Dolomites High Route 6: Zsigmondy Hut to Sexten - a birthday, a gluten-free Kaiserschmarrn and too much food

Wrong decision last night. We pitched the tent on the backside of the hut, which was the only flat spot besides the heliport, and we didn’t dare to pitch it on the heliport. But unluckily that put the tent in the shade of the building. So even though the sun was up our tent was still in the shade, and at 8:30 it was still freezing cold in there, since we were still on 2.300 meters.

So at one point, also because yesterday was a long day, we got out of the tent and moved everything into the sun, because it was all still wet from postholing and kicking steps in the snow. We also took the tent into the sun, and then we just sat there having breakfast and drying our stuff. The sun was so strong that everything really dried, even our socks.

Then the first hiker came up, a local guy from Sexten, and we talked a little with him. He said he comes up here very often and gave us a tip for a potential hike: why don’t you go up the Seekofel, it’s a pretty stunning view. And we were like: yeah, we’ll check it out.

I think after 9 o’clock we started strolling down into the valley. It was Sina’s birthday, so she was the one making the calls about what to do today and what not. It was a pretty easy hike down, but we lost like 900 meters through the narrow valley. We could still see the Alpini-Steig on the other side of the valley, which was definitely not accessible at that point. Too bad. I guess we have to come back for that another time.

Down on the valley floor there was a rifugio, the Talschlusshütte, and it was open and they had amazing food. We had a cheese platter, eggs with bacon and potatoes and a Kaiserschmarrn, which they made gluten-free for Sina, so she was also happy. It was also my first Kaiserschmarrn of the entire trip. We had a few cappuccinos and felt really good again after this late breakfast or early lunch.

So we said we’ll just continue, go up again towards the Rotwand and see from there. It was beautiful weather and the sun was out, it was actually boiling. We just went straight up on the other side of the valley into the wall and climbed from 1.500 to 2.100 meters in one go. I was sweating like crazy.

Then we thought based on the map that we could go even higher, to cross higher and not go down anymore. But after another 200 meters of climbing we actually came to one of the exhibits of the open-air museum that is out there, with remains of, I actually don’t know, probably some military equipment. The trail ended in front of a cave that had already crumbled down for the most part. So we had to go down the 200 meters again, take the real trail and just circle around the mountain.

That was actually a pretty cool trail, with some pretty cool viewpoints. We could see the Drei Zinnen hut that we passed the day before on our way to the Zsigmondy hut, and the valley we went through to get to the Büllelejoch. You could see our trail from there, which was a cool view. You could also see the Carnic High Trail on the other side. So really well worth it.

And then we came to the Rotwand and it was already four o’clock. We talked about either continuing to the next hut, I think it’s the Berti hut, then hiking down into the valley and taking the bus back to Sexten. Or just hiking down to Sexten from here, which was basically the same distance, more or less. And Sina decided, since she was making the calls on her birthday, to go directly down to Sexten. So we just went down on the ski slopes. Not really nice, but okay. We came out in Moos, continued to Sexten and found a little place to stay.

Then we went out for an amazing dinner, at a hotel which actually does not have an open restaurant. But we just dropped in and asked if we could have dinner there, and they said: yeah, you can just have the dinner that all of the hotel guests have. So there was a buffet for starters, then a soup, a first course, the main course, cheese and a dessert, all for like 45 euros. And we were like: yes! So we had a great night, amazing food, a few drinks and celebrated Sina’s birthday.

We were actually so stuffed with food that we couldn’t eat any more. And that as a hiker, I mean, you know. We went home at probably nine, nine thirty and now we are going to bed, really tired and stuffed. Good night.