Alta Via 1, Part 2

Day 3 was short, but it featured one of the most memorable stretches of the trail. The morning started with a climb into the hills surrounding Rifugio Lavarella, with the trail eventually transitioning to a relatively flat gravel road for a few mellow miles. We decided to make things a little more exciting by taking an alternate over a nearby pass. The trail quickly started climbing along the steep hillside, headed towards the distant notch in the mountains. We were keeping pace with the couple we met the other night at Lavarella, and took turns taking photos as we approached the top of the pass. The views from the top of Forcella di Lago were dramatic. Standing at the top of the pass, we were flanked by steep cliffs rising up on either side of us, with views of Lagazuoi across the valley and a pale blue pond immediately below the pass. The descent was marked by the most ridiculous series of switchbacks that I’ve ever encountered. I don’t believe it’s an exaggeration to say that there were over 100 zigzagging down the steep slope.