700km from the Brenta Dolomites to Cortina d’Ampezzo is the trip taken by Rudolf Nocker and his trust mare Soraya in the mountains of this World Heritage Site, from 13 September to 19 October 2014.
In this great trek, supported by Fondazione Dolomiti UNESCO, Nocker, mountain guide and ski instructor from Val Gardena, crossed all nine of the Dolomite chains recognised by UNESCO as a single natural heritage site.
He started off from Caderzone in Val Rendena (TN), on 13 September. From the Brenta Dolomites he climbed up to the Bletterbach canyon then explored the Sciliar-Catinaccio and Latemar chain. Still heading North he reached the Puez-Odle, then moved on to the Pale di San Martino, Pale di San Lucano, Dolomiti Bellunesi and Vette Feltrine chain. Having done battle with Marmolada he tackled the last chain of Pelmo and Croda da Lago after which, on 19 October 2014, he received a hero’s welcome in Cortina d’Ampezzo at the offices of Fondazione Dolomiti UNESCO.
On his expedition, Rudolf Nocker, who as well as a mountain guide is a technical consultant for the Giorgio Armani EA7 sportswear line, seized the opportunity to rediscover the Dolomites travelling in those most traditional and sustainable ways, on foot and on horseback. “This was a voyage of discovery amid stunning natural beauty”, says Nocker, “but it was also an essential journey for me – passing from one world to another. Leaving behind my work with Armani, a world of luxury, elegance, glamour and the constant demand for innovation, I entered a different world of the timeless beauty of nature and the mountains and a simpler, slower pace of life. I chose the Dolomites for their unique beauty and the chance to rediscover my roots in order better to understand the future”.
Foto from: Dolomiti UNESCO Walk