When I phoned my dad one day asking him if he would like to hike Alta Via 1 with me in the Italian Dolomites, he didn’t even blink before saying yes. He absolutely loved our adventure and keeps asking me when the next one is going to be!
Many months later (more than I’d like to admit) I finally put together a detailed guide to help you plan the Alta Via 1 for yourself! It became a part of a series of over 60 articles dedicated to hiking and photography in the Italian Dolomites.
The Comprehensive Guide To Alta Via 1 – Part 1: Days 1-5
The first part of the guide covers an overview of Alta Via 1, answers questions on the best time of the year to hike it, and what the average daily cost of the excursion is.
I will also break down the first 5 days of the route including the path numbers, short summaries, photos and possible route extensions before we head over to the second part.
In the second part, I will cover days 6-11. At the end of the guide, you will also find the list of most mountain huts along Alta Via 1 with their contact info as well as possible early escape routes for those who don’t plan on hiking the complete route.
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Alta Via 1 – An Overview
Alta Via 1 also known as the Dolomite High Route 1 is undoubtedly Italy’s most famous backpacking route. There are a lot of websites and printed guides out there giving contradicting information about the length of the route saying it is anywhere from 120 to 150 kilometers long.
I measured the mileage with a Garmin GPS each day and the total kilometers amounted to 142 (not including the extensions). According to Garmin’s website, there is a 5% margin error when surveying the distances.
The total elevation gain is 7200 meters (23600 feet) and the elevation loss is 8100 meters (26570 feet)
Unlike Alta Via 2 or Alta Via 4, both of which I have hiked during the same summer season, Alta Via 1 is a non-technical route. If you are a fit individual then it’s a great journey to undertake especially when you are just starting to dip your feet into the world of backpacking.
There are a few via ferrata which can be undertaken as extensions to the route and I will be pointing to them further along in my guide, however, you will need to pack extra equipment if you decide to tackle them.
How to pack for Alta Via 1
The general rule for any hut-to-hut treks in the Dolomites is to go as light as possible. Thanks to the well-equipped huts there is no need to carry tents, sleeping bags, cooking equipment, or even food!
Your backpack shouldn’t be bigger than 38 liters! For your convenience, I have written a comprehensive packing list, including links to my favorite gear and a downloadable checklist!
The optimal time of year for hiking Alta Via 1
Hiking seasons in the mountains are usually very short and the Dolomites are no exception. Most huts on the Alta Via 1 stay open from the third week of June until the third week of September.
You can expect snow to linger on the northern slopes as late as mid-July and if that’s when you’re planning your trip for, make sure to pack gaiters. I hiked Alta Via 1 at the very start of the season and we encountered snow on most days, in some places a couple of meters deep!
During the months of June, July, and August the weather is very predictable. The days usually start with clear blue skies, by late morning the clouds begin to build up, and in the early afternoon thunderstorms roll in.
It’s smart to leave the huts right after breakfast and pre-pack before to avoid being caught in thunderstorms.
The weather tends to be the most stable in September. Although the temperatures at night and mornings are below freezing, the days are still pleasantly warm and the skies often stay blue throughout the whole day.
Where Does the Alta Via 1 Start?
Lago di Braies – the gem of the Dolomites marks the start of the route. There is a hotel right on its shoreline for those who would like to start early on the first day.
If you are coming from abroad and using public transport you can travel to Cortina D’Ampezzo first. Cortina is one of the most charming tourist towns in the Dolomites.
There are a few shuttle companies operating between Venice and Milan airports including Flixbus. From Cortina local buses run regularly to Lago di Braies. The journey takes around 1 hour.
Where does Alta Via 1 end?
Alta Via 1 ends at a bus stop near La Pissa kind of in the middle of nowhere! Don’t worry though you won’t be left stranded. Buses do operate every hour and you can find the schedule in the last 2 huts you will be staying at.
The bus will take you to the nearest biggest city – Belluno from where you can either travel back by bus to Cortina or to any other place in Italy by train.
The Cost of Hiking Alta Via 1
Out of the three Alta Vias I walked, I found Alta Via 1 to be the most expensive. There are a couple of reasons for it.
