A few years ago I filmed a visit to a mountain lake, Lago del Prete, in Malles Venosta, in South Tyrol, Italy. And this got me thinking about the first time I ever saw a mountain lake.
The year was 2001 and a group of friends and I decided to go to Asturias, Spain, for the weekend. It’s about a 3.5-hour drive from A Coruña. The journey through Somiedo Natural Park was not easy but I remember it was breathtaking. I’m a little chicken when it comes to mountain tops and narrow, winding roads. The rock formations and greenery were bold and beautiful. No wonder Somiedo is a protected natural park in Spain.
We proceeded, curve after curve, and got to a part that was all uphill, for kilometers on end that seemed eternal. But we kept on going and blindly trusted that our friend and guide knew where he was taking us. Quite a while later, at about a height of 1500 meters, we reached an open area. We got out of the car, and after a short walk, I had a most memorable wow-moment as I gazed at what was a huge lake surrounded by mountain peaks. I had never seen a mountain lake before and I just could not believe my eyes. What the hell is this doing here? How did it get up here? Well, good old geology can explain that, if you are interested.
In this picture, just look at the smile on my face, I was happy to be there and it was definitely worth the drive up! I was so amazed, and just a couple of years later, I went back to Asturias and visited the Lakes of Covadonga (Picos de Europa). Again, it was one of those moments that leave you thinking how small we are and how vast and beautiful our planet is.
Below you can see the mountain lake I visited more recently, Lago del Prete, in Malles Venosta, in South Tyrol, Italy. Breathtaking!
Have a great day, Hoppers!
A Long Time Ago