Almanac 2015/16 by Tourist Info Innichen San Candido

Issue no. 43 | 2015/16

Alta Pusteria

Almanac Nature . Dolomites

Available free of charge at tourism associations and member companies in the Alt a Pusteria valley

27th Nov 2015 – 6th Jan 2016 UNDER THE BANNER OF TRADITION AND GENUINENESS

„

I don’t know anything more idyllic, THIS is the cosiest and most beautiful Christmas market indeed. The village itself and the surrounding landscapes are absolutely enchanting. People have put their heart and soul into it. Find out for yourself!

as m a m t s i r Ch

rket

27th Nov – 29th Nov 2015 4th Dec – 8th Dec 2015 11th Dec – 13th Dec 2015 18th Dec – 23th Dec 2015 24th Dec 2015 25th Dec 2015 26th Dec 2015 – 6th Jan 2016

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The biggest

EASTER EGG hunting of the Dolomites

14th – 28th March 2016 GREAT PRIZES FOR YOU!

Big times for the Easter bunny while hiding loads of eggs in San Candido-Innichen! Red, yellow, big, and small Easter eggs can be found – everywhere in the shop windows of all the shops and stores! Those who manage to find them all will certainly be rewarded: wellness week-ends, prizes, and shopping vouchers are waiting for you!

10 am – 7.30 pm 10 am – 7.30 pm 10 am – 7.30 pm 10 am – 7.30 pm 10 am – 2 pm closed 11 am – 7 pm

Photo: Photogruener

Dear Guests, dear Readers,

DOLOMITEN Alta Pusteria

experiencing the winter in its full splendour – this is why our guests travel to our valley, and our incentive is to meet all their expectations! The holiday region Alta Pusteria has always been striving for the development and application of visions. The famous hotel owner Erwin Lanzinger, former president of the Tourist Board Alta Pusteria for many years, coined the touristic development of our valley decisively. After his far to early passing away last spring, we now carry on dedicating ourselves with commitment, experience, and enthusiasm to our guests’ well-being. Relaxing and being at ease, both body and soul, within the enchanting mountain scenery of the U N ESCO World Heritage, a wide range of activities for children and adults, rustic traditions in combination of innovative infrastructures – all these advantages and many more are to be found in the Alta Pusteria valley, in the heart of the Dolomites. The current edition of the Alta Pusteria Almanac should accompany you along your dream holiday, offering additional insights into our wonderful holiday region and providing interesting tips and advice. Our nature – and the winter sports linked to it – has always been of great

importance in Alta Pusteria. Therefore, we grant these topics plenty of space, and share useful information and interesting background knowledge with regards to popular winter sports as winter hiking, ski touring, or cross-country skiing. For this purpose, we have a historical glance at the evolution of winter sports in Alta Pusteria, and on the occasion of the anniversaries of our famous skiing areas Baranci and Croda Rossa, we take you on a time travel.

Dieter Wurmböck President of the Tourist Board Alta Pusteria

As well-being is an essential and indispensable holiday topic, you will also find some practical information about the health of body and soul, well-being and wellness. Finally, we would like to wish a very warm welcome to all of you and hope, you will be entertained and delighted by the following pages. Enjoy your stay in our holiday paradise to the fullest! Yours sincerely President of the Tourist Board Alta Pusteria Dieter Wurmböck

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Two mountains with plenty of advantages

Let's go to the Sauna! 12–15

Hiking

in the Dolomites

44–47 largest cross-country s k i i n g a r e a , the most beautiful tracks The

8–11

32–35

16–21

Winter 2015/16

In this edition Hiking in the Dolomites The smooth and gentle way �� 8–11

Two mountains with plenty of advantages �� 12–15

The orgins of winter sports in Alta Pusteria �� 16–21

Luis Prenn

S k i

T o u r i n g

Fascinating Ski Touring �� 26–31

26–31

The largest cross-country skiing area, the most beautiful tracks �� 32–35

Sun, snow and a fantastic view a winter "hike and fly" tour �� 36–39

Let's go to the sauna!

Sweat it all out and be happy! �� 44–47

The battlefront of the Dolomites 1915–1917

Summer preview 2016

A catalyst for top sports

The battlefront of the Dolomites

�� 48–49

performances

1915–1917

Credits

�� 22–25

�� 40–43

�� 50

40–43 6

36–39

Sun, snow and a fantastic view

in the Dolomites

The smooth and gentle way

Photo: N. Eiselehein

Photo: Photogruener

Hiking

Photo: H. Wisthaler

Photo: H. Rier

A hiking tour – that is certainly the best and most pleasant way to enjoy nature. In line with the Tibetan motto of the world’s probably most famous mountaineer Reinhold Messner “Kalipè – with steady feet”, unforgettable impressions and experiences open up in a smooth and calm way. Enchanting white winter landscapes, lush green summer impressions, wonderful spring feelings or spectacular colourful autumn time – every season is absolutely suitable to do some hiking in the Dolomites. The breathtaking natural landscapes in the Alta Pusteria, embedded in the Dolomites U N ESCO World Heritage, offer an immense area of marvellous hiking tours. One of the most popular destinations is Prato Piazza-Plätzwiese. The idyllic high plateau with its unique panorama is located in the natural park Fanes-Sennes-Braies at about 2,000 m (6,561 ft), and is surrounded by the impressive mountain massifs Croda Rossa d’Ampezzo-Hohe Gaisl, Tofana and Monte Cristallo. The hiking paradise can be reached starting from Ponticello-Brückele in the Valle di Braies-Pragsertal valley.

Those who feel like spending a stress-free day should leave their car in the parking lot and take the bus until the starting point. Alta Pusteria has recently incremented its focus on smooth tourist experiences by offering holiday guests the possibility of using public transport as much as possible. A free HOLI DAYPASS granted by every accommodation facility – provided that membership to the local tourism association is guaranteed – allows guests unlimited access to ski buses in the Val Pusteria-Pustertal valley and to all forms of public transport (including regional trains) within the territory of South Tyrol and until Cortina in Winter. From Ponticello there is a wide, pleasant path (trail marking no. 37) up to the Prato Piazza. An alternative to the hiking tour is granted by the shuttle bus taking guests up to the parking. From the high plateau several hiking tours lead to the diverse peaks in the surroundings.

