Alta Via 6 Gallery | Baxter Nature

01. Just after the small hamlet of Puiche, the smallest of the cluster of Sapadda villages, the path left the hayfields and barns and went up into the conifer forest.

02. Looking north from the Passo del Mulo, 2356m, across the valley I had just walked across which is under the mist and on to the great south face of Peralba, 2694m. Just beyond Peralba is the Austrian border.

03. Coming down to Sappada from the Val d’Olbe valley to the north of the town. From here the Alta Via 6 crosses the main road and then goes up the Val Enghe valley to the centre right

04. One of the many old farm houses in Sappada. All the houses were well maintained and cared for in this picturesque town

05. Looking north back down the fertile hanging valley from the Passo Elbel pass, 1963m. The valley below is the Val de Enghe and the mountains in the background are the ones between the tart of the AV6 at Rifugio Sorgenti del Piave and Sappada town, which I came over in the morning.

06. The friendly Rifugio Gasperi at the end of the second day. It was owned by the CAI and run but Simone and Rebecca.

07. The working dairy of Casera Doana. There were perhaps 200 cows here and their milk would have been tirned into an artisanal cheese. Most of these dairies were built 100 years ago but many are now abandoned.

08. The remote Casera de le Fede dairy is now abandoned as a dairy and its pastures used by Casera Doana. In the background is the peak Monte Pupera Valgrande, 2513m.

09. The idyllic Rifugio Padova is a great lunch break on Day 4 from Rifugio Giaf to Rifugio Titi Barba. The pass centre right is the Forcella Scodavacca, 2156m, with Mont Cridola, 2581m, to the left of the pass.

10. The working dairy of Casera Vedorcia is one of the nicest in the Dolomites with small haylofts and cabins dotted about this pasture. The wall of peaks to the east are the Spalti di Toro (The Bastion of Thor), with the highest peak being 2548m

11. The fabulous Rifugio Tita Barba which has been privately run in the same family for 90 years. The current custodians Daniele and Anita are the third generation. It has some fabled views over the Spalti di Toro to the east and to the west are a few giants of the Dolomites, namely Pelmo, Antelao and Marmarole, just across the Cadore Valley.

12. The view from Rifugio Tita Barba looking east. The pass is Forcella Scodavacca. In the valley between this pass and Rifugio Tita Barba lies Rifugio Padova hidden from view. Monte Cridola is on the left with the Monfalconi-Spalti di Toro range starting on the right

13. On top of the Forcella per Vedorcia, 2234m, looking NE. Rifugio Tita Barba is over the shrub covered ridge and to the left while the mountains to the right are the Spalti di Toro range seen end on from the SW.

14. Coming down from Forcella per Vedorcia towards the pastures around the bowl of Casera Cavelet. Here sheep are left to graze the mountain slopes for the summer months.

15. The grassy bowl of Casera Cavalet where there is a small shepherds stone cabin for summer use. In addition to sheep on the pastures there were also about 15 donkies. The pass, Forcelle del Frate, over to the Laghet de Sora cabin is in the middle of the picture behind the shrub covered knoll.

16. Looking east from the Laghet de Sora cabin early in the morning. Across the unseen canyon of Val Cimoliana are the peaks of Turlon, 2270m, (centre), and Cima dei Vieres, 2310m, (right) in the seldom visited Clautane Dolomites

17. Crossing the Pala Anziana in the early morning while hiking from Casera Laghet de Sora to Forcella Val del Drap. In the misty background is the Spalti di Toro ridge

18. A female Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) on the rocky bowl just north of the steep scramble up to the Forcella Val del Drap pass, 2290m.

19. The last scramble up Forcella Val de Drap, 2290m. From here the route goes across the stone filled couloir to a diagonal gully with a patch of grass on top. It then clambers up the ridge to get to the pass. The south side is not so steep.

20. Looking down into the Cimoliana Valley from the stone cabin of Casera Lodina which is some 800m above the valley. In the distance is Monte Pramaggiore, 2478m.

