Hiking and Wild Camping 120km Through the Italian Dolomites - A 5 Day Guide for the Alta Via 1

Hello, welcome to another video. And since my back's cabbage and I can't do any long-distance hikes, I'm going to condense some of my longer series into one part with a bit of voice over, some added information, a remastered version of some old classics, and we're going back to the Altvilla 1 because a lot of people asked me how I got to the start line, how I got home. So, how did I get to the start of the Altvia 1, which is a multi-day hike in the Doommites in Italy? So in the UK I flew from Manchester to Venice Marco Polo and then as soon as I got to Venice I jumped on a train which is the Venice to Forza and then changed to a regional train heading towards the Pustatal. Sorry if I'm getting these words wrong if you hadn't guessed my first language is not Italian. I got off at Dobby and then spent the night because it was a bit later in the day and I didn't want to get to the start line too late in the day. I wanted to have a full day at it. So I recommend either camping there or just staying over the night and then get a bus early doors. It's 40 minutes and that'll take you to Lago de Br and the start line of the Altvia 1. I took everything with me in a backpack and put it in the hold under the plane. For my hiking poles, I just put a load of gaffer tape around the edge so they weren't going to poke through my bag because on this hike, hiking poles are essential. And then you do the hike. I would recommend staying in refugeios which are the little mountain huts and plan your route from hut to hut. Take the wild camping stuff as well cuz you might want to do one or two nights while camping. If you are going to stay in a refugeio, you want to book ahead in advance because they do book out in summer pretty quickly. At the end of the hike, you finish on a road about 50 m from a bus stop. You get the bus from La Pisa to Baloon. It takes about 20 minutes and I spent the night there and then you can get a direct train from there straight back to Venice and the airport and that takes about two hours. It's harder getting to the start line than it is finishing. So once you're tired and you've done all your hiking, it's pretty smooth sailing at the end. I've kept in all the map times so anybody who's thinking of doing this hike can follow along. So let's see how I got on on the Altvia 1. Altvia 1 is an 80-mile high-level route which runs through the eastern Doommites in Italy. Altvilla simply means the high route and this high route passes through some of the finest scenery the Doommites has to offer. Join me as I take on this challenging and breathtaking hike through huge forests and other intimidating mountain passes. Surrendering to nature, its raw beauty and the lessons it gives along the way. Welcome to the high route and welcome to the Doommites. That's me. That's where I'm going. First bit of viaata. Vaporata [music] translates as iron path. It refers to metal rungs, ladders, or permanently fixed safety wire as a means of crossing otherwise tricky [music] and steep rocky terrain. Via ferrata were born in the Doommites during World War I. They were constructed to help men and [music] equipment into strategic positions in the mountains. You don't want to be stacking it down there already. Call it void whistling its tune in luggle. Not today, sunshine. [snorts] Not today. Focus. The level of focus is 100%. And we're getting this done. Heights or no heights. There's a Verata up here. He's zigzagging up. There's these cables that you can hold on to or clip yourself in if you've got all the clobber. I'm just holding on to them. [snorts] A got to do it, ain't you, kids? Come on. >> [bell] >> I'm nearly at my lake. Best believe the old budgy smugglers made it to Italy. Woo! Oh, it's chilly. [snorts] Calm down behind this rock. Look at this. This is perfect. Now, let's get Wigwam set up. pretty good. Welcome to map time. This is map time after the fact. So, I'm trying my me map's a little bit all busted up, but this is the guide book. Welcome. Welcome to the guide book. I'm having to try and pages down with one hand and film with other. And right, so this is the start. I'm gonna do a separate video on how to get to the start, how to park, how to like get your stuff on the plane, which how I got here basically. But we're here off the bus there. Boom. You get out of the bus and you are greeted by this unbelievable lake and every corner across. It's like um it's like living in a windows screen saver. every view. It was incredible. This is stage one. We go around the lake. It's