A tip for an easy, family-friendly tour is the gentle, uphill path to the Rifugio Vallandro- Dürrensteinhütte hut (2,040 m/6,692 ft). Without particular effort or professional gear small children are able to cope with this hiking tour of barely half an hour (2.4 km/1.4 miles) in summer as well as in winter. From the parking, at the beginning of the Prato Piazza, along the path in direction southeast to the Rifugio Prato Piazza-Plätzwiesenhütte hut. From there the path leads slightly downhill and then almost flatly to the already in frame lying Rifugio Vallandro hut. The last few metres lead slightly uphill, passing by some ruins, to the wonderfully located mountain hut that certainly inspires visitors to get inside for a refreshment stop. For the way back to the valley, in winter there is an advisable alternative promising big fun – and not only for children. Taking a sledge downhill to Carbonin-Schluderbach (Val di Landro-Höhlensteintal) on a descent of about 6 km (3.7 miles) offers pure winter fun. During the rest of the year, the descent offers a nice downhill walk back to your starting point. Simply take public transport back to your holiday home.

Judith Steinmair Author Law degree; freelance activities in the area of project management since 2002; different publishing activities; coordinator and manager of the editorial office of the Alta Pusteria Almanac until 2010.

Two mountains with plenty of advantages Two ski mountains celebrate their anniversaries: 50 years of Croda Rossa and 60 years of Baranci ropeways are exemplary for the incredible story of ski sports in Alta Pusteria. Today both ski mountains are part of the skiing region Dolomiti di Sesto, and offer an amazing variety of advantages. When the very first winter tourists came to Sesto back in the 1930’s, they enjoyed unimaginable privileges. The first ski instructor in the valley was from Kärnten, Austria, and obviously everybody liked his elegant skiing style, without knowing that he would become world famous later on. Heinrich Harrer, the mountaineer, Himalaya explorer, best-selling author, and trusted friend of the Dalai Lama, taught the guests in Alta Pusteria back then how to ski with style. The inhabitants of Sesto started to build the first uphill transport systems that were clearly very simple, compared to those ones of today. Significant improvements were made after the war in the 1950’s with the first ski lifts. The people from Sesto used to be skiing pioneers, and the ski instructors of the village would work throughout Italy, from Friuli to the Aosta valley.

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50 years of Croda Rossa The family-friendly ski mountain with sporting challenges

60 years of Baranci A ski resort for children as well as for top athletes The second mountain celebrating its anniversary is only a couple of kilometres away from Croda Rossa. Baranci is the nearby mountain of San Candido-Innichen, and the locals’ favourite one. You will find the starting point directly at the edge of the village with lifts and pistes of this family-friendly ski resort. Snow-covered Northern slopes offer optimal conditions for winter sports fans. That is something people already knew back in 1956 when the first chairlift of the region at Baranci was built. At that time one ride cost 150 old Liras. Two years later, a ski lift was added, and by 1970 also two more. In the 1980’s the first snow-making machines were used. The Baranci developed into an extraordinarily popular ski area with an attractive tobogganing track. The ski resort was the location for several national and internatio-

nal sport competitions, among others the Snowboard World Cup and the 2 nd FIS Snowboard World Championship in 1997. For six years now, it is the location for the Ski Cross World Cup each year in December. The demanding combination of two important qualities – family-friendly and sportive – is absolutely granted at Baranci. Children are happy to discover the exciting programme of the kids-ski-cross track and the snow tubing trail.

charming theme park for children emerged in the surroundings of the top station. The reindeers, the huge snowmen and snow castles have become a trade mark of Croda Rossa. The cableway company wanted to set an example: not some random snowmen, but something absolutely special, something really big, said the then operating manager Rudi Egarter. As a consequence, snowmen of up to 10 metres (32 ft) height towered the peak. Today they are still part and parcel of the entire inventory. By means of snow cats, operated by the experts of the cableway company, as if by means of a magic wand, five or six giant snowmen appear within the winter scenery after only three days of work. In 2000 the new highlight was the 5 km (3 miles) long tobogganing track from the top to the valley station. With the steepest piste in South Tyrol “Holzriese” Croda Rossa has to offer something for demanding ski fans, too. During times when that piste still could not be groomed, it used to be a frightful mogul field. With the construction of the Signaue lift between Croda Rossa and the road to the Passo Monte Croce pass in 2007, the foundation for the fusion of the skiing areas Monte Elmo and Croda Rossa was laid, from which the latter would particularly benefit. Today a generous skiing area with 93 km (57.7 miles) of pistes is available.

In the mid 1960’s finally skiers conquered the meadows of Croda Rossa. On January 7 th 1966 the first ski lift was officially opened. Already back then Croda Rossa offered some special attractions with its steep, snow-covered Northern slopes and the easy pistes of the upper part. At first, winter sports fans still had to slope down about 80 m (262 ft) into the woods, as a property owner refused transit permission. The Rifugio Rudi Hütte hut and the Rifugio Prati di Croda Rossa-Rotwandwiesenhütte hut at the top station benefited from the expanding ski area. In 1976 the Tre Cime Nature Park was declared natural, protected area. Therefore a further expansion of the ski area was not possible any more. The year 1990 is considered a milestone in history, when the modern cableway was built transporting guests from Moso up to the top station, comfortably and only in a few minutes. During the following years Croda Rossa developed into a ski resort with character and strong profile. From 1997 onwards, Croda Rossa became consistently family-friendly. A

Georg Weindl Author The freelance journalist lives in Chiemgau Bayern, Germany and travels quite frequently through South Tyrol for reports on behalf of daily newspapers, magazines as well as guidebooks.

