For months, I’d been talking about returning to the place where I rode one of the most breathtaking mountain bike races ever. The race was held in the Italian Dolomites at Tre Cime. The spirit I felt there lingered with me because it was so wonderful. Unfortunately, I am no longer able to cycle, but this time I will try to walk for a short distance at the site to capture the shot I want.

Apart from my journey, many others have informed me about Paolo Cognetti’s excellent book, The 8 Mountains. The book is about this location and the Dolomites’ magnificent strength. ( The Eight Mountains – links )

My Land Rover Defender was fully stocked and ready to go 970 km to Auronzo di Cadore, Italy. My day began at 2:30 a.m., and I intended to reach at this location around 14:30.

The mountains come next to me as I drive past after 12 hours. I arrived at the Unesco Tre Cime Naturepark.

The Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Italian for “Three Peaks of Lavaredo”), also known as the Drei Zinnen, are three different battlement-like peaks in northeastern Italy’s Sexten Dolomites. They are perhaps the most well-known mountain range in the Alps. From east to west, the three summits are:

Cima Piccola / Kleine Zinne (“little peak”)
Cima Grande / Große Zinne (“big peak”)
Cima Ovest / Westliche Zinne (“western peak”).

Some photos from my mountain bike race at the Three Epics. I’m guessing I am a few kilogrammes lighter.

My Land Rover drops me off at the 2300 elevation at a parking place with a fantastic view. I started my trek by catching a view of Lago Misurina. It is a lovely lake at an elevation of 1754 metres. It can be seen in the shot above. I instantly get shivers since this is a location I’ve wanted to see for years.

I had an awesome time riding my mountain bike up the entire pass, even though I am not as athletic as Remco Evenpoel. I liked riding my bicycle among the earth’s natural beauty, but it took some effort to make it happen. 😉

With the book of the Eighth Mountains in my head, I began photography. The more I picture, the more I am captivated by the mountains in front of me. Because the dolomite refugios were closed due to the end of the season, we had to trek and return to our car before nightfall.

I arrive at Cappella degli Alpini after some trekking. Today, the chapel serves as the starting point for a 10-mile out-and-back hike. The hiking trek is called Cappella degli Alpini—Monte Crocione. Because of the rugged terrain and woodland pathways, the track is intended for moderate hikers. The trail also includes a trip through a historic WWII tunnel. However, because I was unable to walk this distance, I took some photos on my shorter route.

Despite the fact that the previous several weeks had been hectic, I resumed my stroll. With only 3 hours of sleep and 2400 metres of height, I found myself on the ground. My body did reveal where I was weak and where I needed to strengthen myself. The battle was tremendous at that moment, and all of the emotions from the preceding weeks surfaced. My next destination was the Lavaredohütte, one of the original refugios.

I had to puke, and then the tears flowed. The energies of the mountain aided me in releasing all of the grief I was carrying. I had a hunch something remarkable would happen in the mountains before I arrived. That is exactly what occurred.

As the clouds began to thicken, the sun appeared out of nowhere. The electricity I felt at the time made me shiver and still does. One of the images is seen below. The warm light embraced me and gave me the energy to continue.

Even though it’s been a week, I still feel like I’m standing in the heart of this massive mountain’s energy while I write this blog. It’s a privilege to be able to feel its power.

Back to my narrative, I continued walking till I arrived to the tiny chapel in front of me. I was drawn in by the view from the Chapel and the Refugio Antonio Locatelli. I couldn’t travel by foot since I couldn’t walk that far. I couldn’t return since the refugios were closed. I need to happen at a different time.

A friend told me that the Chapel was one of a kind. It also serves as a setting for Paolo Cognetti’s creative work. In the autumn, his father married in front of the chapel at the foot of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo. Seeing it from the countryside viewpoint made me want to stay there. I made a 180-degree spin and arrived at the desired position.

My view from the Tre Cime was amazing. At that instant, little snowflakes began to fall from a beautiful heaven. Everything came together, and I felt as if I were in a magnificent universe full with wonders.

The rocks inspired me, but they also made me terrified about losing this beauty.
I shot a few more photos as I walked back to my starting point. The sky began to darken, creating a dramatic mood on the high mountain peaks.

On my way back, I began to notice dog poop bags in between the morene. They’d been abandoned behind some stones. It’s disheartening to discover that simply carrying a small bag of plastic is too much to expect.I was fortunate to witness mother nature’s majesty, yet even here, I note that humanity has little regard for this Unesco World Heritage site. Every day, we discover that the world is reaching its limits or that the ecosystem is rapidly changing.

It all starts with the small things, like putting your waste in the correct spot. Wouldn’t it be good if our grandchildren could see this natural beauty instead of missing out on three breathtaking mountain ranges because the ground is trembling? The entire globe is linked together. Don’t be selfish; instead, take care of others by respecting everything in front of us.

P.S. Thank you to my wife for providing me with personal images and allowing us to complete our journey together.

Thank you