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Guided Botanical Walks in Selva, the Italian Dolomites, June 2009

Lance is delighted to announce that he will be running 2 more weeks of our very successful Selva Botanical Walks in the Italian Dolomites next year, 2009. Numbers will again be limited to 12 walkers in each group (plus leaders) so that everyone can have some individual attention, if required.

Sunday 21 June. Week 1 will be 6 consecutive days of easier Botanical Walks both for experts who wish to botanize intensively and complete beginners who will enjoy the opportunity to ask even the seemingly daftest of questions. Lance will be helping out with the photography too, sharing his expertise, and it will be a chance for those keen botanists who want to, at least try, to photograph everything Lance points out.

Sunday 28 June. Week 2 will be 5 consecutive days of longer walks with more ascents and descents and will suit the more active walker, as we explore further afield for those extra exciting flowers and views.

Having spent 2 additional weeks in Selva tirelessly researching new places, routes and flowers this year, Lance will be leading new itineraries to fresh sites as well as re-visiting some of his favourite spots.

Detailed itineraries will be available on the website from 1 August (maybe earlier) but since the holidays are already on sale and these Botanical Walks are so popular and sell out fast, let us know soon if you would like to join us.

Book both weeks for the excellent value price of £250.00 per person: Week1 for £160.00 or Week2 for £135.00. There will also be additional local transport costs.

Selva, at 1600m above sea level, is Lance's favourite botanical area outside Greece. There is access to a veritable cornucopia of beautiful alpine flowers. Two wonderful weeks of exploration in the mountains and pastures of the Dolomites.

The Dolomites of northeastern Italy are, as their name suggests, mountains of dolomitic limestone, which form an outlier of the Alps. Hidden between their jagged peaks, the Val Gardena is a long, east-west valley with the resorts of Ortisei, San Cristina and, finally, Selva at its upper end. Selva is at an altitude of around 1565m, surrounded by meadows and then, as the valley walls steepen, by spruce and larch forest, above which rise the grey and orange cliffs of the surrounding mountains. The eastern end of the valley is blocked off by the massive, statueless plinth (to paraphrase Reginald Farrer) of the Sella Group, a row of twelve 2900m peaks, but more spectacular still, to the southeast, is 3181m Saslonch, an eruption of cliffs, pinnacles, teeth and towers, cleft, as if cut by an axe, by the Dantersasc valley.

Flora. The main habitats are the woodland, denser when spruce and larch, more open when pine. Around the villages are meadows and pastures, maintained by summer cutting of the hay and a few grazing cattle, while at higher altitudes are more natural meadows, often with much groundwater, that grade into marsh and bog. At the base of the high peaks are screes – and moraines where there is water underneath – with some of the most attractive alpine plants, while on the peaks themselves is a limited but interesting flora.

Meadow plants include gentians, geums, lousewort, globe flowers, butterwort, vanilla orchids, fragrant orchids, frog orchids, rampions, false helleborine, bellflowers, forget-me-not, dianthus, meadow clary, milk-vetches, bistort, alpine bistort, birdseye primrose, avens, arnica and orange lily. Rockier places have edelweiss, gentians, alpenrose, saxifrages, pink cinquefoil, gypsophila, mountain avens, dwarf willows, alpine toadflax, alpine asters and chamois ragwort. Woodland has wintergreen, yellow violets, alpine clematis, monkshood, spotted orchids, wood cranesbill, baneberry, aruncus, meadow-rue, hepatica, valerian, helleborines, Solomon's-seal, May lily, martagon lily and herb paris. In the boggiest areas are grass-of-Parnassus, marsh orchids, cotton-grass and bogbean, while the high screes have gentians, alpine poppies and least snowbells. See our Dolomites flowers page.

Wildlife may include marmots (best seen from cable-cars), shy chamois, and red squirrels (which may be black or red). High altitude birds include ring-ouzel, snowfinches, alpine accentors, nutcrackers and, if you are very lucky, wall-creepers, black woodpecker and blackcock. See our 2008 bird list from Dave Goff.

diagram of Val Gardena villages



ITINERARY 21-26 June 2008

 Altitudes of locations are given in order to indicate the rise and fall of the routes. Since we do not have specific times for our cable-car/chairlift/bus returns at the end of the day, you can, if you want, stay out longer after the walks.

Sunday Castel Wolkenstein Meet 09.00 at Selva – Oswald

the walk goes along the valley floor - not up to this high viewpoint!We walk up through Selva past the main church and then through the meadows towards Larciunëi (1608m). From here we enter the spectacular U-shaped valley of Vallunga, and the Puez-Odle Natural Park. Passing through a traditional alpine pasture and past the small but ancient chapel of San Silvester (1632m) we head a little way upvalley (1673m) for our picnic lunch, before returning along a dirt track on the north side of the valley to join the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross). There will be an optional, and steeper, diversion to the 13th-century Castel Wolkenstein, a small ruined fortress built into the cliff wall. Return into Selva by a different route. Botanical highlights may include dragonmouth, snowbells, wintergreens and alpine clematis.



