The Dolomites, in north-east Italy, had been on my radar for as long as I can remember, and although I regularly go to Europe to visit family, it was always hard to fit it in. The opportunity to go finally presented itself in June 2024, due to the public sector job cuts and putting my hand up for a bit of time off.
As I was dreaming my wish list out loud on a Kahurangi National Park club trip, Elizabeth invited herself to join me – after a bit of back and forth a deal was made, we would meet in Italy!
Fast forward to mid-September 2024, and after minimal planning we both landed in Venice. We hopped on a bus and found our way to the very touristy village of Cortina d’Ampezzo, ready to explore. While we did some day walks, caught cable cars to gain 1000 m elevation (in 15 mins!), and ate decadent amounts of seafood and gelato in Venice, this report describes the main objectives of our trip: a multi-day “hike” and trying out via ferrata.
(Note: A Via Ferrata, meaning “iron path” in Italian, is a protected climbing route, typically found in the Alps and other Alpine regions, that allows non-technical climbers to ascend steep rock faces with the aid of fixed cables, rungs, and other metal fixtures. It bridges the gap between scrambling and rock climbing, providing a controlled and safe way to experience vertical terrain).
A 4-day traverse of the Tre Cime Nature Park
Day 1 – Moso village to Rifugio Fondovalle (1.5h + little side trip)
The purpose of our first day was mainly to get to the road end, a 2+ hr journey from Cortina. We caught bus 445 to Dobbiacco, followed by the 446 to Moso Chiesa. Both buses showed up on time, stopped on request, and the drivers weren’t particularly rude, which meant it was a particularly above average bus journey for Italy!
We had a very gentle walk into the Rifugio Fondovalle on a wide, benched and manicured track, winding through the foothills and up the valley of Val Fiscalina, with small herds of 4 to 6 cows grazing under the pines. Note: A “rifugio” is a high-elevation mountain hut, situated directly along a hiking trail.
Arriving at the Rifugio was a bit unreal – day walkers and bikers everywhere, sitting outside and enjoying a drink or snack from the rifugio’s restaurant. We were quickly shown our room (single beds with pillows and duvets – byo liner), showers and other facilities. I particularly appreciated the cosy house shoes/slippers provided.
To fill the afternoon we did a little side trip half way up Val Sassovecchio to observe an active rockfall that was producing decent clouds of dusts.
Back at the Rifugio, we were served a generous three course meal – ravioli as first course, Italian dumplings and mushroom as second course, and tuiles, mascarpone and berries for dessert. Not your usual DOC hut experience! The entree even had a fancy garnish, warranting spontaneous exclamations from Elizabeth: “It’s got a f***ing flower on it!” and “In New Zealand you bring your own candles and toilet paper!”
Day 2 – to Rifugio Lavaredo (8.5 hrs – 13 km – 1350 m elevation gain)
After a full continental breakfast (including Italian cheeses and meats, orange juice, muesli, yogurt, cake and bad coffee – amongst other things) we slowly made our way up towards Rifugio Comici, 700 m elevation above us. The track was straightforward and getting up the slope was easier than anticipated thanks to all the switchbacks – a nice European touch that is seldomly found in Aotearoa, and certainly not in the Tararua range!
The light morning rain quickly stopped and the clouds started to come and go, unveiling magical landscapes that would be most suitable for the frolicking of unicorns.
The pace for the rest of the trip was quickly set: fairly easy walking on well maintained tracks, with many, many, stops to admire the views and take photos, exclaim in amazement at new dramatic landscapes, 360 views and mountains as far as the eye can see. As we made our way up, we spotted an alpine salamander (see: www.inaturalist.org/taxa/27735-Salamandra-atra) on the track, and a couple of marmots (see: www.inaturalist.org/taxa/46082-Marmota-marmota) from afar. While it wasn’t icy, the microspikes we had hired in town became handy on the packed and slippery patches of snow.
After about 4 hrs we stopped near Rifugio Pian di Cengia, where we picnicked in the cold before going in for a hot chocolate and whipped cream to warm up – delicious! The clag was getting more intense and visibility was low.
As we left the rifugio it even briefly snowed, but we stuck with our intended “high” route – the tracks were in good condition and easy to follow, and we were hoping the clouds would clear – and so they did! Within 30 mins we had views of the Lago de Piani and surrounding peaks.
After a short off-track detour to see the lake, we made our way to the popular Rifugio Locatelli, with the number of tourists increasing noticeably as we got closer. From there we were meant to see the quintessential view of the park: Tre Cime – three large rocky peaks standing side by side. The high cloud hid the top of them, but looking the other way at yet more layers of spiky mountains was at least as impressive.