a It's a beautiful walk just to go around the lake. You can hire boats and spend the day there. But thankfully, I came off here away from the people. And off we go. And I tell you, it straight out of the gates, it is a lung busting leg pumper, mate. You've got about 900 m of elevation just in this first bit. Worming my way up through here. There was a little bit of via ferata to be to be done up here. Stunning views. I'm going to say that a lot about this this hike. Stunning views. Cutting through this valley. I was just sort of getting me legs under me. Felt a bit overwhelmed by the whole experience, but then settled into it. That must be it. So that and so here is the first refugeio where I stayed and had the best pastor of my life. So you come down here, hit these paths all very nice walking down here. So that would be stage one. If you were doing the longer version, you can walk do this first walk and keep at this refugeio. And uh if you are doing the huts, you can make it as easy um or as difficult as you want. I think 6 days was the limit where in this guide book where it says it's you got to crunch out the miles to do it in 6 days and the other one's like 12 days or something. So, you can really take your time. Off we went along here. All wonderful. I mean, it's been a while since it's been a it's been a week or so since I've done it, but I can still remember it. So, down through here. Still the views. Amazing. Continue on here. Okay. So, we come down here around this corner to this other refugeio. I didn't bother staying in that one. She wouldn't let me have Wi-Fi password. So, I was like, "Right, keep it." We're off. And then we head down here. Beautiful down here. All through these woodlands. And there's a little alternative route that you can go here. I stuck with this one. Stuck with this one down here through this wood. And then it gets a lot squiggly. You can see in any time you look at a map and it's all these squiggles, you know it's going to be steep. It was steep coming through here. Another refusio here. Amazing just to fill your water bottles at over the little bridge and then up the bigger scent here. Really started to feel it. My legs started to get the old jitters up here. My thigh for some reason just in one of my thighs started to bonk. So double dropped some leis around here and we cracked on. That's the lake. So on the map I saw this lake but in real life when I looked at it it was all dried up and green. So I thought well that's no good for me. On we go up and around. This was lovely. There's no camping signs all around here within these gates. So I knew I couldn't settle down here. Round I cut through here to another refugeio. Didn't stop at this one either cuz I just had enough water. So I didn't need anything. We're pushing up. That's the lake that I had a little swim in there. That's the one I saw in my map. And I thought I could camp around there. Look, there's a little path that goes around it. Um, it looks quite flat there. So, but there was too many cows and it was too near this uh hut. So, I strolled on keeping on going. You have to keep your wits about you cuz these signposts are quite confusing. There's another refio there. So, I walked along here. This was where I was like, I've got, it's getting dark, so I need somewhere to camp. Didn't want to be in view of this thing here. I looked up here on these platters. Couldn't find anything. Came back down and I camped for the first night, I believe, around here. Night one. I'll put my stats on the screen. All Trails was playing up a little bit. So, I don't know how legit all these stats are, but that's what I've got and that's what I've worked out. It's just before 7:00. There's not a breath of wind, so there's a lot of condensation. Me quilt got wet, but I just used me sponge this morning. Got rid of two or three full sponges of water. So, that takes the weight out of it. Day two. Optimism high. Morale high. Feeling good, mate. Good running. Come on, Dollar. It's what you got for me. I forget easily, don't I? Yesterday I was It was a tough slog yesterday. This is it though. A full cycle. I'm up and ready for it. Lovely little camp spot. This come here. No trace. Obviously, I ain't got a trace to leave. Forgot all me traces. A strong chance I'll never ever camp there again. That's the beauty of it. Look at that, man. Up early. [snorts] They say if you get up early, especially in the later sections as you get into the northern Doommites, you've got a great chance of seeing some proper wildlife. Ibecks or whatever they call them like the goats and deer, the marmott. [snorts] I've