This turned out to be the most memorable day of many amazing days.
The weather was terrible. All day. Terrible.
The most remote and wild terrain of the entire route.
intensely glaciatedsurreal glacial tarn
I was quite happy to finally arrive at Cabane de Prafleuri.
alpine hut
These refuges offer accommodation as well as food. Nice.
Rosti
I got a chance to dry out. And warm up. Then walked on when the rain slowed.
Very impressive this day was Lac Dix, man made, created by one of the highest dams in the world.
Lac Dix (Lake 10)
The wildflowers and wildlife this day, were the best of the entire Haute Route. It’s an animal reserve.
marmot
In the early evening the weather worsened. Again.
I decided to stay at an alpine hut rather than try to climb out of the valley.
A long, impressive ridge would take me up to Cabine Dix.
That photo I shot the following morning. The night before, in the rain and dark. I thought I’d never get there. It’s very high. Nearly 3000m. Higher than the pass I would cross next day.
Cost for dinner, bunk bed and breakfast was US$65.
The dinner was excellent. The bed very comfortable. The breakfast the worst I had in Europe.
I was the only Anglophone that night. Ordered about like a German soldier.
Overall, I’d rather sleep in my tent and cook my own food.
I drove down the highway and stayed at the hostel. … The hostel that costs $25 / person. Hot shower. Kitchen. WiFi.
Charging $23 for a solo tenter is far too high, Nova Scotia.
… I like how tenting at a campground is billed in Europe. There’s are separate charges for each tent, each vehicle and each hiker. A very fair system, I find.
… In just the last year, the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority has seen a jump in camping of 10 percent increase over last summer, and an astonishing 75 percent increase since 2004. …
… Tom Doyle, Vice President of Information and Research at the National Sporting Good Association, says the increase in visitation is no fluke. “In our last national survey, we found that camping has dramatically increased, from 46 million campers (nationally) in 2005 to 49.4 million last summer.”
Those figures show no sign of slowing either. Camping, hiking, kayaking – all three areas remain on the rise according to Doyle. Meanwhile, tent sales nationally have been trending up the last few years.
“I fully expect the increase in camping to continue,” Doyle said. “People are foregoing expensive travel.” …
Via Ferrata are, in effect, a range of protected scrambling routes, comprised of skilfully installed fixed cables, ladders and gorge-spanning bridges, which assist ascents to high levels, from which you walk on, often to a nearby rifugio, or back to the starting point via a path.
The scenery in the Dolomites may be just as good. And there are far, far more stunning jagged peaks in Italy than in all of South America.
click for larger version
Many, many Europeans get out hiking during the Summer. Trails are crowded everywhere throughout the Dolomites and the Alps. There’s a great shared sense of community here.
Instant gratification. You can ride chair lifts up to the very tops of some of these peaks. How convenient is that? Almost anyone can find a best hike for themselves in this range.
WW I history in the Dolomites is sobering. German, Austrian and Italian soldiers were stuck digging tunnels through these mountains through several winters. This was the “Front”. Needless to say, far more young men died from the elements and falls than by fire fights. There are reminders of the Great War everywhere.
Here is the home of via ferrata (Italian for “iron road”). (In fact, our next trip to the Dolomites will be dedicated to doing some of the best of those assisted climbing routes.)
click for larger version
Not everything is perfect in the Dolomites. I prefer the Sierra Nevada mountains in California, overall.
In the Sierras I can put up a tent anywhere I want. Fantastic.
Unfortunately, in the Dolomites you are required to sleep in alpine buildings called Refuges. (Refugios – Italian). Their locations are stunning. Many people love them. But – personally – I prefer my tent over sleeping on the floor. Or in bunk beds.
Happily you can reach almost any place in the Dolomites by day hike. Public transportation in the valleys below is good!
The two regions – the Sierras and the Dolomites – are similar in that everywhere is a best hike.
Rifugio Locatelli - click for larger version
I do like the food and drink at Refugios. Prices are regulated.
The main reason I had not hiked in Europe in 30yrs is cost. Italy can be expensive.
It’s possible to hike on the cheap. Putting up my tent in a campground in Cortina only cost 9€ (US$12.80) / night in 2009. Bread, chocolate, soft cheese and wine are inexpensive. What more do you need?
They have a tent in Berlin, Germany, as well. A real party “scene” at both places.
I’ve always felt there’s a market for low cost accommodation. You could make money offering cheap sleeps in many parts of the world where hostels are over-priced.
Iceland? The closest European land to North American shores is more like Halfpriceland these days. Its krona has plummeted against the dollar, bringing what was one of the most-expensive spots on Earth back down to affordable levels, and with travel deals ramping up for the summer season this is the best time in at least five years to take the short flight over to Reykjavik. …
… The 43.1 km trail in Cape Scott Provincial Park runs along beaches and in forest around the northern tip of Vancouver Island from Shushartie Bay to Nissen Bight. At Nissen Bight it links up with an existing 15 km trail which leads to the trailhead at San Josef River[1]. The total distance for hikers between the trailheads is 61 km. The trail is in a wilderness area and hikers may see deer, elk, black bears, cougars, wolves, sea birds, seals, sea lions, grey whales and sea otters. …
National park gate fees … are being frozen in a bid to entice cash-strapped Canadians to visit more often.
A two-year fee freeze at national parks and historic sites, described as”some of the most magnificent and fascinating places to visit in the world,” was announced Saturday by Environment Minister Jim Prentice.
“In this time of global economic recession, our government is doing what it can to encourage Canadians to enjoy these places,” said Prentice. “For many families, every dollar counts.” …
Individual rates for 2008 will stay in place until April 1, 2011. For the travel trade, the 2009 rates now in effect will be frozen until April 1, 2012.
“This important economic decision will help make Canada’s best vacation destinations more affordable to Canadians, and will help make our parks more attractive worldwide,” Prentice said. …
The move comes in time for the unveiling of Parks Canada’s new national advertising campaign, designed to encourage Canadians to plan vacations to visit parks and sites. …
I remember all the hiking blogs jumping on the gloom and doom prediction that “hiking was dying“.
From Feb. 2008:
… Since the late 1980s, the percentage of Americans taking part in such activities has declined at slightly more than 1 percent a year. … participation is down 18 percent to 25 percent from peak levels.
Outdoor camping’s popularity jumped 7.4 percent between 2007 and 2008, according to a report from the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association. Overnight backpacking is up 18.5 percent …
Backcountry.com – The Goat – Camping Stock Rises in Weak Economy
In our current economic crisis, more families are ditching the hotel room and learning how to pitch a tent …
Backpacker – Daily Dirt – NEWBIE CAMPERS ON THE RISE
besthike.com 