Tom`s travels: Selva di Val Gardena (27-29/12/2018)

After a nice christmas back in Vicenza we decided to head to the mountains for a bit of skiing and hiking in the area of Selva di Val Gardena. After checking in at our hotel Pralong, we decided to head to the city center and walk a little bit before heading back to the hotel where we had dinner. After that, we headed to sleep as we were hoping to get up early to start the day. After waking up and having a filling breakfast we all left to ski by heading to the nearest chairlift. The first ride brought us up the ciampinoi slopes and then another brought us right below the Sassolungo, a beautiful dolomite mountain which is an unmistaklable landmark in the area. It's name means long rock due to its form and reached a height of 3181m. After skiing for a while around its perimeter we decided to stop and have lunch at one of the many huts located on the ski slopes. After a filling lunch we skied some more and enjoyed the beautiful views of the surrounding lanscape which included the Scillar mountain group and peaks further away. After a long day my legs felt the strain and we decided to relax in the hotel room before heading downstairs for another tasty dinner. The following day, the weather promised a bit of clouds and feeling a bit unsure regarding my shoulder and another full day of skiing I decided instead to hike a little. My aunt, Davide and Giacomo decided to join me while my brother went skiing instead. After leaving the town and reaching the northen part of the valley we parked the car and started our short hike. We walked along the ski slope of Col Raiser and after going through a bit of woods we reached the Sangon hut where we stopped and relaxed in the sun while having some lunch. At one point Davide decided to head to ski a little bit while my aunt, Giacomo and I instead decided to walk back to the town through another way. We reached the Juac hut located at 1905m above the sea level and from there descended through a path winding its way through a forest and taking us all the way to the town of Selva. After reaching the hotel we decided to take advantage of the sauna and relax for the rest of the evening followed by another dinner and an early sleep. The next day while the others went skiing again I decided to hike another day as the sun was shining bright again. I headed northwards from the town and through a thick pine wood, following a path that led me right below the first mountain to the north of Selva. Due to the unusual weather conditions, only the town, which is in the shade for most of the day, had some snow on the ground, while as I walked north and upwards I found the area lacking in snow. The path was in fact in complete sunlight and due to the higher temperatues than average any snow that might have fallen in the previous days was completely gone. As I started my ascent of the mountain I stopped halfway to have a snack and observe the view and to my surprise I spotted a young chamois grazing very close to me. I slowly approached him to take a photo but after spotting he trotted away and up the rocks as if it were plain flat ground. After the short break I continued my hike and reached the top of the mountain which finally had some snow. As I walked around the flat top I admired the beautiful 360 degrees panorama, spanning from the Sassolungo mountain, to the Sella mountain group and down the Vallunga which I had hiked the previous year. It was a marked contrast to the last time I was here as I remember I had to give up after I reached the end of the valley due to the impressive amount of snow. After admiring the panorama, I hiked a little more along the side of the mountain until I reached the Stevia hut, located at 2312m. Due to its remoteness this hut was closed and only opens for the summer season. I found a bench next to the hut's wall and layed there soaking in the sun and having the lunch I had brought with me. I relaxed for about an hour and half while reading a book and then decided to head back through the way I came. First though I hiked up the nearby hill which provided an incredible view of the Sella mountain group. As I had sat on the bench the temperature was pleasant enough for me to lay with just a shirt one while after leaving the bench and walkingn up the hill a strong wind created a sharp cold contrast. Turning back on my tracks I walked onwards and descended back down the rocky outcrop I had previously climbed this time making it extremely hard as without snow the stones and steps had turned into a thin ice which made it incredibly unstable and slippery at each step. After finally reaching the end of the downhill part I walked through the forest once more and reached the town of Selva where I had a long and relaxing sauna in our hotel while waiting for the others to come back from skiing. After all had arrived we packed out stuff and then left for Vicenza after a great three days in the mountains.