homepage - outings - national - brochure - 13680a

The Trip

The Dolomites of Northern Italy are a crossroads of geology and culture. The dramatic vertical spires of dolomitic limestone and volcanic formations are in stark contrast to the surrounding landscape of green meadows and occasional monotone flat rock. The Italian, Tyrolean, and Ladin influences intersect in this mountainous region. Whether meandering across lush meadows or traversing along rock paths, we will encounter scenic vistas at every turn. The usual warmth of the people we encounter makes this a memorable trip. Our route offers family-run hotels, larger hotels, and mountain retreats.

Our path takes us across much of the eastern Dolomites, beginning with the Tyrolean-influence of Val Gardina; proceeding through the Ladin region of Val Badia and finishing with the Italian region of Cortina, the latter the site of the 1956 Olympics. In addition to the warmth of the people and scenery we encounter, there is a good chance we will encounter ibex, chamois, and perhaps even marmots along the way. Our hikes are always with day packs, carrying cameras, raingear, snacks and often lunches to a hotel destination that has received the bulk of our clothing. These packs will weigh approximately 10 pounds. On two of our hikes, we will be carrying a change of clothes and toiletries, as we will be staying in mountain retreats that are not accessible by taxi. Packs these days should weigh approximately 15 pounds. The following day will find us in a hotel in possession of all of our taxied gear.

Itinerary

Day 1: Our trip begins with an evening meeting in our hotel in Bolzano/Bozen, named in both Italian and German respectively. The meeting will outline important information about the trip. We will go to dinner together after the meeting, our first meal of the trip.

Day 2: This day finds us touring the Archaeological museum to visit Otzi, the man found in the local mountain aged at 5300 years. This afternoon we will be transported to the town of Kastelruth/Castelrotto, where we check into a hotel for the evening.

Day 3: Transportation to the meadow of the Alpe Suise is followed by a lift ride to the beginning of our hike. We climb across the Naturpark Sclern to our lunch break. Continuing south, we finish our hike at our first mountain retreat. (Route: 5 miles. Elevation gain: 2,630 feet. Elevation loss: 1,830 feet).

Day 4: Leaving our retreat, we head south with the Rosen Garten range to our west. A lift ride down to a resort base requires a bus ride to our hotel in Canazai. (Route: 5 miles. Elevation gain: 770 feet. Elevation loss: 1,490 feet).

Day 5: We take a taxi after breakfast through some of the most scenic areas in the Dolomites, including the Passo Pordoi. From here, a cable car takes us to the beginning of today’s hike. Our hike up Piz Boe, the highest point of our hike at 10,250 feet, includes a short stretch of bouldering near the top of the hike. The downhill hike, steep in places, ends with a cable car ride 2,000 feet down to Corvara in the Ladin district of Val Badia. (Route: 7.5 miles. Elevation gain: 1,000 feet. Elevation loss: 3,300 feet.)

Day 6: Today's hike takes us into the Kreuzkofel group and the Fanes-Sennes Nature Preserve, traveling through fields of stark gray-white rocks reminiscent of a moonscape. We finish the day at a remote Ladin retreat without our luggage, which will be delivered to the next night’s stay in Cortina. (Route: 5.5 miles. Elevation gain: 3,000 feet. Elevation loss: 1,600 feet.)

Day 7: Departing from the retreat takes us up a wide pass before descending thru the woods to the outskirts of Cortina. A highlight of this hike is a passage behind a waterfall. We will be transported to Cortina by bus at the end of today’s hike. A relatively early arrival should afford us an opportunity to explore Cortina. (Route: 8.5 miles. Elevation gain: 3,000 feet. Elevation loss: 3,700 feet.)

Day 8: We begin this day with a cable car ride up to Rifugio Faloria, the beginning of our hike to Lago di Misurina, a small town on the shores of a scenic lake. We traverse the side of Mount Cristallo, while enjoying views of the Cadini Group to the east. (Route: 7 miles. Elevation gain: 1,000 feet. Elevation loss: 1,600 feet.)

