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Our next Italy adventure brought us to the legendary Seceda Ridgeline—and let me just say, what a view! Now, for those planning a visit, there are two ways to reach the top: you can hike (for the brave and the rested), or you can take the cable car (for the rest of us with jelly legs after days of hiking). Since we had two destinations lined up for the day, we opted for the return cable car ride—no guilt whatsoever.

The cable car ride includes a stop at Furnes, where you switch to a second cable car. We used that pause to chill for a bit and hit the loo—because the last thing you want is a scenic emergency up on a mountain with no trees to hide behind. The ride itself takes about 15–20 minutes total. If I remember correctly, the return ticket costs around €52. Yep, that’s not a typo. But honestly, the view at the top is worth every euro-cent.

As soon as you step out of the cable car, bam, you’re greeted by this surreal view of the Ridgeline. You can even spot tiny Danial, dwarfed by the massive rocky terrain. It was freezing and windy—the kind of wind that feels like it’s trying to exfoliate your face off. There were still patches of snow on the ground, and I swear I almost lost a finger to the cold. Thankfully, we went on a weekday, so the crowd was thin—blessing in disguise.

Fun fact (thanks, Google): the Seceda Ridgeline was sculpted by glacial activity and periglacial processes—basically, a whole lot of nature doing its thing for thousands of years. I’ve always thought I’d make a good geologist, but life decided I’d be hiking on rocks instead of studying them.

So, what did we do up there? Mostly, we took photos, shot some videos, and did a short (and chilly) hike. The area is huge, and you could easily spend an entire day exploring. Unfortunately, we didn’t have that luxury, so we had to settle for just a taste of it.

Pro tips for future adventurers:

• Check the weather before coming.
• Bring appropriate outerwear—I was SO glad I had my puffer jacket.
• Come early—the parking at the base station fills up fast.

After soaking in as much of the Seceda magic as time (and wind) allowed, we made our descent and drove back to our Airbnb for lunch and prayers. Nothing like home-cooked food after nearly being blown off a cliff!

After we were done resting and refuelling from our Seceda adventure, we decided to squeeze in one more hike—because apparently, our legs hadn’t suffered enough. Lucky for us, this next trail was super close to our Airbnb. The destination? Geisler Alm, via the Adolf Munkel Weg trail. Very fancy name for a trail, I know.

We could literally see the Rocky Mountain right behind our Airbnb. Technically, we could’ve started the hike from there, but since it was already evening and we were running on low battery (both physically and emotionally), we drove to a closer starting point instead. Work smart, not hard.

As soon as we started the hike, it began drizzling. But hey, a little drizzle wasn’t going to stop us—cue “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” by Starship in the background. However, halfway through, the drizzle turned into a full-blown downpour. We were this close to turning back, but Hasha, our fearless group leader, convinced us to power through. Shoutout to her leadership—probably could run for president of the Dolomites at this point.

Our expectations were rock bottom because of the gloomy sky. I figured we’d just walk through mud and mist with nothing to show for it but wet socks. But lo and behold—after a few photo breaks (of course), the rain miraculously stopped. At the end of the wooden boardwalk, we turned a corner and were hit by the most glorious view.

Not only did we get to see the mountain, but the sun came out at just the right time, casting this golden glow on the peaks like something straight out of a fantasy film. I still can’t believe my eyes weren’t lying to me. We immediately transformed into excited little kids—running around like ungraceful influencers doing a campaign for “Hiking but make it chaotic.”

I didn’t take many photos because I was too busy being emotionally overwhelmed. Also, I forgot to bring my wide lens. Rookie mistake. But honestly? No photo would’ve done it justice. It was one of those rare moments where you just go, “Wow, God really popped off with this one.”

There was only us and a lovely Thai couple around, so we had the whole place to ourselves. Naturally, that meant no filter, no shame—just pure joy, shouting, skipping, and soaking in the moment like nobody was watching (because they weren’t).

We ended the hike pretty late and had to walk back in the dark, which was mildly terrifying. I kept nervously laughing and telling myself, “There are no bears here… right? RIGHT?” But hey, we made it out alive—and that’s what matters.

Thanks for reading until the end! Only two more chapters left from this Italy series—hang tight, and I’ll see you in the next one.

Ciao and peace out!