Independent arrival in Bolzano. Nestled amongst vineyards and  orchards at the edge of the Dolomites, it is the thriving capital of the South Tyrol region. It is also home to “Ötzi,” the 5,300-year-old mummified “ice man” whose body was found in the nearby mountains two decades ago. His body and related artifacts are displayed in a fascinating  archaeological museum that should not be missed. If you want  to stay in Bolzano the night before the pick-up day, let us know, and we will book you a room (choices range from convenient and comfortable three-star hotels to the luxurious Hotel Park Laurin). Meet your guide(s) today at 5 p.m. at the Hotel Laurin for a 50-minute transfer to the charming alpine village of Ortisei, where we check into the four-star Hartmann Romantic Hotel (or similar). Dinner in the village. Overnight Ortisei. Hotel, transfer, and dinner included.

Enjoy a hearty Tyrolean breakfast before departing on foot to take a cable car up the north side of the Val Gardena.  Today, we hike below the dramatic southern face of the Odle massif and enjoy expansive views across the valley to the  Alpe di Siusi, whose jagged rock towers seem to pierce the sky. We arrive at a rifugio (mountain hut) for a perfectly timed snack break before taking on a challenging 550 m (1,700 ft) climb to a 2,500 m (8,000 ft) pass. From here, the  views are truly vast as you take in several of the Dolomites’ most dramatic ranges. The charming all-wood Stevia hut  welcomes us for a well-deserved fresh pasta lunch or the ubiquitous and delicious barley soup. More spectacular  views await us after lunch before our gradual descent towards the village of Selva di Val Gardena. The worst of the  descent is avoided with a van pick-up which takes us back to our hotel in Ortisei. We will return in time to enjoy a gelato in the village square or a dip in the hotel’s pool, sauna, or spa. Overnight Ortisei. Details: Total distance: about 14 km (8.5 mi). Elev. gain 700 m (2,250 ft) and loss 450 m (1,440 ft). Hiking time: 5h Maximum altitude: 2,500 m (8,000 ft) Summary: Moderate hiking to start, then a challenging steep climb to the pass. Very good trails. A full day of hiking. Hotel, breakfast, and dinner included.

Your big adventure starts today as we embark on the “Alta Via” (high route) component of the tour, where we stay  four nights up in mountain chalets (rifugios). You will have proper beds, pillows, hot showers, excellent food, and a  decent wine list while enjoying the fresh, clean air of the mountains. Start the day with a 5-minute van transfer to a cable car lift, which whisks us up to the start of our hike. Walk along the northern wall of the Odle massif and take in  vast views over the Val di Funes and onto the spiky peaks of the Odler group, which tower above us. Stop for lunch at  2,000 m (6,500 ft) at the Rifugio Odle where you can sit back, relax, and take in the scenery. After a warming lunch, we  set out again on a sensational trail that takes us beneath the imposing spires of the Furcheta to our final destination,  the Rifugio Genova. This charming chalet was constructed in 1898 and sits at 2,300 m (7,500 ft) at the entrance to the  Puez-Odle National Park. Toast the day’s hike with a cold beer followed by a hot shower, then dinner in the charming  wood-paneled “stube.” Overnight in a private double room (late sign-ups may have to share a triple or quadruple room).  Hot shower and WC are down the hall. Details: Total distance: about 18 km (11 mi). Elev. gain 750 m (2,400 ft) and loss 450 m (1,440 ft). Hiking time: 5.5 hrs Maximum altitude: 2,425 m (7,760 ft).  Summary: Moderate hiking, very good trails, but a long day. Breakfast, dinner, and rifugio accommodation included.  

As the sun’s rays reflect off Putia Peak we head east on a 13.5 km (8.5 mile) hike around the mountain. The trail  features magnificent views from above the tree line before gently descending into the soft embrace of the larch  woods. The trail follows the “valley of the mills,” and we see ancient wooden aqueducts that fed water from the  mountains to the water mills below. Enjoy a hearty lunch at a log mountain hut, the Utia di Goma. We are once again  above the tree line, and we have a gradual climb that takes us up over the Putia Forcella (strong hikers have the option  of hiking up Putia peak, two hours out and back) and back home to Rifugio Genova, where we enjoy a refreshing drink  in the deck-chairs overlooking the valley. Hiking time: 5h. Maximum altitude: 2,415 m (8,768 ft). Summary: Total climb of 950 m (3,000 feet). Easy hiking on good trails, one 2 km section on gravel road, plus  optional challenging climb. This hike is very pleasant because it stays up high as it loops around the flanks of Putia  Mountain. We never drop below 1,950 m (6,000 ft). Breakfast, dinner, and rifugio accommodation included.

Today’s hike is made up of dramatic alpine terrain as we enter the heart of the Odle-Puez National Park. The  trail eventually gets squeezed between several peaks as we climb to the Nives pass. This section of the trail requires you  to climb ladders and rungs bolted into the rock. There is no exposure, so if you can climb a ladder, you can do this. However, if you would prefer to skip it, you can take an alternative path. We crest at 2,740 m (8,768  ft). The views are impressive as we gradually descend to the welcoming embrace of Puez Hutte for lunch, which is  nestled in amongst the surrounding peaks at 2,475 m (7,920 ft). A large, sunny terrace welcomes us, where you can  kick back and take in the quiet solitude of these gorgeous mountains. After lunch, we have a 2.5-hour hike to Rifugio  Gardenaccia, built in 1937 and renovated in 2009. Happily, the owners kept many original features  and furniture to retain an old-world charm. The rifugio has a special feature: a sauna with large windows  that look out over a stunning alpine view. It’s a great way to relax at the end of an epic day of hiking! Indeed, this is an  extremely comfortable rifugio where we are delighted to stay for two nights. Overnight in private double rooms (late  sign-ups may have to share a triple or quadruple). The shower and WC are down the hall, but we also offer you a free sauna to use its modern shower facility. Hiking distance: about 16 kms/10 miles. Uphill 1000 m/3,200ft and downhill 800m/2500 ft. Hiking time: 6.5 hrs. Maximum altitude: 2740 metres/8768 ft. Summary: Challenging hiking, good trails but with some assisted climbing to be done during the ascent to Nives Pass (option to avoid this trail is available). That means climbing up ladders and steel rungs. Today is the most challengin day of hiking, thanks to a long 600 metre/1900 ft continuous climb. Breakfast, dinner and rifugio accommodation with sauna facilities included.

