Sunshine early this morning so a good start to the day. Lana figures out our potential hiking route using the map provided by the tourist office. Our blog today will be mostly pictures as it is a pretty simple day spent in the mountains. One of our goals is to take the chairlift gondola down the mountain so we use up our return lift pass purchased a few days ago.
We are out the door of our Airbnb apartment around 10:25 to begin our hike. I decided to wear my hiking shorts given the weather forecast is mid teens and sunshine. We are staying in the Costadedoi neighbourhood just north of the village of San Cassiano. We find the path that will take us down to the river below. We will walk east along the river. Gently undulating trail within the woods. Kind of an 'art' walk as there are art fixtures at various points.
Randy checking out the mini library located along the hiking/walking path.
Lana confidently strolling along the hiking trail/road.
Example of art along the river path.
Title and artist of the art above.
Lana figures out we should hike up the mountain and use hiking route 4A (medium to difficult) which eventually joins up with the easier hiking route 4. 4A is a real mountain path through the forest. It is not a service road like the majority of hiking routes we have taken. Very steep in spots and slippery in many other spots. Eventually (seems like an eternity to Lana and she asks if I'm purposely staying on 4A just to torture her!!) we find where 4A connects to route 4. Hiking route 4 is along an access dirt/gravel road and fairly wide open. Some fantastic scenery. Occasionally, we have to move over for a truck or working vehicle to pass. We reach the snow level and the temperature is now chillier especially when the wind or breeze blows. Snow gently falling from tree branches makes a peculiar but pleasing sound. We'll let the pictures speak for themselves.
Higher up the mountain now.
Panoramic shot.
We were driving in this valley up into the mountains yesterday.
Lana walking on the trail downhill.
Our objective is to reach a Refuge/Refugio near the sky lift Piz La Ila located at 2077 metres. After a long uphill hike we do reach this chairlift/gondola. So much fresh air and fantastic views. It is much colder at the top of the mountain and more exposed with less trees. I put on my gloves. The wind or breeze really puts a chill into the air.
Now we are keen on finding a place for lunch. We figure to hike to Refugio La Fraina. No luck despite walking off the trail and into the snow. We realize that the maps really are not representative of where everything is and the best thing we should do is check the sign posts along the way (despite Randy's protests of "I know where we're going--we don't need to check the sign post!!"). We lateral over the hills back to the trail and find good signs which point us in the direction of a couple of Refuges. We did find La Fraina, but it was closed until ski season. We decide to hike to I Tabla as it is another 10 minutes ahead. It is open! To get here it has been about 3 hours (arrival 13:30) and close to 2 2/3 hours of actual hiking. Lana's app shows 10.5 kms walking and around 15, 000 steps. Good calorie burn and good exercise. We should treat ourselves to a nice lunch!
Wine Menu outside the Refuge and sign showing regional dessert being offered--more on this coming up :)
Lots of choices on the menu written in German, Italian and English. Lana orders an Apfelglühmix (mulled apple juice non-alcoholic). Randy orders a glass of St. Magdalener Perlhof red wine from Alto Adige producer Tenuta Ritterhof. Wow, it was excellent. Plus, our usual large bottle of sparkling water. Lana struggling to figure out what she wants to eat. She sees another diner's plate and asks our server what they are having. It is not on the menu, but they have one more plate and it is hers.
Lana's special lunch of Baby Back Ribs on a delicious potato rosti.
Randy's lunch order (or is that breakfast?) of Spiegeleir (aus Bodenhaltung) kit Speck und Bratkartoffeln. Basically, free range eggs baked with fried bacon lying on top of sautéed potatoes. It looks delicious and tastes as good as it looks!
On the menu board outside was this incredible dessert. Kaiserschmarrn mit Preiselbeer Marmalade und Apfelmus. A very unique and not cheap German style dessert. Torn pancake pieces with raisins served warm. Wow, we gotta figure out how to make this when we get home. Tastes like a cross between a pancake/crepe combo!
Check out the view from the window of our Refuge! Spectacular. We are so impressed with this style of hiking where you can enjoy fantastic food at some point during your hike. The food is delicious, filling, authentic Ladin/German and comes very quickly after ordering. For many hikers they stay in these refuges overnight.
We leave around 14:30 and our objective is to hike to Piz Sorega at 2077 metres. That way we can use up our gondola lift ticket and get down the mountain in style and comfort. We hike to Bioch Refuge and then to Las Vegas Refuge and then onto Piz Sorega. The sun is shining and it is much warmer than earlier. Mostly downhill from our lunch spot although in places some steep inclines. We reach Piz Sorega and into the gondola for the trip down to San Cassiano.
Into the village of San Cassiano and Lana stops at Lagació Hotel Mountain Residence to inquire about the chances of getting a massage despite not being a guest. She is in luck. She gets a 75 minute massage appointment for tonight at 18:00! She is overjoyed. I decide to get a 30 minute "sports massage" appointment for 19:30. My spa treatment will follow Lana's treatment.
We return to the apartment around 16:00 and check the stats for our hiking. A total of 16 kms and 22,000 steps. A great day of strenuous hiking in the fresh mountain air with decent weather and an awesome lunch. Lana describes this as close to a perfect day: good hiking, great scenery, amazing food for lunch with dessert, then topping off the day with a spa/massage treatment later.
We have some cold cut meats and cheese we purchased a couple of days ago that will serve as our casual dinner at the apartment tonight. Plus, we have a doggie bag from lunch of the pork ribs and potato rosti. We can finish our bottle of Muller Thurgau with our meal. I picked up a German dessert (Linzertorte) to have with my meal.
Lana adores her massage treatment and is glowing when I meet her before my sports massage. My massage is focused on my sore and often injured legs. Deep tissue massage so it was much appreciated. Back home we have our casual dinner and I watch part of a live game between my New York Yankees and the Minnesota Twins with Yankees in a big lead mid way through the game.
Lana adores her massage treatment and is glowing when I meet her before my sports massage. My massage is focused on my sore and often injured legs. Deep tissue massage so it was much appreciated. Back home we have our casual dinner and I watch part of a live game between my New York Yankees and the Minnesota Twins with Yankees in a big lead mid way through the game.
A Schindler elevator at the spa. Note the touch screen control panel! Very cool.
No comments:
Post a Comment