The magic of the Enrosadira (Alpenglow)
The magical and spectacular phenomenon of the Enrosadira can be experienced to great effect in the beautiful Italian Dolomites. Enrosadira is derived from the Ladin term “rosadüra”, literally meaning “turning pink”, which is commonly known as the Alpenglow elsewhere in the Alps. What is Ladin? Find more information on the Ladin language in our other blog here.
Enrosadira can be witnessed at sunset and sunrise, when the Dolomite mountain tops are illuminated in magnificent shades of red, from pale yellow to delicate pink and eventually wistful violet, until the mountains disappear in the dark of night. Although this phenomenon can manifest itself all over the Dolomites, I have spent many an evening in awe looking up at the commanding Santa Croce peak (‘Sas dla Crusc’ in Ladin) in the Val Badia. This sheer cliff is especially renowned for its blaze and colour on summer nights, as can be seen below. Its West facing rock rises more than 1700m meters above the valley floor and catches the last of the evening sun.
Possible explanations
There have been many theories as to why this technicolour transformation occurs. Geologists maintain it is the magnesium-rich calcium carbonate minerals found in dolomite rock that we must thank for the Enrosadira. The quality of the illumination varies depending on the time of year and from one day to the next. This is due to the different position of the sun throughout the year and to different atmospheric conditions and meteorological phenomena. The glow is particularly visible on summer evenings when the air is exceptionally clear, and twilight is longer.
What the legends say
However, legend tells of a different story: of the dwarf king Laurino, his daughter the princess Ladina and their gorgeous garden of roses. The story goes that, long ago, a nation of dwarves lived in the mountains above the Val di Fassa – ruled over by the good king Laurino. Laurino and his daughter Ladina tended their beautiful garden of roses at Catinaccio (‘Rosengarten’ in German, which literally means the rose garden). One day, the Prince of Latemar was intrigued by the rose garden. As he approached the garden, he saw Ladina amongst the roses, and was so struck by her beauty, he kidnapped the princess to marry her.
King Laurino, heartbroken, cursed the flowers that had brought Latemar to his kingdom and vowed that his roses would never flourish again, so that no man could admire the garden by day or night. In his despair, however, Laurino forgot about dawn and dusk – when the world is in neither day nor night. Since then, this is when the roses show their colour.
During your Dolomite hiking holiday with us, hopefully you will be lucky enough to witness the magic of the Enrosadira. Once you have seen the Dolomite rocks change in the light of the setting sun or the rising of a new day, you might find yourself quietly thanking the Prince of Latemar for whisking Ladina away and the consequential mistakes made by king Laurino in his anguish.
Graduating from the University of Sheffield in 2014 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Charlie has since spent his time between the Italian Dolomites, French and Austrian Alps. During these years he has guided treks and road cycle rides in the summer, lead ski days and snowshoe walks in the winter. His favorite past time is ski mountaineering; combining the exercise and climbing skills on the way up with the enjoyment and thrill of the ski down. With a great interest in alpine flora and fauna, geography and geology, Charlie is keen to share his knowledge and enthusiasm with others.
- The Italian Dolomites – a UNESCO World Heritage Site - July 27, 2019
- Enrosadira, a Disco Inferno in the Italian Dolomites - July 13, 2019