Dolomite Hike Day Three: 23k

Day Three

Lake Braies → climb to Rifugio Biella → climb to Rifugio Sennes → trail through Fodara Vedla → descend to Pederü

Distance: 23 kilometres

This was a tough day but a very beautiful one. Lake Braies is an extremely pretty milky-peacock-blue lake at the foot of magnificent Dolomite peaks. It was also apparently made famous by an Italian television series (One Step From Heaven, set in a scenic hut by the lake) and is now VERY popular with tourists (and brides and grooms and wedding parties) as a photoshoot location. Mr Darcy thought it might also be good for water skiing, which rather shocked our Italian guide!

Dripping with sweat, puffing and red in the face aren’t features that present a great many Instagram worthy photo shoots, but Lake Braise is a different thing altogether. There is also a booming boat hire trade on the lake, but these boats became more and more like matchsticks as we climbed higher and higher up the mountain.

We were a smaller hiking group today, and had a wonderful journey together. All the hikers are of a similar vintage and there is a lot to talk about, particularly as many of us have had a number of pivots in our careers and family lives. Doctor, lawyers, educators, a filmmaker and scriptwriter, people who work on the land and in business. Hiking is an equaliser and a good test of character as everyone sweats and struggles and relies on others at different times of the day. One of our party, The Oricle (named for his mastery of all things altitude) hands out jellybeans at stressful parts of the climb, which is surprisingly morale boosting (even when not keen on jellybeans, one tends to have an opinion on what flavour is best). A positive attitude is very important during a strenuous hike - if there is a problem we all support each other, but there’s no point complaining or worrying about what lies ahead because there is no rest until we reach our final destination and …

Beer and chips.