Monday San Cristina Lilies Meet 09.00 at Selva – Oswald

the walk goes along the valley floor - also not up to this high viewpoint!The walk heads westwards from Selva (1525m) to cross the stream then up through the rich woodland along the south side of the valley, in the direction of San Cristina, to arrive in the pretty meadows of the slightly confusingly named hamlet of La Sëlva (1570m). Entering spruce woodland briefly, we emerge at Ciaslat (1605m) on a path between boggy pastures along the rim of the valley that takes us via some shaded streams to the tiny hamlet of Prënsa (1560m) - picnic lunch en route. We make a zigzag descent by path, dirt track and road, towards the San Cristina valley (1425m), but then head up past the picturesque Gardena Castle (1488m; not open to the public) into lower La Sëlva (1525m) meadows. From here we return to Selva. Botanical highlights may include martagon lily, May lily and wolfsbane.

Tuesday Pordoi Meet 09.00 at Selva – Oswald

Sas Bech and Pordoi pass from the BindelwegLance will meet you at the Oswald bus stop, from where we catch the bus via the Sella Pass to the village of Canazei in the next valley, Fassa. From here we will take a cable-car and gondola up to the western end of the Belvedere ridge (2380m). Following a dirt track along the ridge, we join the High Dolomite Way (the ancient Bindelweg) and continue east along the southern side of the Ciapel ridge, hopefully with good views of 3343m Marmolada and its glacier. After a refreshments stop in the Viel dal Pain refuge (2432m), we will detour to the crest of the ridge (2437m) and an interesting selection of non-limestone plants. Return partway by the same route, then down to the Pordoi Pass (2239m) and the bus home to Selva. Botanical highlights may include least primrose, Snowdon lily and king of the alps.

Wednesday Parnassus Pastures Meet 09.30 at Ortisei main square

Saslonch from SiusiLance will meet you at the Ortisei main square bus stop (1225m), from where we cross the river (by footbridge!) to reach the Siusi cable-car. This takes us up to Mont Sëuc (2005m) with remarkable views across the Alpe di Siusi, said to be the Alps' largest area of alpine pasture/meadow in Europe. To the east is upright Mt Saslonch, to the south is the wall of Crode del Lago, while to the southwest is the immense block of Sciliar (Schlern). Heading out westwards from the cable-car station, we walk along the ridge and then descend to the Sanon hut for a refreshments stop. Continuing, we circle eastwards across the meadows - picnic lunch en route - and then cross the Ruf da Piz stream. Picnic en route, and a clockwise circular route back to Mont Sëuc, before our cable-car descent to Ortisei, from where you can catch a bus back to Selva (or do a little shopping). Botanical highlights may include bearded bellflowers, butterworts and grass-of-Parnassus.

Thursday Vanilla Meadows Meet 09.00 at Selva – Oswald

Mont de Seura is green area to right; foot of Saslonch is to leftLance will meet you at the Oswald (1525m), from where we walk to the base of the Ciampinoi cable car (1565m). After enjoying the spectacular panoramic views from the top of the cable-car (2250m), we head south towards Saslonch, passing a picturesque small lake (2044m). The path takes us down to the broad, stone-filled stream-bed of the Ruf di Strënc (1968m), probably more or less dry by the time we arrive, but full of interesting alpine plants. Picnic lunch en route. Continuing along a dirt track we enter some pretty meadows (2000m) and circle around towards the 4-seat Mont de Sëura chairlift(2025m). This takes us down to meet the 2-seat Monte pana chairlift (1615m) which will descend to San Cristina, from where you can catch a bus back to Selva. Botanical highlights may include vanilla orchids, pasque flowers, yellow marsh saxifrage and alpenrose.

Friday Edelweiss Edge Meet 09.30 at Ortisei main square

the walk stays on right hand side of the cliff edge Lance will meet you at the Ortisei main square bus stop (1225m), from where we take the escalator up to the base of the Seceda gondola and cable-car. This goes up the Val d'Ana valley in two stages (via Furnes, 1725m) to the edge of the Seceda ridge (2456m). From here we will walk eastwards through alpine meadows to the spectacular col at Forcelle Pana (2450m), continuing eastwards below the jagged Odle-Fermeda peaks and a picnic lunch stop at Pieria Longia (2297m) with a view of the remarkable butterfly-wing rocks. Returning from here, we head back towards Seceda and the cable-cars to Ortisei. Botanical highlights may include androsace, edelweiss and gentians.

