Treks in the Dolomites - A Trekker's Guidebook

Guidebook to the Alta Via 1 and 2, the finest long-distance walking trails through the Italian Dolomites. Alta Via 1 is 120km long and takes about 10 days, beginning at Lago di Braies near Monguelfo and finishing in Belluno. Alta Via 2 is generally higher - the 150km route begins at Bressanone and ends at Feltre, taking over 2 weeks.

Situated towards the eastern end of the Alps’ great curve from the Mediterranean coast through Central Europe to the Balkans, the Dolomites region occupies an area of northern Italy as large as Wales.

Until the Great War, the South Tyrol, which embraces the northern Dolomites, was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. During the bitter fighting that took place between 1914 and 1918, avalanches, mountain weather and difficult terrain added to the burden of hardship endured by Austrian and Italian troops alike. Evidence of the war is still clearly visible in the old tunnels and gun positions, discarded mess tins, boot soles and barbed wire. The 1919 Treaty of Versailles gave the South Tyrol to Italy. Its population has remained largely German-speaking, though the majority also understand Italian nowadays.

The Dolomites’ name is thought to derive from that of a French geologist – the Marquis de Dolomieu – who wrote enthusiastically about the special qualities of its rock after visiting the area in 1789. The subsequent development of rock and ice climbing throughout Europe is inextricably linked with the Dolomites, many claiming that steep wall climbing – already in full swing before World War One – was born here, with pioneers like Paul Preuss, Hans Dulfer and Angelo Dibona establishing difficult routes on the vertical rock.

First ascents of the Cima Grande di Lavaredo, Monte Cristallo, the Marmolada, Tofane and Sassolungo were achieved almost exclusively by continental climbers, though John Ball, first president of the Alpine Club in Britain, reached the summit of Monte Pelmo in 1857. Artificial climbing followed on, with emerging skills and techniques being applied to the great buttresses and faces of the Western Alps during the 1920s and 1930s.

Although the Dolomites’ reputation as a playground for ‘hard men’ is fully justified, these mountains are by no means the domain of the rock climber alone. A dense network of footpaths offers endless scope for exhilarating high-level walks; the renowned vie ferrate (rock routes aided by fixed metal ladders and cables) lead up into many sensational situations, while in winter the region becomes a premier skiing destination for thousands of Europeans.

Of relatively modest height compared with the giants of the Central and Western Alps, the soaring limestone peaks here reach, nevertheless, up to 3300m. Fairy-tale spires, broad rock plateaux, mountain lakes and plunging, forested valleys provide a uniquely stunning environment. Scenery, sometimes bizarre and other-worldly, is always fascinating.

At present there are seven long-distance high routes – ‘Alte Vie’ – comprising stretches of footpath, ancient mule tracks and military roads linked together into itineraries of special appeal to the mountain walker. This guide deals with Alta Via 1 and Alta Via 2, generally considered to be the finest and showpieces of their kind. They run on a north to south axis through the very heart of the Dolomites, connecting Tyrolean Val Pusteria with the fringes of the Veneto plain and passing through a wide variety of landscape and human upland settlements.

The walking itself varies from level strolling to the odd scramble on rock clipped to fixed metal ropes; from long, ambling ascents in forest to steep traverses on rough scree or snow. Height is maintained throughout at about 2000–2500m, dropping to road passes at regular intervals and reaching 2932m (over 9600ft) on Alta Via 2 – the highest point on either route.

Alte Vie 1 and 2 are of ideal length for the average walking holiday, though precise distances are hard to determine owing to innumerable zigzags, rough ground and ascents/ descents. Alta Via 1 is approximately 150km (93 miles) long, while Alta Via 2 totals about 185km (115 miles).

Progress along the trail, however, is not always quick and straightforward, and it is best to allow at least 10 days for Alta Via 1, and up to 2½ weeks for Alta Via 2. Given general conditions, very fit walkers could reduce these times considerably, but to hurry through such marvellous country is to miss much. The suggested times allow for the odd excursion off route and episodes of bad weather which can upset the best laid plans.

Alta Via 1 was the first of its kind to be officially established and in many ways remains a showpiece, leading the walker into delectable mountain locations. Only the last stage, from Passo Duran to Belluno, poses any problems – easily by-passed if needs be; elsewhere there are quite lengthy and easy stretches between the higher massifs.

Alta Via 2 is longer and, on the whole, more rugged in character, climbing and dropping more in total than Alta Via 1 and staying consistently higher. Its final section from Passo Cereda to Feltre is remote, with refuges thin on the ground. For all that, it is an equally fine route, with stunning scenery culminating in the Marmolada – the highest peak in the Dolomites.

Because they are renowned and popular with Italians as well as other Europeans, Alte Vie 1 and 2 are well walked by people of all abilities. By no means everyone tackles the routes in their entirety, many preferring to take bites at the most scenic and accessible portions. The fact they can be walked in stages to suit individual needs is a major attraction of these Alte Vie. Refuges appear at regular intervals (many also reached by rough road or mechanised means), thus acting as termini to shorter walks, as well as refreshment and accommodation halts for the long-distance hiker.

The authors hope that these treks through the Dolomites will yield rewarding experiences and enduring memories for everyone visiting this most extraordinary region.