already seen a couple of Marmott. Oh, look at it, mate. So, in the guide book, that's the way to go up and over here. But there's an alternate route in the guide book that goes around here. And I've got to take this one because there's a hut on it and there's nothing that way. I got a couple of mouthfuls of water and that's all I've got. What are we doing? >> There we go. This is more like it. Nice and worn in counterweight. Got cable wire. So, a big bit of iron. Love it. Oh, sturdy. That is sturdy. A view on this one as well. Latching locks. [snorts] There's a bit to go as well. >> [panting] >> Oh [ __ ] drop, mate. >> Nah, nah. Not having that. Go through a tunnel, you come out, it's just off these edges. Sheer drop, mate. [snorts] Unbelievable, Jeff. There's all these tunnels. Look, from the war. Let's learn a bit. Lagazooi is the highest point of the hike, lying at an elevation of 2,835 m. [music] It's accessible by cable car, so don't expect to be alone while you're up here, but the views and [music] history make it a worthwhile destination. From 1915, the high peaks of the Doomite Range were an area of [music] fierce mountain warfare. In order to protect their soldiers from enemy fire and hostile alpine environment, both Austrohungarian and [music] Italian military engineers constructed fighting tunnels which offered a degree of cover and allow better logistical [music] support. In addition to building underground shelters and covered supply routes for their soldiers, both sides attempted to break the stalemate of trench [music] warfare by tunneling under no man's land and laying large quantities of explosives beneath the enemy's position. Today, a lot of the caves are open to the public. But just be careful where you step because it's ed sheer and drops. Actual snow. Cold snow in August. Love it. You can see the path that I'm going to be taking is this yellow one. The little lake by the side of it up and through here. >> [panting] >> Whoa. As I was just about to say, you won't want to stack it off here. I tripped. That would have been brilliant. Well, it wouldn't have been brilliant, but it would have been I could appreciate the irony in that kind of a death. I would have become a meme, would I? The you don't want to trip guy. Look at this path as well. Are you having it? Totally Lord of the nerds in it. Oh. Oh, brand new by the way. Cools core temperature down. I need it, mate. Where have we come from? I don't even know. Really steep descent. Traverse along here. It's all a bit steep for camping like so. We'll have to keep going around here and then it's up and over there. That's the first pass of I think there's going to be four or five passes. It's literally every corner is like I said before like a like a laptop screen saver. Look at that. Stunning, isn't it? I am stopping here. Main path's just over there, so no one's going to see me on main path. He's pushing towards 7:00. I mean, that's me views. I'm not going to grumble with that. Home sweet home. It was a right decision, mate. Look at it. Nice and calm. Supposed to be thunder and rain. And see it coming across. Look at that. It's going to be a wet one. It's a good job I set up when I did. Perfect time. Thunder and lightning as well. Here we go. Real talk in here. Thunder and lightning, mate. Thankfully, I got this tent up in the nick of time. It just felt right to pitch here. The only problem is that I'm in a little bit of a del. So, will persistent rain fill it? I hope not. I hope not. It should be all right. It should be okay. Hopefully it's not persistent and it passes. There you go. Just thunder, mate. It's just thunder and heavy rain. Woohoo! Wow, it's actually hail stoning. It's hailstones. I thought it sounded quite heavy. The calm after the storm. Like in life, the storm eventually passed and calm [music] returned. This was a special moment and it gave me hope and optimism for the journey ahead. Right, map time. This is where I woke up. I believe we hit the trail. It was a beautiful morning and we headed down this way through the valley. These were my options here. I could have gone this way up and over this ridge which was quite a way to go and join up with the path here. But instead I took this slightly longer version um down through these woods by this river around up very steep up here and to this refugeio here where thankfully I was able to fill my water bottles up uh get a cake and a coffee and that's the reason that I took this. I would have gone this way, but this way was stunning. I'm sure I didn't miss much. And uh I had to do it to get some water and stuff from