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Sunrise hike

Sunrise in the mountains

It’s 5.45 in the morning. The beam of light of the torch moves from dangerous roots on the forest soil to the trees and here and there you can hear eerie rustling behind the rocks. Nevertheless, the excited anticipation of the shimmering spectacle of nature is stronger than the fear – and fortunately the goal isn’t all too far away.

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Admittedly, it is quite hard to leave the cosy and warm bed at such an early hour. However, if you have an early night on the previous day, it is nothing. At the latest as soon as the first sunbeams peep out behind the eastern mountain tops, you’ll surely forget the last bit of tiredness and every exertion.

The light that lights up the South Tyrolean mountain world just before the sunrise is something noteworthy: The darkness gradually abates and the sky on the horizon turns pink, yellow, red or bright orange, till finally the sun itself appears behind the mountain silhouette. Probably the most beautiful daybreaks aren’t offered by cloudless summer skies, but with some clouds in autumn.

But if you want to see this with your own eyes, you have to get up early and to go all out. After all, you’ll have a wider view the higher you are. So you have to climb a mountain – and this is quite exhausting if half of the senses are still sleeping or if the darkness and the coldness of the night make the ascent more difficult.

A headlamp or torch per person, some warm clothes including cap, gloves and scarf, a flask of tea and a little breakfast should be standard for every sunrise hike.

Popular sunrise mountains

Good local knowledge or at least a very conscientious study of the tour and particular care are also essential for a hike at night and very early in the morning. Among the most popular and not too difficult sunrise mountains in South Tyrol we have to mention for instance the prominent Mt. Peitlerkofel in Alta Badia and Mt. Dürrenstein in Prags. Both are reachable within two hours, the tours are moderately difficult and on the summit you’ll have an incredible view of the Dolomites and the rising sun.

The viewpoints of Mt. Piz da Peres above Olang, Mt. Lutterkopf and Durakopf in Taisten or Mt. Astjoch near St. Lorenzen are reachable a little bit faster and easier. Not forgetting the 360 degrees panorama view from Mt. Kronplatz. Sometimes there you can also take the cable car in order to get to mountain top and sunrise.