The Week 2 Itinerary will include visits to the southwestern Siusi meadows and the Laurin hut for views of Schlern, the Cier and Gardena passes, the screes on the northern side of Saslonch, and Seceda and the Juac meadows.


MEETING PLACES

 There are three meeting places: walks 1, 2, 3 and 5 start in Selva, walks 4 and 6 in Ortisei.

We will meet where we get off the bus in Ortisei – please be at the Selva bus stop at 09.00 so that you can catch the first bus you can get on (they're sometimes crowded) after 09.00. All buses going down valley from Selva go through San Cristina to Ortisei. We will therefore meet in Ortisei around 09.30. Green discs on the map mark the meeting places.

Selva Meeting Place. At the (semi-circular) square opposite the Oswald Hotel. On the Pordoi day, you should meet across the road, at the (uphill) bus stop outside the hotel.

Ortisei Meeting Place. In the town's large central square (where the Val Gardena Express bus turns round). N.B. If you were on a bus, from Selva, going beyond Ortisei (ie to Bolzano, Bressanone or Castelrotto), these do not always go into the Ortisei central square but drop off on the riverside main road a short walk away (see map of Ortisei).

TRANSPORT

 The Gardena Pass covers summer ski-lifts and buses within the Val Gardena area (Sella refuge to Ortisei). The 2008 price is €60 per person – for 6 consecutive days (activated on its first use) – or €48 for 3 days; this is cheaper than paying for our planned use of chairlifts/cable-cars and buses (approx. €xx in 2007). It is also quicker and more convenient to have a pass rather than queueing to pay, and simpler if we need to change our plans and use extra transport at short notice, e.g. due to the weather or extra exciting botany.

They can be purchased from the tourist offices, the Ciampinoi cable-car office, and some hotels (if a guest). One person can purchase a number of passes. The instructions say you should carry photo identity with you when using the pass. The pass consists of two cards; one for buses, one for ski-lifts. Put the bus pass into the ticket machine as you get on the bus, telling the driver where you want to go. The ski-lift pass should be waved in front of the detector at the gate – do not put it in the slot which is for single tickets only. The lift passes are coloured according to gender.

Buses runs up and down from Ortisei via San Cristina to Selva and on to Plan throughout the day. The buses can be very full and you may want to be at the bus stop nice and early. See Map or Download Map for the location of the bus stops. A timetable can be picked up from the tourist information office.

Ski-lifts are either enclosed gondola cabins holding 6+ people (simply walk on/off) or open 2-seater chair-lifts, or semi-enclosed 4-seater chair-lifts. Staff of the chairlifts are very helpful with getting on and off, which is simpler anyway than it might seem before you have done it. Make sure you have your trekking poles and rucksack in a good position. Since you will be sitting still on the open chairlift, you will be considerably cooler than when you are walking. Since it is not practical to put on extra clothing while on the chair lift, you should do this before getting on board (it could, for example, start to rain halfway up!). Stand on pads or marks and the chair comes in behind you. As you take off, pull down a security bar from behind the seat to secure you in position - this also provides you with a footrest. As you reach the end of the chairlift, signs indicate when you should lift the security bar (remember to take your feet off the footrest!). Step off briskly, moving to left or right out of the way of the moving chair.

WALKS INFORMATION

 The Val Gardena area is hilly. The walks are on dirt tracks, paths and occasionally on short stretches of surfaced road. The footpaths and dirt tracks can be fairly stony and/or slippery in places. The roads off the main road can be steep, as can the paths. Obviously this area is not suitable for anyone incapacitated by vertigo, particularly since we will be using open chairlifts, gondolas and cable-cars. You must be reasonably sure-footed on steeply sloping tracks and paths.

The order of the walks may be affected by the weather. If the weather comes in we may have to quickly move on homeward. If the weather is truly awful, we will try and substitute an activity such as nearby towns/museums/shops. or we may delay the start of the walks – it is still daylight at 9pm. (Bring a picnic tea!). The actual itinerary will be determined on the day, by Lance, depending on the weather, but also how long we spend botanizing at each site.

Please do not hurry on the paths, or go far ahead. It is your responsibility to keep Lance in your sight when we are walking. We will stop frequently as a group, to look at views, plants, other wildlife, to rest, etc., so you should not need to stop on your own and become separated from the group.

Please bring a picnic lunch along with you for all the walks. On some of the walks there may be café stops, but we cannot guarantee that these facilities will be functioning on the day. Please note that all your meals/picnics/refreshments while with the group are paid for by yourself.