We eventually continued on to Rifugio Lavaredo, where we would stay the night, and enjoyed more Italian food. We shared a table with a couple of Dutch people who came to the Dolomites each year for the last nine years and who confirmed that snow at that time of year was highly unusual.
Day 3 – to Rifugio Fonda Savio (6.5 hrs – 12 km – 800 m elevation gain)
After another hearty breakfast, we backtracked a little to get another glimpse of Tre Cime. The sky was clear, the views stunning, and the mountains too big to fit in the frame – we both decided Tre Cime were worth the fuss. We then did a little side loop to get different perspectives of Tre Cime and more views of the ranges. After 2 hrs and many photo stops we were back on the main track, only 500 m from our starting point!
We started towards Rifugio Auronzo, only 30 minutes away, going upstream against a steady flow of tourists. We then dropped down and back up two valleys – Ciadin de Longere and Ciadin de Rimbianco. A more direct route would have taken us on the Biencossa track, which required Via Ferrata gear we didn’t have.
We reached a junction and had to scramble up the rocks on a more difficult track to Rifugio Fonda Savio – a welcome change from the easy tracks of the previous days! This particular rifugio is a known base for the Italian Alpine Club. We hoped for a less commercial, more personable vibe. We were disappointed – a rude and uninterested Italian owner, and vegetarian food that was not vegetarian(!). However, the basic bunk room in the shed was closer to a NZ hut experience – we felt more at home!
Day 4 – Forcella della Torre and walk out to Mizurina (3 hrs – 5 km)
Before heading down we decided on a short side trip to the nearby saddle, Forcella della Torre. For the first time we took a track graded “Difficult” rather than “Medium”, and encountered familiar and more interesting terrain: scree, large rocks and narrow tracks.
From back at the Rifugio, we headed down the valley, Ciadin dei Toci, towards Mizurina, the transport hub to get to Tre Cime. We hopped on bus 444 to Carbonin, before hitchhiking back to Cortina d’Ampezzo – a first time for Elizabeth.
Being back at the campsite felt like an opposite experience to tramping in New Zealand: after 4 days in the hills sleeping in real beds and being fed restaurant meals, we were back in our sleeping bags.
Via Ferrata Michielli Strobel (6.5 hrs, 1000 m elevation gain)
The next day was our chance to finally try out Via Ferrata. The 4-day hike could have included sections of it, but the gear rental shop had advised against it due to the unusual snow/ice conditions on the tops – we didn’t want to end up on the front page of the Italian Dom Post framed as silly tourists from New Zealand getting in trouble in the Dolomites, so we followed their recommendation and swapped harnesses for microspikes.
Today was different, beautiful weather and a route accessible from the campsite. The approach took about an hour, after which we put on harnesses and helmets and started walking up a rocky ledge until we came across the first via ferrata cable.
The concept is simple: two lanyards attached to your harness, with carabiners on each end. You clip on to the fixed cable, and always make sure to have at least one carabiner attached to prevent a fall as you go up.
We made our way up the mountain, alternating via ferrata climbing up rocks with a few artificial holds like a metal ladder. The route was described as being of medium difficulty, with airy sections. We expected to be challenged by the exposure, but the climb wasn’t as vertical as we had thought it would be. There were good holds and the climb was fun and straightforward. Within a few hours we reached the summit, Punta Fiames, at about 2240 m, and enjoyed views of the surrounding peaks, the village of Cortina, and straight down from us: the campsite.
The descent was described as a “steep and challenging” scree slope, where people with experience in scree running would have a “distinct advantage”! We made our way down without issue, and after an hour or so through the pines we were back at the tent.
Some tips
- The Dolomites are a very popular destination, even though we were visiting in the shoulder season, the tracks were busy and rifugio availability was limited. We were lucky to have managed to book a couple of them only a month ahead and spoke to others who weren’t as lucky.
- Accommodation is expensive: 70 to 120€ pp per night in rifugios (including breakfast and dinner). Hotels in town start at about 200€ a night. Camping was a great alternative at 18€ pp. Camping on the tops is not permitted in the Dolomites, so rifugios are the only option for overnight trips.
Overall it was an epic trip! Relatively easy, but very rewarding days with breathtaking views and very different from what we experience in New Zealand. We only experienced a small part of the Dolomites (which extend much further than Cortina and Tre Cime). In the Dolomites there are countless hiking and bikepacking tracks, via ferrata routes, as well as options for rock climbing or ski touring, not to mention over 1000 rifugios to visit (warning – they do not count on hut bagger!). Definitely enough to justify a formal WTMC club trip to the Dolomites in the future, one might think….