Lake Federa between autumn and winter

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I was actually two weeks too late for a visit to Lake Federa near Cortina d'Ampezzo: the peak of the yellow-golden larch colours had already passed in the higher altitudes.

On the way back from my trip to Florence, I added a stay in the autumnal Dolomites. I was actually two weeks too late for the visit to Lake Federa near Cortina d’Ampezzo: the peak of the yellow-golden larch colours had already passed in these mountain regions. The trees were already shedding their needles and the nights were getting very frosty for sleeping in the roof tent. Despite a good down sleeping bag and insulation, it’s still uncomfortable and always takes a lot of effort. Since it had snowed in the previous days, the snow-capped higher mountain regions already signalled the transition to winter.

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An Autumn Morning at Passo di Giau

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Sunrise at the Giau Pass in the Dolomites with the glowing rock faces of Ra Gusela, Nuvolau, Averau, Tofane, Croda Rossa, Province of Belluno, Italy

Wow, what a colourful start to an autumn day in the Dolomites. Passo di Giau is, purely scenically, a highlight of any Dolomites trip. At least, it seemed that way to the group of Chinese photographers who, along with me and many others, marvelled at the 360-degree panorama on the scenic ridge next to the pass. To the north, Ra Gusela rises, then to the west Nuvolau – you can just spot the mountain hut on the rock face – and Averau. To the east, with the 5 Torri in front of the mighty Tofane massif and the Cristallo group, lie other famous mountains of the Ampezzo Dolomites. Far to the north, the peak of Hohe Gaisl then juts out. This already belongs to the Pragser Dolomites. A part of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo of the Sesto Dolomites also stands out. Read more

Panoramic view in the Ampezzo Dolomites

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Hiker on a panoramic summit at the Passo di Giau in the warm backlight of the sunset over the summit of the Marmolada, Dolomites, Italy

Cortina d’Ampezzo is framed by several prominent mountain groups, e.g. Cristallo, Sorapis, Tofane, Antelao, Nuvolau or Croda da Lago. They are also called the Ampezzo Dolomites. Many winding pass roads with magnificent views of the alpine landscape lead into the Cortina basin in the Boite valley, which flows south into the Piave. Read more

Dawn over Lagazuoi

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Dawn at the summit of the Piccolo Lagazuoi with the panorama of the Dolomites near Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy

Dawn on the summit of Piccolo Lagazuoi (2,778 m) on this autumn day in October is breathtaking. Against the glowing strip of light on the horizon and the pastel-coloured cirrus clouds, the mountain groups of the Ampezzo Dolomites rise dark and massive; behind me the Tofane and to the south Averau and Nuvolau, 5 Torri, Ra Gusela. Behind them follows the panorama with Hexenstein, Settsass, Antelao, Monte Pelmo, Monte Civetta and many more melodious peaks. Read more

Autumn mood at the Falzarego Pass

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Sunset with a glowing sky over the autumnal mountain meadows and forests at the Falzarego Pass, Sella, Settsass and the Hexenstein in the Dolomites, Belluno, Italy

I love autumn and its moods. It’s a time of transition, of saying goodbye to the abundance of summer and preparing for the coming winter. Shorter days with a sun that still warms, longer nights with temperatures that are often already frosty. Morning mist instead of humidity and thunderstorms. Glowing yellows and reds of the trees alternate with the already dull, earthy browns of meadows and fallen leaves. That’s when I love being out in nature. This year, the opportunity arose again to head to the Dolomites for a few days following a good weather forecast. Read more

Instagrammable Lake Braies

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Pragser Wildsee in the Dolomites, South Tyrol, Italy

After the solitary sunrise over the Sesto and Braies Dolomites from the summit of Dürrenstein, I wanted to get a personal impression of the famous, much-visited and photographed Lake Braies for myself. I have to say, the lake is beautifully nestled in a rocky high-mountain landscape – the dark blue-turquoise water, the autumnally coloured yellow-golden larches, the blue sky and the towering, rugged rock faces of the Seekofel. Read more

From the Plätzwiese to the Dürrenstein

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Alpine panorama with the Sesto Dolomites, Cadini Group, Cristallo Group, Pala Group, and the Plätzwiese from the summit of the Dürrenstein at autumnal dawn, South Tyrol, Italy

On a cool, clear autumn night, I ascended to the summit of Dürrenstein (2,839 m) in the Prags Dolomites before dawn. In the bright light of the full moon – I didn’t even need a headlamp for the ascent – an impressive alpine panorama unfolded with every step upwards: the Sesto Dolomites with the Three Peaks, the rock towers of Cadini di Misurina, the mighty Cristallo Massif, the Fanes-Sennes-Prags Mountains and below, my starting point and last night’s camp, the Plätzwiese high plateau. At the summit itself, the missing part of the all-round panorama to the north, across the Pustertal valley to the main Alpine ridge, was added. Read more