Day 1: The Magnifica Fiemme and Lagorai wilderness
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Start | Molina di Fiemme, 853 m |
| End | Rifugio Malga Consèria, 1848 m |
| Length | 20.7 km |
| Ascent/descent | +1508/-520 m |
Long stage of the trail, with the first section on asphalt, that from Val di Fiemme, known for its extensive forests, leads to the beating heart of the Lagorai, the wildest mountain group in Trentino. And it is precisely in this kind of environment that the first part of the hike takes place, leaving room at high altitudes for alpine meadows and *aurai, the tiny pools of water that gave the entire group its name. Among these dark peaks, the anthropic presence is marginal, with some areas rarely trampled by human foot. A true paradise for lovers of silence and of that seemingly less spectacular nature that slowly knows how to win the hearts of even the most demanding hikers*1.
Full of this new trekking experience’s initial enthusiasm, we fearlessly started with the longest stage of the trail: 21 km and 1600 m of positive elevation gain. (The fatigue in the legs at the end didn't take too long to creep in.)
After passing through the small village of Molina di Fiemme, we rode through the Magnifica2 valley flanking the Cadino stream on a paved road (a bit boring and always under a piping hot July sun) to Ponte delle Stue.
There the real trail begins, which was a comfortable gravel road up to the Malga Cazzorga. Here the fir and pine forests of the Lagorai gave us a nice relief from the sun several times. But what amazed us most was to notice, even here, the shocking damage from 2018’s Vaia storm. On some of the slopes or hillsides, it seemed a huge, razor-sharp scythe have passed through. It cut down almost every tree or shrub taller than a few feet. It really struck us to see once more the forests so devastated.
The trail touched the highest point at the Forcella Valsorda1, and then made an up and down to the Val Cion pass.
With a brisk pace, we didn't stop to contemplate some of Lagorai mountain pastures, pushed forward by a chilly wind that kept us company until we descended the other side of the hill after the pass. Our legs and backs – with an unusual 8-pound or so backpack – were tired enough to ask us to pull straight up to the hut. We were already hoping for the chance to take a hot shower more than being able to connect to the Internet to say we were alive (the cellular network wouldn't have allowed even an SOS call). We found that both comforts were granted. Ten minutes later, we had already placed our dinner orders: homemade vegetable soup and stew with polenta. Could we have asked for anything else?
What's up for tomorrow?
Tomorrow we'll walk a fairly short chunk: about 8 km and 800 meters of positive elevation gain. Barring too much residual fatigue, we shouldn't take more than half a day. The destination seems particularly interesting and the environment striking, where the Brentari hut is surrounded by the sheer granite walls of Cima d'Asta – which we will try to hike. Without a backpack, it should be doable in an hour or so.
The introductory paragraphs are my personal translations of parts of the book “Sentiero Italia CAI”, a multi-volume guide to Italy's longest trail written in collaboration with the Italian Alpine Club.↩
This is really how it's called. The term Magnifica Comunità di Fiemme indicates a historical community of Trentino, where people living there shared lands and sustained themselves through work done in close collaboration with the entire community. The work mostly involved the many uses of the wood obtained from the valley's forests.↩