Alta Via 1, Part 4

For some reason, I had the impression that the trail got less grand as you got farther south. But the views continued to be magnificent. It wasn’t a very long day, but in the morning we traced our way along a narrow trail high on the mountainside. The dramatic mountains were jutting up to our left. After climbing up a sheltered grassy pass, the views from the other side were less sharp, rocky angles, and more green, tree-covered mountains. We descended through the pine trees for a bit. Alex took a tumble and broke one of his trekking poles. At least it was towards the end of our journey. We reached Rifugio Passo Duran in the mid-afternoon. The place was completely packed to the brim with other hiking groups and was a bit rough around the edges. I would have preferred a tent, but it wasn’t a big deal to have one dud in the group.

The next day was our last on the Alta Via 1. We stayed on the trail for a few miles, stopping for an early lunch at a trailside refugio. Then we took a side trail down the mountain into the town of Agordo to catch a bus into Venice for the next leg of our trip.

Day 7: Rifugio Vazzoler to Rifugio Passo Duran (6.5 miles, 2161 feet)

Day 8: Refugio Passo Duran to Agordo