Lago di Braies July 2 was the start to an incredible nine days of hiking in the Dolomites.  We had strategically planned to begin our hike on my 40th birthday.  The day (and those that followed) were so amazing that it had me forgetting I was turning 40.  It was the perfect way to usher in the new decade.   We woke up to another gorgeous day and at 8:30am we were picked up by Toio (local) who drove us to Lago di Braies to begin our hike.  We left behind at the hotel all of our other belongings and would have them returned to us when we completed our time on the Alta Via 1. 

Lago di Braies is a beautiful, deeply turquoise lake just on the Austrian and Italian border.  Our ability to start the hike from the lake was dependent on weather and we were so fortunate that it was clear without any risk of storms.  We knew how much we wanted to start from the lake, but it's only after we completed that stretch of trail that we couldn't possibly imagine bypassing it.  Trail #1

Given the taxi ride and the 45 minutes we spent getting situated and photographing the lake, our start time was late.  It was probably 10:30am before we got on the trail.   That is something I would do differently if we had the chance.    Starting so late was brutal with the heat. And it wasn't just any heat.  When we were in Italy all of Europe was experiencing the most intense heat wave.  Even at 7,000 feet the temperatures were 85 degrees.  Needless to say, that first day was tough.  We weren't yet acclimated to the elevation, we gained at least 3,200 feet in elevation and hiked about 12 km - all in 85 degree heat.  But it was all worth it.  What a gorgeous hike!

View from Sora Forno

Our trail skirted the lake until we arrived at the pass where we hiked straight up amidst rock and loose scree, clinging to cables for a short bit  until we arrived at a small grassy area.  From there we climbed up yet again until we reached the top of the Sora Forno pass.   Our trail notes had mentioned that "if it's not foggy, the views from the pass are unparalleled".  They really were.   We felt so fortunate to have such clear skies and to be able to see it all.  It was absolutely spectacular.  There wasn't an ounce of shade anywhere, so after we ate our sandwiches and took a few pictures, we moved on.

The Valuns

We passed by the first rifugio, Rifugio Biella and then continued on to the direction of Rifugio Sennes.  This portion of the hike looked entirely different from everything we had seen earlier.  It was just as beautiful.  The landscape reminded us of green moguls with beautiful mountain ranges behind it.   At this point the weather changed a fair amount and the clouds rolled in.  Off in the distance you could see purple clouds and flashes of lighting. We kept hoping it wasn't in the direction of our rifugio.   The mountain range that had the most activity is called the Valuns. They are majestic.  I fell in love with them immediately and couldn't get enough of them.    It turned out that our lodging for the night at Rifigio Fodara Vedla sat right at the base of the Gran Valuns; it couldn't have been prettier. 

Sunset at Fodara Vedla After we passed by Rifugio Sennes, we weren't far from Fodara Vedla.   As we reached out destination, we heard it before we saw it. The cow bells (biggest ones you've ever seen) rang through the mountains.  We loved the sound; although we did feel differently about it in the middle of the night.  Who knew cows walked so much?   Our timing that day was perfect.  We arrived just as it started to rain. 

Since this was the first night on the trail, we had no idea what to expect in terms of lodging or food.  We had pretty low expectations.  

CUrious Cows

But Fodara Vedla set a new standard.  The place was amazing! We had prearranged for a private room, but we got a king bed, our own bathroom and even a shower!  The room was in the attic and the windows opened in the ceiling and looked right at the Valuns.  It was the best place we stayed the entire trip.  I would go back there in a heart beat. 

While we enjoyed a delicious mountain meal, it POURED outside.  It made us a little nervous as to what to expect the upcoming days. Mountain weather is always questionable and we were there in early season.   Eventually the rains did stop and the skies started to clear just before sunset (days were really long - it was lovely). Lee went out and captured some absolutely beautiful pictures of the sunset while managing to dodge the very inquisitive cows. 

The day was perfect. My birthday was perfect.  To see pictures of this day, go here.