No drones today. I forgot to mention yesterday's drone incident. We thought we had come across a swarm of bees near the Notch, but it turned out to be two lads playing with a drone...(now we know why they are called drones!).
Today dawned bright and sunny again. One of the Collett's walks was destined for Sassongher (2665 metres), by an ascent route with which we are very familiar. So Sue and I chose instead to catch the 460 bus to Badia at 8.47 and ascend the mountain from there. Sue and Brian, from Minneapolis, elected to join us. I was always going to wait at the 2435 metre col (due to hernia op recuperation) whilst the others went to the summit.
Apart from a short section of tarmac, the ascent past the swans and goats of Lech da Sumpunt via trail 11 to the Gherdenacia hut was pleasant and uneventful, with ever widening views, especially towards the Fanes summits. Clustered Bellflowers punctuated the meadows. A steep section between rock walls brought us out at the hut.
We passed a chairlift station at around 1700 metres that could have saved us 400 metres of ascent. Most people were using it.
Schiewassers went down well at the hut, then we progressed amiably up path number 5, pausing for lunch under a wide overhang.
Shortly before reaching a junction with path 7, which leads directly to the valley, the Collett's group who had mostly been up Sassongher were spotted lunching below us. I pottered down to join them for a while, whilst Sue escorted Sue and Brian to the Forcella and thence to the summit. They were the last of the day to reach it, and had the superb viewpoint to themselves.
Meanwhile, I waved off the Collett's group and pottered up to the Forcella, where I communed for some time with visiting humans, choughs and bees.
It was a pleasant descent back to Chalet Roch, including passing the boldest of marmots and a black squirrel, before descending the delightful 4A path through the woods to Corvara. We again failed to spot the Fly Orchids that flower man David assured us were there.
Down at 5.20, we drove up to Chalet Angelo for said David's 5.45 flower talk, before reverting to the usual venue for our evening meal. There were 21 of us tonight including a very jolly American family from Utah. "Hello, we enjoyed your company."
Today: 14km, 1300 metres ascent. The others did an extra 1.5 km and 250 metres ascent.
Today's pictures:
Ascending Sassongher
Alpine For-get-me Not and Yellow Wood Violet
A view from Forcella di Sassongher
The three summiteers
Sassongher from Chalet Roch
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