We were able to get in two hikes during our stay in the Italian Dolomites. The first was a circumnavigation of La Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Three Peaks of Lavaredo). The iconic peaks of La Tre Cime are named Cima Piccola (Little Peak), Cima Grande (Big Peak) and Cima Ovest (Western Peak). Until 1919, the peaks drew the border between Italy and Austria, and the front lines of WWI ran through the valleys around Tre Cime. They now form the border between the Italian provinces of South Tyrol and Belluno, but there are still many fortifications, trenches, tunnels, iron ladders, and commemorative plaques which give evidence to the area’s significance during the war.
Cima Grande is considered to be one of the great north faces of the European Alps. It was first climbed in 1933 by Emilio Comici, ‘The Angel of the Dolomites’, and the brothers Angelo and Giuseppe Dimai. It took them 3 days and 2 nights to scale the 1,800 vertical feet of sheer rock face, using 450 feet of cord, 90 hooks, climbing slings, 40 carabiners and 80 pitons along the way.
The peaks were also featured in Solo: A Star Wars Story as the planet Vandor during the train heist scene … not sure how the Italians felt about blowing up one of the peaks at the end of the scene tho …
Here are a couple photo galleries from our hike!
Mountains, man. Really nice mountains, with really friendly birds. Is that a crow?
OK, so just took a look at the creepy doll exhibit. Meh. Do you remember Emily? The old china doll I adored with the cracked head and the eyes I had to pull back into place with bobby pins? Yeah, loved her! I still have a collection of Grandma’s creepy dolls. I had them in a cabinet for a while, until a friend went in search of an aspirin and came away shrieking because there was Emily, looking down on her (kinda). They’re in a box now. Gonna have to create an exhibit. Oh, and happy Thanksgiving!
Hehe. Yeah, personally I thought they were awesome! Seems everyone besides you an I are absolutely terrified of them tho … not sure what that says about us ; p