A NIGHT IN A WORLD WAR 1 TUNNEL
11 FEBRUARY 2025
_
We set off towards the tunnel with one clear objective: Come back the next day with some amazing memories and experiences.
Although you’re never sure what you’re going to get with these winter adventures sometimes you just got a good feeling about it.
For this adventure we would tourski towards an abandoned World War One tunnel. Back in the day, the front line between Italy and Austria-Hungary ran through these peaks. There are a number of fortifications, trenches, tunnels, iron ladders and commemorative plaques in the area.
These soldiers also invented and used via ferrata’s to navigate these rugged peaks. Via ferrata’s, for those who’ve never heard of them, are a series of ladders and cables to get across difficult terrain. It’s definitely not hiking, but also not climbing. Somewhere in between I’d say.
Luckily we’d not be under attack and spent the night in the tunnel in peace with fancy 2025 equipment. While the soldiers back in the day would spend their time hoping to survive.
We left civilisation by taking the easy way up into the mountains. During summer you can just drive up towards the majestic peaks, in winter the road turnes into a sledge slope. To get to the top you can either hike or take a snowmobile service. We took the easier option and got dropped off next to the hut at the top of the slope.
The snowmobile service cost us around €30 per person. Quite expensive but it can save you a lot of time.
Leaving the hut behind meant leaving the last emergency shelter behind. These emergency shelters are basically unlocked parts of mountain huts in which you can spend the night or wait out a storm in case of an emergency. They could also be separate shacks on their own.
Knowing we had no tents or other gear with us, we had to create a suitable place to spend the night or we would have a serious problem.
One very useful thing about this specific adventure is that I happen to know the area pretty well. After visiting this specific place more than 10 times I know what the terrain looks like, what to expect and where to look for a possible overnight spot.
As we approached the tunnel, conditions looked pretty bad for a good sunset. So we decided to head inside and start working on our little camp.
We didn’t know it at the time but this little camp would undergo a huge makeover. In the beginning we only had a slanted wall of snow at the entrance and a thick layer of snow on the ground that got in the cave over time by the wind.
This what the tunnel looked like when we arrived.
The first few hours we made a basic version of camp, we flattened the space where we would put our sleeping pads and bags and created a small hole in the main living area so we had a space to put our feet. After we ate something the development of our camp really started.
A small breeze of icy wind entered the cave every once in a while. Over time this small breeze intensified so we decided to build a wall to stop the wind from coming through the entrance. This way we would end up with a blocked off section in the front where we would sit and eat and a spacious bedroom in the back where we would sleep. This bedroom featured 2 windows and a hole in the ceiling for fresh air.
With this blocked off section the temperature rose rapidly to a rather comfortable -4°C. With an approximate outside temperature of -10°C I’d say that’s a clear win!
The new wall was not the only adjustment we made in the tunnel. Over time we got cold because we were just sitting still on a snowy floor so we changed shifts shoveling some more. We found out that shoveling is a surprisingly efficient way to get warm. And it could be functional too!
Because our main project was finished, we created some seats and a pathway that would go from the front wall through the living area to the bedroom.
Last but not least we closed the windows of the bedroom with some more snow because a nasty wind entered our bedroom making it a little too cold to sleep comfortably. It probably seems like we’ve only been shoveling that night but we,… Well, we, yeah, we shoveled all night…
At 1 am, if I recall correctly, we went to bed. There is a lot to say about the sleeping situation or routine, but let’s keep it basic for now.
I used a rescue blanket on the snow to make sure if I ended up next to my sleeping pad with my arm or as a whole I would not end up on the cold, wet, snow. The last thing you want is a wet sleeping bag in the middle of the night.
On top of the rescue blanket I put my accordion sleeping pad. To prevent rocks from poking through the snow into my sleeping pad as well as to make sure I’m not sliding all over the place because of the smooth texture of the main sleeping pad and the snow.
The second to last thing I added was the main sleeping pad. It's very important to get the right sleeping pad when sleeping in a cold environment. The sleeping pad has to have a high enough 'R-value' so you won't get cold during the night. My sleeping pad has a R-value of 8.5 which is definitely more than enough!
And then last but not least the sleeping bag. Mine is rated to -10°C (comfort) and -18°C (comfort limit) so that kept me warm all night!
In the morning we woke up and dug a hole in the wall to see what the view was like. Let me tell you that we weren’t prepared for the unique morning we were about to experience. Every once in a while the sun would make a move onto the stage. But most of the time this small patch of mist played with the mountains, dancing around them as if he was in a dance battle. Giving us the opportunity to enjoy his intricate choreography.
In summer this place is packed with people. And when I say packed, I mean PACKED. So it’s really nice to be able to see this location at its most quiet moments. We only saw 5 people in 2 days. Pretty remarkable considering this place can welcome more than 10.000 people a day in summer…
After we cleaned everything we headed back to civilisation.
LEAVE NO TRACE
I find it really important to leave no footprint on adventures like these. I always, always leave the place as I found it.
If we encounter trash others left we take it with us.
I would like to ask anybody to do the same.
“In the end we definitely succeeded in creating amazing memories and experiences. We learned a lot, ate good food and survived the night. We were able to overcome a few issues and woke up to an amazing sunrise. What an adventure!
Hope you’re inspired by this adventure to go and chase your dreams or adventures.
As always: Adventure awaits, Let’s explore!”
Adventure with: Maxim Vanheertum & Flor Van Hool