WalkWithErica

TL;DR: Selected a shorter route so I could hike in the first half of the day and work a full day the second half. Seceda is another “must-do” hike in Val Gardena and the Dolomites. And I agree, this loop is gorgeous!

Welcome to Monday; remote work and adventure

You have to remember that while I’m doing all this adventuring, I’m also working full time (and trying my best to rock at that job). Days 1 and 2 were weekend days, so I had all day to explore. Day 3 kicked off the work week — good old Monday.

Great news is that the Central European and Pacific timezone situation really kind of leads itself to morning hikes and late afternoon work. Before arriving, I figured I’d be able to hike and be out and about at the start of the day, between 8am and 2pm; and work at the end of the day, from 3pm to 11pm. And that’s pretty much how it went. Over the span of a month in Europe I ended up taking 5 days off, and had one holiday day (July 4th).

Having to be home by a certain time means that I have to plan out my hikes — long hikes are for the weekend, 4-5 hour hikes are for weekdays.

I had really wanted to make this a longer hike with a start and end at different gondola stations (though both connect back to my home base in Ortisei), but because I had limited time, I did a shorter loop. If I come back, I’d do the same route again, but I would start at the Resciesa gondola station and hike the ridge line until it connected back into the loop at Seceda.

Seceda Loop Hike in Val Gardena, Italy

For the Seceda loop hike I followed the Moon & Honey route and combined it with an AllTrails route to add a bit more to Moon & Honey’s recommended loop and to get a respite from the more trafficked route. I still ended up at the same lunch spot: the delicious Rifugio Firenze / Regensburger Hütte! (where I discovered the wonderful hiking drink called radler! It’s half light beer, half lemonade and so refreshing.)

Maps I used:

• Moon & Honey Hiking from Seceda to Rifugio Firenze (Regensburger Hütte) in Val Gardena, Dolomites, Italy
• AllTrails: Seceda – Malga Pieralongia – Rifugio Firenze – Baita Troier

You can see my little recommended addition in bright blue (points A to B) in the map below:

How to Hike Seceda in Val Gardena

Step 1: Head to the Seceda Cableway Valley Station in Ortisei, Val Gardena

Step 2: Purchase a round-trip ticket to Seceda

Or don’t. You can always hike all the way down to town or do a one-way hike to a different gondola station and take the free Val Gardena bus back to town. The round trip Seceda gondola ticket cost me 40 Euro.

Step 3: Take the gondola to ascend to the Seceda Mountain Station (2 Cableways)

Step 4: Hike!

Follow the routes linked above, and don’t be afraid to wander around a bit. There are a lot of wonderful and unexpected views to be had.

Step 5: Eat!

The views from Rifugio Firenze / Regensburger Hütte are wonderful and the food is delicious. Baita Troier Hütte, further along the route, is a great lounge spot with immense views. There were a lot of people napping in the sun, lounging, and eating here. I didn’t eat, but the food looked good. The lounge chairs were very nice, though.

Step 6: Gondola back into town for gelato

I stayed at Residence Altea, which is right in town. After the hike I grabbed gelato then headed to the grocery store for dinner items to make at home while I worked. I stuffed myself at the refugio, so dinner was light.

And then, after about 7-8 miles of walking through town and hiking, I worked a full and productive day-into-evening.