Firstly Alta Via 1 is the most famous backpacking trip in Italy. You will encounter people from all over the world in the rifugios. It’s a great opportunity to meet new friends as quite often you will be staying with the same people in the same huts throughout the whole traverse.
Speaking of huts. The second reason why Alta Via 1 is more expensive is that quite often the huts are privately owned and provide higher service than on other routes.
A lot of them have been renovated into more fancy backcountry lodges rather than basic refuges. Some have modern booking systems on their websites and even started providing free Wi-Fi for their guests!
I have a whole post dedicated to Italian mountain huts and what to expect when staying in them.
In general, you should calculate spending a minimum of 70 Euro/per person/per day on average, but 80-90 Euros is more of a realistic budget if you would like to have drinks, cakes, or whatever else there is on offer.
Apart from that, you should budget for the accommodation before and after the trek, transportation, and any necessary gear purchases.
An interactive map of Alta Via 1
I created the map below to give you an overview of Alta Via 1. I marked all mountain huts as well as day routes and extensions. Click on the button in the top left corner of the map to see the different layers and names of the places.
Whilst pretty accurate this map should not be used when navigating through the mountains! For that, you will require a proper topography map.
For crossing Alta Via 1 you need to purchase the TABACCO MAPS numbers: 031 (Dolomiti Di Braies), 03 (Dolomiti Ampezzane), and 025 (Dolomiti Di Zoldo) either online or in any sport, souvenir, or cigarette shop in the local towns. Even some rifugios sell them!
Day 1: Lago di Braies to Rifugio Biella
Distance: 9.3 km / 5.8 mi
Walking Time 3h min
Elevation gain: 937 m / 3074 ft
Elevation loss: 120 m / 393 ft
PATH NUMBER: 1
The first day is relatively short with only 9,5 kilometres (5.9 miles) to cover before you make it to the first refuge. The start couldn’t be more scenic – the turquoise Lake Braies surrounded by soaring peaks with Croda del Becco towering above them all.
You will have two choices either to navigate the lake counterclockwise following the official route or clockwise,
a slightly quieter and more scenic of the two options. Once you make it to the other side of the lake the ascent starts. It’s important to start early as a lot of day 1 is spent on sun-exposed paths. Good sunscreen and a headcover is a must.
There is a short cable protected section around halfway to the hut but it’s only useful when the conditions are icy or wet. In around 3 hours following path no. 1 the whole way, you will reach Forcella Sora Forno (in Italian Forcella means a saddle or a pass). From here it’s a short descent to your first hut.
Night 1: Rifugio Biella
Rifugio Biella is quite basic. If possible ask for a room which isn’t in the attic, where the walls are paper-thin. I hope you packed those earplugs! Spend the afternoon just enjoying the vast views from the terrace or head out and summit the nearby Croda del Becco!
Extension: Croda Del Becco/Seekofel Summit
If you would like to hike to the top of Croda del Becco I recommend that you first check-in at the hut and leave most of your stuff behind. Take only the necessities and head back out to Forcella Sora Forna.
A clear sign will point you in the direction of the summit route. From the saddle it’s around 2 hour round trip. My dad and I decided to do the summit hike for sunrise on the second day of the traverse and we made it back to the hut just in time for the all-you-can-eat-breakfast!
From the summit, you can look down to Lago di Braies where you started the hike!
Day 2: Rifugio Biella to Rifugio Fanes
Distance: 15.4 km / 9.6 mi
Walking Time 4h 15 min
Elevation gain: 654 m / 2146 ft
Elevation loss: 908 m / 2980 ft
PATH NUMBERS: 6, 6A, 7
The day starts following a wide path that is used by off-road cars to carry supplies to Biella hut. Follow signs for rifugio Sennes which you will reach within one hour. By the way, this is a great alternative for a night if you prefer a bit more comfort or don’t plan on doing the Croda del Becco extension.
Continue through the green pastures passing a few more wooden huts before you start the long descent to rifugio Pederu located at the end of the glacially shaped Tamersc Valley. This is a great spot to stop for a lunch and some scooped ice cream! Yes, they sell decent Italian gelato in the mountains!
Don’t stay too long to avoid the midday sun as you will begin your ascent to rifugio Fanes on path no. 7.
At first, the route is exposed, then it plateaus for a bit, before gently climbing up again along a path leading through the forest.
