The Mountains Were Calling - Solo Dolomites Adventure - Misurina - Tre Cime di Lavaredo

Boy oh boy do I have some blogging to catch up on. I've just returned from one of the best vacations I've ever had in my life and I can't wait to write all about it while it's still fresh on my mind. Taking over a week to spend just hiking in the Dolomites has been on my bucket list for years and years and it was just perfect but now I feel like I need to go back every year. 

As I've mentioned before, I can feel certain physical limitations creeping up on me and wanted to get this trip on the books sooner than later, so I spent quite a bit of money booking during high season so I could just enjoy every moment while everything's open and wildflowers are blooming. Unfortunately, this trip didn't cross the Dolomites off of my bucket list, but only made me decide to come here more regularly because it was just perfect. I used a bunch of American Express Skymiles and booked a lovely flight into Venice, rented a car, and drove up to Misurina for my first leg. They were in the midst of a heat wave and it was 104 degrees when I landed...and was very humid.

Avoiding highways, the drive only took about 3 hours and I arrived about an hour before sunset.

Doesn't that hotel remind you of The Grand Budapest Hotel?

I was anticipating terrible weather for the entire trip, so I wanted to get in as much hiking as possible while there was still blue skies. I checking into my hotel and immediately set off in search of a short hiking trail that I could use to get up above the trees and watch the sunset. I saw one, literally 5 minutes from my hotel, and took it...having no idea where it would lead. I spent 45 minutes scrambling up rockfall from nearby peaks and over saddles and it was just absolutely beautiful...and was the perfect way to get my blood flowing after 26 hours of travel.

One thing that's drawn me to the Dolomites is their accessibility. Europe makes it so easy to just take a hike and be among some of the most majestic peaks in the world within a relatively short period of time...I absolutely love it. My curiosity was going wild so I just kept climbing to see what was on the other side until it got dark and then I scrambled back down to my hotel, took a shower, and slept harder than I've ever slept before.

Back in 2018, Brian and I drove through this area as part of a massive road trip but it was rainy and windy and cold and nothing was open so we were really limited. We parked in Misurina and walked the 5 miles up the closed road to Tre Cime di Lavaredo and couldn't even see it because it was too cloudy. So I knew that this would be the first spot I'd check off of my list. 

The road was open this time, and there are about 700 parking spots up at the trailhead, but it fills up by 9 am each morning, so I got up and at it early and hit the road. The hotel didn't start their breakfast service until 7:30 each morning, so I was the first person down each morning so I could get an early start on my adventures. 

I was through the gate and in a parking spot by 8:30 that morning, and it was already about 85 degrees. The trail started out pretty level and was nice and wide so I covered ground quite quickly. However, I found a bunch of side trails that caught my curiosity, so I ended up doubling my mileage just exploring. One thing about this particular mountain is just the sheer scale of everything...photos just don't do it justice. Tre Cime is particularly famous because it's so identifiable and you can see it looming over valleys from many other places in the area. The 3 peaks are absolutely massive and every trail takes 5 times longer to complete than you'd think just by looking at it. Every turn just took my breath away...I was so happy to have been there and experienced it.  

Fun little backstory on this photo: I put my trekking poles between my thighs while squatting down to take this picture and the trekking poles touched an electric fence next to me and I electrocuted my vagina, lol. It wasn't bad at all...just a little surprising. You can see with wire in one of the photos above. 

Several hours later, I was only about 1/4 of my way through the loop and the next stretch was up over a saddle, down, and back up over another saddle to the Refugio where I had lunch. By this point, it was well into the 90s and there is no relief from the sun. 

After a hearty lunch of pasta with butter and parmesan and about 8 liters of water, I was back on the trail for the second half of the loop where it was particularly steep going down and then particularly steep going back up. It was pretty grueling but I was so thankful to have brought my trekking poles. 

But first, I had to climb up to some WW1 tunnels I saw up in the mountain side. 

Then, of course, I got distracted by more side trails leading up into the rocks. There was also a helicopter rescue taking place that I watched for a while from up above before making my way back down to the main loop trail. 

I was totally beat by the end...having hiked a total of 18 miles over the course of 7 hours in the blazing hot sun. I went back to my hotel, took a long, cool shower, and cleaned up for dinner. I dug in to a mushroom and prosciutto pizza and tiramisu while a massive thunderstorm rolled in. The lightning was crazy and it just dumped rain for a few hours...it was beautiful.