Hiking in the Adamello-Brenta Nature Park

The base camp location for this trek is Val di Sole, a remote valley on the western edge of the Dolomites. Today, you arrive in Val di Sole on your own and check in at the base camp hotel. The valley is nestled in between the Ortler-Cevedale range and Brenta Dolomites. The small towns in the center of the valley are a strategic point to easily reach all landmarks of Val di Sole and the nearby Val di Rabbi. The name Val di Sole presumably originates from Sulis - the Celtic goddess of waters. This region is known for its thermal spas Rabbi and Peio and a ski resort. Each valley in the Italian Alps produces its unique cheese, and Val di Sole is not an exception. The local cheese Casolet is an integral part of the Val di Sole culinary traditions. You won’t miss tasting it if you’d like to - it’s used on pizza, in salads and in all dishes cheese can go with.

In the morning, you will reach the trailhead by taking a lift from the valley. You will start walking at an altitude of 2050 m. It’s the Presanella group, non-dolomitic mountains, reach of water and wildlife. The today’s itinerary runs through pine forests and regularly reaches high-altitude meadows and lakes above the treeline. It is a pleasant walk as you can enjoy the overwhelming views of the Brenta Dolomites from the slopes of Presanella. The two mountain groups stand one in front of another. Presanella is famous for its numerous lakes. Some of them are hidden in the forest, while others are on open slopes overlooking the Brenta. The day ends at one of such lakes, Nambino. It’s surrounded by the forest and is a popular destination among fishers and photographers.

The hike continues on the slopes of Presanella, and also today you will reach lakes, mostly at a higher altitude above the treeline. The Five Lakes hiking route is among the most renowned walks of the Adamello-Brenta Nature Park. It features enchanted scenery and very rich flora. Your today’s itinerary is planned so that you reach the lakes and other landmarks 1-2 hours earlier than the day tourists arriving from Madonna di Campiglio with the lifts. You will be walking in a perfectly preserved protected area known for its crystal clear lakes surrounded by rhododendrons and gentians. The Adamello-Brenta Nature Park is home to a large population of chamois. You'll see them in the morning if you are the first on the trail. At the end of the day, you will descend to Madonna di Campiglio, a famous alpine resort town, where you can rest and stroll along its nicely decorated streets before spending the five coming days in wilderness.

Today, you start in Madonna di Campiglio and walk straight to the heartland of the Brenta Dolomites. The first highlight on your route in Brenta are the Vallesinella waterfalls. It’s one of the calling cards of Adamello-Brenta Nature Park. You will reach the waterfalls in the morning while still walking through pine forests covering the slopes below 1800 meters. The trail snakes up the slope crossing the stream multiple times. There is a series of wooden bridges letting you approach the cascades, breath the cool air and take photos. From the waterfalls, the trail slowly ascends out of the forest and approaches the massive walls of the central Brenta. Your hut for tonight is at 2200 meters. Beautiful views open up from the nearby slopes to the west of Brenta where the Adamello group still preserves its glaciers.

The heartland of Brenta is famous for breathtaking landscapes and views. You will walk along a trail at the foot of Cima Groste toward the Passo Groste pass. Cima Grostè is the most impressive peak of the Brenta Dolomites, although not the highest. The trail runs on rocky terrain typical to the Dolomites at the altitude above 2300 meters. A walk to Passo Groste along the direct trail takes less than half a day and offers compelling views on the Presanella and Adamello mountain ranges to the west of Brenta. For those willing to explore more, we recommend a 2 hour side hike to Orti della Regina to see thousands of fossil mollusca - the residents of the Brenta Dolomites 230 mln years ago. Brenta is famous for its reddish rock which is rare in the other mountain groups in the Dolomites. Today, you will finish the walk at the Passo Groste passo and stay overnight at the foot of the Pietra Grande mountain - the Brenta’s most scenic red colored formation. Don’t miss the sunset! Sunsets are gorgeous at Passo Groste. They are one of the highlights of the Brenta trek.

