Autumn Hike in Val de Fanes Dolomiti
Cascate Sbarco di Fanes
My Scenic Photography Route without Via Ferrata Gear
I found myself alone with a smile on a warm Dolomites Autumn morning in October of 2021. Normally this canyon is overcrowded to a point quality photography is nearly impossible, but on this day not one person did I encounter in the Dolomiti d'Ampezzo Natural Park. I always carry via ferrata gear on any hike in the Dolomites, but the risk of climbing rock walls alone in such areas is not a wise adventure. Thus, I avoided what surely would have been a great adventure, but this was a photography hike, and superb it was. My total hike was 12.3 kilometers over a six hour period but one must understand I was trekking at a slow pace; setting up many photos sessions along the way was my priority. Maybe next Spring I’ll have safety companions with via ferrata gear for a very wet beneath the falls adventure.
First Stage
From the parking area Pian de Loa, I followed forest trail #10 downhill until I reached the bank of Rio Fanes. From the forest trail exit is a paved forest road which I followed to the right. After 50 meters, crossing a small bridge keeping the main river to my left side until I reached a fork in the forest road. I will return to this location later in the hike to avoid the via ferrata route, but at the fork I took the right fork in the road. After about 200 meters, the road turns into trail #10 as it enters the forest path for a 2 kilometer steep climb through the forest toward Monte Taburlo. The non via ferrata trail ends at the overlook of Rio Fanes gorge and the beautiful Cascate Basse di Fanes waterfall viewpoint. After taking many photos along the edge of the gorge I returned on the same trail from which I came to the fork in the road I mentioned before.
Second Stage
At this time, I took the left fork gravel road (trail #10) crossing a small bridge keeping the river to my right toward Ponte Outo (Ponte Alto). At Point Outo there are several picnic tables and beautiful views down the gorge. This is the exit point of the via ferrata from beneath Cascate Basse di Fanes and from here I could see the platform and viewpoint across the gorge I had used earlier in the day. I continued on from Point Outo exiting the gravel road bearing right on the forest trail. About 100 meters from Point Outo the forest path forks. I took the path to the right crossing a small bridge of Rio Fanes now on my left. From this point photography and views were amazing, although the first kilometer was steep and slightly difficult until crossing another small bridge hereafter keeping the river to my right. The remainder of the hike was relatively easy directly along the river bank path to the end at Cascate Sbarco.
Third Stage
From the top of Cascate Sbarco where the path crosses beneath the waterfall and the via ferrata begins, I end my photography day. Return trip to Pian de Loa parking area was an easy mostly downhill jaunt. A small spur trail from Cascate Sbarco leads to the Valle de Fanes gravel road marked as trail #10 about 100 meters in distance from the waterfalls and used mainly by mountain bikers. I followed the downhill road returning to the forest trailhead for the short climb to the parking location of Pian de Loa.
Rio Fanes in Autumn