the refugeio. And coming up here, the views looking back was stunning. Absolutely beautiful. Really gorgeous section. This as we head up here to the highest part of the trail. Now, this is where it got really complicated. Like just looking at this map I was like what what is actually how do you make sense of it and which way do I go? I came in from here right and then I got to this. That was the first conundrum. I was like uh h which way to go? You can go this way. Uh you can go this way. You can go this way. There's lots of different ways to go here. climb up here cuz I wanted to have a look in these little caves and the things about the war. And also there was a refugeio right on the top of the hill there back down here and then I was off this way. Look, that's me. You lot can keep it. This is just the way I went. There was some nice steep sections along here, but as always, just absolutely stunning. Right. Then when I got here, so you can go this way and there's a real steep bit or a varieta on this section. So I went this way and around and then down here. Beautiful. It was down here. I really put some uh miles on me boots today. [snorts] Lots of elevation as well. Another refugeio there. Didn't stop in that one. Off I went. Followed this around. This was absolutely stunning. And then, yeah, there's a few passes up here. So, you are up and down. And around here somewhere, I believe was where I pitched for the night. And so, I'm there. a lot cloudier this morning. It's taken me 20 minutes because it's so still and obviously it's a single wall tent. So, it's taken a long time for me to just wipe it all down with me sponge and get all the well as much of the moisture out as I could. I haven't slept well at all because um yeah, it did keep thundering and storms kept passing over and waking me up and then half asleep I'll be like, am I going to get struck by lightning here or what? So, I was it was hard to fully relax into a a good night's sleep. So, add um add tiredness to hunger and thirst when we're off. Yesterday did just shy of two Scarfell pikes in elevation. Look at it coming for me. I better get going. The weather's not forecast too good today. And look how much it's closing in. Oh my word. Look at this. You want to watch it envelop me in real time? Let's go. Watch this. This is going to be a complete You can't see anything. Watch this. In fact, shall I stand up here? And just like that, pea soup in real time and the clouds sort of lifted rolled over me. I've just been like rolled over. Have I been abused? I think I have. I think mother nature's just uh me too me. Um, she came right storming over here all up my blouse and then just left but then left that in her wake. Look at it. Absolute scenics. Rodney scenic. It's a great outdoors Tommy. Oh yeah. Look at this. Good girl. [music and bell] There we go. The whisperer. I love seeing these little If I know then I'm on the right path. And look at my path. It's stunning, isn't it? Drink every time. It is stunning. [music] When I was young, my daddy [music] said, "Got to keep one eye open in your bed, cuz there's a time coming when the devil going to [music] come for you." Never going to do it for you. So my trigger finger, stay prepared. I've got my weapon and I got my [music] prayers. Cuz if you don't run this town, they walk all over you. [music] Run out, better run on. Keep on running till the sun goes down. Run [music] out, better run on. Run all day till you can't be found. Run out, [music] better run on. Keep on running till the sun goes down. [music] You can out the devil, but you ain't going to me. >> My feet got wet this morning and then it's that thing, you know, when they're wet and they start to go all hot and weird, started to do that. So, I've uh clipped these. The good thing about these socks, even though I've put an hole in them already, they were brand new before this. Um, they've got little elasticated things on here, so you can just attach them to the outside of your bag and they'll dry off. But I'm just letting my feet breathe before they become a problem. Going a little bit a little bit gummy. So, let these breathe and I'll put some fresh socks on. Here we go, brother. Look at it. A beacon of hope. I'm going to fill this neck the whole thing. Then fill this again. Couple of leis in here. And then I've got a liter and a half that will just be pure water. And that should see me if I don't go too wild on it for the rest of the day. There we are. Look, Italian raspberries. Naughty. First leg squeezer at day. This little beacon of hope. Now, if you're going to do this in the future, anyone, I