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The Dolomites - Days 5 and 6 - Refugio Cinque Torri to Staulanza to Refugio Tissi

Route of hike on Day 5
Now midway through the hike, we had attained our trail legs and felt at ease with the trail conditions and the terrain of the Dolomites. However, Day 5 turned out to be the longest of the whole trip at just under 15 miles. At mile 10, I began to feel hotspots on the soles of my feet and needed to take care of it before they blew-up into full-fledged blisters. And as I sat down to have Helen tend to my feet, my cell phone butt-dialed two friends just waking up at 7 AM in California (my apologies Don and Vincent). All in a days karma. The scenery on these two days was every bit as good as previous days - maybe even more spectacular if that is possible! And the weather cooperated nicely as you will see.
Day 5 - Refugio Cinque Torri to Staulanza
We said goodbye to the Cinqui Torri, one of the more famous landforms in the Dolomites
A steep descent greeted us first thing in the morning - I likely frowned knowing that "up" was to follow
Yes, there is a hiker (Helen) where the cliff "touches" the trail
A southern view toward Passo Giau
Looking back to the north from near Passo Giau - Monte Ragusela rises above
From Passo Giau looking east toward Monte Antelao - another distinct and separate massif in the Dolomites
A glaciated valley points toward Marmolada, the highest peak in the Dolomites at 10,968 feet
The trudge up to Forcella Giau looking northwest - note the northeast dip on the strata
Finally! Something other than white Triassic limestone - a brown shale and sandstone
Moving easily from Passo Giau toward the east with Mount Pelmo looming in the distance
The size of the boulders was astounding but even they were dwarfed by the immense relief of the mountains
This was a relatively easy passage toward Forcella (Pass) Ambrizzola - and oh, so scenic!
There were a few interpretive signs along the way and some of them had English translations. Below is a cross-section seen along the trail near Forcella Ambrizzola, along with an English translation on the formation of the Dolomites. The text looks to be a direct translation from Italian to English. A translation by me of the signed translation is as follows: The modern appearance and spectacular formation of the Dolomites is the result of multiple events over long spans of geologic time, that act together to make these mountains unique. And it is the presence of alternating rock types - harder layers that form plateaus and cliffs - and softer rocks that weather and degrade readily to form slopes and valleys. This combination yields the varied topography of peaks and valleys. The last part about French mineralogist Dolomieu is readily understood. Not mentioned here are the glaciers that swept through the Dolomites to excavate the deep valleys. The red lines below are faults. The reference to hydrochloric acid means that limestone will readily fizz when in contact with HCl but dolomite (or dolostone as it is now being called) will only fizz with Hal after being powdered with a sharp instrument.

Cortina d'Ampezzo, seen from Forcella Ambrizzola, will host three Olympic events in 2026
Rest stop along the trail with a fantastic view of Mt. Pelmo in the distance, elevation 10,394 feet
Triassic limestone and flowers frame a view of Mt. Pelmo
Along the road in the left distance is where I developed some hot spots on my feet
Graceful Mt. Pelmo
Recent rocks from a debris flow issue from a drainage at the foot of Mount Pelmo on our way to Staulanza
What a relief to see the forest where Staulanza is located - 15 miles!
Day 6 - Refugio Staulanza to Refugio Tissi
Route of hike on Day 6 - solid blue line is by taxi; dashed yellow line by foot.
Three miles on pavement did not sound enticing to our small group and so we opted to take a short taxi ride to save three miles of frustrating walking. The cost was 40 Euros. We were let off at Malga Vescova, a small farm where we began our uphill climb to Refugio Coldai of about 1,450 feet. It was pleasant walking in bright sunshine, with some flat areas to admire the scenery.
Hand painted sign to Refugio's Coldai and Tissi at the start of a spectacular climb
At the top looking back (northeast) to Mt. Pelmo and Staulanza in the valley to its left
Refugio Coldai (cappuccino!) and the forcella beyond that leads to Lago Coldai
Lago Coldai on a Monday afternoon
On the shore of Lago Coldai where we enjoyed lunch
We got occasional views down 2,000 feet to the village of Alleghe and its reservoir
Leaving Coldai and a view toward our destination of Refugio Tissi, located on the lip of a cliff
I complained a lot when we got to a high point, only to see that we might have to descend rapidly and then hike back up. In the view above you can see just that. It was virtually straight across to Refugio Tissi but it necessitated a 700-foot descent with a climb back up 800 feet.
Anne on the trail to Refugio Tissi
I wanted so badly to take the trail on the left that contoured to Tissi but my trail mates talked me out of it
Huffing and puffing on the straight-up climb to Tissi
And what a view it was! Mt. Civetta on the skyline in the clouds (elev. 10,564 ft.)
On the front porch of Refugio Tissi - a rustic but scenic outpost on the edge of a cliff
With love from Refugio Tissi
Looking south from the Refugio - our path the following day was in the forested valley below
Dryas octopetala frames the view to the northwest into the valley and reservoir near Alleghe
Dramatic view to the northeast with a view of Mt. Pelmo in the upper right distance
Don and Anne share a moment at Tissi
The Dolomites near Alleghe
Thank you for reading! I will have one more post to finish this hike with Days 7, 8, and 9.

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