Alta Via 1 Trek in the Dolomites
The Alta Via 1 is a 75-mile long-distance hiking trail in the Italian Dolomites. The iconic hut to hut trek takes approximately 8-10 days to complete and begins in Lago di Braies and ends near Belluno.
To hike it during peak season of July and August, you need to book rifugios (the mountain huts) 6-9 months in advance or join a guided tour that already has reservations. The huts vary in comfort from basic to luxurious.
Alta Via 1 in Comfort by MacsAdventure
Since we planned our Dolomite hiking trip only a few months in advance and wanted to sleep in comfort, we utilized a logistics service called MacsAdventure.
The company made our hotel bookings, coordinated luggage and car transfers, and provided a hiking and bus route that highlighted portions of the Alta Via 1.
We began our adventure at Lago di Braies (Pragser Wildsee in German) in South Tyrol which borders Austria after catching a morning bus from Cortina. I should note the earliest bus departs around 8 am and as a result, we joined the trail with the masses around 10 am.
The bus is recommended because during the hours of 9 am to 4 pm in peak season, parking is limited to guests of the historic Hotel Lago di Braies or to those that have made an online reservation through portals like Prags Parking System. Otherwise, private cars may only enter the area outside of these hours.
Hotel Lago di Braies
If I had to do it over again, I likely would have booked a one-night stay at the pricey hotel, constructed in 1899, simply to admire the picturesque lake sheltered between towering cliffs and dense forest in solitude during sunset and sunrise. That said, with the proper instructions (see my post Things to Do in Cortina for more details), the bus is a good, budget-friendly alternative and those who want to arrive earlier may get a taxi.
At 10 am the famous lake situated in the Fanes-Sennes-Braies Nature Park, a Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage Site is quite the spectacle. Weddings take place hourly at the historic boat house, as paddlers row handmade wooden boats across the placid surface. The popular destination also features a lakeshore café and gift shop.
Fortunately, most people just wandered along the 2-mile, well-groomed loop trail which circled the cerulean waters, and the crowd thinned near the cairn rock garden and pit toilets at the far end of the lake.
The Ascent
From here, the well-marked Trail 19 (not part of Alta Via 1) left the lake area and ascended into the Val di Foresta. We followed the gravel road through the Grunwald Valley past religious shrines, cows, and the Grunwaldalm Malga Foresta, a small café.
The café that serves soup, appetizers, and dumplings is a popular rest stop for both hikers and cows, one of which was crossing the bridge to check things out! Given the eatery was only a short distance into our 10-mile journey, we kept passed it up and continued on as a man on a four-wheeler zipped by us while looking up into the mountains.
It took us a minute, but when he returned past us, we realized he was looking for part of his cow herd. We couldn’t hear any cowbells jingling nearby, but hopefully he was able to recognize their distinct bell. Soon the road changed to a single track as we joined Trail 19.
While the beginning of the hike is easy, the elevation increases to a moderate level as the path climbs past butterfly donned wildflowers to spectacular views of the surrounding peaks. Approximately halfway into the trek is the Utia Fojedora.
This farm has pigs, donkeys taking cover in the shade, rabbits, cows, free water, and a select menu of Ladin cuisine. Given Utia Fojedora felt like it was remote and the manager of our hotel in Cortina used broken English, Mike politely greeted the Italian woman in charge with one-word sentences like menu, big, small, and corresponding hand gestures.
She kindly responded, “You can speak English.”
Maybe I was delirious as this hungry flatlander hadn’t climbed a mountain in a while, but it struck me so funny! So, we started speaking English in full sentences, ordering a charcuterie board, lemonade, and a sweet herbal tea made from the plants in the mountains.
Circumhorizontal Arc in the Dolomites
It was nice to be able to hike without having to lug gallons of water and lunch with us. Though, at the same time, as we tackled the second half of the hike, we were miffed as a car of locals drove up to visit the owners!
Our timing was impeccable, however. As soon as we joined the road to ascend just a few hundred more feet before we descended four miles in 4,000 feet (STEEP), a circumhorizontal arc appeared in front of us! This rare optical phenomenon happens when high-altitude sunlight passes through flat, plate-like ice crystals in wispy cirrus clouds.
The sun has to be at least 58 degrees above the horizon and the high-altitude cirrus clouds must contain hexagonal ice crystals horizontally. We stood there in awe as we watched it brighten and fade in about three minutes as the clouds shifted with the wind. Nature is amazing…what a blessing!
Descent St. Viglio
After reaching another farm, not in use for the summer, near the top of the road, we stopped to admire the panoramic view of dolomite peaks. Here we descended the gravel road to St. Viglio, while the single-track trail turned to the left.
Upon our descent, we met up with a teenaged girl resting on the road. In her accent, she explained that she and her family took a wrong turn. They went down the road instead of making the left turn, adding several additional miles to the already long journey. She was in charge of navigating, so needless to say her sister and parents were not terribly amused by her as they tredged back up the steep road in the unseasonable heatwave!
I felt bad for them, as we had to zig-zag down it with poles in order to keep our footing and not slide. The road afforded some nice views of the valley below and some lovely wildflowers pollenated by bee hives that we ended up seeing on almost every hike for the week.
After a few miles on the road, my legs were spent. While we got some welcome relief from the sun when we merged back onto a single track through the shaded forest, this segment that could be easily missed, was even steeper.
My legs were shaking as I tripped over tree roots. Yes, I definitely needed to log some miles on the Stairmaster before hiking in the Dolomites since North Texas terrain doesn’t have 20% grades to climb. Anyway, we eventually made it to St. Viglio where we wandered the quaint streets to the square where the comforts of our hotel, Hotel Corona, was waiting for us.
I’m not big on ice baths, but this evening called for one! Every ache was worth it though. The scenery in the Dolomites is simply breathtaking. ETB
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