Trekking from the Rifugio Pordenone in Italy’s Val Cimoliana (near Cortina), 6 days

It was lovely day. It is one of the best day we had in Italy. Lucia was very friendly and professional. We really liked the hike and she adjusted the hike according to our ability. We saw the open air museum for war . It was interesting. At the end , we had our lunch in the hut . The food was very delicious . I highly recommended this experience. Don’t miss it if you are in Dolomites.

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I approached Gauthier about doing a hike with Lucia at the 11th hour and he was quick to respond. They tailored the hike to suit my 10 year old. While the terrain is something we could have navigated on our own - it was fabulous having Lucia as our guide. She knew all the WW1 history of the area, and the geology around how the Dolomites were formed. It was fascinating

i cannot say enough good things about lucia! she got me through to the top both physically and mentally. give her 10 stars!!!! the hike itself gets 5 stars...my age limited my enjoyment of it to about 1 star. i simply bit off more than i could chew. at age 65, 5 star experience, but at nearly 87 ....too much for me.

The hike up to the Rifugio was challenging but great. The mountains in the area are wild and spectacular.   We clearly could see the slopes of Sella Nevea where the Alpini were camped during WW1 (there's a famous old photo of these slopes with the encampments.  However, photos never seem to capture the steepness and expanse of the terrain).  We were pooped so we went to bed early.  The couple who manage the Rifugio are wonderful and unique.  And it was great to see all the climbers and the via ferrata people and hear them talk.  The Rifugio is primitive.    The hike up to Forcella Vallone was scary toward the top, because it was on steep terrain with loose ground.  That part of the climb seemed like it lasted a very long time but Lucia said it was only about 10 min.  We didn't do the Austrian tunnel at the top because we were so exhausted and it was a small via ferrata.  However, I later read that once you are in the tunnel it is easy but pitch-black.  The views at the top of the forcella are breathtaking.  our descent back to the Rifugio was easier than going up.  And we came down from the Rifugio on path 629 (I think).  We didn't make our hiking objective on the 3rd day because it was so hot and we were pooped from the previous 2 days.  However, we discovered an area in the woods where during WW1 there was a lot of activity, probably eating.  There was a lot of WW1 debris: shovels, cans, and even a sort of lunch pail with a top modified to grate cheese.  Although we didn't make our hiking objective, I got a clear picture in my mind of the terrain were my grandfather fought. Now back at home, I understand much better descriptions of the postings and also the maps!!

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