Shorter Walks in the Dolomites. Gillian Price
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Название: Shorter Walks in the Dolomites
Автор: Gillian Price
Издательство: Ingram
Жанр: Спорт, фитнес
isbn: 9781783621798
isbn:
YES (to pilot’s question)
One arm raised diagonally, one arm down diagonally
help not needed
do not land here
NO (to pilot’s question)
Using this guide
The 50 walks in this guide have been selected for their suitability for a wide range of holidaymakers. There is something for everyone, from leisurely family strolls to strenuous climbs to panoramic peaks for experienced walkers. Each walk has been designed to fit into a single day. This means carrying a small rucksack and being able to return to comfortable hotel accommodation at day’s end. That said, many walks become even more enjoyable if stretched out over two days, with an overnight stay in a rifugio (see Accommodation). For more ambitious walkers, 25 multiple-day walks can be found in the Cicerone guide Walking in the Dolomites, while Trekking in the Dolomites: Alta Via routes has six amazing long-distance routes.
Each walk description is preceded by an information box containing the following essential data:
Spiky Croda da Lago and the Lastoni di Formin (Walk 19)
Distance This is given in both kilometres and miles.
Ascent and Descent This is important information, as height gain and loss are a further indication of the effort required and these figures need to be taken into account alongside difficulty grade and distance when planning the day. A walker of average fitness will usually cover 300m (about 1000ft) in ascent in one hour.
Difficulty The difficulty of each walk is classified by grade, although adverse weather conditions will make any route more arduous. Even a level road can be treacherous if icy.
Grade 1 – an easy route on clear tracks and paths, suitable for beginners
Grade 2 – paths across typical mountain terrain, often rocky and with considerable ups and downs, where a reasonable level of fitness is preferable
Grade 3 – strenuous, often entailing exposed stretches and extra climbs. Experience and extra care are recommended
Walking time This does not include pauses for picnics, views, photos or nature stops, so always add on a good couple of hours when planning your day. Times given during the descriptions are partial (as opposed to cumulative). If following a route in the opposite direction, allow roughly two thirds of the time if it’s an ascent that you’re descending, and about 1½ times more for a downhill section that you’re climbing up.
Note A handful of walks described have stretches across rock faces aided by anchored cable. While they are not strictly climbing routes necessitating special equipment, there are rules that need to be followed:
Always keep away from iron cables and rungs in bad weather and if a storm is brewing, as the fixtures attract lightning
Avoid two-way traffic on a single stretch of cable, as it can become awkward and consequently dangerous if you try to pass people. It’s common sense to wait until those approaching from the opposite direction have passed before you proceed, to avoid any added strain on cables
Within the walk descriptions, ‘path’ is used to mean a narrow pedestrian-only way, ‘track’ and ‘lane’ are unsurfaced but vehicle-width and ‘road’ is sealed and open to traffic unless specified otherwise. Compass bearings are in abbreviated form (N, S, NNW and so on) as are right (R) and left (L). Reference landmarks and places encountered en route are in bold type, with their altitude in metres above sea level given as ‘m’, not to be confused with minutes (abbreviated as min). 100m=328ft.
Place names in the Dolomites often come in trilingual versions: the old German names for the northern region (the former Tyrol), along with their Italian translations and the recently re-introduced ancient Ladin versions. For the purposes of this guide the Italian version has been given preference so as not to weigh down the text unnecessarily; other names have occasionally been used as well where deemed useful. There is an Italian–German–English glossary of topographic and other features at the back of this guide in Appendix B.
The vast San Martino Altipiano with the cablecar station and Rifugio Rosetta (Walk 46)
THE WALKS
Sass Maor soars above Val Canali (Walk 47)
WALK 1
Lago di Braies
| Start/Finish | Hotel Lago di Braies |
| Distance | 3.5km/2.2 miles |
| Ascent/Descent | 50m |
| Grade | 1 |
| Time | 1hr 20min |
| Maps | Tabacco n.031 scale 1:25,000 |
| Access | Lago di Braies can be reached by the summer SAD bus from Dobbiaco in Val Pusteria, via Villabassa. Drivers will find the appropriate turn-off midway between Monguelfo and Villabassa. Hefty fees are charged at the lake car parks. |
According to an old Ladin legend, every 100 years on a full moon night the blind Queen of Fanes and her daughter Princess Dolasilla leave their underground dwelling beneath the Sass dla Porta (also known as Croda del Becco) via a secret doorway. Their subjects slumber on in the depths of the mountain, while the two row across the Braies lake in the hope of hearing silver trumpets announcing the dawning of the promised time and the rebirth of their kingdom. Alas, they row in vain.
Romantic Lago di Braies (Pragser Wildsee in German) could easily be called the most beautiful lake in the Dolomites. It boasts deep emerald-green waters bound by bleached shingle beaches and sheer cliffs that plunge into the cool depths. Lying at the foot of towering 2810m Croda del Becco, which is reflected on the still surface, it owes its existence to ancient rockfalls that barred the valley. The name Braies may derive from the Celtic bracu (a marsh or swamp). Another theory is that it may have originated from the Ladin brage (trousers), as the eponymous valley forks evenly into what look like trouser legs.
Located at 1489m above sea level and covering 31 hectares, the lake is fed by both alpine streams and underground springs. Trout live in the lake’s chilly depths, which plunge to a maximum of 36m, while the surface temperature rarely exceeds 14°C. As a rule it ices over in late November, not reverting to liquid form until May. As motor-propelled craft are forbidden – the area is part of the Fanes-Sennes-Braies Nature Park – it is always peaceful.
A marvellous, rambling establishment adorns the northernmost end – the grand grey stone hotel, which has developed from the modest refreshment point it started out as 130 years ago. In the 1960s it hosted meditation sessions with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the Beatles’ personal guru at the time. Although it has seen better days, it is still a marvellous place to stay, as its old-style furnishings have been retained – even down to the antique toilet chains! Meals are taken in the magnificent and spacious Art Nouveau dining rooms.
This delightful walk СКАЧАТЬ