A Hiking Adventure through the Italian and South Tyrolean Dolomites

Surround yourself with glorious pillars, pinnacles, and colossal rock walls—all tinted in soft shades of rose, yellow, and gray. In this fantastical playground, conquer passes and then descend to bucolic valleys of wildflowers and storybook villages. At day’s end, your hotels combine warm hospitality and delectable cuisine, restoring you for further discovery of both the eastern and western Dolomites. We simply have the most comprehensive itinerary!

Activities

7 days moderate to strenuous hiking (max. elev. 8,462'; optional hikes 10,339')

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

• Hike amid glorious landscapes of pillars, pinnacles, and colossal rock walls including the stunning Tre Cime di Lavaredo
• See it all! Our itinerary includes both the Western and Eastern Dolomites and their mix of cultures (and an optional Via Ferrata extension)
• Varied, moderate hikes with challenging options
• Enjoy the spa amenities of the Hotel Posta Zirm in Corvara (now that’s the way to end a hike!)
• Discover delectable Austro-Italian regional cuisine

2011 Trip Prices
$4,895 (2-16 members)
$500 single supplement

Duration: 9 days Start Location: Venice End Location: Venice Best time to go: July, September

Itinerary

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  Day 1 : Arrive in Venice

  Arrive in Venice, Italy, and drive to the famous alpine village of Cortina d'Ampezzo, your base for the next three nights.

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  Day 2 : Dolomiti D’Ampezzo Park: Alpe di Sennes Circuit

  Hike from Rifugio Malga Ra Stua (5,471'), set in a valley between the Croda Rossa (east) and Lavinores (west) Dolomite groups, to the Rifugio Fodara Vedla (6,429') for lunch, then along a trail through grassy basins dotted with bushes and dwarf mountain pine, home to marmots and chamois.

• 

  Day 3 : Tre Cime di Lavaredo

  Circumnavigate the stunning pillars of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo and Monte Paterno, one of the most scenic mountain landscapes in the Dolomites.

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  Day 4 : Fanes-Sennes-Braies National Park

  Hike into the beautiful Fanes-Sennes-Braies Natural Park, a stronghold of the Ladin language. Overnight at a mountain inn in a remote valley. (You'll need to carry your overnight belongings this day.)

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  Day 5 : Altopiano di Fanes

  Enjoy a panorama of the western Dolomites as we hike through the Altopiano di Fanes to the Val Badia in the South Tyrol. Optional steep hike to the Forcella del Lago (8,470') with spectacular all-encompassing views. Overnight at the deluxe Hotel Posta Zirm in Corvara for the next four nights.

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  Day 6 : Above the Val Badia and along the Sella massif

  Hike along the south face of the incredible Sella massif. Views include Marmolada (11,024'), the highest peak in the Dolomites, and the world-famous rock wall of the Civetta (10,564'). Optional strenuous hike to the top of Piz Boè (10,339').

• Day 7 : Santa Croce Sanctuary

  En route to the Santa Croce Sanctuary, site of a church built in 1484, hike a pilgrimage trail past hamlets, open meadows, and pine forests.

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  Day 8 : Passo Cir, Forcella Ciampai & Rifugio Puez

  Hike to Passo Cir (8,130') beneath the towering sheer pinnacles of Pizzes da Cir and on to the Forcella di Ciampai (8,280'). Optional climb to Sas Ciampac (8,775') for views of the Eastern Dolomites.

• Day 9 : Departure

  Return to Venice and depart (or extend your stay in this remarkable city!). Or, take our Via Ferrata extension before returning to Venice.

Properties shown are representative of the accommodations we use on this trip, may not be inclusive of all accommodations we use, and are subject to change.

Expert leadership is the key to an exciting, unforgettable experience. Our trips feature gifted leaders for whom leading trips is a true vocation. Besides showing you wonders you’d never find on your own, they make sure everything runs smoothly and safely without a hitch. They are knowledgeable about all aspects of your trip, and take great pleasure in sharing their insights with you. More than just guides, they positively elevate your experience by being teachers, companions, and the best of friends. You’ll be in good hands with them every step of the way.

• Giulia Monego

  Guilia Monego is a professional skier and adventure enthusiast. Her passion for skiing and the mountains has led her to work as a ski instructor, complete in many alpine ski races and events to leading hiking trips throughout the Dolomites. Whether she is leading a ski expedition in Patagonia or China to photography trips to British Columbia, she is at home at the mountains.

• Luca Gasparini

  Luca Gasparini is an enthusiastic bilingual professional mountain guide. The mountains and outdoors has always been a part of his life. He started skiing at seven years old, rock climbing and ice climbing at age 19. Luca is living in the Dolomites working as a mountain guide in heli skiing, ski touring, off-track-skiing, ski safaris, ice climbing and snow shoeing in winter and rock climbing, trekking, canyoning and mountaineering in summer.

• Marica Fave

  Marica Fave is grew up in Campitello in the Fassa Valley. She started skiing at age 3 and ski racing at age 6. Since then, she has been a part of the mountains ever since. While on Ski teams, she traveled through out Europe, North America and Canada. In 2006 she became a certified mountain guide and has been leading trips for Mountain Travel Sobek for many years. She has guided in Italy, France, Switzerland and India.

• Karin Pizzinini

  After being high school science and chemistry teacher, Karin Pizzinini decided to pursue her two big passions: travel and photography. Now she works both as an art director, making documentaries about Ladin arts and culture, and as a hiking guide in her beloved Dolomites, where she grew up and lives. She is a year-round outdoor enthusiast - enjoying telemarking and ski touring in the winter, hiking, rock climbing and climbing glaciers in the summer. She used to compete in cross country skiing, cycling and ski touring, where she has achieved the title of Italian champion. Karin says her mission is transmitting knowledge, be it as a teacher, a guide, a film director or a writer. Guiding trips through the beautiful scenery where she lives, and on trips around the world, enables her to share her enthusiasm with her groups, which is certainly one of the things she likes best.

• Alberto de Giuli

  Alberta De Giuli was born in the small town of Padova. After receiving his degree in economic from University in Venice; he decided to pursue his true passion and start guiding in the mountains. He lives in the Arabba which is in the heart of the Dolomites. Alberta has spent years guiding groups on adventures in climibing, trekking and skiiing. He enjoys showcasing the Dolomites to everyone - both the young and the not-so-young.

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