South Tyrol and Venetian or Dolomite Alps (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1873 Excerpt: ...fanciful tales, wherein this mountain has played a similar part to that of the Untersberg in the Salzburg country. In viewing the mountain from its highest peak the horse-shoe form attributed to it by a writer in the new edition of Sehaubach is seen to be an illusion. The summit lies at about the meetingpoint of many ridges that converge towards this as a centre. Those who approach it from one or the other side are apt to leave out of account the portion that remains unseen. From the topmost ridge the traveller looks down on two small lakes or tarns, which remain half frozen and partly covered with unmelted snow late in July. It is obvious that a slight fall in the mean temperature, which would permit the accumulation of neve in the basin on the side of Val Regana, would soon give rise to a considerable glacier. The W. face of the peak seems to be the steepest, and though a descent may probably be effected, the prospect did not appear certain. If accompanied by a guide, the traveller will naturally descend towards Tesin by Val Sorgazza, the W. branch of Val Malene; but if alone, he might lose much precious time in seeking the way. The beautiful Primula glutinosa it extremely abundant, but the flora of th- mountain is singularly poor. Scarcely a dozen species of flowering plants are to be found on the peak. The granite of Cima d' Asta is fine grained, and very unlike that of western Tyro1. In some places it is traversed by veins of dark rock resembling serpontine (f). Fine crystals of quartz and garnets are found here. About 2 hrs. suffice to descend from the summit to the Pasno di Regana. This commands a fine, though limited, view. The valley of the Grigno stretches southward in a straight line, backed by the mountains of the Sette Comuni. Little more ...