After approximately 2 hours after leaving Pederu, you will reach rifugio Fanes.
Night 2: Rifugio Fanes
Rifugio Fanes is an amazing hut and feels more like a fancy backcountry lodge. There is no phone reception in the area, but the hut offers free wifi between certain hours of the day. It isn’t very fast but it does the job.
Prepayment for the accommodation is required when booking in advance. Oh, and did I mention hot showers are included in the price?
If the hut is full, rifugio Lavarella, a mere 5-minute walk away, is a great alternative and seems to attract a younger crowd.
Day 3: Rifugio Fanes to Rifugio Lagazuoi
Distance: 14.5 km / 9 mi
Walking time: 4h 30 min
Elevation gain: 1086 m / 3563 ft
Elevation loss: 418 m / 1371 ft
PATH NUMBERS: 11, 20B, 20
Day 3 was one of my favourite of the whole traverse. There are very few signs of civilisation as you continue the hike through the Fanes – Sennes – Braies National Park.
The first couple of hours of the day is spent on path no.11 – an old military road. The views are idyllic. Green pastures, crystal clear lakes and streams, snow-covered peaks and very few people in sight.
After that, the path branches off to the left as you begin the ascent to Forcella del Lago and enter the beautiful Cortina Dolomites. On a good weather day, you will be able to spot rifugio Lagazuoi from the saddle – your destination for the day.
From the saddle, you drop down through a steep gully to a small turquoise lake followed by another ascent through moon-like landscapes all the way to the hut.
We encountered a lot of snow on this part of the hike and sometimes sank in knee-deep making our ascent that much more difficult. The views from the terrace of rifugio Lagazuoi more than made up for the struggle.
Night 3: Rifugio Lagazuoi
I have stayed in the Lagazuoi hut twice before and it made onto my list of the most photogenic mountain huts in the Dolomites! The rooms are cosy, it offers warm showers and a really nice breakfast!
Don’t miss the chance to summit the nearby Picollo Lagazuoi (only 30 minutes return trip from the hut) from where you can photograph the refuge and its awesome location.
Day 4: Rifugio Lagazuoi to Rifugio Averau
Distance: 9.3 km / 5.8 mi
Walking time: 3h
Elevation gain: 370 m / 1214 ft
Elevation loss: 700 m / 2297 ft
Day 4 gives a few path choices leading to the next refuge and I will cover some below. It’s best if you refer to the Tabacco Map 03 to visualise your options.
PATH NUMBERS:
Option 1: 401, 402, 441
The shortest and fastest route takes you down on path 401 to Forcella Travenanzes then follows path 402 on the descent to Passo Falzarego. You then ascend on path 441 all the way to rifugio Averau.
This is the option I went for and I recommend it to anyone who plans on doing the extensions in the afternoon. If you are feeling lazy today you can also catch the gondola down to Passo Falzarego then continue hiking on path 441.
Option 2: 401, 402, 412, 440
The original Alta Via route. This starts the same way as option 1 but passes Forcella Travenanzes and continues on path 402 to Forcella Bois. It then goes down and turns onto path 412 leading to the restaurant ‘Da Strobel. Afterwards, it crosses the road and follows path no. 440 passing lake Limides, rifugio Scoiatolli and finally ending at rifugio Averau
Option 3: Lagazuoi tunnels, 402, 441
If you would like to learn a little bit about the bloody history of Passo Falzarego this is a great route to take. The entry to the Lagazuoi tunnels is only a couple of hundred meters away from the Lagazuoi hut. The tunnels are dark and narrow so you will need a head torch and ideally a helmet to avoid bumping your head on the low ceilings.
During bad weather, the tunnels are subjected to floods. This is what stopped me and my dad from going this way. I have explored the Lagazuoi tunnels the previous year so at least I didn’t feel like I missed out.
Night 4: Rifugio Averau
I really recommend staying at rifugio Averau. Albeit slightly more expensive than other nearby options (rifugios Scoiatolli and Nuvolau) it offers exquisite food and the most comfortable mattresses on the whole traverse. Something one learns to appreciate after hiking all day long.
