Petersontravels

Our next door neighbors here at Dorfhotel Beludei, Justin and Jess, mentioned they drove to Passo Sella and the views were incredible.  I surveyed the various mountain passes (Passo is pass) around us and realized I could make a day trip out of hitting the three major passes in the area, Gardena, Pordoi and Sella.

If you visit the Val Gardena, I highly recommend this route to enable you to see the major mountain regions of the area.  We spent the better part of the day doing this, but as the screen shot shows, the entire driving time from and back to our hotel is under 2 hours.

My biggest issue with this post is going to be which photos to use, as I took well over 100.  This has been one of the most gorgeous driving/hiking days of my life, and picking the best photos to show is going to be harder than Jen Psaki trying to decide which lies to tell during a press conference ($3.5 trillion equals zero?).  Adolf Hitler himself said “If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed.”  If you believe $3.5 trillion equals zero, please contact me, I have 120 acres of beachfront property in Nebraska I’m willing to unload for just a few hundred thousand!

The first pass was Val Gardena.  This is looking back down the pass.

The mountains at the top of the pass are impressive!

And a view of the valley we are heading towards.

Upon reaching that valley we stopped for a few, as the twisty curves were out of control!

The climb up Passo Pordoi was intense.  This was easly the twistiest road I have ever driven on.  It was like Lombard Street spread out over 15 miles!

The hairpin curves are actually numbered.  I think that’s so you can tell the coroner where to go to pick up the bodies.

We were passed by about 80 suicidal motorcylclists, who all stopped at the top to look back and realize they were still alive.  This road is truly epic.  I wish I was driving something besides a piece of crap rental Fiat (Fix It Again Tony)!  Yes, that’s Kim standing by our piece of crap…err…Fiat.

This is at the top of the Passo Pordoi looking back.  This is a must do if you like driving in the twisties…I suggest getting a decent car!

At the top we walked up to this little church, which gave an excellent viewpoint for photos, including the one above.

The pass itself.  Lots of high end cars…and tourists in busses.  I can’t believe   busses drive up and down these roads!  Even the local busses come up here!

Everywhere you look it’s stunning mountains.

This is an official Unesco World Heritage Site.  No shit!  If this isn’t, what is?

At the top of this mountain, we saw a structure, and wondered what it was.

Shortly thereafter we saw a gondola coming down, and we knew what we were doing next.

Looking up at the final destination.  Well, hopefully not THAT final!

The view on the way up is incredible, just as expected.

The view at the top seems from another world!

I’m having a really hard time picking photos…the views are off the charts!  That’s the road up Pordoi pass below.

More of Pordoi Pass.  I wish I had my Tesla instead of the crappy Fiat!

I’m loving the view.  Right behind me is a 1200 foot drop!  This is definitely a bucket list site!

Afer we took the gondola back down I saw a building that looked like a Memorial, and sure enough it was, so we drove over to check it out.

The Totenberg Memorial was started in 1937 to memorialize those who died during the Alpine War of WWI from 1915 to 1918.  The crypt ended up including those who died during WWII, and was completed in 1959.  This is a burial place for Germans, Austrians and Hungarians.  It was well worth the drive and short hike.

The door in and out.  Creepy!

The WWII tombs had names and were buried along the outer wall.

A last view before we headed down the backside of Passo Pordoi.  Note the Paraglider in the photo.  These guys are everywhere!

This is the view as we are about to head up the Passo Sella.

On the way up the pass we saw all of these sheep!

Shortly thereafter we were at the top.

It’s going to be very hard to look at flat land again.

One last shot from Passo Sella before we drove back down.

We are coming back up to Passo Sella tomorrow because there is a lift we want to take up to a mountain called Sassolungo.  That’s up next!

 

 

 

 

We chatted with the front desk about our best options to get to Seceda, which is considered one of the best spots to visit in the Dolomites.  You basically have three options.

1. You go to Ortisei and take two gondolas up to the top, no hiking involved…aka…you are a pussy “Instagrammer asshole”.

2. You remain in St. Cristina and drive a short distance to Col. Raiser gondola, take it part of the way up, and hike the final 4km to the top.

3. You hike all the way up.  You are a young Stud (or Studette, or Birthing Studebaker)…I can’t keep things straight these days…damnit…sorry, didn’t mean to say “straight”.

We are not “Instagrammer assholes” nor are we “Birthing Studebakers”, so we picked option 2.

Excellent views all the way to the top!

I’ve read several reviews of this hike, but the views just can’t be talked about, they must be experienced.  This has got to be one of the most beautiful places in the world!

At every turn there is another beautiful view.  I’m so happy I didn’t do this 40 years ago, or I’d still be in debt to Kodak (and I’d have boxes of double prints in my closet).

We were told the trail to the top is well marked.  It may be marked, but unless you know all the waypoints to the top, you will end up way off course like we did.  So, when you see this sign, head uphill, not to the left!

We are heading to Seceda, but the trail to the left wants to take you to the Seceda lift, not the spot we are trying to reach.  Consider this extra half hour of hiking we did as a favor to you!

I presume these are supposed to protect you on your hike?  We saw several of them.  He didn’t help to guide us…and isn’t that what he is supposed to do?  Now if he could make water into wine…I’d have a new best friend!

I will be using the word “incredible” a lot in the Dolomites!  The views are out of this world!  Can you see Kim in this photo?  Squint hard…she’s there! Or just click on the photo and zoom in.  That’s far easier….like taking the gondola from Ortisei!

This is the view to the north.  I could live here.

I’ve heard this place is supposed to be crazy crowded, but I only saw a few other people while we were there.  Late September?  Cool.

Your happy retired hosts!

There is a nice little Refugio, which apparently means “restaurant in the middle of nowhere”, on the way back down.

We had some goulash soup and beer.  They were both excellent!

The views on the way down are just as good as on the way up.  The light was hitting some of the mountains a little better since it was around 3:30 in the afternoon.

Needless to say, if you visit the Dolomites, this is a “must do”!  A final view from the top of the gondola.

Tomorrow, more “incredible”!