Shortly before the turn of the century, the German photographer and artist from Munich Emil Terschak and his wife Henriette stopped in Cortina, on their way back from Gardena-Gröden, to try out the skiing skills on the slopes of Cristallo and Tofana Emil had acquired in Norway. They visited the mountain world of Dobbiaco-Toblach in the surroundings of Carbonin-Schluderbach, a fact that led to big enthusiasm among l o c a l i n h a b i t a n t s . Th e p a s t o r

however, was less delighted by Mrs. Terschak’s downslopes as the airstream would lift the lady’s ankle length skirt. The members of the Alpine association were not that convinced either: once started, it was not easy at all to stop those diabolic boards! Anyway, the Tscherkas were the first skiing pioneers in the Alta Pusteria valley – they were the ones who also made the first locals approach the actual winter sports activities. At first however, military activities dominated the use of skis – they were perfectly suitable for patrolling on snow-covered and steep terrains. Thus, it happened that skis were used at the front line of the Dolomites, too – on both sides of the highly specialized units: by the Tyrolean Landesschützen (Territorial Infantry) battalions, later by the Kaiserschützen, and by the Italian Alpini. On other continents unaffected by war, the civil ski sport flourished. International guests boosted the development of skiing in the dark years of the first postwar period. Nowadays skiing is widely known and established – as well as unapproachable as elitist sports for most people. The very first winter games took place, and international committees celebrated the new winter trend.

The first Olympic Winter Games were held in Chamonix-sur-MontBlanc in 1924. For the first edition, the available disciplines were the six main winter sports: Nordic ski, bob, curling, ice skating and ice hockey as well as military patrol. Precisely the latter was at the origin of today’s supreme discipline – Alpine skiing. Moreover, this was the discipline, in which the athlete Luis Prenn, originally from Sesto-Sexten, won the gold medal at the Olympic Winter Games in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in 1936. Luis Prenn, being changed into Luigi Perenni during Italian fascist time, was one of the first South Tyrolean professional ski athletes, as well as the first South Tyrolean to win an Olympic gold medal.

The big success lead to a huge boost of the local winter sports, whereas during the pre-war period, since the end of the 1920’s, the prevailing totalitarian ideologies and thus the fascism in South Tyrol and Italy, had abused sports activities for their own power purposes. The first edition of the CaSTA, the Italian Ski World Cup of the mountain troops (Gebirgstruppen), which existed since 1931, took place in

San Candido-Innichen in 1935. The village has again been the location of the Ski World Cup since 1998 to date. Back then, the ski pistes were “groomed” by the athletes themselves, no lifts available anyway. That involved hiking uphill first and skiing downhill on the same “self-made” track. An absolute passion for skiing was certainly necessary in order to practise this kind of sport during pioneer times.

Passion used to be the drive as well for those who manufactured the skis at the carpentry Viertler in Dobbiaco between the 1930’s and 1950’s, converting those years into their best ones, even if the original reason for their work had been pure despair. During the years after the global economic crisis in 1929, commissions for carpentry had suddenly stopped, and insolvency was alarmingly close. The Viertler family however, did not surrender, and was smart enough

to switch to the production of a niche product: skis! After having obtained some promotional awards at exhibitions and trade fairs, the series production of popular skis for private clients as well as for the state followed, the latter purchasing the skis for its skiing units of the army. The business flourished for a while until the ski producer giants with their superpower and rise of new materials completely stroke down the Viertler business and its local ski production.

There was another initiative regarding winter sports over here however, also at other levels. After the chaos of World War I I in 1948, the first uphill transportation system in Alta Pusteria was built. The first chairlift in this area lead from Dobbiaco up to the Monte Rota-Ratsberg. An old Balilla car engine moved the steel rope upwards, huge wooden pillars held the entire plant. With lots of improvisation, enthusiasm and diligence, some bright-eyed people from Dobbiaco had built a more than modern seeming winter leisure business out of nowhere. The very first chairlift had been built in 1936 in the Sun Valley in

the USA, and the first comparable lift in Italy had started operating only in 1946. Shortly afterward the first plant the Lachwiesenlift was built, and some years later the Rienzlift. People from San Candido did not want to rank behind, and had their construction of the first uphill transportation system as well in 1948 at the Sonnenhang slope, where a winch pulling up a sledge could carry 15 people per ride. Some years later, in 1956, inspired by the Olympic Winter Games in the nearby located town Cortina dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Ampezzo, some leading hotel owners initiated the construction of the Baranci lift.

At the same time, the foundation of the winter sports association WSV Innichen took place, being the promotion of young talents in the diverse winter sports disciplines, with the focus on skiing, the main objective. Sesto founded its winter sports association, too: In 1952 on September 21 st at the inn Gasthaus Post the winter sports association WSV Sexten was formed in the presence of the mayor Peter Pfeifhofer and the pastor Josef Obergasser. It is noteworthy to mention that among its 74 founding members not only many young, active ski athletes but also several older promoters, who did not have anything to do with winter sports, were to be found. Hence, during the difficult and austere but enthusiastic years of both post-war periods, thanks to lots of diligence and perse-

verance the cornerstone for an indispensable pillar of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tourism business was laid. The fact that in this context the local amateur and professional winter sports experienced a major boost as well, is due to the entrepreneurial vision and thirst for action for the winter sports business of our pioneers.

Mag. Curti Covi Author MA Curti Covi, resident in San Candido/Innichen, historian and political scientist. In addition to diverse fields of activity in the consulting and research area he develops tourism development strategies from the point of view of local history and culture for the area of South Tyrol.

Alois Prenn (Luis) from San Candido-Innichen has been operating in the alpine ski circus for more than 30 years. Working as a coach, the ski pistes everywhere in the world are his home. However, ‘home sweet home’ is something he only says while returning to the Alta Pusteria valley.

