Gillian Price - Trekking in the Dolomites: Alta Via routes 1 and 2, with Alta Via routes 3-6 in outline

About the Author

Gillian Price was born in England but moved to Australia when young. After taking a degree in anthropology and working in adult education, she set off to travel through Asia and trek the Himalayas. The culmination of her journey was Venice where, her enthusiasm fired for mountains, the next logical step was towards the Dolomites, only hours away. Starting there, Gillian is steadily exploring the mountain ranges and flatter parts of Italy and bringing them to life for visitors in a series of outstanding guides for Cicerone.

When not out walking and taking photos with Nicola, her Venetian cartographer husband, Gillian works as a freelance travel writer and translator (www.gillianprice.eu). An adamant promoter of public transport to minimise impact in alpine areas, Gillian is also an active member of the Italian Alpine Club and the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild.

Across the Eastern Alps: E5

Gran Paradiso: The Alta Via 2 Trek and Day Walks

Italys Sibillini National Park: Walking and Trekking Guide

Shorter Walks in the Dolomites

Through the Italian Alps: The Grande Traversata delle Alpi

Trekking in the Alps (contributor)

Trekking in the Apennines: The Grande Escursione Appenninica

Walking in Italys Stelvio National Park

Walking in the Dolomites

Walking in Sicily

Walking in the Central Italian Alps

Walking in the Dolomites

Walking in Tuscany

Walking on Corsica

Walking on the Amalfi Coast

Walking the Italian Lakes

TREKKING IN THE DOLOMITES

by
Gillian Price

2 POLICE SQUARE, MILNTHORPE, CUMBRIA, LA7 7PY
www.cicerone.co.uk

Gillian Price 2011

Third Edition 2011, Reprinted 2014 (with updates)

ISBN 978 1 85284 563 6

Second Edition 2005 Martin Collins and Gillian Price

ISBN-10 1 85284 359 4

ISBN-13 978 1 85284 359 5

First Edition 1990 Martin Collins and Gillian Price

ISBN 978 0 90236 375 5

Printed in China on behalf of Latitude Press Ltd.

A catalogue for this book is available from the British Library.

All photographs are by the author unless otherwise stated.

Dedication

For the one-and-only Nick, joke-teller and map-drawer supreme.
But he has to share this dedication with dear departed Danilo and Piero, generous souls who actively encouraged me to discover these magical mountains in my infant alpine years.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to all the walkers who wrote in with feedback and comments on the previous edition.

Advice to Readers

While every effort is made by our authors to ensure the accuracy of guidebooks as they go to print, changes can occur during the lifetime of an edition. If we know of any, there will be an Updates tab on this books page on the Cicerone website (www.cicerone.co.uk), so please check before planning your trip. We also advise that you check information about such things as transport, accommodation and shops locally. Even rights of way can be altered over time. We are always grateful for information about any discrepancies between a guidebook and the facts on the ground, sent by email to info@cicerone.co.uk or by post to Cicerone, 2 Police Square, Milnthorpe LA7 7PY, United Kingdom.

Warning

Mountain walking can be a dangerous activity carrying a risk of personal injury or death. It should be undertaken only by those with a full understanding of the risks and with the training and experience to evaluate them. While every care and effort has been taken in the preparation of this guide, the user should be aware that conditions can be highly variable and can change quickly, materially affecting the seriousness of a mountain walk. Therefore, except for any liability which cannot be excluded by law, neither Cicerone nor the author accept liability for damage of any nature (including damage to property, personal injury or death) arising directly or indirectly from the information in this book.

To call out the Italian Mountain Rescue, ring the emergency number 118: this will connect you via any available network.

Front cover: On the final approach to Forcella della Roa (AV2)

Climbing away from Pian dei Cantoni (AV2 Stage 8)

PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION

Vast views from Forcella Giau (AV1 Stage 5)

After a prolonged period tramping across the western Alps, it was especially exciting being back in the Dolomites and on the memorable long-distance Alta Via trails. A very first experience back in 1981 on AV1 had been both awe-inspiring and unforgettable not least because wed braved a storm and lashing rain equipped with little but bin liners as innovative rainskirts. It was a landmark in our lives and we joined CAI, the Italian Alpine Club, for the occasion. Since then weve been back time and time again, and barely need an excuse to jump on the train north to breathe in more of that Dolomites magnificence. The allure of these magical mountains grows with every visit and I can also report that comfort levels in the huts have improved.

And the icing on the cake? After steadfast campaigning by concerned environmental groups such as Mountain Wilderness, the Italian Dolomites have finally been recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

This new edition has brand new detailed route descriptions, and the main Alta Via 1 and 2 routes have been divided into manageable stages to make the treks easier to handle and organise. In addition, individual sketch maps have been drawn, while facilities and timing can be rapidly identified thanks to route profiles. Naturally, a whole host of new photos is included.

Whats more, as well as the well-trodden AV1 and AV2 routes, Alta Via 3, 4, 5, and 6 are presented. Little known and even less walked, they explore wilder ranges of the Dolomites crossing valleys and settlements where tradition runs deep. Solitude and awesome beauty are the name of the game. A great boon for those seeking adventure.

Gillian Price

Towers on Peralba in the mist (AV6)

INTRODUCTION

The Dolomites

What can visitors expect? This inspirational early description from John Murray in 1840 helps set the stage:

They are unlike any other mountains, and are to be seen nowhere else among the Alps. They arrest the attention by the singularity and picturesqueness of their forms, by their sharp peaks or horns, sometimes rising up in pinnacles and obelisks, at others extending in serrated ridges, teethed like the jaw of an alligator.

Tucked up in the northeastern corner of Italy close to the border with Austria, the magnificent Dolomite mountains are a wonderland for summer walkers. Village-based resorts with facilities for all pockets are linked by good motorable roads and efficient public transport. An excellent web of marked pathways snake over mountain and vale, supported by a superb network of brilliantly located hospitable rifugi mountain huts that welcome walkers, feed them royally and put them up overnight. Nature lovers will be delighted by the quintessential The Sound of Music settings where vast expanses of sweet alpine meadows are transformed by summer into veritable seas of wild flowers. Magnificent dense evergreen and deciduous forests are widespread, as is plenty of fascinating wildlife.