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Hiking in the Dolomites

Day 3 - Onto Alta Badia
by Pokin Y. (in San Cassiano on Sep 13, 09)
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After yesterday’s spectacular finish I decided to start out a ½ hour earlier than everyone else to get a bit of a head start.   There were two groups, the ambitious hardcore group that was going to go on this super steep path up before a steeper path back down, and the rest of us.   As much as I wanted to go, I was definitely going to slow the group down.   My meeting point: lago di limo.   Interesting thing about the Dolomites is that it used to be on the ocean floor, so near the lake are the remains of seashells and other old fossils.     My goal was to make it there before the rest of the gang, so I hauled butt up the slopes out the valley and made it to the lake.
 
Success!
 
And then I sat and waited.
 
And realized it was pretty cold sitting there.
 
Not too long after though, I started hearing the sound of shoes crunching on gravel.   There’s the gang!
I wave happily at the group and we continue on our way.
 
The rest of the hike was fairly level, and collectively the gang headed onwards towards Alta Badia for our lunch surprise.   We’re going at a decent pace and I’m feeling fine all the way, but I am keeping a bit back from the rest of the group.   We’re going slower than planned at just as we see the Gondola in sight, we’re told that we’ve got to run or else we’ll be left at the base of the mountain.
 
I hustle butt as fast as I can, but am still feeling the effects of altitude and embarrassingly end up in a coughing fit in front of the gang.   Sarah to my defense told the guides I was trying as hard as I could.   The operator thankfully held the ride for us and we were able to head up the chairlift to the top.
 
And the sight that greeted us!
 
At the top of the chairlift were alpine meadows stretching in every direction and further beyond were beautiful mountain ranges.   It was so Sound of Music and incredibly picturesque.   Hungry beyond belief, we follow Agustina down this trail till we see this hut in the distance with people standing and smoke.   Alexia guesses that’s where we’re going and she’s right.   As we walk closer, I see familiar faces of the other members in   our gang.   Michelle, Amy and Kathy!   Hello everyone!
 
As happy as I was to see them, the aroma of food being cooked was an even happier site.   To the edge of the little hut was a team of chefs hard at work cooking risotto, making polenta, grilling vegetables and placing delicious looking slabs of meat on the grill.
 
OMG bliss!
 
Agustina introduces us to Hugo Pizzinini, owner of the hotel at which we’re staying at – the Rosa Alpina and the owner of this chalet.   He is welcoming us with this specially cooked barbeque and I’m mightily grateful.   We settle down for one of the yummiest lunches in recent memory in one of the most picturesque spots to do it.   My only regret was that I didn’t have an even bigger appetite to eat everything!   As I’m sitting here typing I’m totally craving some of that mushroom risotto.   OMG.
 
After lunch, we check into the hotel, and I start to become really impressed by how hands on Hugo is.   When we found out my luggage wasn’t in my room, he personally accompanied me back to my room and insisted on taking my luggage in and placing it on the luggage rack.   And for the rest of our stay, he was all around the hotel, interacting with guests and checking on everyone’s needs.
 
That night we were to go to the town of Corvara for a slideshow and talk, so I hopped into the bathtub quickly (I can’t resist bathtubs :)!), got dressed, and went down.
 
The town of Corvara is about a 1.5 hour walk away, a nice stroll but not my cup of tea after a long walk.   So I was surprised to hear that Tonia had chosen to walk there.   Good for her!   The rest of us lazy bums sat on a bus and arrived at the Posta Hotel.
 
There, Agustina and Marcelo told us more about their business, showed us a slideshow of the Dolomites and we went on downstairs for a meal in the hotel restaurant.
 
I’ve gotta say I’ve never seen such an extensive olive oil and vinegar bar in my life!   An entire table was set aside just for the oils.   The salad was self serve before a multi course meal so I happily piled on veggies and we ate and ate and eventually went back to our hotel.
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