day3.md (8132B)
1 <table style="width: 100%; table-layout: fixed;"> <thead> <tr> 2 <th style="text-align: left"> <a href="../day2">← Day 2</a> </th> 3 <th style="text-align: center"> <a href="../">Alta Via 2</a> </th> 4 <th style="text-align: right"> <a href="../day4">Day 4 →</a> </th> 5 </tr> </thead> </table> 6 7 # Day 3 - A knee-breaking descent 8 9 <p align="center"><em>August 22, 2025</em></p> 10 11 ## Route of the day 12 13 <details> 14 <summary><strong>Click to see map</strong></summary> 15 <img src="../img/22-0000-map.png"> 16 </details> 17 18 *Download the [gpx file](../gpx/av2-day3.gpx) or see the route on 19 [outdooractive.com](https://www.outdooractive.com/en/route/hiking-trail/alta-badia/-2025-alta-via-2-day-3/325541657/?share=%7E3zdmpbrn%244ossqbcq)* 20 21 ## The lunar path to Rifugio Boè 22 23 Our clothes are still wet by the time we wake up. The summer nights 24 in the Alps are just too humid. But at least we can finally see some 25 sun. The weather is going to be much better for the next few days. 26 27  28 29 <p align="center"><em>A beatiful view from the Pisciadù hut at dawn.</em></p> 30 31 The beds in the hut were comfortable and we slept well. After a comical 32 incident with my dad's boots - he put on someone else's pair, not knowing 33 that I had brought his into our room, and spent a good 15 minutes 34 searching for them - we are ready to leave the hut at 8:20. 35 36  37 38 <p align="center"><em>The Pisciadù lake and Piz Pisciadù (peak Pisciadù).</em></p> 39 40 The day starts with a short but somewhat steep section of the trail. 41 There are some steel ropes and we use our simple harness once again, 42 although this time we felt we could have done without. 43 44 At 9:45 we reach what is likely the highest point of our route, 45 an anonymous plateau at 2960 meters on sea level. There are higher 46 points on some variations of the route, for example *Punta Penia* in the 47 [Marmolada](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmolada) massif, but in that 48 section we are going to take a lower trail, which is the more classical 49 one according to my guide book. 50 51 At this point, we are completely immersed in a sea of fog. It is quite 52 cold, probably only a couple of degrees above 0°C, and there is some 53 unpleasantly cold breeze. 54 55  56 57 <p align="center"><em>My dad resting on a rock, trying to keep warm.</em></p> 58 59 The fog comes and goes, letting us see the beautiful panorama for a few 60 brief moments. 61 62  63 64 As we walk down from the plateau, my left knee starts hurting. It is 65 not unbearable, and it only hurts when I walk downhill. But it does 66 not bode well for the rest of the day: our next stop is 900m below us, 67 so we are going to walk downhill for most of the day. 68 69 At 10:30 we are on top of the *Antersass* (2906m), a minor peak next to 70 the more prominent [Piz Boè](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piz_Bo%C3%A8) 71 (3152m). We could have walked around the Antersass, but the trail to 72 climb up to the top and then down is actually easier. Going to the top 73 of Piz Boè would have been an interesting detour, but not quite feasible 74 for our 9-day plan. 75 76 We reach [Rifugio Boè](https://www.rifugioboe.it), a recently renovated 77 hut at 2873m, before 11:00. 78 79  80 81 <p align="center"><em> A view of Piz Boè (peak Boè) from Rifugio Boè (Boè 82 hut). The hut on the top of Piz Boè is, perhaps confusingly, called <a 83 href="https://www.rifugiocapannapizfassa.com/en">Capanna Piz Fassa</a>. 84 </em></p> 85 86 We have now left Sout Tyrol. The rest of the Alta Via 2 route roughly 87 follows the border between the provinces of Trento and Belluno. 88 89 We leave the hut at 11:20. The fog has returned, but it is not as cold 90 as before. 91 92 The trail to *Foržela Pordoi* (2848m) is mostly flat, and very crowded, 93 because of a cable car that makes it accessible even to families with 94 kids. I am not sure I like this kind of over-turism in places that 95 would otherwise be hard to reach. 