Weather. The weather in the Dolomites can be very variable and change quickly, even in summer – expect some changes to the itinerary. You should carry/wear full waterproofs (perhaps an umbrella), warm clothing (incl. gloves and hat), and sturdy waterproof footwear that grips in slippery conditions. Although we do not plan to walk through permanently wet areas, it is possible that there may be mud or puddles on the path – and there may just be that photogenic plant in a pathside marsh. A pair of trekking poles is strongly recommended. You will also need sunhat, suncream, water, personal first aid etc.

Biting flies may be a problem occasionally in the woodland or at the Siusi meadows, in sunny weather, particularly if there are domestic animals nearby. Insect repellent can be useful.

FACILITIES IN RESORT

 Holiday Queries. If you are on a package holiday, please note that any queries in resort regarding your accommodation or airport transfer should be addressed to the holiday company representative, and not to Lance.

If not on a package, assume that accommodations will only take cash, not credit/debit cards (unless they have already advised you otherwise). There are outside cash machines at the banks - we found our debit card would not work at the Risparmio Bank but would at the Reiffeisen Bank (conveniently next to the Selva tourist office). Banks elsewhere in Italy may have the cash machine inside the bank entrance: outside banking hours you may need to use your bank card in the card reader slot to unlock the outer doors. Currency is the Euro. Banks usually open 0800-1300 and 1445-1615, Monday-Friday.

Opening/closing times of shops are strictly adhered to. Food shops usually open 0800/0830-1200 and 1500-1830/1900, and shut on Sundays – so you may need to purchase the first day's picnic on Saturday. Supermarkets usually make a small charge for plastic carrier bags.

The Tourist Office in Selva is on the main street (Mëisules 213). Opening hours in July 2008 were Mon-Sat 0800-1200 and 1500-1830, Sunday 0900-1200 and 1630-1830. They also have internet facilities (2€ for a maximum 15 minutes), but you will need to produce your passport to use them the first time.

For a detailed large-scale map of the area, the Tabacco map #5 "Val Gardena/Gröden", scale 1:25 000, can be purchased locally. Less detailed maps of Selva itself and of the surrounding mountains are available free from the Tourist Office.

GENERAL INFORMATION

 The excellent Val Gardena website, www.valgardena.it, has lots of information, including webcams.

Languages. Although the Val Gardena is politically in Italy, for just 6.2% of the locals in Selva their first language is Italian and for just under 6% it is German. The majority is brought up with Ladin, a language related to Etruscan with about 30,000 speakers in this and nearby valleys. Assuming you do not have a Ladin phrasebook with you, you will often find people in shops and hotels will speak at least some English, although they may initially talk to you in German.

Many of the places in the area have three names – in Ladin, Italian and German. The first two are usually similar, but the German is usually very different. In the itineraries most of the names of well-known places are in Italian, but the more obscure are in Ladin.

Ladin Italian German
Sëlva Selva Wolkenstein
S Crestena San Cristina St Christina
Urtijëi Ortisei St Ulrich
Saslonch Sassolungo Langkofel
Val Gherdëina Val Gardena Grödnertal
Balsan Bolzano Bozen
  Bressanone Brixen
  Castelrotto Kastelruth

SUGGESTIONS FOR YOUR SELVA HOLIDAY

Package Holiday Possibilities

 See separate page SELVA HOLIDAY INFO for full details

The walk date is based on Saturday flights if going for one week. All packages fly (from a number of regional UK airports) to Verona, Italy. Holiday packages are available with Inghams (e.g. Hotel Anterleghes, HB, from £540) and Crystal (e.g. Chalet Salvan, all meals, from £540) in their Lakes and Mountains brochures . Prices online 1 July 2008.

Do-It-Yourself
You can fly to North Italy extremely cheaply, and use carhire, or public transport (bus or bus and train), to resort. Accommodation in Selva is bookable via the excellent town website or on arrival in resort via the tourist information centres.

The rail journey from Venice to Bolzano goes via Verona, making Verona-Catullo (VRN) airport the most convenient to fly into. If you were having a hire car from the airport, then Venice MarcoPolo (VCE) has a bigger selection of flights.

The Val Gardena website www.val-gardena.net has downloadable maps of Selva, San Cristina and Ortisei.




Further Links

Saslonch and other mountains

National Parks

Alpe di Siusi webcams

Rasciesa, above Ortisei

Bolzano Natural History Museum


Further Information

Plant List for the Dolomites - see Dolomites

For fascinating descriptions of trips to the Dolomites in the 1900s, read Reginald Farrer's The Dolomites, Cadogan Books. His descriptions are remarkable for both the differences and similarities with the situation today. We were able to find Eritrichium nanum simply by following his narrative.


Lance Chilton and Marengo 2008

Marengo
17 Bernard Crescent
HUNSTANTON
PE36 6ER
England
e-mail us: here

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