would and you're well, you've got a good mind for planning, then I would book at least a couple of these on your route cuz if you get them early, they're not that expensive and it'd be nice to dry your stuff off, recharge, be nice little addition to it. But, uh, I booked all this with like two days notice, so I ain't staying anywhere except up there. Look at this, mate. bit. I got a wood fire on and everyone's just drying out all their stuff. Got out there. It was bucketing it down. Freezing. I've had to hike all the way up here [snorts] just to feel some kind of warmth in me. This is the lake that I was going to camp next to if I'd have hit it at the right time. Oh, wow. I've got to do it. Been a change of plan. I'm just going to go for a swim and then crack on. Solid, mate. Solid cold. It's cold, mate. I can't lie to you. Why would I? Am I going head? Oh, what? I am. We're not messing about. [laughter] Are you having it or it's a lifetime highlight reel? This is one of the best moments of my life. [laughter] This is it. I'm living in it right now. I'm living in one of the best moments of my life, mate. Highlight reel, mate. Absolute highlight reel. What cold might stayed in a bit too long cuz just I [snorts] I just transcended there, mate. Unbelievable. Jeffrey, he's starting to clear up a little bit. Fingers crossed. We get to see this big old rock and I get to feel minuscule. I'm I'm minuscule cuz I've been in cold water. That's all. I'm already so high up in the mountains. And then you look at that face of rock with snow on it. It's utterly majestic. It's unbelievable. Utterly unbelievable. Jeff Stick. God, it makes me feel so like insignificant. Having a moment, Jeff. I don't know if all this is coming across on here, but it's one of the most amazing places I've ever been. I mean, I've been to Alps and that, but it's different cuz it when I've been to Alps, it's been cuz I've been snowboarding. Everything's covered in snow and you expect it like that. But to see all this as it's supposed to be, just a bare rock and then look at that. What you make of it, Tony? Eh, not in Kansas anymore, are we, Tone? Look at that. Tony, have you ever seen anything so beautiful in your life? It's majestic. It's otherworldly. This is one of my favorite sections of hiking that I've ever done in my life. The one running on the lowest part of the mountain. Avoid the highest cuz some rocks might fall off the cliff. All right, turn. I don't want to be smashed to death by a rock. So, I'll listen to you and I'll go this way. Look at this path. Circling around here and then up to the top of there. And the vistas are just somewhere else. These two either shagging or fighting. Either way, it gets stuck in huge meadow. I've had me bag off and I just thought, you know what? You ever frolocked in a meadow? This is about all I can afford. Anyone [snorts] could keep in here, couldn't I? Nah. Let's see what's through here. Please be some good. Please. Anything flat? God. Not out. There's an out. There's now potentially here. Madness though. What's that up there? Does that flatten out a bit? Go on. You What's this? Look. Look at this. Oh my god. Are you kidding? [laughter] Look at this. What the actual What? Off the path views. Is this a joke? Am I living in a matrix? Look at that. Just when I was like, I can't. Sun's going to go in. I'm doomed. Just it's the size of me tent flat brass in amongst all this shite. Let's get tent set up and get in it and get away from these bugs. Look at that. Look at it. It's to the mill. To the millimeter. Come off it. Come off it. Right. Welcome to map time. This book keeps trying to fold itself in. I'm holding camera with one hand, knife with other. Chooseville. To the best of my knowledge, I woke up here when the clouds just came over me. Beautiful start to the day. I was looking to this way towards these mountains when the clouds were just enveloping them following a little stream down here up this ridge and then we traverse along here. The weather was doing everything through these woods, I believe. Was that my refugeio? Potentially that's where I stopped for a coffee and whatnot. And then we carry on. Oh, this could be it actually down here. I nearly went down this way by accident and then cut down through these woods. Yeah, that's it. Along here along all this hardcore gravel through these woods. It was lovely hiking through this bit. And then we descend down. I didn't stop at this refusio, but there is options to do that there. And this is where we meet the road just for a little bit. It's not too much. It's just this section. Here's