The Dolomites are a mountain range located in north-eastern Italy. A tourist mecca, the Dolomites are famous for skiing in the winter months, mountain climbing, hiking and climbing in the summer.
AT A GLANCE
a wonderful region mostly in Italy
Italian: Dolomiti; German: Dolomiten
limestone geology results in fascinating shapes and colour
named a UNESCO World Heritage site
highest peak Marmolada 3,343m
convenient airports include Venice, Munich, Milan, Innsbruck, Verona
easy access to trails of all all levels of ability and experience
very good tourist infrastructure
convenient, efficient public transport. Buses & trains run on time.
Only 3km return, this scramble is considered difficult. On the other hand, there are plenty of comfort ropes to assist you. Some of the descents might be tricky in the rain.
Very pretty is this old pipe now covered with moss. They bricked the ends to keep critters and kids out.
… offering views as far away as downtown Victoria, Juan de Fuca Strait, and towards Sooke …
This hike is very challenging. Calling it Low-Medium is insanity. 🙄
There are many sections where you need to use your hands. Scrambles.
The river crossing could be dangerous / impossible at high water. I slipped in with both feet while boulder hopping.
You can quickly see why this temperate rain forest was so inaccessible before superb trail builders got here.
There was a ton of work done to put in this trail. Plenty of boardwalk, most made from local wood onsite.
Check this natural park bench.
The crux of the hike are these two ladders.
Made it. This is what I expected at Pumalín.
For me it was 3 hours round trip. Finishing at 8pm I had only about 2 hours of daylight left to get set-up at the nearby campground and to cook up a BIG dinner.
Cascada was my first hike in this sector of Parque Pumalín.
As part of the Backpacking Light Wilderness Adventures program, Trek Director Kevin Fletcher and I led a guided trip across the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness in Montana in September 2018.
This program, dubbed the “Whitetail Trek”, was a new program for us where we gave the group a start and end point and let them plan their own trek across the range. …
Once again the guided hiking group nearby was up and gone before I’d even woken up.
I started up into a very cool gorge section. It was dark and hazy.
This is Azib Imi n’Ouassif (2841m), a crossroads of several gorges where some people camp.
From here it’s a steep climb to the pass at Tizi n’Ouanoums.
Escapee goats live on these inhospitable cliffs. There’s not much to eat.
It was a bit of a relief to reach the second high pass of the circuit. From here it was all downhill … at least while carrying full pack.
Descending the pass was supposed to be a bit treacherous. As I crossed it wasn’t all that bad.
I could see some of the Iceland group having lunch at the bottom. By the time I got there they had begun climbing a secondary trail up the other side to the 2nd / 3rd highest peaks in north Africa. Their guide stayed back having hurt his ankle. In fact he sent the group cook as guide in his stead.
I had some lunch too. Then, with plenty of time, followed. Weather looked good.
The scramble to one Ouanoukrim summit — Ras Ouanoukrim (4083m) — in a hail storm turned out to be the highlight of the entire circuit. We had a blast.
Once safely down, the others headed off briskly (as they always did) to rejoin their group. One of the men, Dorfi, had once led a 3 week horse trek across Iceland. This weather was nothing to him. He wore a wool sweater under a waterproof poncho on that trip. Never got wet.
In no rush I walked slowly downhill to Toubkal Refuge (3207m).
I’d plan to wild camp again … until I saw the massive complex. It looked intriguing.
As it was raining too I decided to camp at Refuge Mouflon and sign up for the 7pm dinner. It was pretty good.
I charged my batteries in Mouflon after dinner and watched an episode of Better Call Saul on my phone as I waited. Then headed out into the rain to my tent.
Brienz to Interlaken with rail assistance getting up to and descending from the ridge
Don’t hike the other direction. Logistics are easier starting in Brienz. And it’s safer as the last 2 hours (when your legs are tired) is on easier trails.
I got up early in Interlaken, ready for my free hostel breakfast starting 7am.
Every half hour a train runs from Interlaken to Brienz for 8.20 francs (2018).
Happily I made the first steam train — 8:36am — from Brienz to Brienzer Rothorn Station. It’s been making this run since 1891.
Price is reduced to 28 francs for the first train (2018) to encourage folks to get as early a start as possible on their hike.
At 9km / hour it takes an hour to get to the top of the ridge 2351m.
If clear, you can enjoy distant views over to Jungfrau highest peaks; the Eiger, Mönch, Jungfrau, Schreckhorn, Finsteraarhorn.
I climbed up to the viewpoint. This is as far as most tourists hike.
Looking down on Brienzer Rothorn Station.
At 10am I started to walk back to Interlaken. I would have about 11.5 hours to make the last teleferico down from Harder Kulm Restaurant. Otherwise I’d have to walk down in the dark.
You can’t really get lost. Follow the ridge no matter what.
The weather was perfect.
You have Brienz lake on one side …
… and Swiss foothills on the other.
I loved it instantly.
Most of the time the ridge is not all that intimidating.
It often looks worse than it turns out to be.
I’d heard everyone who comes up here sees ibex. … Are these ibex?
This adventure is more popular with trail runners than with hikers as they can easily make it in less than 10 hours.
I took very few breaks. Other than checking the GPS on my phone, I had no idea whether I was moving quickly enough to finish in time.
Each time I’d climb a high point on the ridge, even higher points would come into view.
I don’t think I saw another person over the first 5 hours.
Sadly I seemed to be a lot closer to Brienz than Interlaken.
There are sections with stairs, cable and chain assistance. These would be most useful when down climbing in wet conditions.
Hmm … I might finally be past half way.
I tried to quicken my pace on the easiest sections.
There are many more day hikers on the Interlaken end of the ridge. They assured me I’d make it on time.
Interlaken
The last 2 hours stays on the ridge, but you are mostly in the trees. It was the least interesting section … but I was pleased to have less exposure as my legs got tired.
Here it is at last. Harder Kulm Restaurant.
The last funicular descends at 9:10pm. If it’s busy they may run until 9:40pm.
I gladly paid 16 francs and found the short trip down very interesting.
It was dark by the time we arrived Interlaken.
And I was quite dehydrated. I’d brought only 1.5 litres with me. I could have used about 3 litres.
When I got back to the hostel I announced it was the best day hike of my life.
Lofoten is without question one of the best hiking destinations in the world.
Bunes Beach hike
But it’s remote.
Also, Norway is very expensive.
The gateway for most people is the town of Bodø, the end of the train line north. It’s often cheaper and easier to fly as the train is a 17 hour overnight journey.
From Bodø you have options. If you don’t have your own transportation easiest is to make a loop by ferry and bus.
Take the fast passenger ferry Bodø to Svolvær. About 4 hours.
Your first hike should be Fløya & Devil’s Gate. The trailhead is about a half hour walk from the ferry landing.
From Svolvær you would take buses or hitchhike the only highway west through islands A to V to F to M.
M Moskenes (Moskenesøya) has the best hiking. Save it for last.
Reine is the best base town for Moskenes. You can do 3-4 awesome hikes out of the same town.
From the village of Å (the last letter of the Norwegian alphabet) you can catch the slow ferry back to Bodø. About 4 hours.
The weather is dreadful. For any 7 day period during the hiking season you may have several days of serious wind and rain. These should be rest days if you have time.
If you have your own vehicle — or decide to rent a car — you can go when and where you want. That’s ideal.
