Magical Mountains - the Dolomites

I was very excited about visiting the Dolomites and was hoping desperately for good weather so we could do some hiking on the Alpe di Siusi, Europe's largest high alpine meadow. Weather forecast was for thunderstorms in the afternoon! We made an early start hoping to beat the thunderstorms. While it looked complicated on a map, it was actually quite easy to get up to the meadow from where we stayed in Castelrotto. We took a bus to Siusi, a cable car up to Compatsch and we were already up on the meadow.  To get to the trail head, we took a chairlift from Compatsch up to Puflatsch and we started our hike on the "Trail of the Witches".

It was an awsome hike, at least at the beginning, when it wasn't too steep and there were lots to see.  Apart from gawking at the ever changing views of the Dolomites, there were cows and horses on the meadows, not to mention the spring flowers carpeting the fields. It was particularly intriguing to watch the clouds roll in and cover the mountains from one minute to the next, even as my camera was trying to focus. The mists turned the landscape to magic!

All this time, we were watching the skies. One minute we could see all the way down the valley to Castelrotto, the next, we couldn't see 10 feet in front of us - that's mountain weather for you. Ever conscious of the looming clouds, we made good time and did the trail in a couple of hours, just in time for lunch at the much-hyped Arnikahutt, which lived up to its name. I love these mountain huts in the Alps! 

The hike after lunch was a bit strenuous as there were steep uphill sections with no switchbacks. But the approaching thunderclouds and fog were enough incentive to move us along and we made it to the chairlift before it started to pour. We were fortunate that there was shelter at the station.  By the time we made it to the cable car station going down to Siusi, the sun was out and we could see all the way down to the valley.

It was an amazing day - one of the high points of our trip!

Magic mountains - here one minute, gone the next...

Up into the clouds...

View of the valley from the top

The Alpe di Siusi as viewed from Compatsch, surrounded on all sides by the Dolomites

View from the Trail of the Witches

 

Mountain huts on the meadows

Friendly cows and shy horses

The landscape changed even as I was focusing my camera

Abundance of alpine flowers - it was spring afterall!

Lunch at the fabulous Arnikahutt

 

 

The last section of the Trail of the Witches was quite steep

We kept our eyes on the fog rolling in and had to quicken our pace

Made it!  Just in time before the thunderstorm hit!

When we reached the cable car station to Siusi, sun was out again!

I love how the locals in this area decorate their houses - this one in Castelrotto is actually a hotel with the months of the year all around it. The one below is the historic hotel we stayed at - the Cavallino D'Oro, beautiful inside too with one room with a decorated ceiling and another converted from the owner's chapel. 

 

 Next stop:  the Zugspitze, Germany's highest peak