Alta Via 1, Italian Dolomites- Hut Information, Pricing, and Tips

[@y2kbug58]

Did this path a few years ago but it was wonderful to 're-live' it again with your very well put-together video. Thankyou!!

[@grantandjanna]

@y2kbug58 Aww Thank you! We're so glad you loved it!

[@greenday38]

Great recap of your hike. I think I managed to follow your route on my online map from my comfy chair. I visited the Dolomites last month but just did day hikes and stopped or passed by 3 of the refugios you mentioned (Biella, Lagazuoi and Scoiattoli). Good luck with the new addition to your family!

[@grantandjanna]

Thank you very much! We're glad you enjoyed the video and thank you for the good luck!

[@Madhava34]

Lovely video and I enjoyed watching it. I felt like If I was walking along the way with you guys. Thank you. All the best.

[@grantandjanna]

@Madhava34 Thank you! We're so glad you liked it. We highly recommend this hike!

[@Lokitrz999]

I stayed in the same room at Rif. Fodara Vedla on early July. Great video! Thank you for sharing 🎉

[@grantandjanna]

Thanks @tonyazalenski1049, Glad you enjoyed it!

[@lindaessak7026]

Thanks . Cables help me a lot so I should be fine.

[@grantandjanna]

No problem @lindaessak7026

[@jamesstafford3199]

Fantastic content. Just what I was looking for. thank you so much for such an informative video.

[@grantandjanna]

You're very welcome! We're so happy you found it helpful!

[@mdenker838]

Great video! Thanks for sharing all the information and for getting us very excited about our upcoming trip.

[@grantandjanna]

@mdenker838 Our pleasure! We're sure you guys are gonna have a blast!

[@johnwoutdoors]

Great Video, thanks for sharing your adventure and tips. A friend and I have booked the Full Alta Via 1 for July 14, 25 can’t wait

[@grantandjanna]

@johnwoutdoors you guys are going to have a blast!

[@AnneLieb2011]

Amazing video!!!

[@grantandjanna]

Thank you so much! We're glad you enjoyed it!

[@Maryam-ue3vw]

Great video, just the info I needed for my 2025 trip. Very well documented. Many thanks ❤ 👏👏👏👏

[@grantandjanna]

You're welcome! We're happy you found it so helpful!

[@sanjayjain4582]

Awesome video with almost all the information for a new guy.

[@grantandjanna]

@sanjayjain4582 thank you ! Is there any other information we could provide that would help you?

[@SD-co9xe]

Wow, such stunning views!

[@grantandjanna]

@SD-co9xe superb views indeed!

[@hikingwithdaveandbarbara8629]

Hi Guys. We have just watched your fabulous and very informative video of the alta via 1. We are looking to do this walk next year. It would be great if you could tell us how you managed to book all the rifugios please? Did you book each one on-line or with a tour company? Good luck with the new addition to the family. Many thanks Dave and Barbara

[@grantandjanna]

Hi Dave and Barbara! Thanks for watching and for the kind words. For us, we booked each rifugio separately to have the most flexibility, and to be able to choose exactly what we wanted. In the description, we listed some of the links to the rifugios for reference and we were able to book each one online. To stay organized, we found it helpful to create a spreadsheet for each day. Have fun!

[@Iron-Outdoor]

thanks for sharing!

[@grantandjanna]

@nixxrunner Our pleasure!

[@pierrelesage7097]

Passo Lagazuoi at 12:30, and it's beautifull lake, stunning place. We where here, on the AV 1 at the first week of july 2023. Did you thid it in 2023? No pins for the 4 of us at the Belluno Touristic center, even whit my basic italian, confronted with the casual and detached attitude, if I would dare say a cliché, typical of an Italian civil servant.

[@grantandjanna]

We did it in July 2023 and the entire hike was very beautiful. For the pins, we just explained that we did AV1 at the Belluno Tourist Center and they provided pins without any trouble.

[@stevenjan2003]

Great video looks amazing can you please tell me is there camping facilities along the route

[@grantandjanna]

Hi @stevenjan2003 the camping options are very limited and not along the route but with small detours you can find some.

[@Gallardo6669]

Fantastic video! Thank you, vielen dank! How did you record the audio at the lake first day? The sound on my Dolby Atmos system was awesome!

[@grantandjanna]

@Gallardo6669 with our iphone

[@JJ-mf8ru]

Hi Grant and Janna! Thanks for making this video and sharing information. My wife and I want to hike the AV1 in 2025. We’ve hiked the TMB and West Highland Way previously. I read in the comments that you booked each refugio yourselves! Is there luggage forwarding between refugios and how do you arrange it? Is it possible to hike the AV1 in the first week of June? Thanks so much! 😊

[@grantandjanna]

Hi @JJ-mf8ru ! We also did the west highland way and the TMB! We love them both! We did not do luggage transfer but we carried the basics with us. For the refuges, we contacted them either by email or by phone and just made the reservations ourselves several months in advance. All the refuges are open in June, but try to book your accommodations in advance.

[@sunrisesummitadventures5637]

Great video. Thank you for sharing. Is it possible to get private rooms in all of the refugios on Alta Via 1?

[@grantandjanna]

@sunrisesummitadventures5637 yes most of the rooms can be booked privately. See our video for how the rooms look ( and pricing ).

