Dolomites Revisited Part I

There's something very special about the Dolomites to me (yeah, I get it, I'm hardly alone in my opinion, but give me a chance to explain myself). Hardly anyone will dispute that this exquisite mountain range is extremely photogenic for a number of reasons, but it's more than that. We've been coming here on and off for over 17 years - I know exactly when we first came because our kids celebrated their first birthday in Seis am Schlern (Alpe di Siusi if you're an italophone). Our choice of venue was influenced in part by photos of Alpenglühen on the Rosengarten that I'd seen in the German alpine press.

Forcella Staunies - the Since Decommissioned Cable Car and Refuge || Panasonic FZ1000

But it's more than just 17 years of history. I've been pondering for a while what is so special about the region to me. We've travelled all over the Alps over the years, from the Mont Blanc massive in the west to the Säntis in north east Switzerland, from the German Allgäu around Oberstdorf to the high mountains of Austria and there's not a corner that doesn't have it's own special character and appeal. So why the Dolomites?

The Inaccessible-Looking Paternkofel || Panasonic FZ1000

Apart from the general picturesqueness (is that a word?) and many fond memories - including several hiding in tents waiting for the rain to stop, I think it's the apparent inaccessibility of the peaks that turn out to be achievable after all. Case in point is the Paternkofel pictured above; the picture is of Sharon enjoying a late lunch at the Dreizinnenhütte just after having climbed this mountain. In a way it's an allegory about life in general to me. The problems we face sometimes appear insurmountable, but many times, if we follow the trail and keep putting one foot in front of the other, we'll get where we want to go. I'm sure others could express it more eloquently, but I think this sums it up.

Field Gentians || Panasonic FZ1000

A Tale of Two Tours

Two tours spring to mind that epitomise this apparent inaccessibility, both of which we undertook whilst camping in Cortina in 2015, two tours which almost ended my mountaineering days for good as I abraded my way through the cartilage behind my kneecaps. The first one is presently no longer possible without an overnight bivouac in tricky territory - the Ivano Dibona via ferrata above Cortina. The ridge looks impossible from the valley and remains impressive close up with its ladders and bridges. Despite having set off with the first cable cars from Passo Tre Croci, we missed the last gondola down and ended up descending the whole 1700 m (5,500 ') by foot.

One of the Bridges on Ivano Dibona  || Panasonic FZ1000

View from the Ridge: A Dolomite Panorama  || Panasonic FZ1000

The second tour a couple of days later took us up the impervious-looking Paternkofel right next to the Tre Cime. We'd left far too late, waited for ages at the toll station just after Lago d'Antorno and got stuck behind coach loads of tourists who had absolutely no place on the trails we were using! Just before the Dreizinnenhütte, a path branches off to the right up along the ridge. The ferrata starts in WWI tunnels and turns into a grand scramble up a cleft before climbing up the back of the peak. Unfortunately we weren't the only people who wanted to go up that day, but sometimes these things have to be done.

Hardly Alone on the Paternkofel  || Panasonic FZ1000

Bringing it Forward

Fast forward to autumn 2019 and for the first time in 18 years Sharon and I can plan our vacations without regard to the kids and so we took a mini break in Cortina over the long German reunification weekend at the beginning of October. We knew that we'd be arriving on an improving forecast and so it didn't bother us too much that the weather was less than perfect driving up over the Brenner pass. What we hadn't appreciated was that the rain in the valleys had been a smattering of snow on the high peaks all around us and that consequently the rock walls surrounding Cortina would be garnished with a layer of snow.

Out the Front Door || Olympus f7.1, 1/100 s, ISO 400

Once we had settled into our cosy little Air B&B it was time to unpack the cameras and enjoy the late afternoon light hitting the Sorapiss massive. We'd come fully armed for three and a half days of photography in the surrounding mountains. We've come to photography from the perspective of mountaineers rather than the other way around and I think that this will always be the case for us.

Our first little trip on the hillside behind the farm we were staying on was very muddy, taking us to the top of a little cable car. The view included basically the whole of the Cortina surroundings; Monte Cristallo, Sorapiss, Croda di Lago and Tofana - essentially the Who's Who of the great and good in the Dolomites.

Punta Nera || Olympus f8, 1/200 s, ISO 200

Just walking round the little hamlet of Chiamulera gave us a buzz for the upcoming three days. We'd not been long back from a photographically frustrating week on The Gower; despite having mostly decent weather I'd found getting images that I felt satisfied with extremely frustrating. Here in the Dolomites not only was I practically on home turf, the weather looked set to be interesting (as opposed to good - the hiker and the photographer have quite different ideas regarding what constitutes 'good' weather). The game was afoot!

Day 1: One Lake - Lago Federa

There are some cracking shots of Lake Federa in the autumn, looking from the western shore of this small mountain tarn eastwards towards Sorapiss. The small ridge between the lake and the Cortina valley is covered in fir and larch and in October the larch turn from their customary green to a glorious yellow.

Forest Mushrooms || Olympus f7.1, 1/8 s, ISO 1600

Walking up through the woods from below Pocol on the SR48 we kept our eyes out for mushrooms - always worth watching for at this time of year when walking in the forest. The area guide that we used for the hike suggested taking a detour to a local outcrop, Becco d'Ajal. What looks like a completely inaccessible pillar from below turns out to be an easily climbed path once you get up there. The top of the pillar isn't big but houses the ruins of a WWI lookout post. The panoramic views from the top are incredible and I could imagine camping out there in the summer to capture some great astro images.

Ruin Atop Becco d'Ajal Becco d'Ajal from Above

As we climbed through the forest the green larches were getting paler and paler and we were hoping for some strong yellows at the 2,000 m high lake. Unfortunately this was not to be; despite the recent snowfalls we were about two weeks too early. Fortunately, the hut was still open. Paradoxically, compared to the northern alps, the refuges and cable cars in the Dolomites seem to close quite early - towards the end of September. The Rifugio Croda di Lago was still serving cheesy polenta on the sun terrace though. The hut remains open throughout October and this would be a great place to spend the night, catching the late evening and early morning sun. I've seen some great sunrise images from Andy Mumford looking along the lake to the south towards the Becco di Mezzodi.

Lago Federa - Only a Touch of Yellow || Olympus f8, 1/50 s, ISO 200

After lunch we explored the western slopes above the lake trying to get the best angle on the lake and the Sorapiss. Scrambling up about 50 m above the lake seemed to give a good perspective, but if you want a reflection you need to be right down on the water. Tofana and Cinque Torri || Olympus f8, 1/320 s, ISO200 The descent had us facing the Tofana and the Cinque Torri all the way through the forest. And it's a long way, especially on dodgy knees. Croda da Lago at Dawn from the East || Olympus f8, 1/80 s, ISO 200 LAGO FEDERA: QUICK SUMMARY Best Conditions All year round, but particularly autumn for the larches Challenges The lake is at least a 2 h trek from the road in mountainous territory Parking Various points along the SR48 Einkehr Rifugio Croda da Lago Links Rifugio (Italian)