Alta Via 1 stage 3: Refugio Lagazuoi - Refugio Averau

After two slightly longer days, this short stage - just under four hours - takes me to Refugio Averau near the picturesque Cinque Torri, a popular climbing area in the Dolomites. The route today has a long descent, but the most challenging part is situated at the end with a steep climb of four hundred meters through mainly forest area.

I can confirm that the climb to Refugio Lagazuoi was a very tough climb yesterday, because the descent alone today takes me twenty minutes and that is only one third of the total ascent that I did yesterday. I'm not going all the way down, although the official route according to Cicerone does. Incidentally, this is a day in which you have to make difficult choices in terms of routes, because there is also the possibility to descend through the war tunnels from the First World War. Then you go down about 230 meters through these tunnels. This is undoubtedly a very fascinating route, but I still opt for the natural beauty and that means that I go straight on the descent and I'm passing through the many limestone mountain peaks towards the first (large) forest.

A group of other hikers left fifteen minutes earlier, but I bump into them when they have lost their way. Although the Alta Via I in South Tyrol is well signposted, it is still a bit of a search here. Truth must be told, I also made the same mistake. That's not a bad thing, because this part is where the Dolomites are at their best: a stone's throw from the mountain peaks, surrounded by beautiful green meadows that overlook the mouth-watering vistas. Add to that a bright sun and you immediately have one of my favorite moments of the entire Alta Via I. The fact that I mainly descend rather than ascend will also help in enjoying these fantastic locations.

In the middle of this route the mountain paths are exchanged for unpaved gravel roads and I immediately notice this from the crowds. Where I hardly saw walkers on the previous kilometers, there is a lot of life on these roads. Not that it bothers me for long, because before I know it I dive into the forest and I must confess that the coniferous forest contributes to a large extent to the charm of this walk. I walk through plenty of other forests on later stages, but this one and a half kilometer stretch is perhaps the most beautiful forest passage of the entire trail.

After almost seven kilometers it is time to sweat again, because for three kilometers it goes up more than four hundred meters. There are of course some sections with a respectable gradient and at such moments I am glad I brought my hiking poles so that I don't have to rely on my legs alone. Here it goes through forest again, but I find this part less attractive than the first forest section. When I get close to Cinque Torri the forest gives way to open Alpine meadows and that makes for some nice pictures.

Just when I think I'm almost there, I realize I still have over a hundred meters to go up on rather boring gravel roads. Then it is a matter of putting your mind to zero and use autopilot in order to go to Rifugio Averau. Since I still have a whole afternoon free, I also made a detour along the Cinque Torri and that is an absolute must. Not only do the five towers look awe-inspiring up close, but they make an interesting walking route along small paths and gorges.

My third walking day on the Alta Via I is by no means spectacular, but a very successful one thanks to the beautiful locations and views. The last ascent to Refugio Averau is a bit boring, but since it only takes fifteen minutes (to half an hour) this is not a big downside. In any case, it is worthwhile to make an extensive stop at the Cinque Torri, which is one of the more beautiful areas in the Dolomites.