2023 Dolomites

Wednesday 30th August:  Weather: 5°C to 11°C: From 8°C then 3°C Forca Rossa, 11°C San Pellegrino, showers

Malga Ciapela to San Pellegrino: 16.4k walk: 8h: 8.30am to 4.30pm:1x45min,1x30min stop: A: 1126m D: 714m

Accommodation: Hotel Costabello (Annex)

Highlight today was climbing more than 1,000 metres to Forca Rossa at 2,490 metres, up a steady gradient on an old military road which lead to a wide mule track to the top, then wandering down to the beautiful valley of Passo San di Pellegrino.  We started out from Malga Ciapela on a cold morning at 8°C, with no wind and no rain so it was very easy.  At the top of the pass, Forca Rossa, the temperature dropped to 3°C with misty drizzly rain and it was very cold.  The views back to Malga Ciapela were beautiful, but we couldn’t see much of the Marmolada shrouded in mist, one thousand metres above us at 3,343 metres.

We’re awake early at 6am and it’s cold outside.  No wind, no rain, but very misty and overcast.  We have a cup of tea, shower and pack, ready for a cold likely wet walk up to Forca Rossa at 2,490 metres, more than one thousand meters above Malga Ciapela.  First, we drop off the keys to our apartment at Hotel Malga Ciapela, which manage the apartments Residence delle Dolomiti, then up through the camping ground and on to the old WW1 military road through the pine forest, following the Torrente Pettorina. It’s very well graded and there’s a few day hikers meandering up with their dogs.  This road was a strategic WW1 road for bringing provisions to the Italian troops.  It soon turns into a mule track and after 2 hours of hiking up, the misty rain rolls in and we don our wet gear.  Another hour of hiking up.  It’s getting colder and soon we can see the zig zag path to the top and know we can do it, but we’re cold and hungry.  We see a chamois or ibex perched on a rock at the top, the first wild animal we’ve seen on this trip, though earlier today we did see a dead chamois laying across the track. Poor thing must have fallen in the night.  Nothing we can do.  At 11.30am, time for a 30 min hot coffee break  in the cold misty rain with three spicy fruit rolls each - it was a long 3 hour walk uphill.

By the time we get moving again, we realise we are 5 minutes too late. We are confronted by a large group of day hikers coming down s-l-o-w-l-y.  They look like an over 60’s walking club so we stand to one side to let them pass - all 72 of them!!  Fifteen minutes later we can move up and in five minutes we’re at the top of Forca Rossa at 2,490 metres.  It’s misty and a cold 3°C, so we don’t stay long. Heading down the other side, we see the beautiful Passo San di Pellegrino way below in the meadows with tracks leading in all directions.  Somehow we miss the AV2 turn and realise we are heading up another mountain instead of down the valley.  A quick look at my map and we see we can turn down Track 670 to rejoin the main AV2 path.  It’s still misty rain and cold when we eventually rejoin the AV2 and stride out down the valley on a path across the meadows which quickly turns to a muddy track - the most mud we’ve seen this trip.  It looks like it rained heavily here before we arrived.  Dodging the mud was a but tricky, and the last section down to Rifugio Fuchiade, was downright steep and dangerously slippery.  

We reach Rifugio Fuchiade with muddy shoes and trousers, where dozens of tourists/day hikers are having lunch.  It has a reputation for a fine restaurant which caters for those walking the three k from the Hotels in San di Pellegrino.  On a wide gravelled path we pass through a myriad of Alpine huts in the Comune di Soraga and spy a vacant hut with a seat outside under a small eave - it’s 2.30pm time and time for lunch.  Ian has made us sandwiches with the left over ham, tomato, cheese, bread and butter from last night, which we have with a hot cup of tea followed by the dry chocolate cake rescued from Castiglioni which somehow tastes really nice today in the rain.  

There’s a stream of tourists/day hikers up and down the path as we head on down to Passo San di Pellegrino, and soon we’re at the Pass where there's several hotels lining the main highway.  Our Hotel Costabello is about 1k further on and we easily find it and check in.  We are in the annex, about 80 metres from the main Hotel, for 178 euro for half board for teh two of us.  Our room has a tiny lounge and bathroom downstairs with a huge bed upstairs and suits us just perfectly for a cost about the same as a Rifugio.  

Dinner isn’t until 7.30pm, a bit late by Dolomiti standards, but it gives us time to have a hot shower, wash our muddy clothes and shoes, and sort photos before wandering over to the Hotel at 6.30pm for a pre dinner drink - or two.  We order a beer and red wine and sit in the little lounge room, where the manager brings us our drinks with peanuts and pistachios.  Very relaxing.  So relaxing we order same again please, and this time he brings a small plate of potato chips and tells us we won’t have room for dinner if we eat any more peanuts. At 7.30pm we wander into the dining room where we’re joined by 6 German hikers and 2 others from don’t know where, all of us staying in the Hotel Annex, plus about 20 others who have been staying elsewhere.  

The dinner is absolutely amazing - fine dining at it’s best and the half board option included this dinner with bed and breakfast.   The manager was right.  Don’t eat any more peanuts!  Starters was a few thin slices of rare beef with a topping of tuna paste.  Entre was a small round knob of spaghetti and meat (me) and spinach rolls (Ian).  The main course was roast pork belly (me) and salmon (Ian).  Plus a large buffet of about ten different salads to help ourselves.  Dessert was tiramisu (Ian) and I have a small platter of cheese.  We would rate the dinner 10/10.  In fact we would rate the Hotel Costabella at 10/10, even the annex, though a bit squishy, suited us perfectly.  We’re both full when we climb the precarious steps to our kingsize bed in the attic and vow to not eat so much late at night!