where I found my water. That was a lifesaver. A free little water thing there that you can fill your boots with. Don't fill your boots with it. Fill your water bottles with it. And then off onto this track and away along we go. There was another refugeio around here. And then we start to go up elevation up here and it was just stunning. Like it's always it's all beautiful. I realize I was just using I'm just repeating the same words to describe how lovely it is, but it was it was really nice. There's one, haven't you? It was nice. Along we go. Start to ascend up here. These zigzags. This was really steep. Proper leg pumper up here. And there are cable cars that run up here as well to this refusio which was unbelievable. I stopped had some goulash and palenta. Cup of coffee. I didn't want to leave man. I got really cold as well when I left. Thankfully me rain jacket pushed up here. Soon got warm again. And this was where I first saw the lake and that is where I had the best wild swim existence. Utterly stunning. An utterly beautiful, amazing wild swim. With everything taken into consideration, I'd say it was probably the best wild swim. Reinvigorated in there, we headed up and I was just I was lost for words. Arguably the best days hiking I've done in my life. And this stretch was arguably the most beautiful all things considered. So along here, traversing along here, and then we drop down into these meadows. You can take a detour here to see some dinosaur footprints that I didn't do. Kept going down into these meadows where I had a little frolic. I really crunched out the miles today. All Trails was playing up a little bit, but I'll put on the screen what I'll try and work it out and put on the screen my distance and elevation if I can or just my distance. I'll work it out and pop it on the screen now for you for all you distance fiends out there. Keep going. Love. It's just lovely walking through all these woodlands. A real mixed bag today. And then this is the refusio that we hit where I went and got a couple of bottles of water and everyone was having a really good time. The food and wine were flowing, but I had to leave like some little reprobate on the outskirts. Off we went. And from from here from leaving this refugeio, I had my eyes open looking for somewhere to camp. We hit this track and start zigzagging down. And then you've got to be vigilant with your map because it just comes off here. You would naturally keep following this road down, but it came off here. And it was my last roll of the dice. I walked up here and there it was. Oh, there's my path. Cutting through here. Spectacular. Don't look down. Oh, mate. I've got a real problem here with ice. The call of the void. Shh. Don't talk about it. Don't talk. You just don't look. [snorts] Oh, he looked. He said, "Don't look." idiot. Looked just right. Okay. Why is it like I'm over this stuff like an absolute mountain goat usually? But because I know that that But because I know there's a big drop, [ __ ] like my my legs start going all [ __ ] I start second guessing me foot placements. Like it's okay. I know what you're thinking. Well, why did you put the camera away, [ __ ] I'll tell you why, mate. I still use me hands. I've got you like sort of through like through me thumb bit and it's helping me a bit. Been able to chat to you. All right. Oh, making it less less mad. Ain't that mad, is it? Whoa. It's all right. [panting] Fell upwards. This isn't even Oh, [panting] isn't even relatively that bad. What am I going to be like on [sighs] the knife edge? No. I've made it. I've made [laughter] it. [ __ ] I I'm medicked. Look at that tone. I came up here thinking that that was my way. Looked off edge and it's a sheer drop off edge of their tone. Ah, I've made a mountain out of a mon there. I've got these cables here. Bit of varieta because it doesn't look like it, but this little tree line hides a sheer drop. So, there's this cable that you can hold on to just for reassurance. It's different gravy. This section's pretty remote and tough going. Lots of places you could uh if you put your foot wrong, it's it'd be a bad day in office. And for anyone wondering, I do have a in reach mini GPS safety device in my hip belt. So, if I do fall off one of these things, whoever finds me can keep it. It's too exhausting. [snorts] I'll see you at the top. Beautiful. This man, what a forest. Keep seeing mushrooms everywhere as well. the music on and everything, mate. >> Beers on go. >> What is this then? Is this just like a free >> little Yeah. bunker, but you can count. I mean, it's got a >> oven and stove. And then