Corvara: Pralongià Plateau

Woke up to thick fog filling the valley and hiding the mountains and the town from view. By the time breakfast was over, however, so was the fog … in time for us to put today’s plans for an outing in play. The blue sky was hidden behind clouds initially, but that changed by the time we got to our destination.

Arriving in Planac, just outside Corvara, we parked in the lot for the chairlift that goes up to Pralongià … a high plateau at the far end of the Badia Valley. In the winter, it’s a haven for skiers … this time of the year it is a destination for hikers and bikers.

Purchasing roundtrip tickets on the chairlift, we were on our way up to the mountain station shortly after 10:30a. It was a refreshing ride … didn’t really need the jackets we’d put on in the parking lot just in case.

We’ve ridden ski chairlifts before, but this one could accommodate 6 people on each lift. With just the two of us, we were able to enjoy a private ride and turn around to look at the scenery behind us as well. A fun ride … less than 10 minutes.

The chairlift is actually two phases, but only the first phase — which ends near Ütia Punta Trieste at 6,654 feet (2,028m) asl — is operating this time of the year. (Ütia, by the way, means mountain hut or alpine refuge in the Ladin language.) Despite its name — which means Trieste Peak — the hut is better known as the “Rifugio dei Gufi” (Refuge of the Owls) because of the hundreds of owl carvings, ceramics, and more that decorate the hut and the deck.

We dallied a bit around the hut, taking the time to enjoy not just all the owls, but also the wonderful view of the mountains in every direction. That there was hardly anyone else around was a bonus.

And then we began the hike to the alpine refuge of Pralongià, which took us up another 425 feet to 7,076 feet (2,157m) asl. It wasn’t a difficult hike, despite some steep sections. We’d been told it was a 30-minute hike to the hut — now a fairly large facility with a restaurant and hotel. We took longer to get up to it, following a detour that was easier on the knees … via a scenic path dotted with wild flowers.

It was almost noon when we arrived at the Pralongià ‘hut’ … if you can call it that. The place was packed with mountain bikers and hikers congregating here for food and rest after their strenuous activities. Can’t say as I blame them … the view was spectacular.

The place was packed but we found a table where we could both sit facing the alpine church on the hill across the way and still be in the shade. A glass of wine; delicious food — braised venison ossobuco from the Alps with celery root crêpes and carrots for Mui; paccheri pasta with venison ragout, Lagrein wine reduction sauce, and freeze-dried raspberries for me. Dessert was an interesting concoction … a mountain pine semifreddo garnished with berries and crunchy bits. Delicious.

We would have dallied at the restaurant, but we felt guilty taking up a table … even though we had agreed to have a German couple from Stuttgart sit at the other side of our table when they asked if they could share it with us. No sooner were we standing that another couple was taking our seats.

We hiked back down via the main trail for a change of pace and scenery. With distant clouds portending rain — a storm was forecasted for this afternoon — we decided to continue down on the chairlift and return to the apartment.

The rain indeed came … earlier than yesterday … and it was much heavier today. That it didn’t last as long as yesterday’s storm meant that we could enjoy our snacks-in-lieu-of-dinner on the balcony.Read more