Contents
Introduction
The Dolomites
Geology
Plants and flowers
Wildlife
Protected areas
Getting there
Local transport
Information
When to go
Accommodation
Food and drink
What to take
Maps
Dos and don’ts
Emergencies
Using this guide
Walks
Walk 1 Lago di Braies
Walk 2 Rifugio Biella and Croda del Becco
Walk 3 Picco di Vallandro and Monte Specie
Walk 4 Alpe di Sennes Circuit
Walk 5 Landro to Cortina on the Old Railway Line
Walk 6 Torre dei Scarperi Circuit
Walk 7 Croda Rossa di Sesto Traverse
Walk 8 The Val Fiscalina Tour
Walk 9 The Tre Cime di Lavaredo Loop
Walk 10 Through the Cadini di Misurina
Walk 11 Monte Piana
Walk 12 Val Popena Alta
Walk 13 Rifugio Vandelli Traverse
Walk 14 Val d’Oten and the Antelao
Walk 15 Rifugio Padova to Rifugio Tita Barba
Walk 16 The Pramper Circuit
Walk 17 The Civetta’s Northwestern Flank
Walk 18 The Pelmo Tour
Walk 19 Round the Croda da Lago
Walk 20 The Cinque Torri
Walk 21 Up the Nuvolau
Walk 22 Skirting the Tofana di Rozes
Walk 23 The Lagazuoi Tunnels
Walk 24 The Kaiserjäger Route
Walk 25 Round the Settsass
Walk 26 Col di Lana
Walk 27 Santa Croce Sanctuary
Walk 28 Sass de Putia
Walk 29 Sentiero delle Odle
Walk 30 The Rasciesa Ridge
Walk 31 Across the Puez-Odle Altopiano
Walk 32 The Bullaccia
Walk 33 Castel Presule
Walk 34 Alpe di Siusi and Rifugio Bolzano
Walk 35 Val Ciamin
Walk 36 The Inner Catinaccio
Walk 37 Sentiero del Masaré
Walk 38 The Latemar Labyrinth and Lago di Carezza
Walk 39 Circumnavigating the Sassopiatto-Sassolungo
Walk 40 Piz Boè and the Sella
Walk 41 Viel del Pan
Walk 42 The Sass d’Adam Crest
Walk 43 The Marmolada and Punta Serauta
Walk 44 Rifugio Falier in Valle Ombretta
Walk 45 Rifugio Mulaz
Walk 46 On the Pale di San Martino Altopiano
Walk 47 Val Canali and Rifugio Treviso
Walk 48 Monte Pavione
Walk 49 The Brenta Dolomites Tour
Walk 50 Val d’Ambiez
Appendix A Italian–German–English glossary
Appendix B Accommodation
Appendix C Further reading
May 2019
Route updates and corrections
Visitors to the Dolomites in summer 2019 need to be aware of possible problems regarding paths. The best advice is to check locally with Tourist Offices and refuges, be versatile and don't take any risks.
Storm Damage in the Dolomites:
Six months ago, in October 2018, the Italian Dolomites were hit by a devastating hurricane - Tempesta Vaia. Winds up to 200km/hr caused widespread damage to villages, houses and roads, and there were several deaths. Millions and millions of trees were toppled. Forestry workers and sawmills are struggling to deal with the massive amount of timber that needs removing and storing.
Naturally, hundreds of kilometres of paths in the Dolomites have been affected by landslides, rockfalls and fallen trees. Despite the snowy winter season plenty has already been done to improve the situation - the authorities as well as volunteers have been hard at work clearing timber, rerouting, and affixing new signs where possible. (Though priority has obviously been given to essential services for villages). The Italian Alpine Club, CAI, as well as SAT, the Trento branch, are involved.
Things are definitely looking up - and even Rifugio Venezia on the Pelmo will hopefully open for the summer season despite having had its roof torn off, the top floor with beds and mattresses ruined by rain and snow, and its jeep access track blocked by rockfalls and landslips. Another refuge with supply problems is Rifugio Pordenone in the Dolomiti Friulane. Thankfully the building was not damaged but its access road all but washed away. But they plan on 'business as usual' this year too.
The following web site lists all the paths by number in the Belluno province (central-southern Dolomites) with notes about what's open and possible problems. It's updated regularly. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1L4qPpNhGaGyyMUkKfqRaeeNV0K2TN3mboDPM_R_OHic/edit#gid=1788649809 'Non percorribile' means 'not walkable' ie closed.
As regards the Trentino area (south-western Dolomites), see this web site: https://sentieri.sat.tn.it/wp/?p=2444. Moreover as of May 20 an App will be downloadable on www.visittrentino.info with up-to-date path info for the Trentino.
Aug 2018
There's been an increase in cases of TBE (tick-borne encephalitis) across Europe, Italy included. Walkers should be aware that they may pick up ticks while walking through grass and woodland up to approx 1500 metres altitude. Not all ticks carry the disease but better safe than sorry. Simple precautions and plenty of useful information is available on the website: https://ecdc.europa.eu/en/tick-borne-encephalitis. Vaccination is also an option.
June 2017
Readers should remember to check opening times for lifts, refugios and mountain bus services, as these tend to only begin summer operation from late June, through to September.
September 2016
Walk 18 Pelmo: the paths have been cleared and the Pelmo variant is thankfully feasible once again.
August 2016
Walk 18 Pelmo: Torrential rain has caused scree flows which have submerged paths on the eastern flanks of the Pelmo. The path between Forcella Val d'Arcia and Rifugio Venezia is temporarily closed.