[@iphealy]

Just curious. Y'all went in July 2023. When did you book your huts? My wife and I are looking at September 2024, and things already look pretty full.

[@grantandjanna]

We started booking on November 2022... and we were wait listed for a couple of huts ( i.e. Lagazuoi which we got in just a week before our trip )... so keep on trying!

[@drasho24]

Thank you for sharing! did your route have any via ferrata portions?

[@grantandjanna]

Hi @drasho24 , there were a few exposed sections, but they had cables to hold on to.

[@drasho24]

@@grantandjanna Thank you

[@atifmanzoor63]

Expensive place to stay

[@grantandjanna]

@atifmanzoor63 - prices are similar across the different huts and includes dinner and breakfast

[@XeniaMS-yv5fy]

At 14:53 you see behind you the legendary Portòn dei Fanes , the great door that supposedly takes you into the hidden magical realm of the Fanes …if you know the legends of the Pale Mountains, this part of the hike has indeed a magical feel.

[@grantandjanna]

Thank you

[@lindaessak7026]

Great video . I am going with friends in Sept 2024. I have done Tour de Mont Blanc twice … avoiding the last ladder section. I am fine With long hikes and elevation via switch backs . I do get vertigo on cliffy areas . How would you rate Alta Via 1 for cliff exposure? We are also planning on 9 days . Linda

[@grantandjanna]

Hi Linda! We have done the TMB and the Haute Route too! Both of them were lot of fun. Alta Via 1 is more challenging than the TMB ( with more elevation ) and some exposed areas ( especially towards the end ). Unfortunately, AV1 doesn't really have alternative routes as the TMB does. We did find that the areas that were exposed, there are always cables (via ferrata) that can help you to get through. Enjoy!

[@me-lg1yw]

@@grantandjannaI just read that Alta Via 1 was about 22000 in elevation gain while the TMB is about 33000.

[@TheGallivantingSpoon]

When you got to the point of the trail of the WW1 area was this along to the planned route or did you have to back track after seeing the WW1 area to the mail path around to Cinque Torri?

[@grantandjanna]

@TheGallivantingSpoon We only stayed on the traditional route, which goes directly through the WWI tunnels twice: once on the way to Lagazuoi Refuge, and a second time, using the tunnels to descend through the mountain and exit at Lagazuoi. We recommend bringing gloves and headlamps if you plan on coming down via the tunnels. (Other options for descending are walking along the mountain or taking a lift.) We did the tunnels ourselves, and there’s a section in the video that shows that part

[@ricardoloureiro]

You video is lovely and super informative! Doing the Alta Via 1 in June this year and let’s hope for the better in terms of the weather. Which bus did you take from Cortina to Lago do Braies?

[@grantandjanna]

Hi @ricardoloureiro from Venezia, Piazzale Roma to Cortina d'Ampezzo, we took a ATVO bus ( that is the company ). Then, it leaves you at the same bus stop to get a second bus to go to dobbiaco (you can't buy tkts in advance for the second bus, it is just first come first serve) and then you take a third bus to lago do Braies.

[@Maryam-ue3vw]

Hi, was Tre Cime di Lavaredo on your route?

[@grantandjanna]

No, we'll have to add that to the list to visit for next time!

[@angelalau28]

Thank you for the info! May I know if you book the public transport (buses to the trail head) beforehand? And how advance did you book the rifugios? Thank you!

[@grantandjanna]

we only booked one of the buses in advance (from Venice to Cortina), recommended to high demand. Then after, for the local buses you can just pay with the bus driver.

[@andycann7626]

Great video! Were you able to take your trekking poles as carry-on or did you have to check them? Thanks

[@grantandjanna]

@andycann7626 We were able to take them as carry-on from San Francisco to Toulouse, France; however, during our connecting flight in Toulouse, one of our backpacks got flagged and they made us to check-in the one set of poles that were in that backpack; the other backpack that did not get flagged, we were able to take them with our backpack as carry-on so it’s a bit inconsistent.

[@bergovic1]

Hi G & J. Was there easy access to water between the hutts.

[@grantandjanna]

@bergovic1 hi, there are are plenty of water sources between huts, with the exception for one section. From Rifugio Mario Vazzoler to Rifugio Carestiano there were no water sources. We usually try to bring between 1 to 1.5 litters per person with us.

[@saifulmojumdar6997]

I m living milano italy.i know about dolomites. Top mauntain in Italy

[@icuerrnnurse2998]

How much weight did your packs carry?

[@grantandjanna]

Our packs were pretty light (about 10lbs) since we only carried the basics (some change of clothes, water, snacks, first aid kit, sun block, etc), at the end of the video we have a section of things that brought that were pretty useful.

[@creeksedge3237]

Any bugs?

[@grantandjanna]

We did not experience any bugs

[@valterperes4585]

Have you been to a place that gave you vertigo or claustrophobia?

[@grantandjanna]

@valterperes4585 No, but everybody is different. There are some Via Ferrata with exposed sections in the Dolomites, so keep that in mind.

[@Thecyclingeconomicsdoc]

Ugh. My condolences. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJO6kmygr5dka6M Just so sorry that you had to endure these terrible landscapes. :P (Just in case.... that's called deep sarcasm).

[@grantandjanna]

@Thecyclingeconomicsdoc thanks Justin! It was tough but somehow we managed LOL