa. I have no idea where I got the notion that this would be a quick OR easy hike. The total course length was less than 6 miles, but it took us nearly 7 hours! Wow, it was truly special, though: WWI bunker remains, several via ferrata sections, hand-over-hand climbing, slip-sliding down scree slops, panoramic views, and non-stop thrills. VF Nord Croda Rossa was one of my favorite courses in the Dolomites - highly recommend! For more photos, details of our experience, and impression of via ferrata Nord Croda Rossa, click here.
Nights 3: Lunelli Hut in Val Grande, east side of Croda Rossa di Sexton
Exhausted from our longer-than-expected via ferrata summit hike and with a pending storm brewing, Ilke (Rotwandweisen Hut owner) suggested we take the cable car down to Sexton and taxi over to Lunelli Hut in Val Grande. Earlier that morning, Ilke’s husband had mapped out a beautiful walking route to Val Grande over Kreuzberg Pass, but it just wasn’t feasible at 4:00 in the afternoon with clouds gathering. As we gathered our packs, Ilke called for a taxi with which to rendezvous at the base of the cable car. It was an expensive transport, but worth every penny of the 100 euros we spent on the cable car and the taxi ride.
We arrived at Lunelli Hut just as the sky unleashed its thunderous fury and the caretaker was locking up for the day. Again, we had our own private room in a super quiet hut. Opening the shutters, we napped with the fresh smell of rain and boisterous thunder rumbling through the valley. Dinner was served at 8:00, where it was just us and a table of four English chaps on holiday. The meal was scrumptious: tagliatelli with bolognese, barley soup, pork chops and potatoes, polenta with cheese, and a small bowl of panacotta for a sweet end to the LONG day. Having crossed Kreuzberg Pass into Veneto, we were now in “real Italy”.
Nights 4 & 5: Berti Hut on the Popera, east side of Croda Rossa di Sexton
After a blissful night’s sleep in the quietest hut in the Dolomites, we were headed UP to Berti Hut, which we could see perched on the green cliff edge HIGH above Val Grande. Getting from “here” to “there” involved a steep but rewarding 60 minute climb, with waterfalls, wildflowers, and valley vistas.
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We were too early for check-in at Berti Hut, so we ate some brunch (bean soup, hot dog, and apple pie) and then went out with daypacks to explore the Popera plateau. When we booked this hut, we really had zero expectations about the hut or its surroundings; English-language info on the web was lacking for this region. We were thus blown away by the beauty of the caldera in which Berti Hut sits on the backside of Croda Rossa di Sexton. Crystal clear streams, tumbling waterfalls, outrageous wildflowers, a small glacier lake, imposing cliffs and ridges, WWI tunnels, trenches and caves. It’s a paradise!
The Popera, Croda Rossa di Sexton, Veneto province
Despite dark grey clouds, we poked about all through the caldera, hiking higher and higher towards a war memorial cross at the top of a ridge, dodging in and out of trenches to inspect the remnants of World War I. Hard to believe this beautiful landscape was a killing field! Perhaps all the wildflowers are the spirits of soldiers…
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The rain drops began to fall as we left the hill summit. Ponchos donned, we rapidly zig-zagged back down the caldera to Berti Hut. Arriving in time for dinner, we had spaghetti, ham and polenta, and vegetable soup. We did not have the luxury of our own room this evening; instead, we shared a little bunk nook in the dorm with two other ladies. I popped in my noise-cancelling headphones and swallowed a Tylenol PM; zzzzzzz….
Day two on the Popera was a mixed bag, but ultimately beautiful. We had come here with the idea that we would do via ferrata Roghel. I was not too confident that I was ready for a 4C rated course yet, so Caffrey agreed to try a different route. After traversing half a mile on a scree slope, we came to a wash-out and could not find a safe way to cross the chasm. We turned back and decided to try Roghel —> OMG, just climbing the nearly-vertical scree slope to the trailhead was insane! There are humorous signs along the way to the effect: “Don’t blame us! You chose this route!” Yes, yes we did. Holy moly!
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About 90 minutes later, we reached an area of trail that didn’t feel right. We poked around a bit, but the only trail that looked somewhat traversable was literally straight up a snow-filled landslide, where loose rocks kept bouncing down. As we were deciding what to do next, we saw a team of ~8 people above us descending the landslide zone; super slowly and carefully, they picked their way down a crazy steep section of trail just above us, dislodging rocks that tumbled down too close for comfort. I heard the ominous sound of rockfall from a wet, dark canyon to our left… cue hasty retreat down to lower ground.
At the bottom of the scree, we waited at a stream crossing for the brave folks making their descent. Turns out they were members of a hiking group from Milan, with members ranging in age from 68-80 years old! Their plan had been to ascend Roghel and then stay the night at Carducci Hut, but when they arrived at via ferrata Roghel, the wires were buried in snow and ice. It was too slick and dangerous, so they had to scrap their plan and return to Berti Hut. Glad we hadn’t had our hearts set on Roghel; strange because it felt all morning like the mountain was telling us NOT to go there. :-)
Edge of the Popera, overlooking Val Grande
We still had the afternoon ahead of us, so we explored some of the other paths leading from the hut; we found a peaceful spot at the edge of the Popera with incredible views of Val Grande and the surrounding peaks — and 4G cell service! We ate our packed lunch, snoozed on some warm rocks, made some hut and hotel reservations for the following week, and drank in the smell of wildflowers.
Picture perfect spot
As the sun began dipping, we leisurely made our way back to Berti Hut. Along the way, we spoke with a hiker who had attempted to hike the Strada degli Alpini from somewhere in Val Fischalina, but he ended up in snow too deep to make it to Passo Sentinelli. He had to divert course to Rotwandweisen hut, ride the lift down and then bus to Kruezberg Pass, where he then came up a wicked steep and rocky ravine to get to Berti Hut. What a day of surprises for everyone hiking in the Popera region that day!
The next morning, we ambled slowly back down the cliff after breakfast, watching a thick fog rise from Val Grande and settle higher up in the grey rocky peaks of Vallona de Popera. After passing Lunelli Hut, we plunged into a pine and hemlock forest, still wet from the previous nights storm, and made our way to the small resort town of Padola for hot showers, clean sheets, solitude, soft beds… and fresh vegetables!
