THE DOLOMITES
A Walking Holiday in the Italian Alps
 Famed for gigantic,
chiselled limestone peaks, the Dolomites certainly provide some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in the Alps. The jagged rocky spires stand like monuments to the immense forces of glacial erosion that created this magnificent scene. The walking on this holiday combines forested valleys, alpine meadows and mountain villages with this spectacular world of vertical rock towering above.
There
are few mountain groups more spectacular than the Dolomites, but walking
in the area does not have to be at all technical. There are good footpaths
to the scree slopes, across the valleys, verdant summer pastures and up onto the higher passes and smaller peaks. The ancient rock has weathered to hues of rose, yellow and grey; the colours accentuated at sunset when the mountains take on a breathtaking hue of pink, known as ‘Enrosadira’ or
‘Alpenglow’.
We start in
Cortina, in the midst of the Dolomites, in the wide Ampezzo valley surrounded by impressive mountains. The contrasts could hardly be more extreme; stark vertical rock faces and jagged spires of limestone hang high above green, forested valleys. A short bus ride gets us to the start of the walk up into the three vertical sided finger-like towers of the Tre Cime mountain group. From Cortina we take a high level route traversing the mountainsides to the Forc Lagazuoi pass before descending to the village of
San Cassian. A day of forests and grassy ridges follows, to reach Col Alti for panoramic views of the Tofana and Sella mountains before descending to the pretty villages of Corvara and Colfosco. Two nights here give the option of a rest day or a walk above the village before what is probably the most stunning day of the route. Walking from Passo Gardena at the base of the Sella group of peaks the route ascends into a narrow canyon, rocky underfoot and quite steep in
parts but rewarded with marvellous panoramic views that include the Tyrolean range and the Marmolada glacier. The descent is to Campitello for 2 nights and a circular walk to end the trip.
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Your Accommodation
7
nights/8 days - The first two nights are spent in a 2*
hotel in the in the resort town of
Cortina and
is booked on a bed & breakfast basis as there is a wide choice of restaurants.
One night is spent at a well-appointed 4* hotel on a bed & breakfast basis
in the rural location of San Cassian. There
are no local facilities nearby but dinner can be taken in the hotel
restaurant. Colfosco is where we stay for 2 nights in bed and breakfast accommodation, where the ensuite rooms are of hotel standard. There is no lobby area or restaurant but meals are available just over the road. Our last port of call is
Campitello where we stay for another 2 nights in a 3* hotel but on a half board basis. The hotel has amongst its facilities a sauna and sun terrace and is arguably the best appointed on the entire route.
Sherpa
Notes
Accommodation &
Meals
Bed and breakfast on 5 nights, bed, breakfast and evening meal on
2 nights
Way Marks
Mostly well waymarked but with a few sections needing the use of maps and notes.
Travel
Fly
to Venice or Verona. Train to Calalzo and onwards by bus to Cortina.
At the end of the route bus to Bolzano, train to Venice or Verona and bus to the airport. (Transfers not
inc).
Note:
Early and late in the season extra cost may be involved to access
walks when taxis are required due to winter bus timetable. See
dossier for more details.
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