Hike

Hiking Photos : Click Here

Hiking may not be a “sport” but it must be mentioned when speaking of the Dolomites and Sud Tirol. In all likelihood, it is the primary activity of the region as it is unlimited in terms of trails, peak bagging and lifestyle. If you are just going to hike, the logistics are much easier because the potential is unlimited.

All of the other sport pages on this site become references for hiking; the huts, the trails, and the systems for using them. But all of those trails that may not be good for running, or are un-rideable, all become available to the hiker – the potential is almost overwhelming.

The Alta Via Trails would have to be high on the list for the visitor as they are the longer trails that allow the hiker to remain in the mountains for longer periods. But also, the day trips are worthy, long hikes that take in an easy Via Ferrata, or a hiking peak, or both – super fun.

The Experience

As usual, the typical schedule of doing things in the Dolomites involves determining where you would like to end up for a meal. Sort of the carrot dangling in front of the hiker’s shoes. Hiking allows for a slower pace to the day, but it need not be any less ambitious. Long days are possible that take in many experiences.

It is normal to encounter paths through the Dolomite walls left over from World War I, and through these you can explore terrain you never thought to encounter while hiking. Steep staircases within the walls, ledge systems carved through vertical cliffs that are as wide as a sidewalk and even the occasional trench still in place. It is an odd thing to be amongst when one realizes the recreational playground is the site of a former war.

Combining the slower pace of hiking with the nature of the Dolomite landscape, childlike, curious energy is sure to take over. It is a wonderland on a massive scale. Head into the mountains and there will be endless corners to turn, towers to climb, cliffs to peer over and corridors to explore. Thankfully darkness comes after 9:00 pm in the summer so the days are long enough to let exhaustion force you back to the hut or hotel.

Europeans are social in the mountains, one does not necessarily need to steer clear or give the same personal space to others as in North America. Nationalities are determined by language or accent – the Dolomites are a very international arena. But be prepared to explain some politics…

We have been invited to lunch on passes, complete with a bottle of wine and wine glasses. Most dine at the huts, but with the abundant bakeries in villages, a lunch bought in town and enjoyed where one pleases is hard to beat. Especially when the hikers you met en route are sharing their goods.

The Alta Via Trails

While trails are everywhere in the Dolomites, and link ups could literally allow for any point to point journey, there are the Alta Via trail systems to keep you on agenda. Within the range, there are 8 Alta Via passages.

For DolomiteSport we will, for the moment, only concern ourselves with the most famous, the Alta Via 1. This is the trail that passes through the heart of the region, through the historical sectors from WWI and amongst the highest and most dramatic peaks.

For complete information and itinerary, please visit our Alta Via 1 Page.

Sesto – Tre Cime di Lavaredo

Sesto, or Sexten in German, sits very close to the Austrian border just south of the town of Innichen (San Candido in Italian). As you drive into the tiny village, all eyes will be on the massive tower looming above your front windshield, it is the Cima Dodici, if you can resist stopping and pulling over to look at it your first time there, you are a stronger person than I.

Sesto is one of two primary access points to the Tre Cime di Lavaredo – the icon of the Dolomites. It is the harder of the two entries but much more spectacular.

From Sesto, drive to the back of the small valley following signs for Bad Moos and the Talschlusshutte. A 3 minute drive from the village brings you to a parking lot where you will have to pay – it is a popular hiking destination. An unfortunate 15 minute walk up the rest of the valley brings you to the Talschlusshutte.

From here you can continue up towards the Cima Dodici and the Zsigmondy-Comici Hut or turn west and hike up a drainage to the Alpe dei Piani. The goal is the Locatelli Hut with its views of the Tre Cime. The Zsigmondy-Comici Hut route is the route of choice, to and from. But a loop is possible.

From the hut, head west following signs for the Rifugio Pian di Cengia (Bullelejochhutte), once there follow signs to the Forcella di Cengia and eventually the Locatelli Hut.

This is the quintessential Dolomite landscape, it is sublime. All that you traverse through will have you continually stopping and staring in awe at the complexity of the formations, the crazy angles and steep, overhung walls. Finally, after all of the intricate terrain around the Cengia, you will turn a simple corner at the Paternkofel and there will sit what you see photos of everywhere, the Tre Cime di Lavaredo. Below it, in perfect position, is the Rifugio Locatelli. If you were patient, you waited to have lunch here – or better yet, you are spending the night.

From the Locatelli Hut there are endless possibilities; climb the Via Ferrata to the top of the Monte Paterno (Paternkofel) with its unrivaled view of the Tre Cime, or circumnavigate the Tre Cime on the main trail.

__________________

PatitucciPhoto’s March 2009 Backpacker Cover

The World’s Best Hikes?

The Dolomites top the list

__________________

PatitucciPhoto’s August 2009 Backpacker Cover

Backpacking in the Dolomites

_________________________________________________________________________________________

When building your itinerary and booking services, such as hotels, guides or huts – please utilize our DolomiteSport Network which offers a handpicked selection of what we know to be some of the finest services, accomodations and resources in the Italian Dolomites.

_________________________________________________________________________________________