Day 9: We begin the day with a bus trip to the highly recognizable Tre Cimi de Lavaredo, a photogenic group of spires epitomizing the Dolomites. We hike around these peaks and return to take transportation back to Bolzano for our final dinner together. (Route: 6 miles. Elevation gain: 500 feet. Elevation loss: 500 feet.)

Day 10: After breakfast, regrettably, our trip ends.

Getting There

Bolzano/Bozen has a regional airport and can be reached by train from larger airports in Milan, Venice, and Munich in four or five hours. Bus service is also available. Travel details will be provided in subsequent communications with participants.

Passports, visas, and other travel documents are the responsibility of the participant. It is suggested that your passport be active at least six months past the end of the trip, a requirement in some countries. Travel insurance will be supplied by the Club, but you should make sure that it is sufficient for your needs. Arrival at least two days prior to the beginning of the trip is strongly suggested to deal with jet lag and to provide flexibility in dealing with the unfortunately too often occurrence of delayed luggage arrival. Suggestions for things to do in the area will be provided in a subsequent newsletter.

Accommodations and Food

Our accommodations will vary from three-star hotels in Castelrotto and Corvara to family-run hotels, often occupied by hikers. Our accommodations to the hotels will be double-occupancy without the possibility of single accommodations. The leader will assign roommates by gender. It is worth noting: Italian beds frequently consist of two twin mattresses on a single bed frame. The mattresses are made up separately. We will ask for separate beds, but cannot guarantee them.

Arrangements in the rifugios are dormitory style -- varying from doubles (rare) to large rooms to accommodate the entire group. Bathrooms are down the hall. The size of a room will not be known prior to arrival. The rooms are the equivalent of a two-star hotel.

Breakfast and generally dinners will be eaten at our lodgings. For those lodgings that do not offer dinner, we will eat in a local restaurant. The group generally eats all meals together. Breakfasts vary from simple continental-style buffets of bread and coffee to more substantial German-style meals with cheese, meat, yogurt, and fruit. Dinners will sometimes provide one or two choices, especially in the mountain retreats. Full-service restaurants will provide greater options. One is permitted to order from the standard menu. Vegetarian meals are unusual in this region, but an effort is often made to accommodate these requests. First rounds of beer and/or or wine are included in the trip price.

When possible, we will stop at huts for lunches, which generally consist of pasta, soup, and sandwiches. The leader may ask assistance from participants in the selection of lunches (cost included in trip price).

Trip Difficulty

Our hike is a hut-to-hut experience in the mountains with a new hotel or hut after each day’s trek. This hike is for experienced hikers who are able to hike an average of about seven miles per day for consecutive days without a rest day. The longest day will be 10 miles, with no more than a 3,300-foot elevation gain or loss. Mileage and elevation gains and losses are listed in the itinerary above, but may change based on weather, group abilities, lift closures, etc. Cable cars are used to avoid steeper and possibly less interesting sections of the hike.

Our terrain will be rocky, and in some places, very steep. Snow may be encountered. No technical climbs will be encountered on our hike. We will generally start out at above 5,000 feet and ascend no more than 3,000 feet to reach an elevation of 8,000 feet, although the highest point on the hike is 10,250 feet. You will hike with a day pack, which will include raingear, lunch, and personal items on all but three days of the hike. On those days, you must also include toiletries and a change of clothes for the extra day without luggage at the mountain retreats. No sleeping bags will be required. Packs should weigh about 10 pounds without the extra gear and 15 pounds with it.

Preparation for the trip should include a regimen of aerobic exercise for at least three days per week. Ideally, hiking with your day pack and hiking boots over hilly terrain is best. This is even more helpful if you can do this at similar altitudes to our hike. Resistance training may be helpful, particularly if hiking or the simulation of hiking in a gym is not available. The leader will provide suggestions on conditioning programs at participant’s request.

