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Dolmites Italy (August 2003) 2 Days One of the places that I wanted to backpack in Europe was Italy's Dolmites. Reading about them sounded like any mountaineer going to Europe would be missing out without visiting them. One thing is for sure, I will never forget this backpacking trip. Making camp on top of a high ridgeline with the sun setting it's rays upon the Dre Zimmen. It was a beautiful sight to behold. That is until the storm in the distance was suddenly on top of us. It rained so hard the pillars of heaven shook the walls of our tent.. I don't think I got a wink of sleep the whole night, but it was a night that I will never forget.
Sam beginning the hike after getting off the bus that dropped us off at a main trailhead in Italy's Dolmite mountains.
We were hiking along the trail with many people around us. Then we heard a sound. Music or some type of singing. Must be a song stuck in my head I thought. We were bout a mile in the backcountry. We rounded the next bend and my jaw dropped. There was a full Quire and band playing for a crowd of people in the middle of this wilderness. This is crazy!! This reminded me of the singing lady underneath the falls in Norway. For Europeans nature is not enough, I was so surprised I was stopped in my tracks. We watched the orchestra play another song and headed back to the trail wondering what might be around the next bend. Imagine hiking in Yosemite and finding a full piece band a mile out of the valley. Bizzare.
The craggy peaks in the distance looked like a saw cutting through the air. I had never seen anything like it before in the US.
Sam walking amongst these intriguing mountains.
We made it to the top of a high ridgeline as the sun set its rays upon this towering peak. There was a hut on the lower ridgeline that is in the picture, They put these hotels/restaurants in the coolest places. I checked out the hut and we continued on as the sun was about to set.
We made it to where I had planned to camp for the night. It was on a ridge overlooking the Dre Zimmen mountains. As it got darker I could see a storm in the distant horizon. And flashes of an approaching lightning storm. So much for the guidebooks promise of dry weather here in the Dolmites, the storm advanced and we had one hell of a night. Relentless rain pounded the tent walls with multiple nearby lightning strikes lighting the tent up like a candle. It was a loooong night, Pools of water in the tent, lighting, blasting winds. MOVIE
Sam not very happy after getting no sleep. It was chilly the next morning and was one of the few times I wore my down jacket in Europe.
Early the next morning hiking back to the trailhead we were passed by a group of Italians. They were drunk on the trail singing and taking shots. They offered Sam a shot as they passed by. Another only in Europe moment.
Reading about this mountain range before leaving for Europe it sounded like a place definitely worth seeing. It was such an interesting place to walk through. So dry and unlike any other land that I have ever seen. It's sharp spiky horizons and rock walls. Next time I will not set up camp on a high exposed ridge line even if the "the guidebook" says you have a zero % chance of summer storms in the region. Just another night out in Europe. |
