July 2009
Day two: THIS is why we wanted to visit the Val Gardena!
We slept well, and that made a huge difference...we were ready for some hiking. Not a
cloud in the sky when we awoke, so we rapidly formalized our hiking plans and
purchased the six day Valgardena Card that covers a dozen lifts and all the local SAD
buses. These aren't inexpensive (64€ in 2009), but if you’re thinking of taking four to five
round trips on the lifts, the convenience alone is worth it.
The weather forecast called for high pressure and sun but chilly temperatures. We
bundled up accordingly. Turns out they were only half right. The temps at times soared--
into the 70s (F) in the valley by afternoon. Our jackets came off for good before 11am.
The Ciampinoi Lift and its upper station offer spectacular views. Even if you have no
interest in hiking, it’s well worth the ride up on a nice day. And, it only gets better as you
make your way down to the Comici Hut, with the Sasso Lungo in your face and the Sella
Massif across the valley. This was a superlative experience and exactly the reason we
came all the way here.
The trail goes from meadow to forest to rocky terrain with wildflowers throughout, and
there are a number of different directions you can go once you get to the top—including
circumnavigating the Sasso Lungo (Langkofel). We opted for a walk that went pretty well
past the Comici hut in the direction of the Sella Joch, but we eventually turned around
toward lunch time. For the most part, this particular walk doesn't require a super-athletic
level of fitness (we saw families of all sorts on the trail). But, if you're ending your hike
back at the Ciampinoi station, as we did, what goes down ultimately must go up. There
is a healthy climb at the end. We’d intended to bring a pedometer but forgot—not sure
how far we walked, but we were at it for a good four hours, not including lunch.
The specials board at the Comici Hut was looking particularly attractive, with penne
arrabiatta and vitello carciofi. We sat out in the sun with stunning peaks in all directions.
All in all, quite a nice lunch, with very good food and drinks.
After a quick break, we set off to Castelrotto for a somewhat easier walk between that
town and Siusi (Seis). It is mostly through meadows, with some uphill walking—about
an hour overall. We passed hay barns, watched a few paragliders, and then missed a
key turn, which required us to walk downhill through a field to get to Siusi. That turned
out okay, as we had very nice views of the photogenic church at St. Valentin. From Siusi,
we caught a bus back to Castelrotto, anxious to do what we enjoy on every Italian
vacation—a late afternoon beverage and gelato, this time courtesy of the Stern
Cafegarten. Chris really liked the local beer, but it was upstaged by the main attraction—
Allie's ice cream with hot raspberry sauce (lamponi caldi).
We took a bit of time to explore Castelrotto after our refresher. It is certainly smaller than
the three main Val Gardena towns and quite picturesque—almost too cute. Since this
was a Sunday, most everything was closed.
A bit tired, we opted to cook dinner in tonight—pasta with a nice fresh, home-made
tomato and basil sauce, accompanied by a local Edel Vernatsch—and watched the sun
go down.
Today's photos
Next: Day 3-Sprechen sie....speck?!
All of our trip photos
Home
We slept well, and that made a huge difference...we were ready for some hiking. Not a
cloud in the sky when we awoke, so we rapidly formalized our hiking plans and
purchased the six day Valgardena Card that covers a dozen lifts and all the local SAD
buses. These aren't inexpensive (64€ in 2009), but if you’re thinking of taking four to five
round trips on the lifts, the convenience alone is worth it.
The weather forecast called for high pressure and sun but chilly temperatures. We
bundled up accordingly. Turns out they were only half right. The temps at times soared--
into the 70s (F) in the valley by afternoon. Our jackets came off for good before 11am.
The Ciampinoi Lift and its upper station offer spectacular views. Even if you have no
interest in hiking, it’s well worth the ride up on a nice day. And, it only gets better as you
make your way down to the Comici Hut, with the Sasso Lungo in your face and the Sella
Massif across the valley. This was a superlative experience and exactly the reason we
came all the way here.
The trail goes from meadow to forest to rocky terrain with wildflowers throughout, and
there are a number of different directions you can go once you get to the top—including
circumnavigating the Sasso Lungo (Langkofel). We opted for a walk that went pretty well
past the Comici hut in the direction of the Sella Joch, but we eventually turned around
toward lunch time. For the most part, this particular walk doesn't require a super-athletic
level of fitness (we saw families of all sorts on the trail). But, if you're ending your hike
back at the Ciampinoi station, as we did, what goes down ultimately must go up. There
is a healthy climb at the end. We’d intended to bring a pedometer but forgot—not sure
how far we walked, but we were at it for a good four hours, not including lunch.
The specials board at the Comici Hut was looking particularly attractive, with penne
arrabiatta and vitello carciofi. We sat out in the sun with stunning peaks in all directions.
All in all, quite a nice lunch, with very good food and drinks.
After a quick break, we set off to Castelrotto for a somewhat easier walk between that
town and Siusi (Seis). It is mostly through meadows, with some uphill walking—about
an hour overall. We passed hay barns, watched a few paragliders, and then missed a
key turn, which required us to walk downhill through a field to get to Siusi. That turned
out okay, as we had very nice views of the photogenic church at St. Valentin. From Siusi,
we caught a bus back to Castelrotto, anxious to do what we enjoy on every Italian
vacation—a late afternoon beverage and gelato, this time courtesy of the Stern
Cafegarten. Chris really liked the local beer, but it was upstaged by the main attraction—
Allie's ice cream with hot raspberry sauce (lamponi caldi).
We took a bit of time to explore Castelrotto after our refresher. It is certainly smaller than
the three main Val Gardena towns and quite picturesque—almost too cute. Since this
was a Sunday, most everything was closed.
A bit tired, we opted to cook dinner in tonight—pasta with a nice fresh, home-made
tomato and basil sauce, accompanied by a local Edel Vernatsch—and watched the sun
go down.
Today's photos
Next: Day 3-Sprechen sie....speck?!
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