There is a place in the Brenta Dolomites which is reminiscent of the vast expanses of Tibet. An immense mountain plateau at an altitude of nearly 2,000 metres which few people know. It is called the Pian della Nana: for geologists, palaeontologists and botanists there is no place like it for studying. For ordinary mountain lovers, the Pian della Nana is a green amphitheatre bounded by Dolomite stone and curious bands of red rock. You will be captivated by it!
Perhaps because it is so far from the crowds, thousands of marmots have colonised the enormous and remote Pian della Nana digging dozens of kilometres of tunnels beneath the soft grassy surface. As soon as you take your first few steps into the valley near Malga Tassulla, you will be welcomed by a series of sudden whistles: the “sentry” marmots! The first marmot smells a danger and raises the alarm, standing upright on its back feet and letting out a shrill whistle. Within a few seconds, the whole group is sheltering in the burrow. If you look carefully, it is really easy to spot little furry bundles running comically towards their burrows in search of shelter.
Around May, when the snow has melted, the marmots return, peeping out at the blossoming meadows. In the height of summer, it is easy to see the young marmots, sometimes a little awkward and unruly, not always obeying the signals of the sentry marmot! Rinaldo is famous for running Rifugio Peller, just next to the Pian della Nana. He knows every corner of this less glamorous corner of the Brenta Dolomites and is happy to entertain his guests and enrich their stay with interesting anecdotes and high altitude culinary secrets. We know Rinaldo very well, as locals we often tackle the 15 km unpaved track by Jeep, climbing the 1,500 m just to come for dinner! Have we given you an idea for an original and out of the ordinary holiday.... Will you one day escape up here for a selfie with a marmot?
