From 8158f66bb4842defd222b0989af3a6f621be212b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Sebastiano Tronto Date: Tue, 14 Oct 2025 21:28:19 +0200 Subject: Added Alta Via 2 pages (hidden) --- src/av2/day2/day2.md | 194 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 194 insertions(+) create mode 100644 src/av2/day2/day2.md (limited to 'src/av2/day2') diff --git a/src/av2/day2/day2.md b/src/av2/day2/day2.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..881c32a --- /dev/null +++ b/src/av2/day2/day2.md @@ -0,0 +1,194 @@ + + + + +
← Day 1 Alta Via 2 Day 3 →
+ +# Day 2 - Trail 666 + +

August 21, 2025

+ +## Route of the day + +
+Click to see map + +
+ +*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 consecutive days of walking. Moreover, the weather forecasts +for the day are not good - there is a 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 too bad either. We even manage to see some mountains! + +![Some mountains](../img/21-0900-up.jpg) + +

The Puez-Odle group.

+ +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, those +things were huge! Unfortunately all the pictures I took were terrible, +you need some pretty good camera to catch them from a distance. + +![Me looking a tree](../img/21-0923-tree.jpg) + +

+Sorry for the lack of marmot pictures. Here +is a shot of myself staring at a tree growing on top of a rock instead. +

+ +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 it to be very well +maintained, which made it easier than we expected. + +![The trail to forcella Puez](../img/21-1103-forcella-puez.jpg) + +

+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. +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 via a steep trail. I will sometimes use the Italian word +because I don't know an exact equivalent in English. For proper nouns 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 small windows of good weatehr between 16:00 and 17:00, but +it is not going to last long enough to reach the Pisciadù hut, where 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, or waiting for +the first wave of the storm to pass but risking it starting 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 the pass at around 15:00, under the storm. The ascent is not +steep at first. Luckily, as predicted, after about one hour the rain +stops. + +![A view of the Odles from the Gardena Pass +side](../img/21-1559-gardena.jpg) + +

Our last view of Gardena Pass and the Odle group, +on the way up to the Pisciadù hut.

+ +But then we reach the infamous trail 666. + +![The beginning of trail 666](../img/21-1600-666.jpg) + +

+The beginning of trail 666. This is not a nickname, it is +the actual number that the +Italian Alpine Club 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 climbers 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 this 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) + +

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 I almost slept, +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 I was and how sore my muscles were, +after two full days of hike. Sometimes I could not complete a step or +an arm movement on the first try because I just did not have the enough +strength to push or pull up. And the trail 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) + +

My dad at the end of trail 666.

+ +We, our clothes and our boots are still wet from all the rain we caught +earlier in the day. Let's hope everything dries up during the night. + + + + + +
← Day 1 Alta Via 2 Day 3 →
+ + + + + + -- cgit v1.3