An Autumnal Alpine Traverse, Trip Journal 3

Recharge - An Autumnal Alpine Traverse, Trip Journal 3

 

Hiking for the Best!

Still here on Passo di Giau to leeway the missed time due to the bad weather conditions. But, fortunately, the weather has slowly changed to the better - although it's still pretty cold - and I'm finally able to get out regularly, biking and hiking this wonderful area.

 

OM-D EM 1.3 /  Lumix G 35-100 F2.8 / 100 mm / F2.8 / ISO 200 / 1/1250 sec

 

Due to food supply and replacing lost mountain gear, I lost my climbing helmet somewhere on the road, I had to visit Cortina d'Ampezzo for a little shoppig action. Who doesn't like shopping in its holidays, right? If you're staying in this area you definitely have to visit two small shops to provide yourself with local goods and fresh vegetables. Both shops are directly located to each other in the northern part of the town, parking could be a problem though in the main season, off season there is a hotel related parking lot to use...or just do it like real Italians, parking in the second row or on the sidewalk with emergency lights flashing.

It's time for shopping at Alimentari Rezzadore and Soppelsa Carlo! Both shops offer a decent selection of household goodies, but more importantly, good cheese, local coldmeat specialities, fresh vegetables and fruits, wine, beer, chocolate and all kind of italian tinned sauces and stuff. So basically all things you need to prepare yourself a good meal and feel good after coming back from exhausting mountaineering activities. Very most importantly, buy at least one of the Ichnusa non filtrata beers, they are delicious!

Speaking of mountaineering activities. Let me provide you with an extraordinary return track from Passo di Giau to Lago de Federa and back. It was one of the most beautiful high routes I did during my complete trip in the Dolomites, and, if the weather is on your side, rewards you with an outstanding sunset view on your way back.

 

 

I walked slowly, scouting for possible compositions for the sunset but my mere moving time was 4 hours and 30 minutes for the complete track. If one is totally crazy, make it up in the night to get to the sunrise at Lago de Federa, spend your day at the hut and the surrounding area and walk back to be ready for the sunset view over the plateau below Monte Formin. Although I can highly recommend this variant you should bring some mountaineering experience with you and also some equipment to walk safely in the dark.

If you made it to the first saddle which is a pure and straight hiking up over small debris you're already on the plateau. The way leads then through a field of big lumps of debris which opens up to a wide field of rolling meadows covered with alpine larches and alongside a small crystal clear mountain stream.

OM-D EM 1.3 / 12-100 mm Pro / LiveND / 12 mm / F11 / ISO 64 / 1 sec

OM-D EM 1.3 / 12-100 mm Pro / 100 mm / F4 / ISO 200 / 1/500 sec

Leaving the plateau behind the way turns into a short slope now to reach the second saddle beneath Croda da Lago. Don't forget to look back here and absorb the wonderful view over to Monte Pelmo and the Civetta while taking a short break with whatever you need or have with you.

Along the Croda da Lago the path follows down until you reach Lago de Federa. The right track to just let it flow and enjoy the view on Croda da Lago over to Cortina and to the Sorapis Group or back to Becco di Mezzodi which thrones over a large field of alpine larches.

OM-D EM 1.3 / 12-100 mm Pro / 28 mm / F9 / ISO 200 / 1/250 sec

OM-D EM 1.3 / 12-100 mm Pro / 18 mm / F6.3 / ISO 200 / 1/320 sec

OM-D EM 1.3 / 12-100 mm Pro / 14 mm / F6.3 / ISO 200 / 1/250 sec

Reaching the lake, it's time for a break...

 

OM-D EM 1.3 / 12-100 mm Pro / 14 mm / F10 / ISO 200 / 1/50 sec

Just walk the roundway along the beautiful shore and explore the island, you'll find your place to relax and enjoy the scenery. Or visit the hut and enjoy the food and beverages there. Both options are an excellent choice!

I decided to walk around the lake shore this time to enjoy the views...because that's why I was here, right?

