Dolomites
Dolomites, Tirol and five via ferratas in a day
This summer I went hiking with my friend Romain. It was my first time in the Dolomites, and it didn’t take long to understand why people keep coming back. Since that trip, the Dolomites have become one of my absolute favourite places. The scenery is unreal, but the best part was the challenge: we went for the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, and getting to the summit meant a long hike through snow, which made everything tougher and more exciting than expected.
We didn’t stop there. We hit plenty of other peaks and lakes along the way, jumping in for a swim whenever we could. We were averaging around 1,500 metres of elevation gain per day, which kept us properly tired and properly happy. One day we stumbled upon an abandoned WWII bunker and couldn’t resist sneaking in. The tunnels and staircases seemed to go on forever. It was genuinely creepy at times, and after hours of wandering we finally found an exit. That was a relief.
I also tried electric mountain biking for the first time. I’ll be honest, I was sceptical. But when we started tackling trails that would have been impossible without the assist, I changed my mind pretty fast. Way more fun than I expected.
I also used the trip to completely disconnect. Two full weeks off all social media, no scrolling, no notifications. It made a real difference. I was genuinely present, fully in the moment, and it’s something I hadn’t felt in a long time.
When the weather turned in South Tyrol, we drove over to Tirol in Austria, which turned out to be a brilliant call. The mountains there were just as impressive, and that’s where I reached my first 3,000 metre summit. To close out the trip properly, we decided to push it and did five via ferratas in a single day. It was intense, exhausting, and one of those days you don’t forget.
A summer of big climbs, cold lake swims, creepy bunkers, and one very good friend to share it all with. This trip is really what started my passion for hiking in the mountains, and it hasn’t stopped since.