Extensions Day 4: Via Ferrata Averau or Cinque Torri
EXTENSION 1: VIA FERRATA AVERAU
Starting within a hundred meters from the Averau hut, via Ferrata Averau takes its name from the summit it leads to. I have done it the previous year for sunset and if it weren’t for the bad weather that rolled in in the afternoon of our 4th day on Alta Via 1 I would have loved to take my dad there to show him the amazing views from the top. Visit my post to see for yourself!
EXTENSION 2: CINQUE TORRI
If you choose the second variant for the day when hiking from rifugio Lagazuoi to rifugio Averau you will walk by Cinque Torri. It translates to five towers and it’s an interesting rock formation not far from the hut. There is an old military fort turned into an outdoor museum dating back to the First World War right at the foot of the towers. You can spend the afternoon exploring the area.
Day 5: Rifugio Averau to Rifugio Citta Di Fiume
Distance: 14.5 km / 9 mi
Time: 4h 15 min
Elevation gain: 550 m / 1804 ft
Elevation loss: 1030 m / 3380 ft
PATH NUMBERS: 452, 436, 458, 467
Today you will cross another one of the very photogenic mountain passes of the Dolomites – Passo Giau. Throughout the whole day, you will be getting nearer to the unmistakable Mount Pelmo – one of the highest Dolomiti peaks.
You can recognise it by its distinct armchair shape. Rifugio Citta di Fiume is located beautifully right at its foot.
Unfortunately, the weather was not in our favour on that day. Most of it we spent hiking in a thick cloud and rain until it cleared up in the late afternoon (some pics below were taken the year before).
I didn’t mind though as for the rest of the trip we had perfect blue skies every day! The first 4 photos you see above were taken the previous year when I was exploring the area.
Night 5: Rifugio Citta Di Fiume
Rifugio Citta di Fiume is quite small and it may not provide the same fancy services as the other huts on the first 4 days of Alta Via 1, but it makes up for it with a great atmosphere and delicious homemade food.
Thanks to you for providing all of this very helpful information!
My wife and I will be on AV1 in late July but, unfortunately, we won’t have an adequate amount of time to hike the entirety of it and still call it a vacation. We’ll have a total of six days in the Dolomites, and we’re trying to balance our (not always shared) interests in trekking, via ferrata, trail running, water color painting, and taking in the geology and history of the place. So we’re thinking we won’t want to take on more than about 50-60% of the entire distance.
Looking back on your trip, and considering what we’re trying to accomplish, what 40-ish mile length of the AV1 do you consider to be the most rewarding? And would access logistics (cable cars/road crossings/transit) be reasonable for starting and ending the trek at those spots? Thanks in advance for any feedback you can provide.
Hi Travis. Thanks for visiting. My favorite days of Alta Via 1 were day 3, 7 and 10 so as you can probably see there is a better or worse half of AV1. I am afraid though I didn’t understand how many days exactly you are looking at. I know you said 40ish mile so around 65 km but you want to do those over 4 days? Do you want to spend all 6 days that you have in the Dolomites on Av1?
Logistically the easiest for you would be to start at Passo Falzarego then hike to Rifugio Citta Di Fiume on day 1 then Coldai day 2, Vazzoler Day 3 and exit after Rifugio Vazzoler. Passo Falzarego is easily accessible by bus from Cortina d’Ampezzo and Cortina in turn can be easily reached from Venice. There are shuttle buses going daily. Let me know if that helps and if you have any more questions. Also check my late entry/early exit possibilities at the end of part 2.
Hi Marta – thank you for sharing all this information!
Question: if we were to exit the trail at Passo Giau, do you know what bus company we should take to be to get back to Cortina d’Ampezzo? Trying to determine if we should hike from Rifugio Averau to Passo Giau then catch a bus or try to find a bus around Rifugio Averau and take it from there.
Thanks!
Hi Michael. The Dolomitibus operate along this route, but their schedules and their website are so user-unfriendly that it scares me. Try to look it up on the Mooveit app or Sued Tirol Mobil. Bear in mind that schedules might not be available yet as the winter season is still in full swing.Let me know if you have more questions
Thanks for reply!
Sorry one more question. Do you where we can exit the trail after a night at the Rifugio Citta Di Fiume? Plan to head back to Cortina after this.
Hi Michael. You can exit at Passo Staulanza which is a point along the route between rifugio Citta di Fiume and rifugio Coldai. There is a bus stop at rifugio Staulanza.
