Dolomites, Italy once again july 2012

typical bucolic scene, an easy hike the first day, at least for me. The men did something much more adventurous

view walking back to hotel in Selva

our much harder walk on day 2. Trail Stevio. we went up to the gap at the top

destination was up near that spikey point

Scott nearing the top which thankfully had steps

where we came from and where we were going to

The other side of the mountain and in the front of photo the narrow trail we took down 

something nice to divert the eye as we walked down

very cool protruding cliffs in front

narrow trail down in front of picture

Selva comes into view from above

Back at hotel in time for a great swim

Trail Stevio, 2550 meters, is in view just to left of biggest rock

Another's day hike with town of Ortisei in view

Oldest church in area (dolomites?) San Jacob, had a great fresco of St. Christopher on the side of it

 low clouds one day

 view  from our room with sun

appetizer one evening, all different raw fish

first course of ceci soup with shrimp

eggplant topped with fish and an eggplant pate

Being in the Dolomites had to try the canederli (dumpling) one evening with prosciutto

hotel view, cloudy Saturday with lots of low lying clouds

same view from hotel after clouds lifted and the mountains had received some snow

Same mountain as the snow starts to melt a great waterfall (middle of photo)

hotel lobby. we missed Christopher

Matthew going up so high and in deserted places saw a lot of the animals native to the dolomites. These are stambecchi.

Matthew doing the serious climbs with a guide. Trails are called Ferrata (iron) and you can see the iron hand rail one uses. A lot of these trails were build during W.W. I as this area was almost the front line between the austrians and italians.

matthew climbing up to 3,000 meters

We had a great week in the Dolomites (italian alps) which have become a UNESCO site in the past two years. It is a gorgeous area which we have been to many, many times over the past 25 years in both summer and winter. Its beauty only seems to get better.  We stayed in the Alta Badia area, town of Selva di Val Gardena. Wish I was back there.