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+m4_navtable(← Day 1,../day1,Alta Via 2,../,Day 3 →,../day3)
+
+# Day 2 - Trail 666
+
+m4_caption({{{{{August 21, 2025}}}}})
+
+## Route of the day
+
+<details>
+<summary><strong>Click to see map</strong></summary>
+<img src="../img/21-0000-map.png">
+</details>
+
+*Download the [gpx file](../gpx/av2-day2.gpx) or see the route on
+[outdooractive.com](https://www.outdooractive.com/en/route/hiking-trail/alta-badia/-2025-alta-via-2-day-2/325541331/?share=%7E3zdmlslt%244ossqbcn)*
+
+## The beginning of a long day
+
+According to our plan, this second day is going to be the toughest.
+Our planned route consists of more than 1700m of altitude gain, which
+would already be quite a long hike for a single day, leave alone for
+one out of 9 days of walking. Moreover, the weather forecasts for the
+day are not good - there is chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon.
+
+Luckily we find someone willing to give us a car ride from our B&B to
+the edge of the village, saving us about one hour of walk. We start
+walking at around 8:30.
+
+The first part of the trail is not very steep, and the weather is
+not awful either. We even manage to see some mountains!
+
+![Some mountains](../img/21-0900-up.jpg)
+
+In about an hour we reach *malga Antersasc* (2084m on sea
+level).  Around this small abandoned building we see a few
+[chamois](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamois) and some very fat
+[marmots](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmot) - seriously, these
+things were huge! Unfortunately all the pictures I took were terrible,
+you need some pretty good cameras to catch them from a distance. Here
+is a shot of myself looking at a tree that grew on a rock instead.
+
+![Me looking a tree](../img/21-0923-tree.jpg)
+
+After a short break, we get back on the trail and start walking towards
+the [Puez hut](https://www.rifugiopuez.it/en/).  We could already tell
+from the map that the trail up to *forcella Puez* (2500m), before the
+hut, was going to be very steep. However, we found out that it was very
+well kept, which made it easier than we expected.
+
+![The trail to forcella Puez](../img/21-1103-forcella-puez.jpg)
+
+m4_caption({{{{{
+The trail up to forcella Puez is reinforced with some trunks that
+turn it almost into a staircase.}}}}})
+
+Unfortunately, as we walked up the weather got much worse, and we were
+forced to wear all our rain clothes again, including gloves.
+
+We reach the Puez hut (2447m) at 11:20, earlier than planned. We take
+some time to rest and try to dry up from the rain; I change my socks
+and t-shirt, which definitely helps.
+
+## The forgotten Forcellas
+
+(*Forcella* is an Italian term that denotes a tight mountain pass, usually
+only reachable by a steep trail. I will sometimes use the Italian word
+because I don't know an exact equivalent in English. For proper names I
+may also use the equivalent word in the local language: *Furcella* or
+*Jeuf* in [Ladin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladin_language),
+*Joch* in German, *Foržela* in
+[Venetian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venetian_language).)
+
+We start walking again around 12:00, and it is immediately clear that we
+have made a small miscalculation in planning the route. We thought
+that the trail to [Gardena Pass](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardena_Pass)
+would be straight downhill, but actually we'll have to climb up and then
+down a couple of tight passes: *Furcella de Ciampei* (2366m) and *Jeuf de
+Crespëina* (2528m). This is easily going to cancel out the time we gained
+in the morning. Fortunately, this part of the trail is quite pleasant to
+walk, if at times steep; the weather is also not too bad, as we only have
+to bear some light rain.
+
+![Part of the road to Gardena Pass](../img/21-1347-puez-to-gardena.jpg)
+
+As we are about to reach Gardena Pass (2136m), a strong storm begins.
+I speed up to take shelter in a hut down at the pass, leaving my dad
+a few minutes behind. I reach the pass at 14:35.
+
+## One hell of a trail
+
+The outlook for the last part of the day is bleak, to say the least.
+Thunderstorms are forecast until late in the evening. There is likely
+going to be a gap between 16:00 and 17:00, but it is not going to last
+long enough to reach the Pisciadù hut, were we are going to sleep. We
+have to choose between leaving immediately under the heavy rain hoping
+it stops while we are on the way, and waiting for the first wave of
+the storm to pass but risking it starts raining again before we reach
+our destination.
+
+We choose the former, because it was our best chance to arrive at the
+hut before it gets dark. Moreover, despite the forecast of thunder and
+lightning, so far it is just raining heavily, which although unpleasant
+is not dangerous.
+
+We leave from the pass at around 15:00, under the storm. The ascent
+is not steep at first.  Luckily, as predicted, after about one our the
+rain stops.
+
+![A view of the Odles from the Gardena Pass side](../img/21-1559-gardena.jpg)
+
+m4_caption({{{{{
+Our last view of Gardena Pass and the Odles group, on the way up
+to the Pisciadù hut.}}}}})
+
+But then we reach the infamous trail 666. This is not a nickname, it
+is the actual number that the [Italian Alpine Club](https://www.cai.it/)
+gave to this trail.
+
+Actually, this is the easiest of two
+possible ways to the Pisciadù, the other being the
+[Ferrata Tridentina](https://www.alta-badia.org/en/leisure-activities/climbing-and-mountaineering/brigata-tridentina-route/).
+The booklet I am following describes it as "[...] reserved for
+well-equipped experts. Don't do it with heavy backpacks; don't do it if
+the weather is not good." We get at 0 out 3, the thought of taking the
+[via ferrata](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Via_ferrata) does not not
+even cross our minds.
+
+So trail 666 it is. This trail is also known as *Setus trail*, or somewhat
+improperly *Setus via ferrata*. It is extremely steep and it is more a
+climb than a walk, but it is not a via ferrata.  Most maps describe it
+as *sentiero attrezzato* (equipped trail), as it does have some fixed
+steel rope and handles where the climber can hang a safety rope.
+
+We have some simple ropes equipped with a
+[Carabiner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carabiner), and we decide to
+use them. In the following days we would talk with other people who
+took the same route, and some of them would claim that a rope is not
+necessary on that trail. I don't care, I was relieved to have my trusty
+rope, especially considering the bad weather and how tired I was after
+more than 8 hours of hiking (plus the 9 hours of the previous day). And
+a safety rope is certainly of no use if kept in the backpack.
+
+![Trail 666](../img/21-1654-trail666.jpg)
+
+m4_caption({{{{{Trail 666 is really steep.}}}}})
+
+Overall, the steel rope and the handles are of great help, and although
+a couple of times I was unsure where to put my feet and risked slipping,
+I would not consider this trail dangerous, if one is properly equipped.
+
+The reason I found this trail hard was its *length*. I seriously had
+some difficulties caused by how tired and sore my muscles were, after
+two full days of hike. Sometimes I could not complete a step or a arm
+movement on the first try because I just did not have the enough strength
+to push or pull up. And it just kept going!
+
+But at 17:30, exhausted but satisfied, we finally reach the top of
+this climb. The Pisciadù hut (2587m) is just around the corner.
+
+![My dad at the end of trail 666](../img/21-1734-pisciadu.jpg)
+
+m4_caption({{{{{My dad at the end of trail 666.}}}}})
+
+We, our clothes and our boots are still wet from all the rain we caught
+throught the day. Let's hope everything dries up during the night.
+
+m4_navtable(← Day 1,../day1,Alta Via 2,../,Day 3 →,../day3)