Hi there!
Thank you so much for your articles, they have all been extremely helpful! I will be hiking with some friends in the dolomites the last week of June into July. We all are experienced hikers and grew up int he mountains. We are looking for a 9 day hut to hut. We were looking at your Alta Via 1 route but were thinking of combining the first and second day to make it into 9 days. While researching we noticed that a lot of other articles were going from Averau to Stalanza to Vazzoler. I guess I was wondering why you chose your route from Averau to Citta di fiume to Coldai to Vazzoler. My other easier question would be would you recommend a different 9 day hike to see the best of the dolomites. We wont be traveling with the extra gear required for the other Alta Vias. Thank you so much for your help!
Hi Cristina. Thanks for stopping by. To make the trip shorter I would actually recommend the following huts. Day 1-3 as normal day 4 Lagazuoi to Citta Di Fiume. Day Citta Di Fiume to Tissi, Day 6 Tissi to Carestiato, 7 Carestiato to Pramperet and then walk out on day 8 or stay another night in Pian De Fontana.
I think Citta Di Fiume is much nicer to stay at than Staulanza. Staulanza is right next to the road and rather in forest. Citta di fiume has awesome views of Monte Pelmo and if you felt like it you could walk up from there to Col De La Puina for sunset. If you don’t plan on taking VF equipment with you then stick with AV1. I do recommend that you get on with booking the huts though because it’s already quite late in the season and the demand has risen significantly in recent years. I hope that helps!
Hi Marta. Great info and pictures you posted here. We are a group of 4 planning to hike the AV1 in early Sept. Do you have any advice or notes on hiking towards the end of the season? Do the rifugios stay open and bus shuttles run right to the 3rd week in Sept? Thanks!
Hi Kirk. Thanks for visiting. Yes the rifugios stay open until the third week of September. I recommend checking the last refuge which you will stay at and its opening times, particularly the last day, then take off 10 nights and start your hike then. The buses are usually aligned with the hut openings. You will find the bus schedules in the last two huts you will cross along the way. Let me know if I can help any further.
Hi Marta! Your site is great. I want to backpack for 4-5 days during the 3rd week of September. I am an experienced hiker, but not a climber, so I do not want to encounter any via ferratas. The Alta Via 1 looks great except the hiking time on the trail each day seems quite short in that each day only has about 1/2 day of hiking. Do you have any recommendations for trails that don’t have via ferratas, but that might have 6-7 hours of hiking each day? Thank you!
Hi Carrie. Thanks for stopping by. Please bear in mind that the times I am giving on the site are only walking times and do not include any breaks. Look at other stats too like distances and elevation gain. You can easily combine some days to fit your own schedule. Here is an example itinerary for 5 days which would have longer days based on AV1. Passo Falzarego to rifugio Citta di Fiume. Citta di Fiume to rifugio Tissi. Rifugio Tissi to Rifugio Carestiatio. Rifugio Carestiatio to rifugio Pian De Fontana. Pian De Fontana to La Pissa. Let me know if that helps!
Marta Kulesza, Thank you for your amazing website. I am using every piece of information you have provided. After planning this trip since October 2021, I’m leaving July 14 from the US and I am doing the entire AV1. In planning my trail route, I was looking at the Tabacco Map #031. I may have an older map but I do not have the trails from Fannes to Lagazuoi or Averau. None of the trails, 401, 402, 412, 440, etc. are on this map. Can you give me some information on what map I will need to fine these trails? Tabacco Map 25 has the rest of the AV1 all the way to the La Pissa Belluno bus stop. Thanks again for your work.
Hi Thomas. Thanks for visiting. I just double-checked on my map for Cortina (no. 03) and the routes are all there, but even if you have an older map don’t stress out) whichever route you choose to take do not worry, they are all marked. Once leaving rifugio Lagazuoi you will have a clear sign for Lagazuoi Tunnels. Once you make it down to Passo Falzarego you will also have signs pointing towards rifugio Averau. Hiking in the Dolomites is easy, particularly on AV1. Passo Falzarego is clearly visible from Rifugio Lagazuoi too so the descent is super easy whichever way you decide to go down. I hope that helps! let me know if you have any more questions!
