Trip Report
This report is from January 2022 and was written by the Explore-Share team
The Fanes is a stunning mountain group located northwest of the Dolomites. The area is famous for its Ladin legends, cozy mountain huts, and excellent ski touring options.
Sophie, who began exploring the mountains after a personal loss took her on a journey of self-discovery, in her search for new experiences, decided it was time to try ski touring. Her mentor and friend, Bruno, suggested the Dolomites, and she decided on a unique three-day ski mountaineering tour in the Fanes led by certified mountain guide Renato (booking via Explore-Share).
To prepare, Sophie went resort skiing around the Sella Ronda a few days before the tour and caught sight of a gorgeous New Year’s Eve sunset on Col Rodella. She also began practicing around Val Duron with ski touring skis, an experience she found pretty different from resort skiing. Then, the time came to set off into the wild.
On the first day of the tour, Sophie and Renato headed out into the Fanes-Sennes-Braies nature park from Pederu through Fodara Vedla. The jagged Dolomite rocks and vast landscapes opened up in front of them as they climbed up and then skied down virgin snow to the day’s end at the sophisticated Ucia di Fanes mountain hut. The next day was a bit more challenging. It involved ski touring and rock climbing up to the Sasso delle Dieci summit (at 9928 ft / 3026 m is the highest in the group) and then an educational tumble on the way down. Playing with a friendly alpine chough on the way made the experience all the more memorable! Finally, the third day took a slightly more technical turn. It involved going up to the Col Bechei di Sopra summit, traversing a rocky ridgeline, and slaloming down between rocks and bushes, all before returning to Pederu and driving back to civilization.
Highlights of the tour included the awe-inspiring jagged rocks of the Dolomites, bathed in gold and silver light; Renato’s careful guidance, that opened up a world of new adventures for Sophie, and the warming hot tea at the summits of the mountains they bravely climbed each day.
