Sunday: 13th August: Weather: 12°C to 22°C: Sunny day, with a few dark clouds around but no rain
Cortina: 13.1.0k walk: 7hrs 30 mins: 8.am to 3.30pm: 2 x 30 min stops: Ascent 890m Descent 890m
Day Walk: Lagazuoi Tunnels & Kaiserjager circuit: Col Gallina to Lagazuoi Tunnels and Forcella Salares
Accommodation: Rifugio Col Gallina at Falzarego Pass near Cortina
Ready to go up th Lagazoui Tunnel
Jan Entering the Lagazuoi Tunnel
1hr later Ian out of Lagazuoi Tunnel
Coffee at Piccolo Lagazuoi 2778m
Zig zag track from Rifugio Lagazuoi
Amazing Dolomite Moonscape
Stony moonscape Lagazuoi plateau
Lunch - views to Puez-Odle & Sella
50 zigzags from Forcella Saleres
Rock climbers on wall of Lagazuoi
Highlights of this spectacular day were so many - again. First we climbed Track 402 to the start of theone kilometre WW1 Lagazuoi Tunnel, which we ascended in almost pitch darkness except for a torch. Then along the Kaiserjager Route (Austrian Troops route) to the Lagazuoi Piccolo at 2778 metres, before returning to the Rifugio and descending to the otherside of Lagazuoi to the high altitude pleateau and along to Forcella Salares. From there another steep descent to Passo di Valporala then to Falzarego Pass and a bit further home to Rifugio Col Gallina. A stunning day surrounded by the moonscape dolomites.
We’re awake at 5.45am to a jetboiled cup of tea and a chat to the grandkids at home before going down to breakfast. Another delightful spread of blueberry tarts, cakes and croissants to go with the Meusli and yoghurt and hot coffee. We pack a small day pack with our jetboil, coffee and snacks and head out the door at 8am on a beautiful sunny warm day - the temperature is already 16°C.
We want to walk through the Lagazuoi tunnel, the longest in a series of WW1 “Galleria” as the Italians call them. They were dug by hand into the Lagazuoi Mountain, to provide protection for the Italian troops fighting the Austrians in the Dolomites of north Italy. The main tunnel was restored for prosperity, and is over one kilometre long with almost 1,000 steps descending 300 metres in pitch black for most of the way. All the guide books suggest taking the cable car up from Falzarego Pass to the top of Lagazuoi then walking down through tunnel. But wafting in thin air, the cable car looked scarier than a hike up the mountain track. So we made a decision to walk the tunnel in reverse - take track 402 to the “Traditional Finish” of the Lagazuoi Tunnel, then walk up the thousand steps in the dark to the “Traditional Start”. It made more sense to walk up the slippery steps holding the cable than to walk down, most steps being 40 to 50 cms high. So that’s what we did.
It took and hour to walk from Rifugio Col Gallina (2,000 metres) through the Falzarego pass to Track 402 then on to tunnel entrance at 2,400 metres wher we we donned warm gear, and got torches out ready. It was cold and damp inside, and whilst not dangerous, the relentless flights of high steps certainly tested the thighs. Occassionally there were windows to the valley below, but for the most part, it was pich black except for the small faded beam of our torches. We were surprised that two other groups were walking our way and ascending rather than descending the tunnel, and also surprised that we encountered few hikers on their way down. We reasoned that it was too early for the cable car to start taking walkers to the top for them to start the walk down through the tunnel.
An hour later at 10am, we emerged to broad sunlightl. It was a bit disorientating in the brilliant light, especially after exiting, we had to negotiatea narrowsteep path with cables to reach Rufugio Lagazuoi and the cable car, which was now running. Most of the tourists who came up by cable car had sauntered up to Piccolo Lagazuoi at 2778 metres with fabulous views all round. We joined them and stopped at the top for a well earned coffee and cake. There we had a choice Kaiserjager walks - along the ridge, then down to the valley below, or down the zig zag path 401 to the valley then along Track 20A. Both tracks reach Forcella Salares at 2283 metres. We looked at the ridge walk which seemed to disappear down an almost vertical descent to the valley floor, and elect to do Track 401 down the well graded zig zag path to the valley.
There’s an endless stream of hikers and their dogs coming up towards us on the stony zig zag path. They’d come on a different route from Falzarego to the top, and with many of them carrying helmets, we guessed their intention was to walk back down via the Lagazuoi tunnel. We get to the bottom of the valley and turn left onto track 20A, taking us between moon like Piccolo Lagazuoi and the Grand Lagazuoi Dolomite groups. It’s Sunday and there’s walkers coming and going in all directions so we feel quite at easy walking through this spartan landscape with not a tree in site - as to be expected since it’s 200 metres above the tree line of 2,000 metres.
The track goes on and on, and we never did see the track coming down from the ridge, so we were pleased we didn’t go that way. It’s 1pm when we reach Forcella Salares at 2,293 metres and there’s a group of hikers already there sitting on the grassy knoll having lunch. A good idea. We find a rocky ledge with spectacular views across to the Puez-Odle and Sella groups, ablaze in colour. Lunch is a hot cup of tea made with powdered milk (from Aldi in Australia) with a jam tart rescued from breakfast.
We look at the 03 Tabacco map and see we need to turn sharp left to leave Forcella Salares. When we look down the gully, we see the zig zag paths - 50 in all. At least they made the descent easier rather than scrambling directly down on boulders. We can see the road to Passo Valparola and soon we’re at the bottom of the zig zags and heading for the pass along a short section of a busy road. From Passo Valparola, we can see a track to Passo Falzarego beside the road, passing the WW1 Museum on the way. There’s cars and hikers everywhere as we walk towards home.
It’s 3.30pm when we arrive at Rifugio Col Gallina, and we’re welcomed by one of the waiters, a fanatical runner, who takes our dinner order - risotto and roasted veggies for Ian, I have the Risotto and goulash and polenta. Then up to our room to wash the dust out of our clothes, shower and sort photos before heading down to the balcony at 6pm for a beer/wine before dinner.
The dinner is really nice and we go halves with each others choice. Dessert is icecream Italian style. I pay the bill of 600 euro (less the 255 I’d paid earlier as a deposit). We considered the price cheap. The staff were nice, the dinner and breakfast were nice and we had a small room to ourselves. Tomorrow we’ll be in the centre of Cortina where we pay twice as much with no dinner.