Thank you for getting back to me. In your article, you mention Map 031, not Map 03. There is my confusion. I believe you need to change Rifugio Lagazuoi to Rifugio Averau from Map 031 to Map 03. Thanks.
Hi Thomas. I do say in the article that you need 3 maps for AV1: numbers 031, 03 and 025.
Thank you again for your quick response. Yes, you did mention that I need 3 maps for this hike. Here is what you wrote for Day 4: “Day 4 gives a few path choices leading to the next refuge and I will cover some below. It’s best if you refer to the Tabacco Map 031 to visualise your options.” Map 031 does not have these trail numbers to refer to. If you mean Map 03, you need to edit your article at Day 4.
Hi Thomas. Now I got it. Thanks for catching it. I have updated it from 031 to 03. Those two maps do overlap though. Same as 03 overlaps slightly with 025. Anyways thanks for staying vigilant and I hope that whichever route you choose when hiking this stage that you will have lots of fun!
Hi, Marta — I’ve read a bunch of your articles and love your adventurous spirit. I’m going to do the AV1 this September, and will bring my ferrata gear to Italy so I can do some ferratas after the AV1. I’d like to do the AV1 ferratas to Averau and Ra Gusela, but I’d prefer not to have to carry the gear throughout the AV1. I have many years of rock climbing experience and also have done some intermediate ferratas in the USA. What do you think?
Hi Rick. Thanks for stopping by and your awesome feedback. If you are looking for a green light from me to do the via ferratas without the equipment then you won’t get it 🙂 After going through a terrible accident myself in the mountains I am a big believer in a better be safe than sorry attitude. Whilst I saw a lot of people on the beginner via ferratas without the equipment I have also noticed that most of the remembrance plaques can be spotted on the beginner routes, so there you have it. The choice is ultimately yours. I wish you lots of fun on AV1! It’s an awesome route and if you need another reason to actually bring the VF equipment then I highly encourage you to try the via Ferrata Degli Alleghesi starting from rifugio Coldai. This would mean staying a couple of nights in rifugio Coldai, but the Ferrata is awesome and the views from the top of Civetta are really worth it!
Hello, I have loved reading many of your articles… It’s definitely inspired many adventure plans for me! I had a question I wondered if you may have advice on… I’ll be hiking Alta Via 1 in late June, and am trying to find a way to send a bag from the start (Lago Braies or Cortina) to Belluno to pick up at the end. I have only found taxi services that are around 300 euros for that (which seems like a lot for one small bag). Do you know of any better ways to send a bag? Thank you so much!
Hi Wendy. Thanks for stopping by and for your great feedback! Unfortunately, apart from sending it via post, I don’t know of any place or services that do it. What I would recommend is that you travel to Belluno first then leave it at a hotel in Belluno and travel up to Braies with just the backpack that you will use for your trek. Sorry I couldn’t help any further! Let me know if you have more questions!
Thank you Marta!
That was a great idea. I didn’t know about Passo Giau.
Our dates have changed, and we’ll have to go in mid June. I am worried about the snow, so just to we get a taste of the multi day experience I booked the Lavarella and da Lagazou huts. Not sure if I should take the chance with the Sennes (as the Biella is closed), or be happy with the 2 nights?
Thank you again!
Hi Ana. No worries. I have hiked AV1 in 2019 and we started exactly on June 18th. That was the first-day rifugio Biella was open. There was still a bit of snow when hiking up to the pass, but nothing impassable. We were able to hike without any crampons. This year there was less snow in the Alps compared to previous years so you might even be lucky and have none in June. If sennes is open then do consider staying there for your first night. Good luck! Let me know how it goes!
Wonderful news Marta!
Thank you so much!!!
Glad I was able to help! Have loads of fun on your trip and let me know how it goes!
Hi Marta,
thank you so much for you reply, it was very helpful!
If we do around 5 days of the via 1 I am looking at:
Lake Braies / Sennes or Pederu / Fanes / Lagazou / Averau or Nuvolau
What do you think? Is there any better option?
And also, if we leave the car at the end of the hike (at Bai de Dones), do you know if there is transport back to Lake Braies?
