“My spirits infallibly rise in proportion to the outward dreariness.
Give me the ocean, the desert, or the wilderness”
Henry David Thoreau from the book Walking
Daily hikes
Cortina d’Ampezzo and the Dolomites are places of rare beauty and immense natural and historical value.
Day trips allow you to explore new places, climb a peak, admire views, be mesmerized by a waterfall, a lake or a field of wild flowers, observe wild animals or walk along ancient and historical paths.
Walking in the mountains is truly a total immersion in the beauty and peace of nature.
The treasures of Ampezzo Nature
The area of Cortina d’Ampezzo is filled with treasures, some well known and famous, others hidden and a bit “secret”.
A trekking guide with extensive knowledge of the territory will lead you to new discoveries that will surprise, excite and enchant you. You will admire the beauty of endemic flowers, centenary trees, wild animals in their natural habitat, caves, springs, remote lakes, bubbling streams, isolated peaks, arches in the rock, earth pyramids, fossils and dinosaur footprints, rocks that tell of past eras, and testimonies of the Great War that are lost in time.
Sunrises and sunsets
There are moments of the day that have occurred for millennia but are different each day. They are the sunrise and the sunset, when the sky and the clouds take on surreal shades and the sunlight, low on the horizon, gives warm and intense colors wherever it lies. At dawn and dusk the Dolomites, due to the minerals that make up their rocks, take on shades of pink, orange and gold. This phenomenon is known as “Enrosadira”.
At least once it is worthwhile spending the night in a “rifugio” (Alpine hut) to admire the sunset and rise before dawn to enjoy this unique phenomenon.
Movement and Nature
Walking is movement and movement, as is well known, is highly beneficial to our health.
The benefits of walking can be enhanced by a few simple exercises to become more resistant, more agile and stronger. During a hike, you can change the intensity of your pace, add some arm exercises, stop to perform upper body strengthening exercises and, at the end of the hike, relax your muscles with overall body stretching.
All of this is more valuable and much more fun when we can enjoy the beauty and peace of nature.
Multi-day trekking
Walking for several days is like a journey. At a leasurly pace and with keen eyes, you can cross and admire magnificent landscapes and places with a wealth of history and natural beauty. After a day in motion, it is nice to reach a “rifugio” (Alpine hut) and spend the rest of the day enjoying the light and atmosphere at high altitude, as though you are almost in another dimension. A few stretching exercises before the sun sets, a chat with other walkers while waiting for dinner and an evening as high as the stars are the end of a totally rewarding and full day.
E-bike
The bicycle is a wonderful means of transportation and cycling is really enjoyable.
With an electric bike, pedaling becomes less tiring, particularly in the mountains, where there are continuous ups and downs. With an e-bike you can ride along wonderful routes, cycling on dirt roads immersed in the woods or reach mountain pastures at high altitude with breathtaking views. Some of the itineraries I propose are fairly popular but “must sees”, such as the ascent to the wonderful Prato Piazza plateau or the Biella hut in the Parco delle Dolomiti d’Ampezzo. Some others are more unusual, such as the loop around Cortina d’Ampezzo, the “tour of the four lakes” and the tour of some of the mountain ranges in the eastern Dolomites.
Travels
I have always enjoyed traveling and exploring new places by walking or cycling. My desire would be to propose some treks beyond the Dolomites. I am working on it, so stay tuned….