Dolomites Alta Via 1 Complete

Experienced hikers will love this classic long-distance trail through the stunning high peaks of the Dolomites. You should be sure-footed and have a head for heights to really get the most from this trip. It is not suitable for people suffering from vertigo. There are two particularly long days on this trip; Day 8 & Day 9 where you can expect to be walking between 8-10 hours each day. We can split these days up if you prefer, please see the detailed itinerary for more info. You should be prepared to stay in remote yet charming ’Rifugi’ - these mountain huts give a great sense of camaraderie, with dormitories, and the option at times to have a private room. Great food, good company, and mouth-watering scenery, so….andiamo!

Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way, Tour Du Mont Blanc and the Passau to Vienna Danube Cycle Path, to name but a few!

Hut to Hut Walking | Walk from hut to hut, changing accommodation each night

Groups > 10

This walk is graded strenuous, due to the days where you have to carry your own pack, although grading is often subjective. It includes daily walks of between 9 and 16.5km with ascents of up to 900m, and descents of up to 1300m. You’ll be following switchback footpaths, country lanes, both narrow and wide tracks and rough mountain paths. You should be prepared for rocky and loose ground and unavoidable narrow paths across scree slopes. We have deliberately avoided routes involving Via Ferrata. Some of the ascents and descents are considerably steep and some can be exposed so require a good head for heights and sure-footedness in places. It may be possible to split some of the longer days of the itinerary, please see the detailed itinerary for more info. You should have a good level of walking fitness to get the most from this trip and be an experienced mountain walker.

We specifically select your rifugi to give you a taste of warm Italian hospitality and so that you are able to join in the camaraderie with your fellow walkers. For the first and last nights of your tour, you will stay in a friendly 3* hotel on a breakfast basis. In Refugio San Sebastiano only breakfast is included, but you can buy dinner locally at the refugio. For your remaining hut nights you will stay on a half board basis in mountain huts - ‘rifugi’. They offer comfortable accommodation and good local food and drink. Some of the rifugi are more basic than others; they are a mixture of CAI (Italian Alpine Club) and privately-run properties.  On certain days there are different suitable mountain huts - which mountain hut you are booked in will depend on availability.

Hut accommodation is booked in mixed-sex dormitories made up of alpine-style communal sleeping areas or in bunk beds. We can often book private rooms in the huts (some with shared and some with en suite) and where this type of room is available this is noted against each accommodation; this 'room upgrade' is at an optional supplement. Private rooms are popular and therefore always subject to availability. Please note that private rooms in the mountain huts are extremely limited. If you wish to ask for a private room you need to BOOK EARLY. While we are always happy to ask, it may not be possible to reserve private rooms in the mountain huts.

Single Rooms & Solo Walkers

This trip is not available to solo walkers due to the remote terrain and single rooms are not available except on the first and last nights (in hotel accommodation). A supplement is payable.

Meals

Breakfast is included each morning. Dinner is not included in Cortina or Belluno as there are plenty of restaurants to choose from. Whilst staying in the rifugi dinner is included (excluding drinks). The only rifugio where dinner is not included is the Rifugio San Sebastiano at Passo Duran - dinner can be bought off the menu and paid for locally (you may not be overnighting here). Meals in the mountain huts are always simple, hearty fare.

As this is a self guided walk you will be responsible for navigation, decision making and safety during your trip. This walk is strenuous, crosses high mountain passes and the weather can change quickly. You should be able to navigate easily with a map and compass in poor visibility and be experienced in the mountains.We supply you with route notes for the recommended routes, as well as a comprehensive guidebook and Tabacco printed maps (1:25 000) and access to our smartphone navigation app along with GPX tracks, so you will have no problem following the route each day. You are of course free to walk wherever you choose, with the possibility of following the guidebook and/or reviewing the map to make your own route.

***July is busy on the Alta Via and you maybe not be able to book certain dates as the mountain huts are full. If you cannot find the availability for your dates, we can highly recommend one of our other Dolomites tours such as the Alta Via 1 South or one of our tours in the Tyrol.

