Panoramic view from Rifugio Kostner
The hours before sunrise on a summer’s day know how to offer intense and enthralling moments. The villages in the valley still immersed in darkness, a cloudless sky that slowly takes on colour, and the sunlight that begins to make its way through the mountains. We drive along the hairpin bends of a road that seems to almost touch the scree of the Dolomite walls as they turn pink and orange. A perfect sunrise, with a clear sky that fills the air with indelible hues and sensations.
We thus move towards the splendid rocky scenery of the Dolomites of the Sella Group, into which we enter from the Campolongo Pass, which connects Arabba in Val Cordevole with Corvara in Val Badia. We know that today’s route will lead us towards breathtaking Dolomite scenery, accompanied by views of some of the most beautiful peaks in the Dolomites.
The initial section of the trail already hints at the level of the views we will encounter on today’s hike. The imposing mass of the peaks of Monte Pelmo and Civetta accompany us from the first curves of the ascent of the dirt road. As the climb continues, we then approach the rocky slopes of the Sella group.
In the early morning hours, the atmosphere still gives way to a cool breeze and a pleasant feeling of solitude, silence and immersion in the hike.
We fairly quickly reach a first lodge, Bec de Roces (2,076 m), located in an enviable panoramic position, on the edge of the winter ski slopes, with a view of the Marmolada glacier.
From the lodge, we then enter an unexpectedly impressive environment. The path narrows and begins to climb along a series of rocky steps to enter a world of green, low and dense vegetation, which stands between slender, shaped blocks of Dolomite rock. A truly scenic environment, where one moves between bell towers and sharply shaped blocks of Dolomite rock.
At the end of this uphill route through the rocky labyrinth, the view then opens up to a vast green slope dotted with clear rocks, at the end of which the rocky walls of the Sella rise up. The classic and enchanting dolomite environment precedes the rocky scree.
The Dolomite peaks of Pelmo and Civetta still peer out at us despite the slight mist, due to a remarkably warm day, as the ascent becomes more determined. We reach a wide rocky gorge, which is the final access ramp to the second lodge of the day: Rifugio Kostner.
In this part of the path, we find a metal rope in some places, which makes it easier to climb, although we do not cross any particularly exposed or steep passages.
We continue with the support of our Tamus trekking poles, which provide us with the additional impetus to push ourselves up the rocky steps, being the ideal model to accompany us on the most inaccessible paths. In addition, the Tamus model is easily foldable and ultra-light, which is very suitable for situations like this, where in some places it is necessary to proceed up the rocky path with your hands free.
At the end of this part of ascent, we reach the rocky plain of the lodge, dominated by the extraordinary scenery outlined by the profile of the Piz da Lec and Sasso delle Dieci, with their central dividing fracture. Two immense rocky blocks dominate the scenery before our eyes.
Near the Rifugio Kostner, at an altitude of 2,536 metres, the panoramic view sweeps from the Dolomites of the Fanes-Senes-Braies nature park to the Tofane, Antelao, Pelmo, Civetta and Marmolada. After a due rest, we take a diversion to explore a rocky path that starts behind the lodge. The path climbs and narrows progressively, then leads us to the foot of a very steep scree, which we ascend with the help of some metal ropes. The reward for this scree is a new rocky and scenic plateau, at an altitude of almost 3,000 metres, an ideal place to enjoy our packed lunch.
We then retrace our steps, descending again to the rifugio Kostner, from where we follow a new path that continues downhill towards Lake Boè, to close a ring-route. The path remains decidedly scenic and, without too much effort, we reach the lake on the descent: a small but splendid little lake with a bright green colour, characterised by a steep Dolomite wall overhanging it.
We then walk the last few stretches downhill along the dirt road that takes us back to the Campolongo Pass, our hearts and eyes still full of the spectacle we have experienced, savouring every moment and every glimpse of this extremely scenic route to the end.
