Shorter Walks in the Dolomites

Guidebook to 40 walks in Italy's beautiful Dolomites – from around 3 miles to full-day excursions – in both the high mountains and valleys. The region boasts vast expanses of forest, high-altitude rockscapes and seas of wild flowers. Its extensive network of paths links the numerous mountain huts of the region.

Tabacco (1:25,000)

Sheets: 03, 05, 06, 07, 10, 15, 16, 22, 25, 29, 30, 31

An excellent network of paths penetrates the Dolomites, each marked with frequently placed red/white paint stripes on prominent fence posts, tree trunks and rocks, and complete with its own distinguishing number. These are marked on the commercial maps, though there is the odd annoying discrepancy. While sketch maps are provided in this guide, it is imperative that walkers obtain the recommended commercial maps listed in the walk heading and widely available both in the Dolomites and from leading outdoor specialists and bookstores overseas. The sketch maps supplied in the guide are simplified representations only, and cannot show watercourses and other features necessary for orientation in case of emergency or if planning an escape route. Moreover the commercial maps enable distant landmarks such as settlements and important peaks to be identified, a fascinating and rewarding exercise.

The brand Tabacco, scale 1:25,000 (priced at about €6.50), are by far the best on the market at present, with clear art work. Their only drawback is the recent trend in reintroducing ancient place names, usually in the Ladin version, which correspond neither to local usage nor signposting. The older 1:50,000 scale maps are also available and cover more territory with a single purchase, though understandably with less detail. Otherwise there are the Kompass or Mapgraphic brands, though the former in particular uses crude colouring and often imprecise colour overlays.

Place names in the Dolomites often come in trilingual versions. For the purposes of this guide the Italian version has been given preference, followed by the German where deemed useful. There is an Italian–German–English glossary of topographic and other features at the back of this guide.

Plenty of good road maps can be found – the Touring Club Italiano 1:200,000 Trentino Alto Adige is hard to beat.