Around the world

Today we head towards Slovenia. Just before crossing the border near Tarvisio we go to the Lago di Fusine where we have a walk in the woods I’ve a quick dip.
Just after the border we see a signal poining to a place called Planica, and I tell Sarah, I know that name, isn’t it a huge ski jump place? so we head there and it is indeed the ski flying trampoline (239m is the record).
After that we move to Kranjska Gora where we walk around a bit and then decide to go over the vsic pass to Trenta.

The road to the pass is amazing, right in the middle of the Julian Alps and the walls are just there. At a certain point, we can admire the 1000m tall nord wall (the 3rd biggest in europe) of the Prisank and we decide that the tomorrow we’ll do a ferrata in it that goes through the hole in the wall.
15 km of widing road after we are at the camp site in Trenta in the gourgeous valley where the Soca (Isonso) river is born.

Weel, today is mountain day, we are in the Dolomites and even if we are only passing by the call of the summits is to big to resist so we decide to do a via ferrata.
Aftre some gear shopping, we head to the start and with some struggles (well Italian trail marking wasn’t really helping us) wasn’t we get to the foot of the “via ferrata della brigata Trientina” – a classic on the dolomites. It goes up a nice 400m shoulder towards the Pisciadu hut.
Being on a classic on a Sunday in July means of course TRAFFIC, on the route and below on the road with plenty of wannabe Valentino Rossi polluting the fine air
After having to walk really slow because of a guy that “didn’t notice” the 10 persons (and growing) behind him we passed over the hanging bridge ant there we were, the hut was just 300m further. We kind of run to it because we can hear thunders getting nearer. A small bite and down running through a narrow gully where (definitely not mountain) people are still smiling and walking UP… I decide to take the skiing shortcut over some nevee and Sarah runs all the way down to the bottom of the gully. Then a last 15min run and we just make it to the car when hail starts pouring like crazy… well, running paid off

After the Hail is over we move over the Passo Gardena toward Alta badia (wow, it looks great too), Passo campolongo, Cortina (where we stop for a beer and the end of the Tour de France stage), Lago di Cadore and finally, since it is getting 20.30 (and the world cup final game is imminent) we stop in a small hotel in Lorenzago di Cadore.

The game is well boring but the company (we lower the age average by 40 years) very amusing

What a day! so sunny without a cloud! our plan was to head toward Mustair and visit the UNESCO world heritage Abbey. Really beautiful and still inhabited with (yes) real nones, this site has been listed because it is in (re)construction since the 7th century!
After this refreshing visit, we thought that driving the famous Stelvio pass was a good idea! could have been, but a bike race (the feminine giro) stopped us for 2 hours on the top. A sunburn after it was less amusing!

6968 m, the highest point of the Americas, this is the Mt. Aconcagua, 3 hours SW of Mendoza. Of course, many people come here to conquer this giant, but not many do that in June (beginning of the southern hemisphere’s winter) and neither do we. Anyway, being so close to it we decide to go for a stroll at its foot.

The tree hours bus ride to Puente del Inca are awesome. We pass form beautiful wine country trough the magnificent pre-Andes and then up to over 3000m at Puente del Inca. Here some hot sulfur springs formed an awesome natural bridge where before a huge flood in the 40s a thermal hotel was found.

From there we start walking uphill for about an hour to reach the mirador (viewpoint) del Aconcagua. The mountain is a pretty impressive view although, being already at 4000 it didn’t seem soooo impossible (in fact, in summer it’s a “pretty accessible” climb – in about 10-15 days almost anybody can do it).

At the mirador we decide to continue a bit further to get to the Aconcagua national park entrance from where the actual climb starts. On the we we spot an hare and a 8 dogs… yep regular city dogs like anywhere in South america.

On the way back to Mendoza we see couple of condors and we enjoy the pre andine scenery in the sunset light.