Off To The Dolomites!

This  weekend, my next adventure is a one week trek in the Dolomites, a mountain range located in northeastern Italy. They are the part of the Alps that start from the River Adige in the east (in the area known as South Tyrol) to the Piave valley in the East.  The range is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and its highest point is Marmolada which is 3343 meters or just under 11,000 feet.

The Dolomites were part of Austria, until the first World War, when there was fierce battle between the two countries, causing the area to be annexed to Italy. As a result, the two cultures blend in with the local Ladinite way of life (the original valley dwellers) and three languages are represented in the region: Italian, German and Ladin. This cultural crossroads also has a most interesting cuisine, which I am very keen to sample.  I hike to see beautiful scenery, meet locals and see how they live, and, of course, burn enough calories to feast on local specialities!

The views are amazing and you can try the via ferrata (routes with fixed ladders and ropes).

The best way to see the Dolomites is to hike, bike, or do the Dolomiti superski (1200 km of prepared slopes, 450 lifts, 12 ski areas on one ski pass).  I am going to trek long days and have wonderful meals so I can be fuelled for steep uphill climbs and rock scrambling. I'm not so sure how fit I am at the moment, having just enjoyed the tennis (sitting for hours with a Pimm's drink, interspersed with a few jumps of excitement) at the French Open and Wimbledon (see lots of tennis photos on my Instagram @doysisonjones). Still, I am looking forward to seeing these imposing rock faces and peaks, seemingly more dramatic than the alpine landscape I'm used to in Verbier.  

Come and join me on my adventure, which starts this Saturday, by following this blog.  Fingers crossed the weather cooperates and I can upload photos of the beautiful scenery onto the blog and Instagram. The dramatically shaped mountain rocks are famously white, which was identified by mineralogist Dolomieu, giving the region its name. This kind of limestone reflects the various colours of sunlight during the day, pinks and orange colours contrasting with the green valleys and colourful flowers. Jagged peaks, verdant landscapes, Italian type pasta and Austrian desserts...it should be a great trek!