Hut to hut in the Dolomites
Lago di Braies
A week on the Alta Via 1, sleeping in mountain refuges and eating better than we ever have on a trek.
The Alta Via 1 runs about 120 kilometres south through the Dolomites, from Lago di Braies to Belluno. It is waymarked all the way and has a rifugio at the end of every stage, which means you carry a day pack, not a tent.
The refuges are the best part. They serve three-course dinners with wine at 2,000 metres, and breakfast on a terrace as the sun hits the rock towers. The walking is demanding but not technical, unless you choose the via ferrata variants with their fixed cables and ladders.
Planning
The season runs from late June to mid-September. Book the rifugi months ahead for July and August: some fill by February. Half board costs €60 to €90 a night. Start early each day, as afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer.
