Itinerant Strings: I Dolomiti Ultimo (IV)

A thunder and lightning storm developed in the evening, but by morning it had cleared off to make room for another perfect day. Off to our third via ferrata - the most challenging and highest trail yet (still, only rated 2B). It’s not very long but is almost all at altitude above 10,000 feet. Following ridges near the top of Monte Cristalo, the route is named Via Ivan Dibona, after a famous mountain guide. First we had to take two lifts (funivie) up Cristalo Mountain. The first was a quad chairlift which was sleek and modern; the second was a relic from the 1956 Olympics… looked like little dangly Chilean miner rescue pods that take only 2 standing people. We stopped for coffee at mid station to acclimatize to the altitude and recall how it’s been a pretty good life . . .

At the top, much higher than the Olympdownhill ski runs and WAY above treeline, we geared up and took a little ‘via ferrata’ scramble up a ridge, through some more tunnels, up some iron ladders and over the longest suspension bridge in the Dolomites trail system. What a view. Incredible. We took lots of photos, but it really is impossible to capture the feeling. And who lives up there, besides the barrista/bartender and innkeeper of the rifugio? These amazing birds called Alpine Choughs (chuffs). Look a bit like crows or ravens, but with yellow bills and orange feet. They nest in the rocks, eat who knows what, and have the most musical crow caw you ever heard.

As the tin can that I was riding in (Susan and Louise clutched each other courageously in the following pod) swayed and wibbled its way onto the landing deck, I noticed a yellow dog barking and racing around each pod as it arrived, following it desperately around the platform until the pod with descending passengers sailed off over the edge for the return journey. “Don’t go!, Don’t go!” (translation from “Bark! Bark-bark! Bark!”)

These photos look better enlarged. Click once to enlarge a bit; twice for more detail.

Our Italian lifty explained as I stepped in, that this was the last year of service for these pods. I thought I heard him mutter as he secured the door, "better you than me".

Fastest 3.000 feet I ever 'climbed'.

Alpine Choughs

Refugio at 10,000 feet.

No, we were not swinging. It just hangs a bit funny but feels very solid.

Above the bridge

Susan went back to join Louise and I carried on for about 15 minutes along a fantastic ridge. Hope to return to do the whole thing one day.

True to form, we squeezed every moment out of our time on this fantastic mountain, ….had a cold one at the midway point rifugio, and rode the second-last chair down before they closed the lift for the day.