21. Looking east from the pasture above Casera Lodina to the cabin at the foot of the meadow. Beyond the Cimoliana Valley below are the rarely visited Clautane Dolomites capped by Cima dei Vieres, 2310m

22. A young Salsify, Tragopogon porrifolius, in the karst landscape on the ridge above Casera Lodina on route to Monte Duranno.

23. Cima dei Preti, 2707 from the ridge above Casera Lodina cabin. The old route of the AV6 came over Forcella Compol, 2438m (centre right) and then down the steep slabs in the couloir below it. The Bivacco Gresselin is on the grassy shelf to the left

24. Three Chamois, Rupicapra rupicapra, on the southern ridge of Mont Duranno. These Chamoise are incredibily agile and can sprint down rocky outcrops taking huge leaps.

25. Mont Duranno, 2668m, from the south above Casera Lodina cabin. On the right out of the picture is Cima dei Preti and Bivacco Gresselin. The small trail I am following goes actoss the middle of the photo to reach the grassy shelf where the Ibex were on Forcella Duranno.

26. One of the big buck Ibex on the grassy shelf just to the south of Forcello Duranno pass, 2217m. These are very powerful animals weighing perhaps 250 kg with horns which are almost a metre long.

27. The Ibex at Forcello Duranno pass were very confident and were barely disturbed by my presence. In the background is Mont Duranno

28. A few of this years Ibex kids which are already 6 months old and very sure footed on the steep cliffs around the Forcello Duranno.

29. On the floor of the Vajont Valley below the small town of Erto. The ridge in the middle is the route up Cornetto to the stone cabin of Casera Cornet near the summit.

30. The old dairy on top on Cornetto. Many of these dairy were built 100 years ago to produce cheese. In most the barns (left) have been abandoned and collapsed but the shepherds house (right) remains

31. Looking south from Cornetto towards Col Nudo, 2471m. In the near pass on the centre left is Casera Frugna. The route to it goes up the valley on the left and then up through the beech forest. There is no path for this section but the beech forest is easy to push through.

32. The tiny cabin at Casera Frugna is about 4m times 4m and has 6 bunk beds and a stove. However there is no water nearby, especially in the autumn.

33. The very steep path up the south side of Col Nudo. At this point the path leaves the moraine and goes to the right, clambering up the crags and through the dwarf pine bushes to the notch on the centre right.

34. The villages of San Martino (distant), Funes (middle) and Irrighe (nearest) are all high up on the Alpago, a rural plateau between the lake Lago di Santa Croce and the mountain ridge of Col Nudo

35. The Forest of Cansiglio covers much of the Alpago plateau. It is a ancient forest with some old stands of trees. Different species cover different areas depending on aspect, soil and altitude. Here is a stand of spruce

36. Willow gentians, Gentiana asclepiadea, thrive on the forest floor and at the edge pf glades. It flowersa relatively late in the season so bees are attracted to them in the autumn.

37. A horse in a pond at Malga Mezzomiglio eating the reeds. The dairy here has about 200 cows and their milk is made into an artisanal cheese for sale in the shop or resturant

38. Looking down some 1500 metres from Pizzoc down to the Venetian Plair where the Alta Via 6 finishes in the town of Vittorio Veneto

39. The town of Vittorio Veneto on the Venetian Plain is a great place to finish as the mountains also finish here. There are plently of B&Bs or small hotels in the town. Venice is 2 hours away on the train or bus.

40. Venice is a ideal place to explore after 2 weeks in the Dolomites for a couple of days. There is the main island with 5-6 other interesting islands around it.

41. A typical canal scene in Venice in the vicinity of the Grand Canal. There are no roads in Venice just canals and even ambulances are boats.

42. Some 5 km north of Venice is the island of Burano which is famous for its lace and colourful houses. It is about a hours boat ride north of Venice or half an hour from Murano

43. Just to the north of Venice is the island of Murano, famous for glass, and it is my preferred place to stay as it is quiet and yest just a short boat ride from the main hub of Venice

Alta Via 6 / Gallery