Cortina d’Ampezzo – August 2-5 2013

Back in February I traveled north for my first ski adventure ever in the Italian Alps (see blog post, “Have Ski Boots, Will Travel” Feb-10, 2013).  I wanted to ski the majestic Dolomiti (a.k.a “Dolomites”), the most savagely beautiful Alps in the world.  Although there were a number of towns I could have selected for that trip, I chose to go to Cortina d’Ampezzo, in the heart of some of the most scenic skiing Italy has to offer.  I was so impressed and inspired during my time there that I resolved I would return in the summer with Angie to see the town and hike the mountains.

On Friday we drove 5 hours north up into the Italian Alps in search of some relief from the region now being thoroughly fried to a crisp under the Tuscan Sun.  Far from being a backwater town lost in the shadows of the massive Dolomiti, Cortina is a thriving, bustling community whose restaurants, hotels, and upscale shops trade heavily on the influx of tourists, both winter and summer.  
 Yet you need look no further than the edge of town to understand exactly what this part of Italy is all about. 

On Saturday we awoke to reasonable temperatures, a welcome relief from the broiler our town at home has become the last several weeks.  We rented bikes and rode the path leading out of town and up into the mountains.  

Although mostly uphill, we rode for hours and the trail took us to some pretty interesting places, including old tunnels that had been repurposed for public use.  Our ride back was mostly downhill and decidedly faster than our ride up!

Glacier at Marmolada

When you are feeling wilted from the oppressive heat of summer, simply trek over to your local glacier for some cool, refreshing hiking.  On Sunday we took a drive to the glacier at Marmolada.














The glacier at Marmolada lies at 10,000 feet, high in the Dolomiti just an hour southwest of Cortina.  From the base area we took 3 cable trams up to the foot of the glacier and to the peaks that rise above it. 

Even under the withering July sun the glacier is frigid and expansive.  The cool, thin air mixes with the powerful radiant energy of the Italian sun overhead, and with the frosty chill of snow underfoot, providing us a much needed revitalization from the dog days of Tuscany.

Beautiful vistas abound in every direction.  From this vantage you actually look down on some of the alpine peaks.  





Beautiful though it may be, sliding off the edge of the glacier is considered bad form is not recommended…. 

Monday was our day to checkout and drive home, but not without first getting in some morning hiking.  After packing the car we hoofed over to the north end of town and caught the two cable trams up to Faloria.  It’s always a treat for me to hike through a ski area that has been wrapped up and put away for summer, and to see the exposed undulation of the mountains and trails.  It was also great to be exploring the peaks on the opposite side of the valley, from where I had previously skied the Pomedes and Col Druscie areas in February.

We hiked ski trails and narrow paths through quiet forests, crossing streams as we encountered them.  When the long trail down finally played out at the bottom of the ski area, we picked up another for the last 4 miles back to town, at times trekking across open meadows where at any moment I expected Julie Andrews to pop out from behind a tree and start singing.

Our trip to Cortina was an immersion into a different type of Italian picture postcard than the one in which we currently live.  The town proudly wears it’s Olympic and World Cup heritage on its sleeve; its an edgy town that takes more pride in physical achievement than in knowing which artist is buried in which church.  It is home to the towering peaks of the mighty Dolomiti, whose thin air and gravity will challenge you and test you at every turn.  Its northern Italian culture is shaped by these challenges, and by it's proximity to Austria and Switzerland as well.  It is reflected in the dialects you hear in the restaurants, and by the fare that is offered on the menus.  The raw, wild beauty that surrounds Cortina is its soul, and it’s spirit resonates with you, winter or summer.

Ciao for now.
  - Doug