July 2009
Day seven: One little victory
Today is our last day in the Val Gardena, sadly. It has been a great vacation and we've
been really pleased with our choices.
There are times in our lives and in our travels where we feel we've made good use of
our time. We've bought the museum ticket to see the one-of-a-kind thing, we've taken
the train to the fashionable resort, we've done this and that and we know that we've
been somewhere and done something. And that’s always good.
But today felt like something different. It felt like a win. It felt like a small taste of victory. In
short, we got ourselves into more of a hike than we had planned, and it wasn't easy to
get ourselves out again. But this is one of those moments that you put into your mental
trophy case and shine it up for those days when you want to feel better about yourself.
When you don’t want to feel like just another 46-year-old consultant, our just another
teenager. We all accomplished something today.
Specifically, what we accomplished was a 14.5 km hike from the top of the
Dantercepies lift (much of it vertical, not horizontal) across some of the most
astonishing natural splendor we are ever likely to see through the heart of the Altepiano
del Puez above Selva. We first took note of this walk in the book entitled, Shorter Walks
in the Dolomites. Be advised: this is neither a “short walk” nor an “easy hike.” For the
very first time on this trip, Allie declared that she was NOT having fun… and she meant it
for real. (But we’re fairly confident that it did her some good, anyway).
There is only one notable milestone along this desolate course, and that comes at the
midway point after a long series of climbs. The Puez Hutte is well-known to hikers in the
area, and was eagerly anticipated by those of us sweating buckets along the way. As
we approached this alpine oasis, it appeared to be closed at first glance. But no! What’s
that? A glint of golden sunshine in a distant piece of glassware. Beer… Forst Beer, the
epic brew of the Tyrol, in a tall, slender mug, being enjoyed by a thirsty hiker in the near
distance!
The food at Puez Hutte was forgettable, (pedestrian spaghetti, lumpy dumplings in
brodo) but welcomed nonetheless. Fortified for our descent, we followed the lead of a
kindly German couple that we met as we started our climb. They’d done this last year
and pointed out the “easier” path down. It was a little steep at points, but quite
manageable. At one point, we could actually touch the face of a cliff that towers
hundreds of feet above the valley wall. The other notable thing about the walk down was
the relative absence of people compared to the first half of the walk. The walk finished
with a long, gradual descent through Vallunga back to Selva, where we celebrated with
beverages at the bar near our hotel and later, with a return trip to Sal Feur for dinner.
Today's photos
Next: Days 8 and 9-Munich
All of our trip photos
Home
Today is our last day in the Val Gardena, sadly. It has been a great vacation and we've
been really pleased with our choices.
There are times in our lives and in our travels where we feel we've made good use of
our time. We've bought the museum ticket to see the one-of-a-kind thing, we've taken
the train to the fashionable resort, we've done this and that and we know that we've
been somewhere and done something. And that’s always good.
But today felt like something different. It felt like a win. It felt like a small taste of victory. In
short, we got ourselves into more of a hike than we had planned, and it wasn't easy to
get ourselves out again. But this is one of those moments that you put into your mental
trophy case and shine it up for those days when you want to feel better about yourself.
When you don’t want to feel like just another 46-year-old consultant, our just another
teenager. We all accomplished something today.
Specifically, what we accomplished was a 14.5 km hike from the top of the
Dantercepies lift (much of it vertical, not horizontal) across some of the most
astonishing natural splendor we are ever likely to see through the heart of the Altepiano
del Puez above Selva. We first took note of this walk in the book entitled, Shorter Walks
in the Dolomites. Be advised: this is neither a “short walk” nor an “easy hike.” For the
very first time on this trip, Allie declared that she was NOT having fun… and she meant it
for real. (But we’re fairly confident that it did her some good, anyway).
There is only one notable milestone along this desolate course, and that comes at the
midway point after a long series of climbs. The Puez Hutte is well-known to hikers in the
area, and was eagerly anticipated by those of us sweating buckets along the way. As
we approached this alpine oasis, it appeared to be closed at first glance. But no! What’s
that? A glint of golden sunshine in a distant piece of glassware. Beer… Forst Beer, the
epic brew of the Tyrol, in a tall, slender mug, being enjoyed by a thirsty hiker in the near
distance!
The food at Puez Hutte was forgettable, (pedestrian spaghetti, lumpy dumplings in
brodo) but welcomed nonetheless. Fortified for our descent, we followed the lead of a
kindly German couple that we met as we started our climb. They’d done this last year
and pointed out the “easier” path down. It was a little steep at points, but quite
manageable. At one point, we could actually touch the face of a cliff that towers
hundreds of feet above the valley wall. The other notable thing about the walk down was
the relative absence of people compared to the first half of the walk. The walk finished
with a long, gradual descent through Vallunga back to Selva, where we celebrated with
beverages at the bar near our hotel and later, with a return trip to Sal Feur for dinner.
Today's photos
Next: Days 8 and 9-Munich
All of our trip photos
Home
Climb Every Mountain:
Our long-awaited trip to the
Dolomites...and Munich
Our long-awaited trip to the
Dolomites...and Munich
Overview: Plenty of options, but where to stay?
Overview: Hiking in the Val Gardena
Day 1: Stau!
Day 2: This is why we wanted to visit!
Day 3: Sprechen zie...speck?
Day 4: Bolzano, Merano and a date with Ötzi
Day 5: The flying telephone booths
Day 6: I love a parade
Day 7: One little victory
Days 8-9: Munich
Wrap up: Weather, packing; useful resources
Wrap up: Food, language and final thoughts
Home
Overview: Hiking in the Val Gardena
Day 1: Stau!
Day 2: This is why we wanted to visit!
Day 3: Sprechen zie...speck?
Day 4: Bolzano, Merano and a date with Ötzi
Day 5: The flying telephone booths
Day 6: I love a parade
Day 7: One little victory
Days 8-9: Munich
Wrap up: Weather, packing; useful resources
Wrap up: Food, language and final thoughts
Home