LUIS PRENN A catalyst for top sports performances

His enthusiasm for the ski sport is not just a coincidence: his father Johann Prenn successfully participated at several Nordic ski competitions running under the Italian name "Giovanni Perenni" during fascist times. Even more successful was his uncle and namesake Alois Prenn who won Olympic gold with his team running for the "Militärpatrouillen-Lauf" (military patrol competition), the forerunner of today’s biathlon, in 1936 at the Olympic Winter games in Garmisch Partenkirchen as Italian officer and sportsman "Luigi Perenni". Luis himself was active until

Luis Prenn with Olympic champion Dominique Gisin

1981 in the Italian military sports group, and later for some years within the professional ski circus. In 1984 he changed sides, from being an athlete to being a coach. "In order to pass on the great passion for ski sports and the experience gathered over the years" – with this brief explanation he concisely described his career choice. Since then he has been involved as skiing coach and technical manager for diverse European ski associations. In Italy, Spain, Germany, Sweden and finally in Switzerland he has been the first contact person for many male and female ski athletes. He was raised in Sesto-Sexten and lives today in San Candido together with his wife and his two adult children. Over the years, he could gain lots of experience in different areas. At first, he familiarized with junior and European Cup groups, then he travelled with World Cup athletes, and male and female teams fully trusted his expertise.

Before joining the Swiss national team, Luis celebrated great successful moments with the Italian female team, including also several South Tyrolean athletes as Denise Karbon, Manuela Mölgg and Karen Putzer. The Worldcup athletes Patrick Holzer and Kurt Sulzenbacher from the Alta Pusteria valley had also been under his wing for some time. "When your own athletes achieve great results, you live some impressive moments, in particular with Patrick and Kurt, they just remain vivid in your memory." Despite the many successful achievements, Prenn has always been a humble person. No unique event, but "many beautiful and important events" delineate his career: "It was very important and pleasant to work together with great coaches, as for example with Franz Gamper. I was also lucky to get to know Hermann Nogler very well; he always used to give me good advice." With that Prenn highlights the importance of teamwork also on the ski pistes. Being a coach is not just a job like any other. There are no regular working hours, no to-do-lists, time tables, best performances of the year or lactate values, which could serve the purpose of structuring training sessions. Each race, each competition reshuffles the cards, within a few minutes and seconds all the skills have to be summed up, in order to get a place on the podium. When the technical part like piste grooming and course tracking are done, only then the actual coaching job begins. The relationship between coach and athlete is very important: "Coach and athlete need a common understanding in order to pull together and act in concert. A 100% commitment from both sides is necessary, and for that the interpersonal feeling has to match.", reveals Luis speaking about the functioning of a good

team. This is not an activity that can be learned there and then. This kind of sport is too complex. Maximum performances are only possible when in addition to physical and psychological conditions also material and external conditions (i.e. piste and weather) are right. A successful coach copes with all of these variables, handles them and knows very well how to deal with each athlete in order to express his/her skills the best way possible. Only with an extraordinary power of observation a coach is able to find room for improvement at World Cup level. This challenging task Prenn has to face every day, and all the more he enjoys his limited free time. "I feel at ease in the Alta Pusteria valley and try to spend each available minute with my family", he admits with a melancholy-tinged voice. He is not home very often. Luis spends his (European) summers in the Argentinean winter in Ushuaia, in the Southern corner of South America, should there be good training conditions. For many years the traditional World Cup opening in Sölden, Austria, has been scheduled at the end of October. Later in winter he travels across Europe with side trips to America and Asia. Each year - again. If his protégés participate at the World Cup competitions in Cortina or Lienz, they enjoy the training possibilities in Alta Pusteria at the Baranci ski resort, the Passo Monte Croce and the "Trenkerlift" in the skiing area Rienza in Dobbiaco. "The lift has a fast circulation, and we are able to carry out our training sessions in a short time", that is how Luis appreciates the piste with the ideal slope inclination for the technical disciplines slalom and giant slalom. Important names as overall World Cup winners Tina Maze, Anna Fenninger,

Maria Riesch, the Italian stars Christoph Innerhofer, Johanna Schnarf and Elena Fanchini, as well a the Swiss female national team with Dominique Gisin, Lara Gut and Fränzi Aufdenblatten stop in the Alta Pusteria valley. These are only some of the top athletes you might be able to see at the Trenkerlift. At the end of December 2015 the Austrian female team is scheduled for its training sessions. In two years a new lift construction is planned.

The lift is quite well attended, and in addition to the World Cup athletes also the junior racers of the local skiing clubs and training centres use the slope with the intention to imitate the stars. Hopefully we will soon follow a ski racer from the Alta Pusteria on our screens. We will, however, not see Luis Prenn, who is always present at each race, but hardly ever visible. He always remains in the background, as catalysts usually do.

Martina Pfeifhofer Author She is from Sesto and has made her own profession following her enthusiasm for anything linked to sports and mobility. She has got a sport science degree of Innsbruck University, Austria. The Alta Pusteria valley is her ideal place in winter as well as in summer in order to dedicate as much time as possible to outdoor sports activities.

Photo: N. Eisele Hein

S k i

T o u r i n g

Enjoying nature quietly Ski touring â&#x20AC;&#x201C; actually the original form of skiing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; has long been a marginalized sport. Some years ago, the mountaineering on skis experienced a strong boom and has now become an absolute trend thanks to the development of technical and fashionable equipment.

Photo: F. Oddoux

The principle of touring skis is very old: in order not to drown in the snow and more during hunting, in prehistoric times people had already tried to enlarge the contact area of their feet. That is how snow shoes and finally skis have been created. Covered with animals’ fur, this used to be a simple and ideal combination in order to move forward more quickly, and therefore to be able to survive. Over time, skis have been developed from an important object of utility to a sports gear. Nowadays, an entire economic sector depends heavily on that. When Fridtjof Nansen crossed Greenland on skis in 6 weeks back in 1877, he probably could not imagine the big boom ski touring would once experience

in the future. Inspired by Nansen, the Austrian Mathias Zdarsky invented a steel binding (the “Lilienfelder Stahlsohlenbindung”), the precursor of today’s ski touring binding. Thus the foundations of the development of skiing had been laid. In the course of modern skiing, ski touring has long been hidden in the shade. The vast majority of skiers was committed to alpine skiing by using lifts and groomed ski pistes. Only a few individualists traced their own tracks through immaculate slopes, a fact that has changed over the past years. Individualisation of society, longging for deceleration and relax, experiences in nature, and challenging physical activities attract more and more people to go ski touring in the mountains.

