St. Ulrich to Trieste, Day 5 - Rifugio Scotter-Palatini to Domegge di Cadore

Thursday June 25, Rifugio Scotter-Palatini to Domegge di Cadore

The fence behind Rifugio Scotter was erected a few years ago, after A a boulder tumbled down the mountain and hit the inn. 

Our route headed up the side of Antelao toward Forcella Piccolo dell'Antelao (2,120 m). Lots of wildflowers en route, including wild carnations.

The trail up soon became scree. 

Can you spot the hiker up ahead, coming down?

The trail was steep, and there were ample opportunities to slip, but this here acrophobe generally finds scree manageable if I just look at the trail immediately in front of me. I took this photo of S after I reached a spot with a few trees, which are stabilizing to stand next to and made it easier for me to look up.

This was a little before the pass, but the highest view we'd have of the Boite Valley and San Vito.

It was also the intersection of our trail with the Alta Via 5, our third Alta Via of this trip. 

Over the pass we went. We reminded ourselves to eat, so paused for an apple, water, and a protein bar. While we sat, a trio of backpack-less trail runners came jogging up after us, then headed down toward Rifugio Galassi. We were still finishing our apple when they came trotting back up and headed over the pass again toward Scotter. We felt very slow, but we were also carrying 18-lb backpacks, and we had a few decades on those young'uns. We later learned that the Lavaredo Ultra Trail races were taking place in the area June 24-28. 

From here, just 4,900' down to Domegge di Cadore.

Rifugio Galassai. We figured Ms. Namenlos had made it there, since we hadn't passed her on our way. Was she enough over jetlag to already be hiking, or was she sitting on the veranda eating breakfast? We didn't stop to find out.

Alta Via 5 meets up with Alta Via 4 here and heads south
behind the hut. Both end in Pieve di Cadore.

The trail heading down involved almost no scree; instead, it was bordered by scrub and trees, and was relatively easy going.

Only one section of trail appeared sketchy. Whatever alpine club was responsible for its maintenance was clearly aware of this, and had rigged up loose fiber ropes to provide a psychological security blanket. 

From then on, we had lots of greenery easing the way down. 

Fancypants cairn... 

Can you spot the red and white striped rifugio supply box heading down the mountain on the cable line? When we passed beneath the cable, we saw signs warning hikers not to linger. You never know when a cable might snap. 

As we descended into shadier trails, we ran into none other than Ms. Namenlos. I told her we were glad to find her alive and well. "Yes, yes!," she said cheerfully, "but you were right--I did have to use my headlamp last night! Really, I only used it to be polite--I wanted the people at the Rifugio to see that I was coming..." 

She had paused in the present spot because she wasn't sure which way to go. Her map pointed in the same direction as ours, but she had heard tell of a waterfall nearby and didn't want to miss it. We knew nothing of waterfalls, so we continued downhill without her. ("Don't slow down! Keep up the pace!," S kept urging from behind me.)

About two miles later, we found the waterfall. Cascata delle Pile was impossible to miss. We paused for another apple and some Amaretti.

From here, the remaining 7 miles downhill were on dry river beds, gravel, and paved roads. 

The painter Titian (Tiziano Vecellio, c. 1485–1576), was born in Pieve di Cadore, two towns down the freeway from Domegge, our destination for the night. Local mountains show up in his paintings. 

"Titian was inspired here"

Signage offered examples

Just before gravel trail ceded to paved road, we paused for Apfelschorle and Kuchen at the Ristorante Alla Pineta, with views of saw-toothy mountains in the distance. We didn't realize it then, but we'd be hiking across that range the very next day.

Wild strawberries...

I had routed us through Rizzios, a town known for its characteristic 16th-18th c. village architecture. The public fountain was a welcome sight. 

A final scenic stretch of trail ran from Rizzios down to Domegge before intersecting with a busy road.

Little Free Library with a view!

Once we hit the road, there was no safe way to cross it other than to walk west on a bridge across the river, cross the road, then walk back east on the bridge across the river. Domegge and its neighbor Calalzo di Cadore are both disappointingly car-centric, despite having been settled since at least the 5th century BCE.

Hot--did I mention it was hot?--and tired, we stopped at a gelato shop on our way to our hotel, and found this ad for a local race. If the Lavaredo Ultra Trail 10k, 20k, 50k, or 120k (!) is too much for you, perhaps the S. Giovanni 5k is a gentler option... 

...with just a little hill at the end.

After gelato, we checked in at our hotel, showered, and set off in search of groceries and dinner in neighboring Calalzo. 

Lest tourists think Calalzo is merely run-of-the-mill car-centric, one of the few stretches of actual sidewalk had giant sacks of concrete debris placed in the middle of it at short intervals for a good half mile. This genius move forces pedestrians to step into the road, possibly in front of oncoming cars, in order to pass each sack. This, plus the need to cross a river twice just to cross a road, earns Calalzo-Domegge our 2026 award for "Least Pedestrian-Friendly Town of the Alps."

Meanwhile, the award for Best Pizza of 2026 goes to the Casa Marrazzo yellow tomato pizza with fresh ricotta, confit yellow cherry tomatoes, and basil cream at Pizzeria el Gringo, located in Calalzo just beyond all those sacks of concrete.

