Italy. Tre Cime di Lavaredo

  On the fifth day of my trek through the Dolomites, having already covered over a hundred kilometers and summited several peaks, I ventured into the most stunning part - the Tre Cime park. My aim for this journey was not just to see the mountains from afar but to feel their power by ascending higher, combining hiking routes with climbs...

  Route map...

 In 1788, explorers discovered that the mountains of South Tyrol are made of dolomite, which contains magnesium. They were named after the French geologist Deodat de Dolomieu. Dolomites "formed" from fossilized algae and coral reefs over 250 million years in the warm ancient Tethys Ocean. When its level dropped, these whimsical and majestic "pale peaks" appeared, strikingly different from their neighbors. It's as if in the natural realm, there exists its own Gaudí. 

  In Tre Cime park, perhaps the most vivid ensemble of this natural architecture is presented...  

 Rising from the Misurino camping settlement to the ridge, I immersed myself in the beauty of the Dolomite Alps...

  

  From the Auronzo refuge, I decided to climb higher towards the Cime Grande peak. There were no via ferratas here, and reaching the rocky summit required climbing gear. Reaching an altitude of 2500 meters and unable to discern a safe path for further ascent, I began to descend. Moreover, thick fog enveloped the mountains, which did not encourage further climbing...  

   Descending, I gazed up at Cime Grande from below...

 Local "dwarf" horses...

  The Tre Cime mountains, or "three peaks" in Italian... 

   You can continue on the main "highway" with all the tourists or take the upper path carved into the rock...  

  Emerging from the tunnel, you walk along the cliffside...

  Nevertheless, those "three peaks" were always in sight...

  Climbing to the summit of Paternkofel... 

  Paternkofel summit (2744 m)...

  From the summit, fantastic mountain views unfold...  

  These peaks are also beloved by the most common birds in the Dolomites, Alpine Choughs, which live at elevations of 1500 - 3900 meters in mountainous areas... 

  Descending to Locatelli refuge, I settled in, leaving my backpack in the shared room and went for a stroll around...   

  A bunk in a shared room here costs 29 euros...

  The most interesting peak near the refuge is Toblinger Knoten, slightly more challenging to ascend than Paternkofel but still not difficult... 

  From the summit of Toblinger Knoten (2630 m)...

  Near Toblinger Knoten is the small peak Sasso di Sesto (2539 m), which you don't need to climb; a trail leads to it. From here, there are beautiful 360-degree views. Panoramas with Toblinger Knoten in the foreground...

  

 Panorama with views of the sharp peak of Paternkofel and Tre Cime...

  

  I wanted to stay overnight at this refuge to fully enjoy the sunset and sunrise in this place... 

  Countless photographers with tripods lined the slope to photograph Tre Cime at sunset... 

  Panorama at sunset...

 Panorama at sunrise...

   The next morning, I climbed back up to the ridge leading to Paternkofel's summit. This time, I didn't go all the way to the top but continued along the rocky route further along the ridge...  

  The variety of rocky peaks continued to impress...

   Reaching Pian di Cengia refuge, I turned off the main route to visit another viewpoint a kilometer away from the hut... 

  

  Returning to the main route, I continued along the rocky ridge...  

  Many interesting routes traverse the cliffs above 2500 meters, with sheer drops visible right beneath your feet. For safe passage, steel cables are suspended every 3-5 meters. Such routes are called Via ferrata (Italian for "iron road"). You can secure yourself to the cables and navigate dangerous sections almost without fear. Some "serious" via ferratas even have their own names. Among the most beautiful via ferratas in Tre Cime park are Cengia Gabriella and Severino Casara. Sometimes the route goes over bridges across chasms, sometimes the chasm is right under your narrow path. For overnight stays, you can stop at the free shelter - Bivacco, usually named after some mountaineer and resembling a hut with 8-10 sleeping spots...

  Bivacco de Toni...

  The Severino Casara via ferrata starts from Bivacco de Toni...

  

  Descending to the col and refilling my water, I moved on to the next stretch of the route with the Cengia Gabriella via ferrata... Views from the trail...

  The difficulty of this route was higher than in previous sections... Somewhere the path ran along a steep slope along the cliff edge, as seen on the right in the photo...

  Somewhere on the cliffs... 

 But everywhere, safety cables were installed, making passage completely safe...

  And sometimes it was hard to believe how to pass this or that section... Until I got very close and saw the path... Isn't that how it is in our lives? The road will be mastered by the one who walks it...

   For example, here the path runs along the left side of the cliff... 

  And when you're that close, the mountains are already hard to grasp with your eyes...

   Descending from the cliffs to Bivacco Battalion Cadore (2200 m), I settled in for the night... Later, an Italian couple visited the bivouac and kept me company... 

 In the morning of the next day, I was already finishing my journey through the mountains and descending to the settlement... From Bivacco, I had to drop a significant height and climb the rocks again...

 Reaching the main road, I hitched a ride and drove to the Auronzo settlement, from where I headed to the town of Treviso... Thus ended my acquaintance with the Dolomite Alps... I was very lucky with the weather and could fully immerse myself in the fairy-tale world of these mountains... And because it was early September, there weren't as many people on the trails, so I also enjoyed solitude...