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regional happenings. The local mountain guides certainly have this knowledge, and organize tours in a way that safety and experience of nature are granted. In case you want to improve the technique of ski touring descents, it is possible to take skiing lessons or private courses with experts. There is nothing more frustrating after a successful ascent and an enjoyable rest on the peak, to discover that the descent is going to be a test of courage and physical fitness due to insufficient skiing techniques. The motto is therefore good preparation, and having experts your side.

The Alta Pusteria mountains offer a huge selection of ski touring routes. In the South, the valleys of the Dolomites are adjacent to one another. On the Northern side of the valley, tours on the mountains towering the villages offer a wide range of ascents and descents. Starting from simple routes of half a day to difficult tours lasting several days – everything is possible given favourable conditions. Those who have once traced their own tracks on a freshly snow-covered slope, surely wish to get more of it. Martina Pfeifhofer Author

Photo: Skiraid

Photo: N. Eisele Hein

What is the appeal of this kind of sport? A wonderful feeling of peace and silence, unspoiled landscapes, and freedom. Of course all this does not come for free. Proper physical fitness is an absolute prerequisite to enjoy the beauty of the landscape. The techniques of the ascent on skis is also something you need to learn as well as advanced skiing techniques to be able to descent in open mountain areas and to slope down to the valley, if not without any falls however, at least accident-free. In addition to technical and physical skills, the right technical gear and clothing, detailed knowledge about structures of snow cover, experience with wind and weather conditions, and a precise tour planning considering the current avalanche bulletin are necessary. Therefore ski touring seems to be a little science itself. Fortunately not every holiday guest who would like to give this fascinating sport a try, needs to acquire all the knowledge. And it would not be possible, as many things are connected to experience and

Speaking of getting more of it: The ski touring race “Drei Zinnen Ski Raid” celebrates its 20th edition in spring 2016. The commemorative race, initiated by the mountain rescue service of Sesto in Memoriam of Roland, Michael and Markus, has become a race acknowledged by the Italian Ski Federation over the years. The ascent trail leads from the Val Fiscalina-Fischleintal valley through the Val Fiscalina alta-Bacherntal valley to the Pian di Cengia-Büllelejoch pass and over the Laghi

dei Piani-Bödenseen lakes in front of the Three Peaks to the Sasso di Sesto-Sextner Stein. From there the wild descent through the Val Sassovecchio-Altensteinertal valley leads to the destination at the Rifugio Fondovalle-Talschlusshütte hut. For participants as well as for viewers the 13.8 km (8.5 miles) long route with an ascent of 1,500 m (4,921 ft), a descent in one piece of 1,000 m (3,280 miles), and a spectacular view offers everything a ski mountaineering heart would desire.

Dolomiti Nordicski and its 10 th anniversary – The connection of the most beautiful tracks in the Dolomites, converting the area into a cross-country skiing carousel, has been proved to be very successful. About 1,300 km of cross-country skiing trails in an area of twelve regions, the highest quality standards, family-friendly offers, and premium class sports competitions emphasize the uniqueness of the Dolomiti Nordicski area.

This is a completely new feeling of cross-country skiing, and it thoroughly clears out the sports cliché of monotony along the tracks. Starting from Osttirol in Austria, the trip on cross-country skis leads to the Alta Pusteria area in South Tyrol on the most beautiful routes, passing by San Candido-Innichen carrying on to Sesto-Sexten into the romantic Val Fiscalina-Fischleintal valley, and continues to Dobbiaco-Toblach through the idyllic Val di Landro-Höhlensteintal valley with its picturesque Lago di Dobbiaco-Toblacher See lake and a truly stunning view of the Three Peaks. The end of the trail, Cortina d’Ampezzo with the Monte Cristallo and Tofana massifs, is absolutely spectacular, too. A one-weektrip on cross-country skis on marvellous trails through the famous valleys of the Dolomites. This extraordinary experience is powered by Dolomiti Nordicski.

Photo: T. Gruener

larg e st c r oss-cou n tr y s k i ing a re a , th e mo st be a u tifu l t r a cks The

Photo: H. Wisthaler

Photo: T. Gruener

Europe’s largest cross-country skiing carousel is made of twelve regions in the Dolomites with more than 1,300 km of groomed tracks. The crossboarder connection offers a unique variety of cross-country skiing possibilities in South Tyrol, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia-Giulia (Northern Italy), and Osttirol (Austria). These are the twelve fantastic areas: Alta Pusteria, with its 200 km of tracks, Alta Badia, Anterselva-Antholzertal, Valle di Casies/ Gsieser Tal-Monguelfo/Welsberg-Tesido/Taisten, Alpe di Siusi-Seiser Alm, Gardena-Gröden, Valle Aurina-Tauferer Ahrntal, S. Vigilio-St. Vigil in Marebbe-Enneberg in the province of South Tyrol, Comelico Sappada, Cortina d`Ampezzo, Auronzo-Misurina-Lorenzago, Forni di Sopra in the regions of Friuli-Venezia-Giulia and Veneto as well as the tracks around Sillian and Obertilliach in Osttirol, Austria.