Equipment and Clothing

No special equipment is required. A day pack and medium-weight hiking boots are essential. In addition to the hiking essentials, you should carry a rain jacket, water, and a warm top if the weather turns cooler. Room for a pack lunch should be reserved. This should come to about 10 pounds. A detailed equipment list will follow.

For those nights in the retreats, an additional change of clothing, toiletries, a flashlight, and slippers (if you’d like) are suggested. This should add about five pounds -- for a total of 15 pounds -- for these days. A taxi service will move our bags between hotels. Luggage restrictions are: one bag not to exceed 30 pounds, or two not to exceed 20 pounds each. Soft-sided luggage or duffels work best for these transfers.

References

Maps:

• Kompass Maps, nos. 616 and 617 are available in Bolzano/Bozen or online at: www.omnimap.com/catalog/hiking/kompas.htm.

Books:

These sources are for general guides to our routes, as our hike has been customized for this trip.

• Price, Gillian, Walking in the Dolomites
.
• The Lonely Planet Guide to Walking in Italy.

Websites:

• http://www.sudtirol.com/en/areas/bolzano.htm
• http://www.provincla.bz.it/english/default.htm

Conservation

The focus of the Sierra Club is to protect and preserve the environment, whether on a local scale at home or a global scale abroad. While our hike will take place in a region where true wilderness preservation does not occur, there are nevertheless conservation measures that date back centuries to the time when man passed over some of the mountainous routes we will experience on our trip. Preservation of grazing and woodcutting rights in the region are the two most prominent conservation measures we will encounter. More recently, the tourist industry has flourished in the area with activities in the summer and winter. This has led to additional emphasis on conservation practices. There is a strong possibility for an English-speaking ranger to interact with us at one of the preserves we pass through.

Trip Price

This trip requires a $200 per-person deposit. An additional payment of $300 per person is due six months prior to trip departure. International trip prices are subject to change and are based on double-occupancy or group accommodations as described above. Single rooms may not be available or may cost more than the listed price. If you have any questions regarding double occupancy, please contact the trip leader.

See the How to Apply for an Outing section for more details on registering for this trip and details about our Reservation and Cancellation Policy.

The payment of a deposit does not confirm you as a member on the trip. Participants must be approved by the trip leader. After signing up for this trip, you will be sent a confirmation packet containing approval materials (Participant Approval Questionnaire, Medical Form, Liability Release Form). Each applicant (including those on the waitlist) must fill out these forms and promptly mail them to the trip leader. The leader will review the approval materials and notify you of your acceptance in a timely manner.

The Sierra Club accurately and fairly budgets and prices our trips. However, unforeseen costs such as devaluation of the dollar compared to other currencies and fuel surcharges assessed by our international providers may necessitate adjustment in trip price. We will make every effort to mitigate and absorb these fees. If a price increase is necessary, however, you will have 14 days after announcement to cancel without penalty.

Staff

John Blaustein has applied his years of backpacking in the Sierra, Rockies and Europe to lead both domestic backpacking trips and European hikes. Of the many challenges associated with leading these groups, one of the most difficult is to maximize the enjoyment of the group while keeping individual participants satisfied. John takes great pleasure in introducing participants to the "wilderness experience," regardless of where they are hiking. When not practicing medicine in Santa Barbara, John enjoys downhill skiing, road cycling, ocean kayaking, photography, and weight training.

E-mail: jblaustein@sbch.org

---

General Notes About Sierra Club Trips

• Carbon Offsets
• Electronic Devices
• Equipment
• How to Apply for a Trip
• Leader Gratuities
• Liability Release and Assumption of Risk
• Medical Issues
• Non-discrimination Statement
• Participant Approval
• Reservation and Cancellation Policy
• Seller of Travel Disclosure
• Travel Insurance
• Trip Feedback