WALKING THE DOLOMITES
PHOTOGRAPHER BRIGID ARNOTT TREKS THROUGH THE MAJESTIC MOUNTAINS OF NORTH-EASTERN ITALY.
Usually she’s in the countryside shooting for us, but
this time photographer Brigid Arnott went to Italy.
PHOTOGRAPHER BRIGID ARNOTT has already ticked off India, Tibet, Nepal, Asia, South America and many European countries from the long list of destinations she’d love to visit. Still to come? “I’m yet to get to Africa, which must come soon,” she says. Brigid’s latest adventure took her to northern Italy and the Dolomite mountains, where she met up with friends to walk part of the Alta Via 1, a 100-plus kilometre-long trail that’s one of the region’s most famous — and highest — walks.
WHAT INSPIRED YOUR TRIP TO THE DOLOMITES? I have family in Switzerland and an old friend in Italy, so we decided to meet in the middle and do a walk in the Dolomite mountains. I had been there many moons ago and have been waiting for an excuse to get back and explore further. We had about a week to spare, so I looked into walking the Alta Via 1, one of the most famous routes that travels from north to south across the Dolomites.
OF ALL THE TRAILS, WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE ALTA VIA 1? It’s one of the highest and most dramatic routes in the Dolomites, and passes relics of battles from World War I, as well as tunnels hacked out of rock on high mountain passes where soldiers would position themselves. It’s also one of the most scenic walks, taking you through grassy flower-filled valleys and high up into the rocky mountains. The full walk can take up to 15 days from beginning to end. However, one of the advantages of walking in the Dolomites is that you can join most routes at various points along the trail from towns below. So if you don’t have 15 days — my friend and I only had a week — or don’t like the idea of walking for that long, you can bite off just a chunk of the route and leave the rest for another holiday.
WHERE DID YOU STAY? Before we started the walk, we stayed at Airbnbs in the lower mountains. Then, as we got up higher, we stayed in mountain chalets or, as the Italians call them, rifugios. It was pretty easy to find accommodation, but be aware that August is holiday season — the region gets busier and more expensive as many Italians try to escape the southern heat by coming up north to the mountains.
WHAT ESSENTIALS ARE NEEDED FOR THE ALTA VIA 1? The main thing is to pack as lightly as you can, as you have to carry everything. I took good walking boots, a light and comfortable pack, and a sleeping sheet to use in the bunk accommodation at the rifugios. A generous-sized water bottle, nuts and chocolate should keep you going until dinner — you don’t really need a proper lunch as the rifugios serve a hearty breakfast and dinner. And you should definitely break in your boots before the trip, as you could be walking for up to eight hours a day. We had a very funny incident where my friend’s shoes fell apart. Luckily, we were able to walk down to a small town and buy a new pair — as well as a lovely shirt that I really couldn’t continue without! This is the real plus of walking in Italy — even though you feel you are up in the clouds, miles away from civilization, there is always a town within a day’s walk.
WHAT’S THE FIRST THING YOU LIKE TO DO WHEN YOU ARRIVE AT A NEW DESTINATION? I go for a look around. It’s always exciting to travel, and I love getting a feel for the place by taking a walk and getting a coffee. We started from Bolzano, which is a beautiful old town with cobbled streets at the base of the Dolomites. They have a Saturday market and great restaurants, where we ate enough gelato to get us through the week. >
WHAT WERE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF YOUR TRIP? I felt like I was walking in a fairytale in the Dolomites. Starting in the forested valleys, we were often on single-lane paths, passing log cabins and squirrels in trees. As we ascended, we walked through pastures full of flowers and met many a cow with a bell, and sometimes cow herders and their dogs. We would often lay in the grass and eat lunch or have a break. We were constantly surrounded by dramatic peaks, which we ascended on goat tracks that led up into the clouds. Apart from the incredible scenery, the rifugios are the best thing about walking the Alta Via 1. After an exhausting day, you’ll meet other walkers from around the world, and enjoy a glass of red and good Italian mountain food, such as polenta with goulash followed by a home-baked cake for dessert. Most of the rifugios are many years old and have been catering for climbers and walkers for generations — there are walls of pictures that portray their history. The rifugios are usually run by families and are open during the walking months, then close when the snow sets in.
ANY TIPS FOR ORGANISING A WALK IN THE DOLOMITES? Camping is not permitted along the walking trails, so you’ll need to stay at the rifugios. Accommodation is limited, so be sure to book well in advance. One of the most famous rifugios is Rifugio Lagazuoi, which sits high on a peak at 2750 metres — when you eat dinner and breakfast, you look straight out to mountains and feel like you’re in the sky.
WHAT ARE YOUR TOP TRAVEL TIPS? Go with an excellent travel companion. Stay flexible with travel arrangements. Be nice to people, as you never know when you’ll need their assistance. Learn some of the language and, if you don’t, travel with a friend who has a winning smile and knows the language. And eat lots of beautiful local food. I’m actually pretty bad at doing my homework before I travel. I do a little bit though, just to make sure I have a general idea of what I want to get out of the trip. When you’re going on a short holiday, I think it’s important to do more research so you don’t waste time.
WHERE ARE YOU GOING NEXT? A small walking trip with friends in New Zealand is next. I can’t seem to get enough of lofty mountain peaks! For more details, visit brigidarnott. com.au and follow @brigidarnott photography on Instagram.