Walking in Europe

A tram ride and hike into Piz Boè

Wow what a change in landscape! Day before yesterday (Sept 12) we took the transit bus (another story about bus schedules and drivers for another time…) from Ortisei further up the Val Gardena on a very narrow and incredibly winding road to Passo Pordoi (2239m), at the top of the pass between Südtirol and Trentino. We then took the tramway up 700m in elevation to Sas Pordoi (2950m) where we disembarked and hooked up to the trail to Piz (Mount) Boè. You can hike from pass up through the steep and formidable Forcella Pordoi but the last little bit is a steep zig zag through a narrow gap and looked a tad technical for us. Once at Sas Pordoi, we elected to stay on the lower trail that ran along the plateau and ridges rather than summit the main peak (also a very steep trail and above our “pay grade”). The lower trail stays at about 2900 m or 9500 ft for about 4 kms to the Rifugio Boè where we were booked in for the night. We arrived at the Rifugio mid afternoon where we could check in and then explore around the small table top plateau where the Rifugio is perched. Weather was socked in a good part of the day but cleared at times to allow some photos. The hike was very different (very barren at that elevation surrounded by flat topped limestone peaks), and at times a little nerve wracking in the fog. We took our time. Good trail markers with cairns and poles, and All Trails was very accurate. We enjoyed a restful afternoon and yummy dinner in the Rifugio. The weather broke for a bit allowing for photos, but by the time evening came it was raining. Happy to be warm and dry in our hostel bunks!

Yesterday (Sept 13) after the Refugio breakfast of the usual muesli, fruit salad, buns, ham, salami, cheese (just fine, but must admit I’m looking forward to bacon and eggs when I get home 😋), we hiked back out to the tram at Sass Pordoi then down through the mist to Passo Pordoi. Turns out that this particular day the roads were closed for the day for “cycling day” in the mountain roads of Trentino and Val Gardena. Two days a year they close four connected mountain passes for cyclists to enjoy a mountain hill climb day loop. There were literally thousands of cyclists on the road. They were collecting at the pass just as we arrived off the tram. We had a coffee on the pass to warm up before planning what exactly we were going to do to get to our next destination by transit bus which we had not factored with the roads closed and buses not running 😟. Two cyclists from Indiana sat down at our table to warm up. One was pretty much hypothermic, chilled from the ride up and insufficiently equipped for the temp drop. Just shaking. Ali loaned him her down coat with hood while he sipped hot water and I parted with light merino wool shirt for the ride down. It was still clean from the last laundry!

Without a bus we decided to just walk down the mountain path to stay the night at the campground in Canazei. It was an easy 1000m descent past ski lifts, hotels, through the woods, and occasionally crossing the road at a switchback where cyclists were now tearing down at hairy speeds. “Ok Ali, after this next one…GO!”

We made it to Canazei at 1460m in time to find the campground, pitch the tent, find out the complicated process of getting to Toblach today. I’ll have to do another post about today’s journey on buses and trains etc. 😵‍💫 on a Sunday after September 9 when the schedule shifts to winter hours 😳. Tonight we made it to our campsite at Toblach and are ready for a good nights sleep and a hike into another Rifugio 😀.