Alta Via 1 of the Dolomites

You arrive in Toblach or Cortina d'Ampezzo on your own, check in at the basecamp hotel and rest up before the hike. Of the two possible basecamp locations for this hike, Cortina is the larger and more famous resort, located closer to Venice airport. It hosts a variety of cultural and sporting events throughout the summer season. The Toblach resort is considerably smaller, situated in the German-speaking province of South Tyrol, and is located closer to the start point of the route. Tomorrow, you will need to travel for 30 minutes in total from Toblach, instead of the 1h 20m from Cortina. However, the airports are situated much further from Toblach than from Cortina.

The route commences from Lake Braies. This is a true pearl of the Dolomites and South Tyrol, and, in addition, is one of the largest and deepest lakes in the Dolomites: 1,2 km in length, 300 m wide and 36 m deep. Lake Braies was formed as a result of a landslide that blocked the flow of the mountain stream that bears its name, and owes its popularity to the exceptional beauty of its surroundings. The lake is filled with pure, clear water, which takes on a rich emerald hue in sunny weather. It is surrounded on three sides by the Dolomite massifs, and the south side of the lake looks out onto the vertical slope of the Croda del Becco peak, in the direction of which is the Alta Via 1 route.

Today, the route passes through the Fanes-Sennes-Braies Nature Park. The latter encompasses several massifs of the Dolomites, a defining feature of which is their distinctive karst topography. The karst landscapes in Fanes-Sennes-Braies were formed as carbonic acids and water dissolved the limestone deposits, which existed during the Jurassic period, over the following millennia. Many and various types of karst formations can be found in the Nature Park: shafts, grooves, limestone pavements, basins, cavities, caves, and so on. In one of these caves were discovered the remains of a cave bear that inhabited these areas 40 - 60 thousand years ago.

From the Fanes-Sennes-Braies Nature Park, the route leads to the Lagazuoi massif. This is famous for its "observation platform" with a 360-degree panorama of the Dolomites. From its peak, you can see the Nuvolau, Croda da Lago and Monte Pelmo groups and, on the distant horizon, the Marmolada, Sella, Sassolungo, and Pale di San Martino. In fair weather, it is undoubtedly worth taking some pictures here as a memento. For Italians, the Lagazuoi is of great historical significance; during the First World War, the Italian and Austro-Hungarian armies clashed here. The excavations and explosions in enemy tunnels altered the original appearance of the massif to a degree, leaving craters and deep clefts. If you wish, you can stay and inspect the system of military tunnels, which stretch for around 1,1 km, but do bear in mind that most of these tunnels are impassable, and in order to access many of them experience of via-ferratas is required.

The Cinque Torri massif, from the Italian for "five towers", is one of the most famous locations on the Alta Via No. 1 itinerary, and perhaps the most unusual group in the Dolomites in general. It was formed when a single massif fragmented into five parts during the formation of the modern Alps. The towers of the Cinque Torri stand proud over the surrounding alpine meadows by more than 100 meters. Each of them has its unique shape and own name.

Today, the route approaches the next of the Dolomites’ landmarks: The Monte Pelmo massif. From the south-eastern side, Monte Pelmo has a uniquely trapezoidal shape. There are no trails ascending Monte Pelmo; this massif is only accessible to mountain climbers. The Alta Via 1 route passes under the vertical faces of Monte Pelmo, along trails that boast stunning views. In addition, petrified dinosaur footprints from the Triassic period can be seen here, dating from around 200 - 250 million years ago. The day comes to a close at the north end of the Civetta group in a conveniently located hut that provides a beautiful panoramic view of Monte Pelmo and other massifs at sunset.

The following morning, the route departs from the picturesque Lake Coldai, which is located in a shallow hollow in the north of the Civetta group. Views of the lake against a backdrop of Civetta’s steep rocks can often be seen in alpine calendars. The group is famous for its 5-kilometer west face, which reaches more than 1 km in height. Around 100-300 meters in total separates the trail from the mountain face at this point, making this section of the Alta Via 1 one of its most impressive hiking paths.

Today, the path bends around the Moiazza massif, which forms one common mountain group with Civetta, and one of the largest groups in the Dolomites. At this point, the hiking route passes through a beautiful and serene landscape, slightly higher than the border of the forest belt, and gradually descending into the coniferous forest. At the beginning of the path, from the uplands that are opposite the north face of Civetta, you can take in the panoramic vista of the Dolomites to the east, encompassing the Marmolada and Sella groups. The Moiazza massif features the same sharp formations that were observed yesterday evening while passing along the north face of Civetta, but here the vertical cliffs seemingly "grow" from the level of the forest, something that creates impressive and contrasting images of classic alpine landscapes.

The route gradually leaves this area behind for more secluded spots. On the path for today are the San Sebastiano and Pramper groups, but less than a quarter of the hikers who set off from Lake Braies reach this far. For exactly this reason, these mountains are famed for their less-frequented trails and wild, undisturbed natural environment. The slopes here are steeper than those of the mountain groups in the north of the Alta Via 1. There are, therefore, fewer hiking tracks here, and the higher altitude routes away from the main Alta Via 1 trail are via-ferratas, some of which are not even marked on maps. Here, you can see peaks that soar dramatically into the heavens, and, if you set out on the early enough, even wild animals, including chamois and roe deer.

On the last day of your journey, you will pass through the moraines that are typical of the southern Dolomites, as well as across the lunar landscape of the Schiara group’s highlands. Due to the fact that the mountain slopes are very steep in this part of the Dolomites, the scree that is found as you approach the mountain passes is also steep. The Schiara group are the most barren mountains on the Alta Via 1 route, and practically no one ventures beyond the route itself. The path ahead is a via-ferrata, and so this is the last day of the hike. In the afternoon, you will descend to the foot of the Schiara group, from where you will reach Longarone or Belluno with a transfer.

Your Alta Via N.1 hike is over. After a breakfast at the base camp hotel, you can start your way back to the airport.

This route is 2 days shorter than the primary itinerary: there are 7 full hiking days. You will finish your hike at Passo Duran and reach Belluno with a transfer. If you prefer a lighter route you can step off the primary itinerary in the area of Moiazza, descend to the valley and finish in Listolade where a transfer will take you to Belluno.

With 8 hiking days, this itinerary covers the classic Alta Via 1 from Lake Braies to Moiazza. After a night at the foot of Moiazza, you will descend on foot to the Zoldo valley, where our base camp hotels are located. This itinerary allows you to explore the groups of Moiazza and San Sebastiano in the southern part of Alta Via 1.