A day on my own - alone in the mountains

Today is another "rest day" and we all decide to do own thing and go our separate ways. Peter joins Primož today for a vigorous day of riding.............

and I choose to have a day on my own exploring the area on foot. The Tourist office in town is super helpful and I pick up some brochures, maps and walking guides. 

According to the "Easy Walks for Families" guide, the town of Colfosco/Colfosch is only 40 minutes away on a well-signed path. In this part of Italy, both Italian and German are spoken, a legacy of the time when the area was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. As a result many of the towns have names in both languages.

It's a lovely walk, winding along the footpath through the outskirts of Corvara. All around are magnificent mountains, green meadows and picturesque houses.
Signs point temptingly to paths heading up the mountainside, but I am not quite brave enough to head up one of those on my own.

Along the way stations of the cross and the occasional large crucifix mark the way. I have only been walking about 20 minutes when I come to a fork in the road. A friendly local points to the high road as the best route to Colfosco and within minutes I have reached a church, which has a commanding presence in the small town.

 

The church and surrounding cemetery have a peaceful aura which invites lingering and contemplation. The graves are well tended and anyone who rests in peace here is obviously well-cared for. So I linger, exploring the little chapels before heading to the commercial centre in search of a macchiato and directions to the gondola.

There are a couple of idle ski lifts at the centre of town but only one gondola operating at this time of year for hikers and tourists. A path leads out of town to the base and not knowing quite what to expect when I get to the top, I play it safe and buy a return ticket on the gondola up Col Pradat. 

To my surprise there is a very busy restaurant and plenty of customers enjoying the bright sunshine, which out of the wind, is bright and warming. Red deck chairs and sheep skin covered loungers are spread around welcoming anyone to relax and enjoy the ambience.

 

From this vantage point, the views are just another degree of magnificent. 

After a tramping in various directions in the meadows and along tops of ski runs around the lodge, I feel it's time to indulge in some of the local specialties; apfel strudel und hot chocolate mit rum. And fortified, I decide to brave the trek back down the mountain path, following the signs that point to Corvara.

The route is well marked so no chance of getting lost even when I venture off the trail to explore an abandoned cabin and scramble over rocks to examine wildflowers in crevices.

As I get closer to the bottom, with the town well in sight, I feel reluctant to end this journey so soon. A sense of profound tranquility washes over me; up here sitting on the side of the mountain, it's like being half way to heaven.

Way down in the valley I have an eagle's view of the road which happens to be where Peter is riding solo this afternoon.

When I get back to the hotel I hear the story of Tony the Tiger's unfortunate day. While riding with Peter, Primož noticed a drip coming from the bike. On further inspection, they decide it would be wise to head back and check it out more carefully. Unfortunately, Primož, who takes care of all the bikes while we're on the tour, realizes that it can't be fixed quickly. So he gives Peter the spare bike, which he has been riding, for an afternoon of solo riding. Peter enjoys the nippiness of the BMW F700 GS and does the 55 k loop programmed into the GPS.