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Pelmo – the most beautiful mountain in the Dolomites? (Stage 22)

Identifying the various mountains is one of the challenges and joys of the Traumpfad. Some of mountains ‘visited’ have an iconic status that renders them instantly recognisable (such as Marmolada, the highest mountain in the Dolomites, or Pelmo, the most beautiful), but others are important in the wider pantheon of Alpine peaks (for example Bikkarspitz, the highest mountain in the Karwendel, the Hochfeiler, the biggest in the Zillertal, and Civetta the famous west wall of which is the highest of the last mountain stage of the route). Tentatively naming a mountain approached from the north, confirming its designation as it gets closer and saying goodbye to it from the south is a process that can extend over many days.

The Alpine seasons

The position of the Alps in the middle of Europe has a profound effect on both the seasons and the weather, not just in the mountains themselves but also in the surrounding regions.

Winter lasts a long time but the transition to a short summer (and walking season) is fast and furious. The gap between the treeline (1800m) and the snowline (2800m), where happily the route spends much of its time, becomes a riot of colour as alpine flowers and shrubs react to the warmth and sunshine and burst into bloom. Although no longer as important to the local economy as winter skiing, these summer alpine meadows still sustain the transhumance as beautiful brown cattle (the Swiss breed Simmental) are bought up from the valleys in July for ten weeks of summer grazing before returning in September just before the first snow.