Huts and Farms of Stelvio Hiking Tour

Travel to and from Stelvio

The closest airport to the Stelvio-Ortler region is Verona. It takes around 4 hours to arrive by train and bus from the Verona airport to the valleys of Stelvio: Val di Sole, Val Venosta and the city of Merano.

Other possible airports are Venice, Bologna, Innsbruck, Munich and Milan.

We can help you plan the logistics and provide you with train and bus schedules: please contact us before you buy book the flights.

Clothing and Gear

Proper hiking boots are a must for the mountains. We recommend high boots because they support the ankle better than any low boots and provide better stability on a rocky terrain. Val di Rabbi is a unpredictable valley therefore you will need warm clothes during the trip: waterproof and windproof jacket, fleece jacket, long trekking pants and a cap. A raincoat, poncho or other type of rainwear is necessary. Other necessary items are the toiletries, light clean footwear to use in the huts, sunglasses and at least 2 one-liter bottles for water. Your trip documents will include a detailed packing list specifically prepared for your itinerary. We kindly ask everyone to read it carefully and be properly prepared for the hiking trip.

Accommodation

The first and last nights of your trip are in one of our basecamp hotels. While hiking, you will stay overnight in the mountain huts. You can count on the following services in the mountain huts: a bed in a shared room or in a private room (must be booked in advance), shower with hot water, toilets, meals, and a possibility to buy take away water and snacks such as sandwiches and chocolate. Shared rooms are equipped with bunk beds with mattresses, pillows and blankets. Bed linen is not provided in shared bedrooms: you must have a sleeping bag liner with you. Typically, it is a light cotton bag. Warm sleeping bag is unnecessary, since there are blankets in the bedrooms. In private rooms you are often offered bed linen, thus a sleeping bag liner is not required. If you book private rooms, we inform you on whether you need to bring a sleeping bag liner. Most huts have a heating system, but it is normally not required in the summer months. You will need clean footwear for the huts: light slides are an ideal solution. For detailed information on the huts please read Mountain Huts in the Alps.

Meals

In hut-to-hut hiking tours you are served a breakfast and a dinner in the huts and mountain hotels on the route.

Normally, the breakfast is served from 7am to 9am. It usually includes an unlimited quantity of coffee and tea, bread, butter, jam, honey and chocolate spread. In addition, some huts offer ham, cheese and muesli for breakfast. After breakfast we recommend filling your thermos with hot water or tea: ask the staff, and it will be for free in most huts.

The dinner time in the mountain huts is 7pm or 7:30pm for all guests. A typical dinner in a hut is very rich and includes a starter, the first course (such as pasta, risotto, dumplings), the second course (meat with a side dish) and a dessert. Any drinks at dinner (water, wine, beer, tea, coffee) are not free and should be ordered and paid separately.

Lunch. During most day crossings there will be no huts or farms on the way where you could stop for lunch. We recommend taking a packed lunch from the hut in the morning. A typical packed lunch includes 1 or 2 sandwiches, yoghurt, chocolate bar, water, and it normally costs 7 - 8 euros. Tell the staff in the evening that you would like to take a packed lunch. Alternatively, on some days of the route, you can reach the next mountain hut in 4-5 hours and have lunch there.

Safety Considerations

Our guided hiking tours are led by professional guides, each with years of guiding and wilderness experience and with passion for mountains. They permanently work in the region of the exact hiking tour, have professional licenses, are experts in emergency situations, regularly upgrade their qualifications and work in accordance with national regulations.

For self-guided hiking, it is necessary to be properly dressed, follow the safety rules and make realistic time calculation for day crossings – preferably according to the hiking schedule that we provide. Our self-guided hiking trips are planned so that they do not require specific skills or gear, unless it is clearly specified in the tour description. You can expect well-maintained trails equipped with direction signs. Exposed sections of the trail are secured on the self-guided routes: it makes them safe provided that you follow the basic safety rules for hiking in the mountains.

Mountains are a natural environment with a high level of risk, so we insistently ask all participants to read the safety rules and emergency procedures: Safety Considerations. If you have questions about the safety rules, please contact us +39 0463 63 60 80.

Insurance and Visa

Insurance. It is important to have an appropriate insurance that covers the hiking activity. You don't need to include the climbing activity in your insurance, unless you are planning to climb during the hike.

Visa. We will provide you with a booking confirmation for all days of your trip. If you need the Italian visa, you can enclose this document with your visa application.

Weather in Stelvio

The hiking season in the Rhaetian Alps starts at the end of June and finishes in the middle of September. The best period for hiking is from mid-July till the last week of August when the weather is normally stable. Till the end of June vast snowfields may remain at the altitude above 2200 m (7,220 ft) and block the passes. In September the temperature drops, and snow is not unusual in the Rhaetian Alps and especially in the Ortler and Bernina groups. The September snow melts away quickly after the weather conditions improve, but it causes troubles if you must walk on a snow-covered terrain, because the snow hides the trail.

During the summer months of July and August the Rhaetian Alps are still prone to sudden temperature and weather shifts. It is necessary to be prepared for an unexpected rain or thunderstorm and have appropriate warm clothes and rainwear.

In the exposed areas at a level of 2,400 m (7,870 ft) and above the temperature does not exceed 15° C (59° F) in a warm day. On the passes at 3,000 m (9,840 ft) the maximum temperature can reach 10° C (34° F). It is warmer in those areas that are protected from the wind and on the sunny slopes even at a high altitude. In a very cold day at 2,700 m and above sparse snow can fall even in August, but this is unusual. Nights at the high altitude are always fresh, frosts are possible above 2,900 m (9,510 ft) throughout the entire summer. At the same time, in the nearby valleys at the altitudes of 800 – 1,200 m (2,620 – 3,940 ft) the daytime temperature can reach 27° C (81° F) in a hot day.