Lagazuoi

Rifugio Lagazuoi is at 2,754 meters on a peak above Passo Falzarego.  It is serviced by a cable car funivia and a foot path.  No roads.  
Below, looking north at the road, the Pass and up to Rifugio Lagazuoi at the top.

From Lagazuoi looking southeast, the direction from which we came.

Closer view to the southeast, showing Cinque Torri bottom left and Nuvolau to the right.

A trail runner at sunset.

Austrian Fortifications at Lagazuoi

The army of the Austrian Hungarian Empire dominated northern Italy before and thru WW I.  They had entrenched fortifications on the peak of Lagazuoi, where they could rain bombardment down on the valley road and also on the entrenched Italian position at Cinque Torri.  Photo below shows a fort dug into the rock, from which Austrian army could control the road to Falzarego Pass and shoot at the Cinque Torri position visible in the upper left.

Everything had to be dug into the rock or protected by walls against bombs and bullets.

This military position was held for years, winter and summer.
Caves and holes were dug in the rock to live in.
Officers' deluxe quarters below.

At 2,700 meters, Lagazuoi is a barren and forbidding place.

A Wrong Turn

So, everything was going fine, the trail was interesting, with glacial bogs below and remnants from WW I fortifications.

I was doing the route finding and thought this was the trail, visible below going up the slope.

The first sign that something was wrong:  mountain goats, below.

Alan was getting worried as the trail got steeper.

The German climbers visible in photo below turned around and said that it was too steep.
Then we knew that we had made a mistake and were really on the wrong trail.

Mr Mike below came along just at that moment to save the day.

He talked us down off the cliff!

Oh, and did I mention it was Alan's big birthday?

The Right Way Up the Pass

Alan and Michael were happy to reach the small lake Lech di Lagacio at 2,100 meters.
We left Michael to follow his path and took the correct route up to the Forcela Lech (2500m).

Photo below looking south along path toward Rifugio Lagazuoi, the start of the day.

Le Gran Plan

We hiked for 10  kilometers through the large valley Le Gran Plan, along the main pathway through the Dolomites, Alta Via Dolomiti.  Altitude about 2,000 meters.  The whole hike was a lesson on the massive amounts of moraine that glaciers can leave, and the progression from bare rock to small plants, shrubs and eventually trees.

The amounts of rock in moraines (photos at top) and talus (slope debris shown in photo above) are amazing.  The boulders coming off the cliff are as big as houses.

Ucia de Fanes below Piza di Lima

Traditionally, people in this area of the Dolomites spoke Ladin, one of the Rhaeto-Romance languages.  Ucia de Fanes means the Hut or Hostel of the Fanes Valley and it is situated at 2,000  meters, below the Limestone Peak (Piza di Lima, seen below)

Hiking buddies met along the trail, from Czech Republic below.
Alan with Arto  from Finland.
The group in the third shot before leaving the Ucia.

Down the Fanes Valley

The Fanes Valley is an impressive hike east out of the mountains, ending a few kilometers north of Cortina.  It descends almost 1,000 meters over 8 kilometers through a narrow valley along streams and rivers.

The start of the trail above.  Below, a beautiful arrangement of different conifers on a rock.

Grasses in a flood plain with boulders from the cliffs.  Mugho Pine in the background.

Below, young spruce and fir trees.

At the end of our hike, we ran into our old new friend Michael, who had saved us on the trail.

Pordenone: 4 Verticals

Pordenone is in Friuli Venezia-Giulia region of Italy, northeast of Venice.
This was the 35 year of the festival of silent movies, Le Giornate del Cinema Muto.
Great event for old movies and live musical accompaniment.
Pordenone is a good place to visit.

The main piazza of Pordenone above.

David Robinson and Jay Weissberg, directors of the festival below.

Transformation

Friends gathering transformed the empty carport above to the festive gathering below.

And, the reception area shown above came alive with wonderful gathering below.

60th Birthday

The highlight of the party was a cake from Night Kitchen that replicated the house.
Actually, the highlight of the party was having so many wonderful people appreciate the cake and the house!  

It is almost magical how gathering can help ease transitions, ratify milestones and also add energy to go forward in the next phase of life, whatever that may bring.  Thank you!