This leg connects Passo Groste with Lake Tovel on a trail running through the meadows of Val Flavona, a large depression in the inner Brenta. Lake Tovel is definitely the major highlight of the day, but there is at least one more. The Turion tower standing on your route is another remarkable symbol of the Brenta Dolomites. It is a 160 meter high laminose formation which resembles a handmade tower or fortresses standing in the meadows. The hike to Lake Tovel features a significant intraday descent but is not fatiguing as the trail is good and not steep. Lake Tovel is notable from both landscape and wildlife perspectives. It is a great photo shooting spot - a chain of mountains reflecting on the surface of the lake creates a spectacular effect. Until 1964, the lake waters used to turn red every July thanks to the algae Tovelia Sanguinea. This algae no longer exists, but thanks to this unique phenomenon of the past the lake gained great popularity and is still known in Italy as the Red Lake.

Morning views are fascinating at Lake Tovel. It is worth waking up early for a short walk to the northern tip of the lake to enjoy a great view of the sunlit mountain tops while the lake still remains in shadow and with a smooth surface reflecting the skyline. You will be hiking in the northern part of Brenta today. It is the least visited and most diverse area of the Brenta Dolomites. There are red rock mountains, green pastures and pine forests. You are unlikely to see other hikers more than just a couple of times today. Your destination is Monte Peller - a mountain in the extreme north of Brenta. One hour before you reach the hut, there is a farm known for producing excellent cheese and other dairy products by using the traditional alpine method. We recommend making a break at the farm and taste the local specialties before finishing your today’s hike at the hut. Walking the last mile to the hut, you can observe curious marmots in the meadows near the farm.

Today you can start the day with an optional ascent to Monte Peller from the hut. The ascent is rather demanding however, because the trail runs to the top on an exposed slope, but the trail is secured. Monte Peller is an isolated mountain standing in complete solitude. It is famous for a 360-degree panorama covering the northern and central Brenta and the adjacent Ortler-Cevedale group. In alternative, there is an easier route option for the morning. There is Lake Salare two hours away from the hut. It is scenic and calm, and it is definitely worth visiting before descending to the valley. The lake is at the foot of the slope in green meadows with rare fur trees. It is very popular among landscape painters. The day ends with a short transfer back to your basecamp hotel in Val di Sole.

Your trek has come to an end. Your base camp hotel serves breakfast, and then you can depart Val di Sole. The Adamello-Brenta Nature Park is one of the best preserved parts of the Alps featuring an extraordinary diversity of landscapes and wildlife. The route you walked covers almost all areas of the nature park accessible with moderately difficult daytime treks. At MONT Trekking, we love to go hiking in Brenta. It is definitely among our favorite mountains.

This itinerary starts near Madonna di Campiglio and goes directly into the northern part of the Brenta Dolomites via the Passo Groste pass. The northern Brenta is the wildest area of this mountain group. The itinerary requires 4 hiking days. It bypasses the Presanella range completely. The difficulty of this route option is Level 3, same as the complete itinerary. The base camp location is Val di Sole.

The itinerary of the 7 Day Tour starts near Madonna di Campiglio. It covers the Brenta Dolomites in 5 hiking days, thus bypassing the Presanella range. With respect to the complete itinerary described in detail, your first walking day on this route is Day 4. This route option does not differ from the complete itinerary in terms of difficulty. Val di Sole remains the base camp location for this route option for a significantly more efficient connectivity by public transport.

In 6 hiking days, you will explore almost the complete Adamello-Brenta itinerary with the exception of the central Brenta. You will start in the Presanella group on the main route, reach Madonna di Campiglio in 2 hiking days, and then head toward Passo Groste’, thus leaving the central part of Brenta aside. We recommend this route option if you would like to explore Adamello-Brenta as much as possible but do not have time for the complete itinerary.

This route is designed for small groups. It connects lakes Tovel and Molveno, crossing the Brenta Dolomites. It is a Level 3 itinerary for 5 hiking days. You will start it with an acclimatization day at Lake Tovel at an altitude of 1200 meters. After a night at Lake Tovel, you will be joined by your mountain guide and start the hut-to-hut trek with an ascent of 1300 meters, with subsequent daytime hikes being easier. In general, the Dolomites are poor in water, but on this route there are two lakes, each of which is a famous pearl of the Alps. Lake Molveno is known as the cleanest Italian lake. The route between the lakes takes you through the forest belt to alpine meadows and the rocky central part of Brenta with its bare rocks, impressive vertical walls and peaks of all shapes. You will cross Brenta at the Bocca di Brenta pass and then begin to descend towards Lake Molveno, where you will stay overnight before returning to the valley.