No visit to the Dolomites can ever be complete without a visit to the most amazing piece of water I’ve ever seen! Oh, and not to forget the hospitality of my two good friends, Sabrina and Emilio, the ‘gestiore’ (hosts) at Rifugio Vandelli.
Our trail started at Passo Tre Croci and wound its way through forests to the Rifugio. The intention was to complete the Sorapiss circuit, on day four and five, but weather was not on our side, and we ended up walking out via Tondi-Faloria on day five instead.
The Sorapiss circuit includes climbing the face above the rifugio, via Ferrata Vandelli, then following a clockwise circuit around Sorapiss, before descending via Ferrata Berti, and back to the rifugio.
The circuit is normally completed over two days, and can be done in either clockwise or anti-clockwise direction. An overnight stop at one of Bivacco Slataper, Bivacco Comici or Rifugio San Marco is normally necessary.
Snow on the mountains surrounding the rifugio, when we woke up on day five, forced us to change our plans. Not for the first time on our trip, either!
The walk back to Tondi-Faloria started under rain, often crossing fresh snow fields and decidedly colder than the previous day. A cup of Hot Chocolate at Rifugio Tondi, before the final descent to Rifugio Faloria and the waiting cable car down into Cortina, was not just a luxury, but a definite necessity to survive the walk!
