Around the Pütia

Today's hike starts at the Passo delle Erbe that lies beautifully in a peaceful setting further down in the Badia Valley and takes you through some of the most remote parts of the valley itself. We pass Antermöia, a village where time seems to have stopped in time. All this area of Val Badia is totally off the beaten track and it is amazing to abserve farmers cutting the grass on incredibly steep fields without any help from machines! After about one hour drive, we are ready to start our circuit.
From Ütia de Börz we get closer to the mountain until we reach the point of turning to the east or to the west.
I always choose to turn to the west first because I prefer tackling the challenging part at the beginning.
And here it is, a very steep ascend on a very narrow path that crosses various detritus slopes. We always take this part very slowly and often stop for a drink in the middle. After about one hour and a half we reach the top of the Forcela de Pütia as the rocky path stops and opens up a stunning and comfortable gravel path through beautifully manicured alpine meadows.
For someone being up here for the first time, it is really difficult to orientate themselves. The perspective of the mountains that we see is totally different and we are seeing the Santa Croce, the village of San Cassiano and the Passo Falzarego at the far back. As we walk around the Pütia we usually stop for a quick lunch at the Rifugio Vaciara that lies romantically above the tree line opening up a fantastic scenery! As we cross the east side of the mountain our scenery changes once again, pine forests and rocky paths with interesting grottos catch our attention.
After about 5 hours we are back at the parking spot ready for our return to the Posta Zirm Hotel and the tea buffet!
…all my fellow hikers usually fall asleep during the return drive...

Approximate lenght: approx. 5 hours of walking
Difficulty level: medium, steep ascent at the beginning