Tuesday, July 17
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We could see, dimly, through the heat and haze all the way
down to Lake Garda, about 30 kilometres to the south. Below us was a
wide panorama of the Sarche valley, and we could see most of Pietramurata
-- including the small dot marking where we put the second rental car --
our ultimate destination.
Now looking forward to finishing the climb, we ascended up through
patches of dense deciduous forest, a few ferrata steps, and some steep
grassy meadows. Suddenly, the trail ended - on a gently undulating grassy
crown - the summit area of Monte Casale! A lonely-looking tractor was
slowly making its way around the field, cutting the grass.
We removed our climbing gear and walked amongst green fields towards the
summit cross (which isn't actually at the summit) and from there to the
actual summit. The breeze was strong up here, and the temperatures at
least 10 degrees cooler than below (or so it seemed). There are views
to the nearby Brenta Dolomites and the more distant Adamello range from
the summit. Probably more distant peaks could be seen if the day hadn't
been so hazy.