 

OM-D EM 1.3 / 12-100 mm Pro / 34 mm / F6.3 / ISO 200 / 1/200 sec

After finishing the roundway I got back on the track to be at my viewpoint above the plateau for the sunset. I've had plenty of time left to enjoy my Jause (a snack during hiking) and looking for a proper composition for a multi image panorama of the sunset. After several rehearsals I felt like having it all sorted out and I waited for the soft evening light to arrive. Sadly the clouds played against me and disappeared shortly before they would have been lit up in colourful sunset tones. But on the other hand I've had one of the best moments at one of the nicest views into the southern and western Dolomites that you can ask for with a breathtaking view over to Monte Pelmo and the Civetta in the background as well as Monte Mondeval and the small Laghetto di Baste in the midground. It was just a pleasure to sit there and watching the light playing lovely harmonies on the landscape. Isn't it just this moment of peace when all comes together, that make you let loose and free of all the things that maybe bothering you? Exactly, yes it is!

OM-D EM 1.3 / 12-100 mm Pro / 24 mm / F6.3 / ISO 200 / 1/80 sec

 

Reaching my parking lot in the ongoing blue hour offered another stunning evening view which I enjoyed very much beside my well earned after hike beer. I love a nice mountain sillhouette against a colour transitioning evening sky with the moon above some clouds.

OM-D EM 1.3 / 12-100 mm Pro / 100 mm / F6.3 / ISO 200 / 1/2 sec

 

 

What's that feeling in my legs?

Waking up in the morning my body was paying tribute to the 17 km and nearly 900 m of elevation of yesterday's hike. It's OK but two years ago I spent a week here hiking those distances and elevations all days, enjoying the evenings in best company in the huts and starting all over shortly after sunrise every morning after having 6 hours of sleep. 

I guess it was the 5 days just sitting in my van eating good Italian food and drinking one or two beers two much. Although I thought it was a good idea to relax and getting the batteries recharged during the rainy days, it's not that I didn't walked and cycled over 250 km in the Bavarian Alps in one and a half week a week ago, isn't it? Strange feeling getting old, though I hopefully have a long way to go.

During my morning coffee I formed the plan of shooting two classics from this place, Ra Gusela and the Tofana mirroring in a pond above my camp spot and light streaks caused by cars driving over Passo di Giau in the blue hour.

Finding the pond frozen over was a little bit surprising though but after thinking about it I just wanted to capture a nice season transition here that I haven't seen so far anywhere. There are all kind of images and light situations with the mountains mirroring in that pond and there are no images from the winter which is paid to the fact that the pond is burried beneath a massive amount of snow. So in the end I thought it was good idea to add some drama to the clouds using a Medium and Big Stopper to stretch exposure time up to 60 seconds and longer. In the end, the 20 second exposure appeared to me as the most aesthetic one and I also liked the pond to be in the shadow and the warm colours of Ra Gusela and Tofana mirroring in its icy cold surface.

OM-D EM 1.3 / PL 8-18 mm / ND1000 / 11 mm / F10 / ISO 200 / 1/20 sec

 

It was time for a big Brunch now and having some nice chats with my new neighbours, helping two nice people repairing the side window of their van which one of them had to break open to get the car keys he left inside on the first day of their trip and also talking to Lothar, a nice guy from western Germany I met some days before. Check out his Instagram here: 

https://www.instagram.com/lotharbasel_photographie/

It was noon already and I decided to read some pages in a book I'd brought with me which was all about the #42 and also cleaning my van later in the afternoon. With the sun getting lower and some nice high clouds up in the sky I decided to walk up to a viewing point above Passo di Giau which is very well known and visited due to its easy access and the nice sweeping view from East to West. I had one image in my mind which I wanted to execute this evening and I'll be honest, I could not walk any meter further.

A lot of people enjoyed the spectacle which started with a very nice golden hour and shiny light.

 

OM-D EM 1.3 / 12-100 mm Pro / 35 mm / F4 / ISO 640 / 1/1600 sec

 

As the sun set and the blue hour arrived I shared the viewing point with just two other photographers. It was cold and windy. My composition was already set and my base exposure was captured and a looong waiting time started for some cars to drive by. One of the moments I was totally happy about the LiveComposit feature in Olympus cameras where you can leave your shutter open after the base exposure and some crazy cool computational photography tool is just adding new light sources without touching the rest of the exposure. With only three cars passing by in 30-40 minutes I surely would have been massively p***** off by the fact starting the exposure again and again to get the light streaks to finally stitch the exposures together in postprocessing...it was also nice to keep my hands in the warm pockets of my jacket and not to touch anything cold :D 

OM-D EM 1.3 / 12-100 mm Pro / LiveComposite / 13 mm / F5.6 / ISO 200 / 1.6 sec