Dear R,

Today, after spending the night in a hut full of hiking couples or small groups, I had the feeling that sometimes, despite all the motivational quotes about spending time with you and knowing you better, solo-hiking sucks.
Because sending pictures to your friends and family with the beautiful things that you are seeing it is not the same with telling live to someone: “Man, look how beautiful that mountain or flower, or cloud is!” And to see in the eyes of the other one the same sparkling that you suppose is in your eyes too. But, maybe solo-hiking is really not about sharing. But about being present in the moment, take everything as a gift just for you. Or about other things that I still explore.
One of the gifts that I received today was surprising…the people. I made a part of my route today with an Italian girl and a very supportive french couple. So supportive that they wrote me: Courage! on the sand at the end of a long uphill, shared with me their hiking sticks so that I can go faster ( I was not a fan of them until now but maybe I will reconsider my opinion). We shared even half of hour of storm together (it looks than in the Dolomites it rains almost every day). And it was good to share it with someone. Especially when the storm finds you on the hard part of the route.
The gifts of the mountains was another special one. Those mountains that are having other colors and shape every day. And today they were mountains covered by forest from time to time. Fresh, good smelling forests. 🙂
And of course, as always, a new hut which is waiting for you at the end of each day!

Dolomites greetings,

C