A fascinating world for cross-country fans with loads of attractions and specialties, the famous tracks and championship trails Dobbiaco and Anterselva, enchanting secret spots in lonely valleys, and high plateaus that offer absolutely stunning views, as for example the Prato Piazza-Plätzwiese in the Valle di Braies-Pragser Tal valley. However, the Dolomiti Nordicski does not only present an extraordinary variety of possibilities, it is also unique in terms of quality. The cross-country skiing tracks are groomed daily and offer guaranteed snow conditions from December onwards, thanks to targeted snowmaking processes. Prices for single, weekly or seasonal tickets are standardized in the entire carousel. Moreover, the Dolomiti Nordicski is proud to be particularly family-friendly: children up to the age of 14 go for free. Demanding cross-country skiers enjoy the idea of using just one ticket offer-

uary 22 nd : Moonlight Classic race on the Alpe di Siusi, and January 23 rd -24 th : Dolomitenlauf in Osttirol, Austria. The way to the best and most beautiful cross-country skiing experience is simple! The G PS data to each route are available for downloading. Moreover, for your optimal well-being before and after your sports activities is being taken good care of by the host of the cooperation group Dolomiti Nordicski Hospitality. Most people in this team are definitely enthusiastic cross-country skiers themselves and surely know very well their guests’ needs. All the hosting businesses offer specific quality services tailored for cross-country skiers.

ing a wide range of possibilities to choose from. Thanks to the great connection of diverse areas, very different routes from one area to the other can be easily chosen. Everyone can tailor his/her own tour within the Dolomiti Nordicski area. Not only amateur skiers, also several top athletes appreciate the high quality and the advantages of the Dolomiti Nordicski area. For several years now, these tracks are the arena of premium class championships, a fact that can be confirmed by having a glance at the list of events scheduled for this winter: December 19 th and 20 th : Cross-Country World Cup in Dobbiaco, January 8 th : Tour de Ski in Dobbiaco, February 13 th -14 th : Cross Country Ski Race Dobbiaco-Cortina, January 9 th : Pustertaler Ski-Marathon Alta Pusteria, January 21 st -24 th : Biathlon World Cup in Anterselva, Jan-

Georg Weindl Author

Sun, snow and a fantastic view A winter “hike&fly” tour to the Rifugio Bonner-Bonnerhütte hut (2,340 m/7,677 ft) a n d t o t h e C o r n o d i F a n a - To b l a c h e r Pfannhorn peak (2,663 m/8,736 ft)

“Hike and fly“ – what is that? Some people will certainly ask themselves this question. Well, someone will probably guess that it involves the combination of hiking and flying, so to say, the alpine way of paragliding. It is basically the original way of paragliding, as mountaineers had made the first attempt to use parachutes for their descent from the mountain peaks already in the 1980’s. The results back then however, were quite disenchanting, both the insufficient performance of the parachute as well as the excessive weight and volume did not allow a widespread use for alpine purposes. However,

the development has not stopped since then and today, about thirty years later, there are entirely light equipments consisting of parachute, harness and rescue gear with a total weight starting from 5 kg. In addition they have very good performance data and therefore, given appropriate training, their application among mountaineers is more and more worth it. And there is something you should know: it is not necessary to be a paragliding expert to experience a ride. Especially for non autonomous flying hikers and mountaineers participating in guided hike&fly tours can be an extraordinary experience. After

the ascent, be ready to float down to the valley on a tandem flight, i.e., as a passenger together with experienced pilots and alpinists. These tours are absolutely appealing in winter time. The white landscape creates new starting points, bumps are levelled, stones covered, and we are able to find new starting points which would be impossible to consider in summer. Moreover during the cold season, flights are generally calmer, as the thermal conditions are either completely missing or quite weak. Thanks to the clear winter air the view from the top is absolutely fantastic.

Wilfried Blaas Author A passionate paraglider himself

In addition to the flight gear, the following equipment is recommended: - Avalanche transceiver - Avalanche probe and shovel - Snowshoes Pictures: Tandemfly and Wilfried Blaas www.tandemfly.eu

The Alta Pusteria valley seems designed precisely for these kind of adventures: enchanting, white landscapes like in the fairy tales, and mountains and huts easily reachable also in winter time. An especially wonderful tour absolutely dear to my heart, for its beauty and stunning panorama, is the tour to the Rifugio Bonner hut or to the Corno di Fana peak. The starting point is the hamlet Candelle-Kandellen (1,600 m/5,249 ft), above Dobbiaco-Toblach. The safest way in winter is the one from Dobbiaco along the forest road (no. 25) up to the Rifugio Bonner, reachable in about 2.5 hours. From December 26 th 2015 until February 28 th 2016 the hut is open, and is thus

the ideal base. Once up there, the stunning view includes Croda Rossa-Rotwand and the Dolomiti di Sesto, the Three Peaks, Civetta, Gruppo delle Odle-Geislerspitzen, until the Ortles-Ortler and the Alpi Venoste-Ă&#x2013;tztaler Alpen. Already at the hut there are ideal starting chances with the parachute in direction Southeast, and a smooth flight of 750 m (2,460 ft) down to the starting point at Candelle can be made. Should you still be fit enough once reached the hut, and given the right conditions with regards to wind and avalanche situation, it is possible to proceed with the tour uphill to the Corno di Fana peak. For the 300 m (984 ft) of elevation gain another hour

should be calculated. However, the magnificent view from the Corno di Fana peak will certainly make you forget all the effort. The flight usually takes you down to Dobbiaco that can be reached in about 15-20 min. You can be sure that a flight like that with a top view of mountain slopes, forests, meadows and villages is going to create awesome memories that last forever. Quite often it is possible to walk up to the Rifugio Bonner without snowshoes. It is advisable to get the necessary information with regards to the local avalanche conditions beforehand (for example at www.provinz.bz.it/lawinen, information available in German and Italian)

The battlefront of the Dolomites

Barely a year later, on May 23 rd 1915, Italy also joined the war against Austria-Hungary. The then crown land Tyrol was part and parcel of the Danube Monarchy, and war against Italy suddenly began in our valleys, too. As far as our region is concerned, it is actually 2015 considered the year to mark the anniversary of the Great War. The reasons for Italy’s entry into the war were to be found in the idea of bringing all the areas of Italian inhabitants together under one Italian kingdom – the motto of the war supporters back then was “Trento e Tri-

este!” – two cities and provinces still dominated by the Danube Monarchy. Italy’s irredentist movement achieved its goal: the multinational state of the time-honoured Danube Monarchy collided with Italy’s more modern idea of the nation state. By the time of Italy’s declaration of war, the regular units of the k.u.k. (kaiserlich und königlich) Imperial and Royal army were located at the Eastern front fighting a difficult defensive battle. Therefore the border was simply guarded by police and border guard units. Fortresses built for protective purposes in the Sesto valley as well as in the Val di Landro valley in the 1880’s were quite obsolete, they offered, however, a certain deterrent potential. In order to be able to man the existing frontline at all, in mid May a call for the last enrolment of the Standschützen (rifle companies) had already been made – the very young men aged between 16 and 18 as well as the older age group 40+.

