Alta Via 1 – Day 6
Hiking the Italian Dolomites
- Rifugio Passo Staulanza to Rifugio Tissi
- Steps: 19,593
- Kilometres: 14.6
- Hours: 9
- Calories: 3,139
- Total ascent: 1554
- Total descent: 1073
- Max elevation: 2255m
Today’s hike was characterised by a lot of uphills including a torturous final ascent to our rifugio for the night. I got there in the end with the help of a cat. In the meanwhile, there were views, views and more views, a lake and a rainbow!
Although Passo Staulanza was at a relatively lower altitude, we still saw great views looking up to Monte Pelmo when we departed in the morning. The first part of the walk today was along a roadside, including a very odd ledge that required careful navigating but made a nice change from gravel and rocks. After an easy couple of km, we had our first upward climb which opened out to fields with great views at the top.
After a short time we started the ascent up to Rifugio Coldai where we planned to have lunch. I needed the loo but there was no where to go, no places to hide and the track was quite busy with hikers, so I hung on until lunch – one of the challenges of being a female on the AV1. We were wearing our rain gear again today, although the rain was intermittent and wasn’t heavy. The upward path was a light stream in places, and I found it easier to walk in the streams, because the water washed the mud away and it was less slippery.
Near the top we passed a pulley system that the rifugio used to bring up goods, then Rifugio Coldai came into eyeshot. There were a lot of hikers milling about, having beers and enjoying the views. It was warm inside and I decided, for my efforts, it was OK to have apple strudel and hot chocolate for lunch.
Fortified, we continued up Forcella Coldai with the rifugio getting smaller behind us. After topping the pass, Lago di Coldai appeared, which marked the beginning of a long descent. We stopped to admire the lake for a while, and a couple of enthusiastic hikers braved the icy water for a swim.
Continuing on there was another small rise, then we began our descent as the weather got wetter and foggier. We could see our destination sitting in its high position on the mountain in the distance. Somehow the incline never looks that bad from afar.
The climb up to Rifugio Tissi is a tough one. I was slow, while Steve went on ahead. Being slow can be rewarding: a spectacular full rainbow appeared, and Steve missed it. The walk up is worth it, as Rifugio Tissi has some of the most amazing views due to its location perched on the mountainside. Being difficult to get to also means this rifugio has to carefully manage its resources such as water.
I was fairly knackered and vaguely contemplated just stopping 200m from the rifugio and hoping someone would come down and drag me up the rest of the way. Then I saw a cat sitting on the bottom of the rifugio steps. My desire to pat the cat literally got me through the very last section.
I found Steve and our private room (a tiny separate room with bunk beds), used the single squat toilet, had a two minute shower, then joined our fellow hikers for a few belly laughs before dinner. Tanji and Kent were not with us any more and we missed them, but regardless we were still in good company with Joy and Dan.
Later on I was dismayed to realise I had lost my beloved Every cotton-silk blue scarf on the track somewhere. She kept my neck warm, she was a stylish accessory for dinners, she was a poncho on the plane, a sun shelter in the heat, a beach cover up and a head cover when I visited mosques. I was gutted. But I had a plan to get her back…
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