Ta da! 12.6 of the day's 16 miles, 2,000' up, 4,900' down, a few thrills but 100% acrophobe approved. 

St. Ulrich to Trieste, Day 4 - Rifugio Croda da Lago to Rifugio Scotter-Palatini

Wednesday June 24, Rifugio Croda da Lago to Rifugio Scotter-Palatini

After we and 48 other guests had breakfast, we headed out... 

...and back up the hill to the Mondeval plateau.

Sound on to hear the cowbells...

Our first big goal for the day was to hike downhill to San Vito di Cadore--a descent of 4,400' across 6.6 miles. The isosceles mountain in the background of the photo below is Antelao (3,263 m), "King of the Dolomites," about 250 lower than Marmolata. 

Half of the day's descent was through vast fields of wildflowers, often along cow paths that were in turn often obscured by grasses, often crossing above creeks, and often with steep drops to one side. The steep drop-offs (of which I have no photos, because I was busy being brave) were no fun for the acrophobe, and even the nonacrophobe found the route surprisingly strenuous in spots. 

The numbered trail was well blazed. This was essential for navigating, since the trail was often impossible to see beneath the flora. We saw nary a soul the entire way down, perhaps because the trail was so difficult to navigate, which probably also contributed to why the trail was so difficult to navigate.

Pine needles occasionally offered welcome relief from the tall grass.

At one point, the trail descended steeply to a riverbed. We crossed the dry bed and to get up the other side, climbed up a log that had been arranged on the washed-out bank. 

Looks not-so-high in the photo, but it was about 15-20 feet up

Eventually the descent shifted from meadow to woods. Although steeper, and covered with last fall's leaves, the going was easier. The trail spit us out in the flat valley on the outskirts of San Vito. Here we had our first real feel of the heat dome over central Europe. 

It was stinking hot. We found a grocery store in central San Vito. While S shopped for hydration and calories, I sat at a table near the entrance, soaking in the air-conditioning, drinking water, and trying not to keel over. It was a powerful lesson that in this heat, we'd need to drink and eat before our brains registered that we were thirsty or hungry.  

After tanking up and cooling off, we headed out toward our second goal for the day: Rifugio Scotter-Palatini, another 2.8 miles and 1,200' up from San Vito. In the fields just above San Vito, we passed a priest who was hiking down; he was covered from head to toe in black clothes and looking perfectly comfortable. Come to think of it, on our way into San Vito, we passed a woman similarly covered in long pants and sleeves--and also wearing a mask. I'm not sure how they withstood the heat.

Up, up, up we went; I was apparently too hot to take pictures. Switchbacks made the route easier, but they didn't didn't make the trail any cooler. When a shady but steep side spur gave us the chance to cut across switchbacks, we took it, and that's how we came across a Canadian hiker who was just starting the first day of a four-day solo hut-to-hut hiking adventure. Her goal for the evening was Rifugio Pietro Galassi, on the other side of the pass. We were a little surprised she had started up from San Vito so late in the day, but she was about our age, clearly an extrovert, and we enjoyed the conversation as we hiked up to Scotter together. We'll call her Ms. Namenlos. 

Once we arrived at the hut, we went upstairs to set up our room (getting out our Huettenschlafsaecke, charging our devices, washing our hands and faces, etc.). Then, of course, it was time for a late-afternoon Apfelschorle. Ms. Namenlos was still downstairs. She had stayed for a drink, and was asking the innkeeper about Italian tipping etiquette. While we rehydrated, she began looking for cash with which to leave a tip. When she couldn't remember where she had put her cash baggie, she proceeded to unload her entire over-stuffed backpack while sharing her entire life history. It was a very slow, not very methodical process, and we began to worry privately about her ability to reach her destination before sunset.

S excused himself to go take a shower. When 6pm rolled by, and Ms. Namenlos still hadn't started repacking her pack, I started making casual observations. Rifugio Galassi? Where's that? Wow, Komoot says that's at least another two hours from here, most of it steeply uphill over a scree field! Do you have a headlamp? Oh, did you know huts often have a 6 or 7pm arrival cut-off for dinner? Maybe it's worth calling ahead to let them know you're on your way. 

"Oh, I've got all that covered," she assured me: "If there's a problem, I just have to push a button on my phone, and the company that planned my route will send help." 

I thought maybe I was distracting her, so I excused myself too. Half an hour later, S went back downstairs and talked with her about mountain safety and how not to get stuck in the dark needing rescue. "I'm not stupid," she told him, still repacking. By the time we went down for dinner at 7pm, she was gone, and we sent hopeful thoughts uphill after her that she'd safely make it to Rifugio Galassi before dark.

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Below: the late-afternoon view from our window, 1,200' above San Vito, on Antelao. Note the Ladin flag to the right. The blue, white, and green stripes are meant to mimic the colors of Ladin landscapes. 

We ate dinner outside. The evening air cooled as the sun  began its descent. The waxing gibbous moon rose from behind the mountains, making it possible to watch the Earth spin in real time. 