June 2016
p41 Tabacco maps can now be purchased through the Tabacco website and a handy App for digital maps downloaded from www.tabaccomapp.it .
Unfortunately there's a blip in the reprinted edition and the first paragraph on page 106 should have been removed. The new text at the end of page 105 should have replaced this.
Walk 29 – facilities list
Locanda Sass Rigais has changed to Berggasthof Sass Rigais with a new phone number and a new website:
Tel: 0472 679286 , www.dolomiten-villnoess.com
Walk 42 – facilities list
Rifugio Buffare has a new telephone number and email:
339 5951401, info@rifugiobuffaure.com
Rifugio Ciampac details no longer work and correct details can’t be found.
January 2016
The phone number of Rifugio Genova has changed to 0472 670072, mobile 347 266 7694.
October 2015
Walk 13:
p105 After the ledge (2243m) you enter the Ciadin del Loudo. Due to rockfalls, path n.223 has been closed, so instead keep straight ahead (n.216) to Forcella Marcoira (2307m) for vast views. After a plunge W (watch your step!) you join n.213 and go N for a more straightforward descent through woodland down to Passo Tre Croci. This cuts about 30min off the original timing.
With thanks to Gilly Cameron Cooper and his brilliant blog at WalkingPlus
February 2015 (April 2015 new edition)
p8 mapThe spur road just east of Bolzano, and the spur running SE down to Carbonin, showing as motorways (double line) should not be motorways (so should be a single line).
p88The website for very last hut (Rifugio A Locatelli) should be: www.dreizinnenhuette.com
p109The telephone number for Capanna degli Alpini is incorrect. It should be 0425 31103.
An invaluable guidebook
We used "Shorter Walks in the Dolomites" for a wonderful walking holiday last year. We did eight delightful routes over a ten day period and had a wonderfully joyous time on every step of our trip.
This is just a little note to say thank you..... We found the guide invaluable.
All the best,
Your fans,
John & Alyson
Brilliant and helpful
Thank you for producing two such clear, interesting and informative books in ‘Walking in the Dolomites’ and ‘Shorter Walks in the Dolomites’. Your books have already proved invaluable in our planning efforts and I only wish we had discovered them when we first visited the region a couple of years ago. We are quite simply spoiled for choice already!
Again, thank you for writing such brilliant and helpful books.
Lucy, by email
[This] book gave me the confidence to try something new.
Your book has been immensely helpful and has had unexpected "side effects' on my plans! First, we are dedicating more time to the Dolomites! We love hiking and reading your enthusiast description of the region has added several days in it in our schedule.
Another change happened as I was reading the book. We have never done a hike longer than one full day. That is why I bought the "Short Walks" guidebook. But, as I was reading your book, I became more confident that we can use the rifugi as a way to try something new.
Your book gave me the confidence to try something new. I'm very, very grateful for that!
Patricia, by email
Without the guides we would simply have not been able to do some of the most tremendous walks in Europe.
Gillian,
Many thanks and well done. I can't believe how much work you must put into these guides and I just want to say how much we have appreciated it. Without the guides we would simply have not been able to do some of the most tremendous walks in Europe.
Many thanks,
Graham S
Absolutely spot on
Your short walks book was absolutely spot on for the walking we did - and we will get back to the Dolomites.
Thank you for the tremendous amount of work that I can see you put into the short walks book – incredible achievement and very informative.
Rob, via email to Gillian Price
Your “shorter walks” book is a really great idea!!
Your “shorter walks” book is a really great idea!!
Rob, by email
Gillian Price is a true gem amongst guide book writers!
We were on our first real hiking holiday and used Gillian Price's Dolomites guides. We'd selected walks based on her descriptions, which were so inspiring it was difficult to choose! Instead, we selected by a process of elimination, based on difficulty and length, rather than attractiveness. Most guide books are a rather dreary recipe of start here, turn left at creek, go up hill 200m, walk along spine. Gillian Price completely understands that the best walks are a story with a rhythm and narrative: a beginning, a middle, a climax, and an end, and her writing reflects this. She conveys the mood and tone of a walk, not just its facts. As a plant enthusiast, I appreciated her highlighting special vegetation or flowering alpines. Two years later, we returned to the Dolomites and did multi-day treks there, and her descriptions were once again a true reflection of every one of them. Gillian Price is a true gem amongst guide book writers!
Helen, 2018
Your wonderful guides have been a pleasure to read, and have been particularly helpful, thank you!
Dear Ms Price,
For the last 20 years, my wife and I have relied heavily on Cicerone guidebooks. Your wonderful guides for Amalfi, Dolomites, and Gran Paradiso have been a pleasure to read, and have been particularly helpful, thank you!
Thanks again!
Dan & Cheryl
Seattle, WA
In anticipation of a hiking trip in the Dolomites, I purchased your short and day walk guidebooks and have immersed myself in them. Congratulations on two excellent publications.
Jeffrey, by email
My wife and I have just returned from a week of hiking in the Dolomites in October, guided by your “Shorter Walks in The Dolomites.” We thoroughly enjoyed our trip, and came to trust your advice down to the minutest detail. Thank you.
Bob, by email
Thank you for your excellent walking books. I'm incredibly impressed that you researched all your books on public transport and have provided books that are geared towards that... very helpful.
Julia, by email
This is our third year in these amazing mountains, and your book has proved invaluable. We really appreciate the clear mapping, the photos, details of the rifugios and the nature of the paths.
We have 29 walks to go and are looking forward to every one of them in the years to come.
Thank you for a book that has inspired us to discover this extraordinary place.
John and Jane (from flat East Anglia, UK) by email September 2016