there's these >> old That's luxury. >> There's three of them. >> Yeah. >> And it's got a new roof, so pro probably it won't let >> Yeah. Yeah. [laughter] Yeah. It's dry. That's the main thing. >> Wonderful stuff. >> That was lovely. Just load of people in there. There's a fire going. There's lot drinks going. Just like real community vibe. Good chats. And I was like, "Yeah, nice one. I'm bouncing." That's rain setting for day now. I don't think I've done a walk back, have I? Today, [snorts] it's been a tough one. Yeah. Let's just do one of the Let's just do this. Look how fast it middle path. Look. Oh, look. Is this what it's come to? Look. Yeah. There you go. Look. Yeah. Oh, it's only small. I'm not going to get in here, am I? No chance have to bat on. Don't even look open. I mean, it's pretty stunning now. Look at that. Unbelievable, Jeffrey. Amazing. The end of the world at [music] the palm of my hand. When it all goes to hell, will [singing] you still [music] be my friend? Good morning on [snorts] what I'm hoping is if I can get it done. The final day [snorts] of the Alteria one. Oh no. Is that it? Ah. For anyone who knows me, they'll know how mad this is. [snorts] I've got uh what is it? Scared of eights. I've got that. What is it? What do you call it? Being a salad onion. [snorts] I've got that. >> [sighs] >> the call of the void. Even just stood on here, I'm like, "Oh, if I fell there, it would just be absolutely madness, wouldn't it? The chaos of it all." And then my brain's like, "Go on, get it, get it, do." [snorts] So, if I'm on a knife edge ridge, which is basically like this, that falls off either side. How do you play it? Like, like that, I guess. Do it for England. do it for Yorkshire. I can't come out here and absolutely annihilate this hike. There's people in the refugeio couldn't believe that I got there in 4 days and I stopped early. I could have finished it yesterday, done the whole thing in 4 days. I was telling them, but yeah, that's all good. But you see when I get up here and I shat it. I'll tell you who's got right idea. Them marmott just staying down there underground even. so far down underground. That's best place, isn't it? The more I talk, the more it's becoming enveloped in mist, which in a way would be a good thing, wouldn't it? Because the mist, I wouldn't be able to see how far down it is. That's it. Look, sound as Oh, here I am on this knife edge ridge. Keep it. And I've got to get up there, mate. I can't film it. I can't film it. [snorts] Neo, mate, don't. You can't run away from your fears. Face them. Hold you like that. I can still use both hands. I ain't come all this way to bottle it now. Just be confident, mate. I'm a boulderer. I can boulder. Yes, sir. I can boulder. Oh my god. [panting] Not even talking, mate, cuz bottling it. No, I'm not. Oh, is that it? Have a done. Oh my god. [gasps] [sighs] Oh yes, sir. I can boogie. [laughter] Oh, that was scary, man. [panting] I haven't done it apparently. [sighs] Oh my god, we're so high up now. Oh my. Come on. If life's hard, be harder. That's how we're doing it. Face your fears. [panting and sighs] Otherwise, you'll be running from them all the time, all your life. Not really. I've only just climbed a little thing. But for me, that was big. [snorts] Still, it's still quite steep, but that's it. [sighs] I've done it. Yeah, I know there'll be people [snorts] who are like, "That's nothing, mate. My grand did that and she probably did. Uh, [laughter] but it's different for me, mate. Well, it's not different for me, but I've got vertigo. Oh, call of the void. Call it what you want. When I do stuff like that, it means a lot to me cuz I letting it win. And I'm conquering it. And it's only a little thing [snorts] in the grand scheme of things. But all these little things add up and at the moment they're what I'm collecting. Here we are on the pass. Look at the views out to both sides, mate. Some marmott or gophers or monkeys. I don't know what they were. Wombles chilling on a rock. The flowers I've been impressed with. So many wild alpines all out in flower now. So they've got the cables that you can hold on to if you want. Nah, I do knife ridges, mate. I don't need cables down here. Not even bothered. I just conquered my fear of heights. Have I lost the call of the void? Is it gone? Oh, what a trip this is, mate. What a trip. Hey, mate. How's it going? Treacherous, isn't it, man? >> Yeah, treacherous, mate. >> It's my worst nightmare, man. Mud. >> It's slippy that bit. It stops down here, though. It's not so bad. >> Good, good, good. >> I'll meet you down there for a water, man. >> All right, mate. [snorts] That's Andy, who I met the other day. Look, hearing me crying about [laughter] Oh, just listening to me crying about heights and that. [snorts] Sorry. I'm sorry for you beefy boys. Don't judge me, please. I can't help it. I'm still one of you beefy boys. I just don't knife edge ridge for God's sake. Alpine raspberries. No. Oh man. So sweet. Back there. There was just a the on the pathway. There just budlers either side. Loads of different butterflies. It's just loads of different species of butterfly all just flying around me as the sun's shining. What a glorious end. 5 days ago, I headed up into the mountains. 