96 97 ## A painful descent 98 99 As we reach the foržela, the view opens up on a more diverse landscape 100 of grass, rock and forests. After a very short break, we start walking 101 down to the Pordoi Pass. 102 103 The descent is on a long and steep 104 [scree](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scree). I have never liked walking 105 down this kind of trail, but now that my knee is screaming for mercy I am 106 really hating it. I would have rather walked it up twice than down once. 107 108  109 110 <p align="center"><em>The steep descent to the Pordoi Pass.</em></p> 111 112 We reach the [Pordoi Pass](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pordoi_Pass) 113 at 13:30. I need a long break before continuing, so we decide to lay 114 down next to a tiny church just after the pass. Luckily the weather 115 is nice - or not terrible, at least - and we can enjoy a nice view of 116 the surroundings. 117 118  119 120 <p align="center"><em> 121 The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sella_group">Sella group</a> 122 from the Pordoi Pass.</em></p> 123 124  125 126 <p align="center"><em>The view in the direction of <a 127 href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canazei">Cianacei</a>.</em></p> 128 129 ## Her majesty, the Marmolada 130 131 At 14:10, after about 40 minutes of relax, we are ready to get up. 132 133 We walk up an easy trail among ski paths. Here too there are plenty of 134 turists, and I can't blame them for choosing to walk in such a beautiful 135 place. This is a very common touristic destination both in the Summer 136 and in the Winter. 137 138 We walk past a strange place called [Rifugio 139 Fredarola](https://www.fredarola.it/) (2370m), which looks more like 140 a night club you could find the center of Milan rather than a mountain 141 hut. They are even playing some electronic lounge music. It's hard to 142 describe, but it feels oddly out of place here. But maybe for people 143 coming from a big city this is just what they expect to find here; 144 I guess it is a matter of points of view. 145 146 We continue on a wide, mostly flat trail. For now my knee is is doing 147 fine, but I am a bit scared for the descent that awaits us later today. 148 And finally we have a good view on the Marmolada, the Queen of the 149 Dolomites. 150 151  152 153 <p align="center"><em> 154 The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmolada">Marmolada</a>, 155 the highest mountain in the 156 Dolomites, and its glacier. At the feet of the massif you can 157 see the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fedaia_Lake">Fedaia 158 lake</a>, around which there are a couple of huts, including the one 159 where we are staying tonight. In the distance you can see the <a 160 href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monte_Pelmo">Pelmo</a> and the <a 161 href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monte_Civetta">Civetta</a>. 162 </em></p> 163 164 We stop at [Rifugio Viel Dal Pan](https://www.rifugiovieldalpan.com/) 165 (2432m) for a short break at 15:30. From there, the steep descent towards 166 the Fedaia Pass (2054m) begins. My knee forces me to walk slowly, so by 167 the time we reach the pass it is already 17:30. 168 169 The day is almost concluded, but we have to walk to the opposite side of 170 the lake to [Rifugio Fedaia](https://www.rifugiofedaia.com/). The closer 171 [Rifugio Castiglioni](https://www.rifugiomarmolada.it/), where we stop 172 for a beer, was fully booked when we planned our trip. 173 174  175 176 We walk fast on the old road next to the lake, chatting with a local 177 resident who helps us keep up the pace. We arrive at our hotel at 18:05, 178 after almost 10 hours of hike (including breaks), and we are very happy 179 to find a comfortable room with private bathroom waiting for us. 180 181 This day was longer than we planned, partly because of my knee. But the 182 scenery was beautiful. 183 184 <table style="width: 100%; table-layout: fixed;"> <thead> <tr> 185 <th style="text-align: left"> <a href="../day2">← Day 2</a> </th> 186 <th style="text-align: center"> <a href="../">Alta Via 2</a> </th> 187 <th style="text-align: right"> <a href="../day4">Day 4 →</a> </th> 188 </tr> </thead> </table> 189 190 191 192 193 194