Alta Via 1 hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

The Alta Via 1 (Alta Via delle Dolomiti n. 1, in German Dolomiten-Höhenweg 1) is the first and best-known of the Dolomites' long-distance high routes. It runs north to south through the eastern Dolomites, from Lago di Braies (Pragser Wildsee) in South Tyrol to the town of Belluno in the Veneto. It was launched in 1966, and Piero Rossi of Belluno wrote the first guidebook. It is waymarked with a blue triangle with the number 1, and most hikers take 10 to 13 days, sleeping in mountain refuges (rifugi).

The route

From the lake the trail climbs onto the high plateaus of the Fanes-Senes-Braies Nature Park, crosses the Forcella del Lago and Forcella Lagazuoi, and drops to Passo Falzarego above Cortina d'Ampezzo. It then passes the Cinque Torri and Monte Nuvolau, crosses Passo Giau and the Croda da Lago, and walks below the huge north walls of Monte Pelmo and the north-west face of the Civetta. The southern part, through the Moiazza, the Pramperet basin and the Schiara group in the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park, is quieter, wilder and lower, and ends with a long descent to Belluno.

This guide follows the main route as mapped on OpenStreetMap and splits it into 11 refuge-to-refuge stages, about 10.7 km each. Published figures for the total climb range from about 7,300 m to more than 8,000 m, depending on how it is measured. The highest night is at Rifugio Lagazuoi (2,752 m), a short climb above Forcella Lagazuoi; Rifugio Nuvolau (2,575 m) sits on a summit with views over the whole range.

Highlights

• Lago di Braies: the green-blue lake at the start, below the Seekofel (Croda del Becco)
• The Fanes and Sennes plateaus: wide high pastures, small lakes and limestone walls
• Lagazuoi: First World War tunnels and trenches, an open-air museum, and a refuge with one of the best views in the Dolomites
• Cinque Torri and Nuvolau: five rock towers with another open-air war museum, then a summit refuge
• Monte Pelmo and the Civetta: the route passes below the north walls of Pelmo and the Civetta's 1,000 m-high north-west face, the "wall of walls"
• The Schiara: the wild final mountain group above Belluno

When to walk the Alta Via 1

Most rifugi open from mid or late June to the end of September; some in South Tyrol stay open into October. Snow can lie on a few high, shady sections until early July, so the usual season is late June to mid-September. July and August are the busiest months, and afternoon thunderstorms are common, so start early. September is quieter, but check that the rifugi you need are still open.

How many days do you need?

The 11 stages in this guide are a classic plan; the official route is often described in 12 stages. Fit hikers join stages and finish in 8 or 9 days; others add a rest day or walk only part of the route. Buses reach the trail at Passo Falzarego, Passo Giau and Passo Staulanza, so it is easy to start or stop in the middle, for example with a few days between Braies and Cortina.

Getting there and logistics

Venice (Marco Polo) and Treviso are the nearest airports; Innsbruck is another option for the start. For the start, take the train to Dobbiaco (Toblach) on the Pustertal line and then bus 442 to Lago di Braies. From 1 July to 15 September the bus must be booked online in advance, and from 9:00 to 16:00 the road to the lake is open to cars only with a reservation. Belluno, at the end, has a railway station with trains to Venice.

Most rifugi offer half board: dinner, a bed in a dorm or small room, and breakfast. Book ahead for July and August, as many ask for a deposit. Bring cash, as card payment does not always work, and a sleeping-bag liner. Shops are almost absent between Lago di Braies and Belluno, but every rifugio serves food. Wild camping is forbidden in the three protected areas the route crosses.

Difficulty

The Alta Via 1 is the gentlest of the Dolomites' high routes, but it is still a mountain trek: most days climb and descend 500 to 1,000 m on rocky paths and scree, at altitudes where the weather can change fast. A few short sections have fixed cables. The hardest part is near the end: the main route descends from the Schiara to Rifugio 7° Alpini on the Via Ferrata Piero Rossi, with cables and ladders, which needs ferrata gear and experience. Hikers without them take the easier finish from Rifugio Pian de Fontana via Rifugio Bianchet and down the Val Vescovà to La Pissa, where buses run to Belluno.

History

The Alta Via 1 was launched in 1966 by the German mountaineering writer Toni Hiebeler with Piero Rossi, Mario Brovelli and Giovanni Angelini of Belluno. It was the first of the Dolomites' numbered high routes, and the others followed. During the First World War the front line between Italy and Austria-Hungary ran through these mountains, and its tunnels, trenches and forts can still be seen around Lagazuoi and the Cinque Torri.