Thank you again!
hi Ana. AV1 starts at Lago di Braies, which you can reach by car or bus. I would recommend that you stay your first night somewhere in Cortina D’Ampezzo and book a hotel with the option to leave your car for a few days. There are also paid and secure parking lots in Cortina where you could leave your car. Then on your first day, you can take the bus to Lago di Braies. The journey takes around 1 hour. You then hike for the next 4 or 5 days following my Alta Via 1 itinerary. If you hike for 5 days you can exit at Passo Giau and from there catch the local bus to Cortina D’Ampezzo. If you look at the map you will see that it makes sense. I don’t recommend leaving your car at the start of the hike. If I do it myself I always leave the car either at the end or somewhere in the middle and use public transport on the first day of a backpacking trip to simply get it out of the way. From my experience when I finish any multiday trek the last thing I want to do on that day is mess around with public transport to get back to the car. I prefer the car to be waiting for me already 🙂 Let me know if that helps!
Hi Marta,
thank you so much for you detailed articles! Plus, your pictures are amazing.
I would like to ask your opinion cause my boyfriend and I would like to do a 4/5 day hike, but this will be his first experience on a multi-day hike.
From what you’ve wrote I am in between the Tre Cime multiday traverse or part of Via 1.
Could you please help me?
1- considering the scenery, which one do you prefere?
2 – we will be going on the 1st week of July, is Via 1 too crowded?
3 – also, we have 10 days in total, so we can do day trips as well
Thank you so much,
Ana
Hi Ana! Thanks for visiting my site and your awesome feedback. If it is your boyfriend’s first multiday traverse then I think AV1 would be more suiting. As for your question. Considering the scenery you can’t go wrong with either one. 2) 1st week of July is considered high season but, to be honest you will meet fewer people on some sections of AV1 than on the Tre Cime traverse. The area around Tre Cime is very crowded during the high season because lots of people access rifugio Auronzo by car and hike the Tre Cime circuit in a day. Another thing to consider is the via ferratas along the traverse, you will need to carry proper vf gear with you to tackle those sections. As for day trips, there are a lot of possibilities for day hikes and day via ferratas which you can find in the day hikes category and via Ferrata category in my Italian Dolomites guide. Let me know if I can help further!
Hi Marta,
Thanks for your amazing write ups and photos!
I’m a female experienced hiker (not much climbing/mountain experience however as live in Australia) and hoping to hike either of the Alta Via 1 or Alta Via 2 solo in August this year. I much prefer less crowds and certainly don’t mind a challenge, however am also concerned about being unsafe in the mountains solo.
So I guess I have 2 questions:
1 -Which was more spectacular? Alta Via One or Alta Via Two?
2 – Would you warn a solo traveller from doing Alta Via Two (i.e. is there lots of scrambling/unsafe sections?)
Thank you kindly 🙂
Dom
Hi Dom! THanks for stopping by. To try and answer your questions:
1. It’s a tough call. There are days that I loved more on AV1 and days I loved more on AV2. If you want my honest answer I thought AV4 was the best, followed closely by the Dolomiti Brenta traverse haha. Whichever you pick AV1 or AV2 you won’t be dissapointed.
2. You will always meet people along these traverses and can team up with someone. AV2 does require carrying extra equipment for the via ferrata section. A helmet is a must, but also harness and lanyard wouldn’t hurt, especially since there are a few very cool via ferrata extensions you can do, but also because there are some short cable sections with ladders, where you really should wear a helmet.
Let me know if you have more questions!
Amazing, thank you SO much for your reply! Much appreciated!
I will look into the AV4 as an alternative… Just read your guide on it, and it looks incredible!!!
Happy adventuring 😀
Dom
Fantastic! Have lots of fun and let me know if you have any further questions!
Great write up. Looks snowy, which exact weeks did you travel? Currently planning a trip for last week of June and wondering if likely to be similar. Did you require crampons?
Hi Ste! Thanks for stopping by. It seems like you missed the answer in the text. I do say that I hiked it at the very start of the season which was June 17th – June 27th. We had snow even on the last day of the hike, but apart from the approach to rifugio Lagazuoi on day 3 when the snow was slushy and we were sinking sometimes knee-deep in it, other times we were crossing the snowfields in the mornings when the snow was hard. We did not require crampons at any point, but gaiters may come in handy. I hope that helps!