As some of you may know – the Admello-Brenta is my favourite place in the world. I normally only visit in summer, but I thought I would share some photos from a visit in Spring. At this time of year, the mountains are empty and quiet, the ski runs (my views on these are unchanged – distasteful and disrespectful to nature) are barely open, and the snow is thawing rapidly. On a clear day, the views are superb
The short walk to Malga Ritorto is a wonderful outing, taking only an hour for a round trip from Patascoss. For once, the path was empty, and I could listen to the sounds of the forest and the crunch of snow beneath my feet.
Eventually – I reached the end. The view was heartbreakingly good – somewhere I’ve spent so much time transformed by the snow, still with enough greenery poking through to add to it all.
There is a great beauty in travelling through places: each morning, you rise in one place and rest your head somewhere new. To know a place deeply, you need to stay, not just for a night, but for much, much longer, perhaps a lifetime. It has been a great privilege to see these mountains wearing a different coat, a spring coat.
It has also been, in a way, sad. The mountains are quiet now, and nature seems so much happier. In my brief walks, I’ve seen more wildlife than I do on these same paths in summer. In the fact that so many people love these mountains, we drive those who belong here away. A reminder to tread lightly in nature, to leave nothing behind.
The views have gone now, and I don’t think they’ll return while I’m here. This gives the opportunity to focus on nature closer to hand and to appreciate the mountains with senses other than sight: the smell of wet pine, the sound of the rivers running high, the fresh wind on your face.
Where next? This being a climbing trip, climbing will take priority over my ponderings walking through nature for once, but trust me, they are not forgotten, and I’ll post more photos on here as I go on more wonderings through the woods.
Oscar Outdoors 