Seceda Spires Day Hike

Iconic symbol of the Dolomites, Seceda is reachable from the Val Gardena valley on a day hike. Seceda is known for its unrivaled views of the Odle peaks, commonly referred to as Seceda Spires.

The itinerary of this day hike runs along the trails of the Puez-Odle group. The part of Puez-Odle that accommodates the Seceda Spires is the Odle di Funes massif. The fastest way to reach the trailhead is with the lift from Ortisei, the central town of Val Gardena. The hike starts at the mountain station of the lift, which immediately offers a fascinating view of the opposite standing groups of Sella and Sassolungo.

Seceda Spires stand at an altitude of about 2500 meters and are 300 - 500 meter high when viewed from the south. The area south of the peaks, i.e. the southern face of Odle di Funes overlooking Val Gardena, is a vast pastureland with a relatively gentle slope. The itinerary runs across the meadows at the foot of Seceda Spires and approaches the Puez massif from the west. This is a very open panoramic trail with exceptional views all along and a couple of mountain huts.

The second half of the itinerary follows the dry rocky bed of a mountain stream with scattered islets of creeping pine. This area is much less visited than the meadows near Seceda. It accommodates a historic mountain hut - Regensburger Hütte or Rifugio Firenze. Originally built in 1888 as a shelter, but has been manned since 1897, it is one of the oldest manned huts in the Dolomites. The historic building has survived to this day. In 1975, a larger building was built next to it, which is now used as a hut.

To keep this day hike easy, we can use the Col Raiser lift to quickly descend in Val Gardena. In alternative, we can walk down a naturalistic trail through a pine forest on the slopes opposite the Sella group. For experienced hikers, there is an option of a sidewalk through the impressive rocky canyons separating the massifs of Odle di Funes and Puez.

The Puez-Odle mountain system is entirely part of the Puez Odle Nature Park and one of the nine Dolomite mountain systems declared a UNESCO Natural Heritage Site. Its value is unique even by the standard of the Dolomites. It is often called the History Book of the Earth for its well-preserved geological structure with deposits referring to about 200 mln years of the Earth’s history from Permian through Cretaceous periods.

With Seceda Spires located not far from the starting point of the itinerary, the hike can be customized to match the fitness level and interests of the participants. It can thus vary in duration between 3 hours and a full day. It is a private hike with one of our local mountain guides based in Val Gardena. The itinerary runs along normal hiking trails, well-trodden and well-maintained. The terrain is predominantly meadow unless you choose to enter the canyons. You need to have clothes and boots comfortable for hiking depending on the season (robust boots for canyons).