Deep in the Delights of the Dolomites

As we write this, we have our legs up and are relaxing on the sofa, daydreaming of our last days riding in the Dolomites. After 12 months spent meandering across various countries on the way back to the UK from New Zealand, we’ve returned and are slowly settling into the familiarity of home and enjoying all the comforts. Our journey took us to the heights of the Himalayas, remote Kyrgyzstan valleys, and otherworldly landscapes in Türkiye.

After spending the last summer months riding up through the Balkans, our last destination was Italy and its magical mountain range. From the start of the trip, we had hoped to ride the summer all the way home, and we just about made it. Before winter set in, we were lucky enough to enjoy the last few days of summer’s rays. The air was warm, and we stayed outside long after dark, watching the stars and bats swooping above us. The sun was beaming right up until our final day, and as we rode out of the Alps, the hilltops had a fresh dusting of snow.

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We wanted to finish our yearlong journey somewhere special, and the Dolomites delivered an experience that will remain in our memory banks for many moons to come. The views were jaw-dropping, and we were awe-stricken by the sheer beauty of this corner of the Alps. The majestic limestone peaks, jagged ridgelines, and lush alpine meadows were incredible to ride through. We enjoyed strudel at the top of passes, watched the stunning sunrises and sunsets catch the tops of the mountains, and listened to stags rutting as we tried to sleep, hoping they wouldn’t set their sights on our little tent. The riding was super steep and testing at times, but the landscapes we saw and the singletrack we rode down were a dream. It was all totally worth it.

It wasn’t all about the views, though. We love our food and probably discuss our next snack or meal about 80 percent of the day. Our cravings were more than fulfilled in Italy. As we set out to ride the Trans-Dolomiti bikepacking route, we made sure to eat copious amounts of pasta to ensure we could make it up and over the some 9,500 metres of climbing along the 262 kilometres of the finest scenery in the centre of the national park. Each day took us through town or a village, which allowed us to tuck into fresh-baked goods, and it also meant we didn’t have to carry more than a day’s worth of food, which helped with the steep hike-a-bike sections.

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We arrived in Italy towards the end of September, just as summer was slowly fading and the scenery was turning from bright greens to vibrant yellow and orange. At that time of year, the larch trees begin to pop with bright golden yellow, and the leaves of other trees turn orange and drop to the ground, leaving an ever-evolving collage of colour along the trails. At sunrise and sunset, the mountain peaks are illuminated in bright pink tones as the unique mineral composition of the light-colored dolomite rock reflects and absorbs light. This magical display of colour is called Enrosadira, which translates to “turning pink” in ancient Ladin.

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​It is also rutting season from mid-September to mid-October. We could hear loud roaring and groaning from the stags, echoing through the valleys at dawn and dusk, in the quiet, forested areas around Cortina d’Ampezzo, as they called out to attract females and assert their dominance. We chose to start our route in Cortina because that was where we had entered the area. It made our first day’s ride fairly big as we made our way up over the first 2,400-metre pass, pedalling by the stunning Cinque Torri rock formation and then up to Refugio Averau for a well-earned breather and a view over the Passo Giau. It was getting to dusk now, so we started to drop towards the village of Andraz to find a camp. It started super rocky and loose at the top of the mountain, then opened up into some super smooth, grassy singletrack. The variety of riding here was incredible; around every corner, the trails gave way to all-time trail after all-time trail.

The various villages, farms, and resorts we encountered made us feel as if we had been placed in a large toy town. Everything felt so well-kept and sculpted. Every chalet had perfectly arranged flower displays, and the grazed fields all looked as if they had been cut to the exact same height. It was a pleasure to ride through and see how much pride the locals had in keeping their areas so clean and perfect.

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On day three, we rolled through the rather fancy Val Gardena on the way up to the Alpe di Siusi plateau, which is the largest high-elevation Alpine meadow in Europe. It was pristine as far as the eye could see. We started the first climb with a “Good luck!” at the bottom and some “Bravos!” by the top. Sometimes, we wished we had e-bikes like everyone else, but where would the fun be in that? We enjoyed the views, then raced roadies and e-bikers down some switchbacks before cutting off into the trees to descend further towards Chiusa, expecting a quiet town and an early night. We had stumbled across another good reason to visit during autumn: a three-day music festival called Törggelen was underway, celebrating the end of the grape and chestnut harvest. Obviously, we had a beer and joined in on the merriment, but Britt didn’t want to enter the fashion contest for some reason. We attempted to sleep as the party rolled on.

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​Luckily, we had a good sleep, as day four had us riding up to Puez-Odle Nature Park. It was a big ascent—1,800 metres in one go. We rode past the picturesque Santa Magdalena church, where influencers lined up for their best shot, before tucking into a quiet forest to climb the final section. As we topped out, we had views as far as the eye could see. The sky couldn’t have been clearer, and we even thought Mont Blanc might be in sight. The last push up to the top was super steep and loose, so we stopped at Schlüterhütte Refugio for another hard-earned drink. Birds floated around us in the calm winds, cow bells rang further down the valley, and we basked in the mid-afternoon rays. It took us a while to leave the cabin and push on to find camp. We didn’t think the Dolomites could get any more stunning, but they just kept on giving. The peaks of the Fanes-Sennes National Park were gradually turning a deeper and deeper pink as the sun began to dip. Enrosadira.

​On our final day, we were treated to one of the best sunrises of the whole trip. We woke up early to make sure we could watch the whole golden hour build-up and flow into the first light of the day, breaking over the horizon in the distance. It was a deep orange as we peeled back the tent door and peeked out. Our eyes popped, and we quickly rose from our warm, cosy sleeping bags. Snow and rain were forecast for the next couple of weeks, so we knew this was the last day of summer and likely the last warm day of the trip. It felt sad to call this the end. Before we rode down our last descent, we both sat down for a moment to take in the views and appreciate all we had achieved on this trip. The sun warmed our skin, and we could see our trail weaving far down into the distance.

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As we rode down into the valley, Britt and I both felt an incredible sense of contentment in everything we had experienced. There was no sadness, only smiles from ear to ear. We were happy we had taken the leap to go for it and see some of the world from our bikes. This adventure of a lifetime was all we wanted and so much more.

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