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<table style="width: 100%; table-layout: fixed;"> <thead> <tr>
<th style="text-align: left"> <a href="../preparation">← Preparation</a> </th>
<th style="text-align: center"> <a href="../">Alta Via 2</a> </th>
<th style="text-align: right"> <a href="../day2">Day 2 →</a> </th>
</tr> </thead> </table>
# Day 1 - The Odles in the rain
<p align="center"><em>August 20, 2025</em></p>
## Route of the day
<details>
<summary><strong>Click to see map</strong></summary>
<img src="../img/20-0000-map.png">
</details>
*Download the [gpx file](../gpx/av2-day1.gpx) or see the route on
[outdooractive.com](https://www.outdooractive.com/en/route/hiking-trail/eisacktal/-2025-alta-via-2-day-1/325540727/?share=%7E3zdmcd3i%244ossqbct).*
## The road to Kreutztal
Our first day starts quite early, as we wake up at 5:15. My uncle is
giving us a car ride to Kreutztal, which will take a little more than
3 hours. We leave at 5:55.
We drive up the Cordevole valley, a road that reminds me of the
many hikes I used to do in the Dolomites, usually starting from the
[Falzarego pass](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falzarego_Pass),
hiking around the [Tofane](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tofane),
the [Cinque Torri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinque_Torri),
[Averau](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Averau) and others.
But we are not going there this time.
The road itself is quite scenic. Sorry, I did not
take any pictures pictures. Going North, we drive
through popular touristic destinations like Arabba and
[Corvara](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corvara%2C_South_Tyrol).
But these small towns leave a weird impression on me, as they are made
up mostly of hotels and a few restaurants and bars - all closed because
it is too early for turists to wake up. Are these places just holiday
resorts now?
Just before we reach Kreutztal, our starting point, it starts raining.
## The hike begins
<p align="center"><em>My dad and I, ready to start hiking.</em></p>
By the time we reach Kreutztal (2000 meters on sea level), park the car
and put on our rain clothes, it is already 9:30. And this is going to
be one of the longest days, at least according to our estimates.
The [Plosehütte](https://www.plosehuette.com/en/) (2447m) is not
far, and we reach it pretty quickly. Unfortunately, it is closed for
renovations, and we can't even get close enough to take a picture of
our first checkpoint.
At least the view from up there is... something.
<p align="center"><em>The <a
href="https://www.val-gardena.com/en/dolomites/geisler-mountain-group">Odles</a>
surrounded by clouds.</em></p>
The clouds came and went, but this is pretty much the clearest the
skies have been the whole morning. Besides the cold and the rain being
unpleasant, the low visibility gave us some technical difficulties:
right after passing by the hut, we found ourselves on a grassy slope and
we lost the track. In normal conditions we would have been able to look
out for the next trail marking, but with this thick fog we were forced
to double check our GPS and our maps.
## Down through the forest, then up again
Luckily, it did not take us long to find the right way, and we kept
descending in a [larch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larch) forest.
<p align="center"><em>A trail in a forest between Plosehütte and
Schlüterhütte - Rifugio Genova.</em></p>
The descent is pleasant. We even manage to catch some break from the
heavy rain, and take a few more pictures of the Odles.
We reach the Rodella Pass (1867m) at around 13:00,
and from there we walk up to [Schlüterhutte - Rifugio
Genova](https://www.schlueterhuette.com/en/) (2297m). I did not take
many notes of this part of the journey, there was too much rain for me
to take out my journal and write.
As the trail is crossed by a stream of water, we have to pass a short
challenging section, where we are forced to climb on the wet rock.
The climb itself is not hard, but the trail is not clearly marked at
that point, which left us wondering if we were doing the right thing.
We are then blocked by a more difficult trail feature: cows.
<p align="center"><em>Cows are blocking the road. Yes, that little gap is
the only way forward.</em></p>
After overcoming this zoological obstacle, we reached the
Schlüterhütte - Rifugio Genova at 16:00 and we stop for a slice of
[*Apfelstrudel*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_strudel).
<p align="center"><em>Rifugio Genova - Schlüterhütte in the fog.</em></p>
## The long descent to the village
At 6 hours and 30 minutes of hiking, this would have been a good first
day. But unfortunately we cannot stop here. At 16:30 we begin the long
descent towards Lungiarü (1398m).
<p align="center"><em>Down there, that's where we have to go. Do you see
it? Me neither.</em></p>
We walk for two hours in the rain and the fog before reaching the
village. Two hours may not sound like much, but it felt like an eternity.
Just before the village, we pass by a place called
[*Val di Morins*](https://www.alta-badia.org/en/highlights/sights/val-di-morins-mill-valley/),
which means "Mill Valley" in Ladin.
<p align="center"><em>
A watermill. In this area it was common to build half-pipes
with larch trunks to lead the water to the mill.
</em></p>
The village of Lungiarü, in [Val
Badia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Val_Badia), is quite nice, but we
have no energy left for sightseeing. All we can do before falling asleep
is a shower, dinner, and trying to dry our clothes for the next day.
<table style="width: 100%; table-layout: fixed;"> <thead> <tr>
<th style="text-align: left"> <a href="../preparation">← Preparation</a> </th>
<th style="text-align: center"> <a href="../">Alta Via 2</a> </th>
<th style="text-align: right"> <a href="../day2">Day 2 →</a> </th>
</tr> </thead> </table>
|
