An Italy Story: Camping in the Italian Dolomites

Tre Cime di Lavaredo, three distinctive peaks in the Northern Italian Alps, are a popular tourist destination. However, during this time of the year, the road to Tre Cime is closed, as is the lodge. Max and I decided to make the most of this usually crowded destination by backpacking 4 miles and climbing 2,000 feet in, to camp there for one night. My course pick time at Boston College unfortunately coincided with this trip, so I had to bring my laptop, adding to the already heavy weight of my backpack which included camera equipment, camping gear, clothes, and food, weighing roughly 55lbs. Max too carried a heavier load than usual after we decided to bring a €3 bottle of wine and some extra food. Worth it.

We hiked in at sunset, taking in the serenity of our surroundings. While Tre Cime is a popular site, the area around it offers incredible backdrops and unique spots, particularly the Cadini di Misurina mountain range. We passed a few hikers leaving the area on our way up, and so we found ourselves alone, just us and the mountains.

After we cleared away some snow and set up our tent, we braced ourselves for a cold night, layering up with as many clothes as possible and making some hot chocolate with the packets we brought from the Schilthorn buffet. At 9pm, I left the warmth of my tent to register for classes, walking across the mountain side in search of a connection, finally triangulating a position with 2 bars, one step either way and nothing would load. By some miracle, I was able to successfully register with no hiccups.

The night in the tent was brutal. Unbearably cold. Our summer tent and summer sleeping bags were no match for the roughly 15F temperatures. To make matters worse, in the middle of the night, we thought we heard some noises outside the tent, so naturally, I grabbed my pocket knife to investigate. With the confidence of John Wick, I set out, quickly humbled when I tripped getting out of my sleeping bag, fell, and punctured my inflatable sleeping mat which immediately deflated. There was nothing outside the tent. It was the wind. Every thirty minutes, my sleeping mat would deflate, leaving me exposed to the cold ground. Needless to say, we both didn't get much sleep that night.

In the morning, we awoke before sunrise, enjoyed a hearty bowl of oatmeal, and then filmed & watched a beautiful sunrise over the stupendous mountains. Another unforgettable trip.

Story & Photography By: Matthew Kirven

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