Return to the Dolomites

In the late 80s and early 90s I was enjoying my former life as a schoolteacher and had the opportunity and encouragement to take my first school expeditions overseas. As I had a small number of young people who were already capable and adventurous climbers I chose to bring them to the Italian Dolomites, for the 'Via Ferrata' routes on the steep limestone faces.

Alpine Gentians flowering in a high meadow

Now, more than 20 years later, I've returned to lead some walking tours for Explore. I've been in Dobbiaco for 6 days learning the routes and reminding myself of the culture of South Tyrol. My first group arrive tomorrow.
It's been a busy week, not least for the buses. The integrated public transport system here is fantastic. You can go anywhere. Buses link up with one another and allow you to move around the area into some otherwise inaccessible places, and when you eventually arrive back at a road after your walk... there's another bus along in just a few minutes to whisk you back to your starting point. The only downside is that you need to be an Advanced Road Services Expert (ARSE) to read the timetables - after a week I am a bit of an Advanced Road Services Expert.
Anyway, enough silliness.
Thursday's walk took me up and past the Tre Cime de Lavaredo. In German they're the 'Drei Zinnen' or Three Merlons. Merlons are the names of the parts of castellated battlements that stick up - the gaps are called Crenels... I've lost the plot again - back to the walk:
The Drei Zinnen are the most fantastic, huge battlements soaring up to 3000m above rocky alpine terraces. The rock is blinding white limestone broken by grassy meadows which, in June, are covered in beautiful alpine flowers. It's a landscape designed for a film set.

Dwarf Valerian with typical steep Dolomitic Limestone peaks

I walked around the peaks from the south to their uncompromising north faces. The central Cima Grande begins with some hundreds of metres of overhanging rock coloured a pale ochre orange, whilst the upper half leans back to be a very steep slab, blackened by running water.

Tre Cime de Lavaredo - north faces

The whole area is a tourist walking paradise - a road gets you high up and in to the Rifugio Auronzo. Paths which are not excessively difficult ring the mountain, taking in the Rifugio Locatelli on the north side. The approach to the Locatelli was incredibly busy with walkers making the best of the wonderful weather.

Too many people approaching the Rifugio Locatelli 

From the Locatelli I hastened on through to descend the 1000m on the east side of the mountain to regain the road where I found my bus waiting!