***Should there be no availability in our first choice of rifugio we will book you into the next most suitable. Some of the walking days therefore become longer or shorter. This is all clearly described on booking and in the app.

This tour is available to start any day of the week from July to September. Upgrades to private rooms will be shown as an option during the booking process. Option & extension prices will be displayed as part of the booking process. Please note that private rooms in the mountain huts are extremely limited. If you wish to ask for a private room you need to BOOK EARLY. While we are always happy to ask, it may not be possible to reserve private rooms in the mountain huts. The best time to walk is July to mid-September, with August the most popular month (with the locals too!) and so busier in the huts. It is not unheard of for snow to fall on higher ground during the summer, and patches of snow may still be present into July. For this reason, we offer the walk starting from the beginning of July. July and August are the hottest months and carry the greatest risk of thunderstorms, which can be torrential and usually occur in the afternoon - being well-prepared and equipped for all these eventualities is essential.

By Air: Venice Marco Polo Airport is the most convenient airport, with various interational airlines operating here. The smaller Venice Treviso Airport is serviced by low-cost carrier Ryanair (London Stansted, Bristol, East Midlands, Leeds Bradford).

Private Transfers: We are able to arrange taxi transfers for you in Italy (bookable in advance at a supplement) from Venice Airports. Please get in touch to enquire about how we can help with transfer arrangements in Italy.

From Venice Marco Polo airport (or Venice Mestre bus station): it is possible to take the Cortina Express to Cortina (approx. 2h20); departures are twice-daily, usually in the afternoon, so please ensure you check their website for timetables.

From Venice Treviso Airport: From the airport take a bus (approx.12 mins) to Treviso, then from Treviso Sud there is an ATVO bus once a day to Cortina (approx. 2 hrs). Or you can take a bus from Treviso town to Venice Mestre or Marco Polo Airport for onward connections with the Cortina Express (see above). Check the timetable on the ATVO website.

From Belluno you can take a train (changing at Conegliano) to Venice Santa Lucia station (approx. 2h30); see www.trenitalia.com for timetables. From here, take a bus from Venice Mestre to Venice Marco Polo Airport (35 mins). See timetable.

To return to Cortina from Belluno: Dolomiti Bus Lines 9 and 30 run between Belluno and Cortina, if you need to return there to collect any additional luggage (we can request if luggage be left at your first hotel in Cortina—subject to prior agreement). Journey time takes just over 1 hr. For timetables, see www.dolomitibus.it/dolomitibus/jsp/orari

Bag transfer is available as an optional extra. Due to some of the huts' remoteness, it is impossible to transfer bags to each overnight location. If you opt for bag transfer, bags cannot be delivered to Rifugio Fanes, Rifugio Sennes/Lavarella, Rifugio Averau/Nuvolau, Rifugio Coldai, Rifugio Vazzoler and Rifugio Fontana. On these days, simply carry a few overnight things in your day pack to see you through. If you choose not to opt for baggage transfer, you will need to carry your kit with you each day. Since you are staying in dormitory-style accommodation, you will need to bring a sleeping bag liner (or you can sometimes buy or hire one locally). Bed linen is provided when booking private rooms.

At Macs Adventure we work in partnership with many luggage transfer providers who set a limit on how many bags/suitcases they will transfer per person, and also the weight of the bag/suitcase.

For the optional baggage transfers on the Alta Via the handlers are very strict with weight limits. You are only allowed to take one small bag (duffel style) weighing a max of 10kg (22lbs) per person. There is no space in the rifugios for more baggage.

Regardless if you are opting for the baggage transfers within the holiday or not, one main bag of a max of 20kg will be transferred from Cortina to Belluno (if your itinerary starts and ends in these towns), or your main bag will be stored in Cortina awaitiing your return. We do not have control over the limits that these providers set. Therefore, it is very important that you adhere to these limits there is a great possibility that you will be charged locally both for extra bags, or if they are too heavy. This limitation can be a challenge, especially as airlines generally have limits that are higher. However, our luggage providers have reasons for these limits we must respect. .