5 days later, I'm back down heading towards the bus stop to go back to the nearest town. What a journey in every possible way. Thanks for watching. I'll leave you with map time and some final thoughts. Right, map time up here. What did I do? Zigzagged down here. Camped around here, didn't I? [snorts] Came back down, joined the path through these woods. I did find another place up here that you could have camped. So, but it was on the path and this was just the best campsite ever. On we went traversing along here and then we start to ascend up the drops off here were pretty nuts and then once you get up here there's a bit of varata along here that you can hold on to. Very traversy day up and down over big boulder fields as we go along here. And this was the first refugeio that I hit. And this was where I met Andy. And then [snorts] we hiked together for a while. So I stopped filming because it's a bit hard to film when you're hiking with someone else. And we took all this on together. It's a really nice section actually along here. I'm starting to forget. I put some miles in. And around here there was a nice little hook with a lot of people in it. Um some of which were at the refuge on the evening. I got to chat to really interesting people. This is the escape route they call it. If you don't want to take on the knife edge ridge, you can go this way and off the trail. It's really difficult to get back on it. So, this would be the end of your trail. I carried on to the refugeio. Had a wonderful evening there. Then was up at the crack of dawn and on my way. So, this is the knife edge ridge up to the top of here. It's not very long, but it is so steep down here along the knife edge ridge through this pass and down. Very slippy down here, but it opens up to some fantastic views. This is where I think I cured my vertigo, which is in pretty bonkers. I'm still I've not been up any high heights since, so I don't know. We'll see. Met up with Andy again here. went down to this refusio [snorts] uh got snee and a bit of a drink and then set off again through these woods. I left Andy down here. It was really steep out of these woods through this path again. more beautiful traversing. And then as you head your way down here, this is very important if anyone is doing this to go this way because this way leads to the via ferrarata which is about 6k of vafer and you do need all the equipment and so along here we go. I think Andy did go this way and then got so far down and realized what he' done and come back. Uh, I headed off down here to this refugeio for a final water refill and on and it was a lovely way to end this hike. And the guy book does say that it's it downplays it a little bit. I really enjoyed it just meandering through these woods decompressing and just taking everything in and h just the lessons I've learned and what an amazing adventure. So through here there are some off-roady bits and some shortcuts that you can do through these woods, but it is just a really relaxing and lovely hike all the way down to the road and then there's a little bit of a walk up and then you get to your bus stop and that is the end. And there it is, the Altvia [music] 1. And what a journey that was. It was an impromptu adventure, so it wasn't executed perfectly, but the sites I saw and the lessons I learned to me were priceless. I forgot some stuff and didn't plan things as meticulously [music] as I could have, but that's how it was meant to be. And it was very much worth it. By trying to escape my problems [music] and seeking comfort in the hardship of the mountains, I actually found the opposite. I found that [music] sitting with my troubles and taking them on face to face is far more healthy and rewarding than trying [music] to silence them with distractions. To anyone struggling with their own noggin wobbles, [music] I send you not but love and strength. Thanks as always for watching and I'll see you again soon. Bye for now. >> [music]