The summer of 1915 was marked by a great number of bloody battles at the front line of the Dolomites. Italian troop attacks held back by the fire of the k.u.k. defenders in very difficult terrains at the Monte Rosso-Roteck (2,390 m/7,841 ft) and Monte Covolo-Seikofel (1,908 m/6,259 ft) in the Dolomiti di Sesto as well as the battles on the plateau of the Three Peaks (2,500 m/8,202 ft), at the Monte Piano and at the Cristallo massif (up to 3,221 m/10,567 ft) – just to mention a few. An attack by the k.u.k. at the Monte Paterno-Paternkofel (2,744 m/9,002 ft) on July 28 th 1915 caused one of the most famous victims of those months: under never fully clarified circumstances the famous alpine pioneer, mountain guide and hut owner Sepp Innerkofler died at the age of 50. After the large-scale-attacks in 1915, the following years no major attacks took place. However, raiding patrol undertakings and little attacks as well as battles for single peaks and positions would carry on. Most of them took place during summer season, as early onsets of winter in the mountains and late snow melting in spring made active battle fights generally impossible. In summer 1915 the main district of Sesto (San Vito-Sankt Veit) was hit by a merciless bomb attack, and completely destroyed.

Fo rt re s s

Pho C o ll e c ti o to g ra p h e r: K a rl n of Ma n fr e d H D o rn a c h a u n – TA P

Last year marked the 100 th anniversary of the beginning of World War I. It had started on July 28 th 1914 upon the declaration of war by the Austrian-Hungarian Empire to Serbia. As a consequence, the existing mechanism of different alliances had caused a chain-reaction precipitating almost every European country into the war.

Summer 1915

1915–1917

L a n d ro ,

J u ly 1 9 1 6

Martin Kofler, Borderland (original title: Grenzgang) The Val Pusteria valley and the war 1914-1918 TAP research, vol. 2 Haymon Verlag, Innsbruck-Vienna 2014.

20,000 dea d

P ic tu re fo r pr em pl ac em en op ag an da pu rp os es of an A us tr t w ith vi ew ia n of th e Th re e Pe ak s, ar ou nd 19 16

d by Ita lia n ar til le ry in 19 15

The Tyrolean Archive of Photography originated 2011 from an INTERREG project between South and East Tyrol aiming at the collection, the cataloguing as well as the offer of historical photographical material stemming from the whole Tyrolean area. It is located in the offices of Lienz and Bruneck. The historical pictures of this article were made available by TAP. For any further information visit http://www.tiroler-photoarchiv.eu

P ho to gr ap he r A nt on of fo re m an Tr ix l A nt on Tr ix l – TA P

Monte Piano

re ta ke n in 19 18

C ol le ct io n

B e tw e e n 1 915 and 1 917 ab ou s o ld ie rs d t 2 0 ,0 0 0 ie d in th is a re a h e re , way as Se th e same p p In n e rk o fl e r; m o s fe ll d u e to t o f th e m a d ve rs e w e a th e r c o d is e a s e s a n d it io n s , n d in s u ff ic ie n t fo o d p R a th e r th a ro vi s io n s . n a g a in s t th e e n e m y, o f b o th s s o ld ie rs id e s fo u n d th e m s e ti n g th e h lv e s fi g h a rd e s t b a tt le a g a in s t m e n ts . In a th e e le w a r in w h ic h fo r th e fi c o n n e c te d rs t ti m e fr o n t li n e s ra n o ve peaks and r a lp in e ri d g e s , s p e c ia li ze d tr o o p s , k .u m o u n ta in .k . K a is e rj ä g e r (Ty ro R e g im e n ts le a n R if le ) a n d K a is e rs c h ü tz e n In fa n tr y ) o (I m p e ri a l n o n e s id e a s w e ll A lp in i o n a s It a li a n th e o th e r s id e , fo u n s e lv e s fi g d th e m h ti n g o n e a n o th e r. N goods and e c e s s a ry m a te ri a ls fo r li vi n g ti n g h a d to a n d fi g h b e c a rr ie d to h ig h a lt in a n a b s o lu te ly s tr it u d e s enuous an w a y. Pe a k d d if fi c u lt s u p to 3 ,0 0 0 m / 9 ,8 4 to b e o c c u 2 ft h a d p ie d y e a r in , y e a r o u to p re ve n t in o rd e r t enemy in te rf e re n s a lv a ti o n c c e . F in a ll y, a m e tw o a n d a h a lf y as a cons e a rs la te r: equence o f th e G e rm ri a n b re a k a n -A u s tth ro u g h a t K a rf re it 1 2 th Is o n zo w it h in th e b a tt le , th e It a li a n tr o o to c le a r th ps had e fr o n t o f th e D o lo m p u ll b a c k it e s and b e h in d th e ri ve r P ia ve th e Ve n e ti and a n lo w la n d s . Th e w a ri e d o n fo r c a rr a n o th e r e n ti re y e a ti l th e c o ll r una p s e o f th e k .u .k . A rm N o ve m b e r y in 1 9 1 8 . It w a s th e b e g n in g o f a c in o m p le te ly n e w c h a p te th e h is to ry r in o f o u r re g io n .

