Locale: Eastern Dolomites - Italy
Lago d'Antorno --> Rifugio Auronzo --> Forcella Lavaredo
(~20km RT, ~6.5hr with lunch and snow hiking)
Instagram has a beautiful way of exposing us to some sights that we wouldn't otherwise see. In this case, I stumbled across a photograph of these towering and majestic looking mountains. I had to find out where they were. I clicked on some of the tags, and soon found myself within the range of the Cadini di Misurina.
(Even with the sun coming directly into the lens, these mountains shined)
Being that Fede and I were visiting Italy for Christmas, a quick search on the map showed them to be only about 2 hours away. We planned to go the next day, and roped her parents in to join us as well during dinner.
The thing is, it was pretty hard to find some information about how to plan for this trek. We had the map, and we had the location. We also read that the normal road that would lead to the starting point of this hike was closed for the winter, and we'd have to park at the Lago d'antorno and walk from there, adding about 2 hours each way. We also read some blogs saying that with this considered, it should take around 6 hours round trip.
Now, the problem is that we didn't know the conditions there. Some people said that they brought snowshoes, others brought crampons. In our case, it hadn't snowed for some time, but it would be a chilly -4ºC (~24ºF). So, we strapped snowshoes on the back of our packs and threw in those amazing lightweight crampons that stretch over the boot. Now, we're ready for anything.
We woke before the sun did, and made the dive there without too much trouble. We found parking and were already impressed with the view:
From here, we made our way to the start of the hike and set off. If you look at the map Kompass 57, you can see that both the panoramic road (mentioned before) and the round 101 will have you arrive at the Rifugio Auronzo. Now, a lot of people recommended simply staying on the road; but I will recommend that opposite. Take the Route 101! Why?
Well, for starters, the road is a road. Given its closure during winter, snowmobiles frequently go up and down the road transporting people to the Rifugio. They are quite noisy, and leave that wonderful smell of gas behind them. I know this, because you are forced to stay on the road for the first 10 minutes. Then, route 101 will be seen on the right. Take it and escape into the forest.
The route will wind uphill through trees and expose you to new sights of the towering mountains that surround you. If you also go during winter, take your time, this is the meat of the hike, it's almost entirely uphill (but, only about 500m).
Eventually, you'll reconnect with the road. You can cross it and continue on the sentiero (way) 101, or simply take the road. We took the 101 again, and then later, it again pops onto the road for the final push. Rifugio Auronzo will come into view, as well as a portion of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo behind it.
If you feel so inclined, this is a great place to rest for a bit, drink a hot chocolate and enjoy the view inside this warm hut. The view, after all, is one of the best things they offer.
From here, there is a small walking path alongside a great valley, that stretches from Rifugio Auronzo to Rifugio Lavaredo.
On the way, you'll encounter a small chapel, which allows for quite the picturesque moment.
(disclosure: taken on the way back!)
From here, you can choose one of two routes that'll take you to the Forcella di Lavaredo.
It is from this Forcella that you'll be able to see the Tre Cime di Lavaredo from their 'proper' side.
Now, there are a few options. You can continue onward to Locatelli, and then loop back around to Auronzo (one of the most popular options). Or you can turn around, and head back the way you came. While I'd usually much prefer loop hikes, in this case, given the time of day and time the sun sets, and that also wanted to see the Cadini di Misurina around sunset, we decided to go back the way we came. For this decision, we were offered beautiful views of the mountains we came to know in a slightly different light.
We found ourselves walking under a pale purple sky as we got back to our car. 20 kilometers or so under our belts, and a beautiful, beautiful day.
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