Looking back whence we came: the big mountain in the photo below is Monte Pelmo (3,168 m). Our route down from the Mondeval plateau started at the saddle to its right.

Our private room was in the hobbit wing. Only two other guests were at the hut that night, evidence that we were now well off the popular Alta Via 1.

Room to the left, bathroom to the right. Hitting our heads on the
ceiling once was all it took to remind us not to hit our heads twice.

Ta da! 12 miles, 3,100' up, 4,650' down, 92% acrophobe approved.

St. Ulrich to Trieste, Day 3 - Rifugio Valparola to Rifugio Croda da Lago

Tuesday June 23, Rifugio Valparola to Rifugio Croda da Lago

The timing of our entire hike was planned around availability at Rifugio Croda da Lago. Located above Cortina d'Ampezzo on a variant route of the Alta Via 1, the hut is a popular overnight stop. When we booked beds over six months in advance, the date we booked was the only night still available within a 10-day span.

Our third day of hiking was an abundance of riches. We were aware in advance of popular spots like Cinque Torri and Passo Giau, both easily accessible to tourists by lift (Cinque Torri) or road (Giau). But we did not anticipate the over-the-top beauty of the places between and beyond: the rugged (but accessible and therefore well travelled) trail between Cinque Torri and Passo Giau, and then beyond Passo Giau heading up to Forcella Giau and along the breathtaking Mondeval Plateau.

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After breakfast, a short hike up from Rifugio Valparola brought us to the Tre Sassi fort. Built by the Austro-Hungarian empire 1897-1901, it was destroyed by Italian bombing on July 5, 1915. It was restored for use as a WW1 museum in 2002-03.

We turned back down from the road...

Not us, of course

...enjoying the trail in the beautiful morning light...

We somehow missed a turn, but after a little rerouting, arrived at the busy parking area for hikers heading up to Cinque Torri. A fast-paced detour brought us past a large, slow-moving group of hikers, and we kept up our speedy pace on the trail up...

up...

...up...

Eight-petal mountain-avens

...and up to Cinque Torri.

Non-acrophobes

Of course we paused at the hut for Apfelschorle before continuing onward to Passo Giau.

We were now far enough into the Dolomites that S didn't know the mountain names without looking at a map.

What are those mountains called? No idea.

The hike to Giau involved a lot of up and down on steep, log-reinforced trails. The downs were slow going, cuz acrophobia. 

Can you spot the TP on the trail below? Popular trails mean lots of hikers who don't know how to be polite outdoors. Pack it in, pack it out, y'all.

The trail included some scrambling. The easiest spots were walled in by rocks, which made it easier to pull oneself up.

180° panorama:

Eventually we arrived at beautiful Passo Giau. The mountain is Nuvolau (2,575 m).

We were well out of South Tirol, but Passo Giau has visitors' Tirolean Spaetzle needs covered. 

We stopped for photos, but not for Spaetzle.

Part of Passo Giau belongs to the municipal territory
of San Vito di Cadore, a town near Cortina d'Ampezzo

The pass was crowded with visitors travelling by car and motorcycle, so we did not linger. We crossed the road, passed the small chapel-on-a-hill, and soon the crowds were behind us.

Roseroot along the trail

A beautiful place to be a cow

After weaving around two cirques, it was a short shot up along the Alta Via 1...

One last look back

...to Forcella Giau, the pass on the edge of the Mondeval plateau. Photos don't do justice to the plateau's sweeping expansiveness.

The swoopy mountain in the center of the photo below looked like a giant ship moving by.

In the sunlit distance, Spiz de Mondeval. We needed to hike around its base and then downhill to reach our hut. Thunder started when we were about halfway there.

Because of the looming weather, we nixed a half-mile detour to see a Mesolithic burial site, so we admired it from afar. Pretty sure it's under the lone boulder, center-right in the photo below.

Zooming in... In 1987, the intact skeleton of a 7,500-year old Cro-Magnon hunter was found beneath the boulder. His remains and grave goods are now at the Museo Vittorina Cazzetta in Selva di Cadore. 

With thunder becoming more frequent, we and another pair of hikers felt increasing urgency to get up and around Forcella Ambrizzola, the pass at the base of Spiz de Mondeval. Others put on raincoats, but I didn't bother, figuring my clothes and I all needed washing anyway (although I did put a rain cover over my backpack). Consequently, I got wet, and when the splat of sleet began atop the pass, I thought I'd put on my raincoat once we were lower down and less likely to be lightning rods--but shortly after we crossed the pass, the rain stopped, and I was dry by the time we arrived at Rifugio Croda da Lago. 

Cloudy and wet up behind us, but clearing downhill

The rain eventually moved in across the valley...

...and five minutes after we reached the hut, the skies opened up again with lightning and thunder, and the temperature dropped enough to warrant putting on a fleece jacket. 

We had a tight fit that night, with 6 hikers in one small room, about 35 hikers on our floor and only two toilets. We suspect all of the hut's 50 beds were filled--something that comes with the territory of being (for the moment) on the Alta Via 1, one of the most popular north-south routes across the Alps. We were glad to be heading west to east.

Ta da! 12 miles, 2,900' up, 3,300' down.