The arena of bloody battles

C ol le ct io n

Sa n C an di do w as hi t by Ita lia n gr P ic tu re da en ad es , to te d ar ou nd o. 19 17

P ho to gr ap he r: un kn ow C ol le ct io n n K ar l Web ho fe r – TA P

rs a n d c o e li m in a te q ve r fa c il it ie u a rs o f th e tr o o p s . Fo A u s tr ia n rt u n a te ly m o s t p a rt o la ti o n h a d f th e p o p u b e e n e va c u a te d b e fo re vi ll a g e s o f h a n d . Th e S a n C a n d id o -I b ia c o -To b la n n ic h e n a n d Dobc h w o u ld b e b ombed a s w e ll , th s p o ra d ic a ll e a c tu a l ta y rg e t, h o w e s tr a te g ic a ll ve r, w a s th y im p o rt a n e t ra il m a te ri a l a n w a y li n e o n d a m m u n it w h ic h io n s u p p li e te d fo r th s d e s ig n a e S o u th e rn fr o n t a ro u w o u ld ru n . n d Tr e n to

P ho to gr ap he r A nt on of fo re m an Tr ix l A nt on Tr ix l – TA P

Sesto and S completely an Vito destroyed T h e It a li a n tr o o p s w a n te d to te

Permanent exhibitions on this subject One of the main battlefront lines in our are to be found in summer season in area was at the Monte Piano (2,324 the primary school of Sesto as well as m/7,624 ft). The flat-shaped mountain at the Drei Zinnen Nature park visitor held by k.u.k. troops on one side and centre of Dobbiaco. An artistic-historiby Italian units on the other, used to be the arena of violent battles as well as cal exhibition about life (and death) in of continuous mutual armed attacks; the villages in the nearby hinterland of some trenches were separated just by the battlefront line was held in the presome metres from one another. The mises of the monastery museum of the emplacements carved into the rock are old Franciscan monastery in San Candiin very good conditions today, thanks do from the end of July until the end of to the fact that Austrian colonel WalAugust 2015. ter Schaumann established a unique outdoor museum at the beginning of the 1980’s with his association “Dolomitenfreunde”. It is accessible for free in the summer season. A similar open-air museum is located in Sesto around the Croda Rossa (2,965 m/ 9,727 ft) at the area of the Forcella Undici-Elferscharte (2,520 m/8267 ft) and the Anderter Alpe (2,200 m/7217 ft). The association Bellum Aquilarium (www.bellumaquilarium.it) organises guided tours in German and Italian on a regular basis. One of the old k.u.k. fortresses is located at the Prato Piazza-Plätzwiese and has been restored by its Th e vi lla ge of Se st o de owner Reinhold Prugger. P ic tu st ro ye

Let’s go to the sauna! Sweat it all

out and be happy!

As soon as winter is approaching, going to the sauna starts to get very attractive again. What else can be more relaxing than sitting in a hot, sometimes steamy place, deeply sweating, while sub-zero temperatures freeze the world outside? Over the past years, the sauna culture has experienced a major boom, and many fans have discovered the sweating-experience, with more or less 90°C (194°F), also in case of warm outdoor temperatures. Good for them, considering that going to the sauna on a regular basis leads to physical and mental wellbeing – this is the prevailing opinion. This hype was noticed by the accommodation business as well, which adjusted accordingly. The times of a few square feet of Finnish sauna for hotel guests are over. Now we talk about bio-sauna, Roman steam bath, aromatic bath, infrared rooms… the selection is certainly fantastic, and several hotels are equipped with truly amazing wellness-areas. However, public structures offer quite some interesting things, too. The “Acquafun Erlebnisbad” in San Candido-Innichen, for example, promotes alpine wellness dreams, and an infusion made by a qualified sauna world champion can become a seriously impressive experience! So what are the benefits of sauna at the end of the day?

The important thing, though, is to do sauna the right way. Ideally – not for the extreme visitors – the sauna sessions are three. Before the first session, having a shower and getting dry using a towel is necessary, as a dry skin sweats more easily than a wet skin. The sauna session is followed by a cooling phase. In order to treat the circulatory system with care prepare the heart slowly for the cold, best start with feet, then proceed with legs, hands, arms, and finally the body cooling down with cold (!!!) water. The most effective way is a short cooling-off in the pool, if you are courageous enough. Afterwards the body needs some time to relax in order to recover, at least as long as the sauna session itself. During this phase the body should possibly not cool down too much, i.e., take a bathrobe or a blanket with you. After the relaxing phase, it all starts over again. It is not advisable to start the sauna procedure with a full nor with an emp-

First of all, it offers an ideal way to prevent annoying colds in the winter season. Caution! Sauna does not cure colds, i.e., who already has a cold should avoid the sauna. The trick lies in its prevention. Those who sweat on a regular basis, strengthen their immune system and do not fall ill very often. Generally speaking, it can be said that going to the sauna on a regular basis certainly does have positive effects on the entire body. The metabolism is stimulated, the immune system strengthened, hearth and circulatory system trained. Going to the sauna puts you in a

good mood, lowers irritability, heals sleeping disorders, and headaches. Moreover, sweating has proven its effectiveness in flushing out toxins and disease. The fact that the sauna is also good for weight loss, I am afraid, is just an old wives’ tale. The body loses lots of liquids, but the loss is balanced out with the first fluid intake. In any case, sauna is excellent for skin cleansing: purifying effects, the blood circulation rises, and the metabolism of the skin works twice as fast as normally, which means getting a rosy and tight skin as a result.

ty stomach. It is important to refrain from eating between the single sessions, and possibly from drinking, too, as it inhibits the detoxifying effect. After the last session it is recommended to drink at least one litre of water in order to balance the loss of liquids. We have heard that sauna is absolutely good for one’s health, however this is obviously not the case for people with non compatible health problems or diseases as high blood pressure, heart problems, pulmonary or skin diseases. In case of doubts, a preventive consultation with the doctor is absolutely recommended. Ready to give it a try? “Happy sweating”! Judith Steinmair *an acknowledged sauna fan

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Photo: H. Rier

Summer in the Alt a Pus teria va lley 48

Photo: T. Grüner

Credits Editor: Alta Pusteria Tourist Board Editor in charge: Michael Wachtler Grafics und Layout: Werbeagentur Rotwild (Brixen) – www.rotwild.it Editorial office & coordination: Alta Pusteria Tourist Board / Stefanie Pfeifhofer / Patrizia Hörmann Texting:

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