We have various options on offer for today’s hike to suit the weather and your energy levels. They all feature  spectacular views and isolated trails, so it all depends on how much you want to do. Past hikers have been seduced by  the rifugio's lovely terrace and fabulous sauna, so we have offered a morning hike followed by a free afternoon to relax  and enjoy the amenities. However, if you still have energy to burn, you can embark upon an epic hike that features the  imposing vastness of the Gardenaccia plateau, a dramatic descent to undulating pastures, lunch in charming La Villa  village, and finally, a chairlift back into the mountains with a final 40-minute climb back up to the rifugio. Details: Total distance: choices range between 8 km/5 mi - 17 km/11 mi. Hiking time: 3 - 6hrs. Good trails throughout.  Breakfast, dinner and rifugio accommodation with sauna facilities included.

We set out this morning for our final Alta Via hike. We quickly enter a dramatic landscape as we ascend towards the  Para Dai Giai to hike along a high ridge line at 2,450 m (8,000 ft). Our last hour of hiking takes us along the southern  side of a group of mountains making up the Crespeina massif. As we slowly descend, we will see climbers on the Piz  da Cir whose vertical pitches have enticed rock climbers for over a century. We end our hike at the Dantercepies “hut,”  a super-modern steel and glass structure with fabulous views from its excellent restaurant. After lunch there, we  happily cheat by taking the gondola down the last 600 m (1,900 ft) to Selva di Val Gardena, where a private transfer  takes us to the lovely four-star Hotel Park Laurin (or similar) in the center of historic Bolzano. We splash out tonight  with a memorable dinner to celebrate our Alta Via experience. Overnight Bolzano. Details: Total distance: about 15 km (8 mi). Elev. gain 1,100 m (3,500 ft) and loss 750 m (2,460 ft).  Hiking time: 4.5h Maximum altitude: 2,525 m (8,300 ft). Summary: Another full-on hike with a challenging 500 m (1,600 ft) continuous climb at the beginning of the day,  then a second sustained climb of 500 m to the Crespiena fork. Good trails throughout, but with a little scree for about  15 minutes.  Hotel, breakfast, and dinner included.

After breakfast, we offer one van transfer to the Bolzano train station, arriving in time for 10:30 departures. Bolzano  is well connected by train to Verona, Milan, Venice, Innsbruck, and beyond. For private groups, we can also arrange a transfer to Venice (airport or train station, which are about a 2.5-hour drive). Breakfast and transfer included.

Please note: Some details of the itinerary may change according to the departure date of your tour. Whenever we run a tour we make new discoveries. Sometimes they are good discoveries, like a wonderful new trattoria, and sometimes they are bad, like a trail has been washed away. The result is that we sometimes change our itinerary to improve it by adding new wonderful elements to the tour or by removing something that does not work anymore. Rest assured, our goal is to always provide you with the best possible experience. We will advise you of any changes to the original itinerary prior to departure.  

The hikes in the Dolomites are the most challenging that we offer. The paths are good, but you require good footing and should be used to hiking on steep, rugged terrain. This tour is not appropriate for people who suffer from vertigo or who have bad knees or hips. The terrain is frequently steep and we sometimes have long ascents and descents. Some days require 6 hours of hiking. Daily distance between 14-18 km/8-12 miles.

Backpacks: On these trips you will be carrying more in your backpacks than on other tours because: a) we are in the mountains so you need to carry more layers and be ready for any weather conditions; b) you may need to carry more water since it may not be readily available; and c) you will have to carry 1 change of clothing and your toothbrush for the overnights in the rifugio. We stay two nights in each rifugio, which means that you can do an easy hand wash of 1 pair socks, underwear and T-shirt and it will have time to dry. Or just wear non smelly merino! On the final hike we organize a bag transfer from the rifugio, therefore of 6 days of hiking you carry just your day-pack on 4 days. Here is how it looks day by day.

Day 2: First hike is a loop Hike. You just carry what you need for the day.
Day 3: Hike to Rifugio No. 1. You carry your overnight stuff for 4 nights in your backpack. You leave your main luggage in the Ortisei hotel to be picked up at the end of the hiking tour.
Day 4: Loop Hike. Overnight again in Rifugio No. 1. During the hike you just carry what you need for the day.
Day 5: Hike to Rifugio No. 2. You carry your overnight stuff in your backpack to Rifugio No 2.
Day 6 Loop Hike. Overnight in Rifugio No. 2. During the hike you just carry what you need for the day.
Day 7 Hike. During the hike you just carry what you need for the day. We will arrange for a bag transfer from the rifugio to our transfer van, so you do not have to carry your overnight stuff on the last day of hiking. Your main luggage will be waiting for you when you arrive at out hotel in Selva Val Gardena.

F.A.Q.: "Do your guests frequently experience altitude sickness in this area? If so, what pre-tour preparation do you recommend?"
None of our guests have suffered from Altitude sickness on any of our Dolomites tours. Altitude sickness usually only happens at levels above 2,500m/8,000ft. We spend the first two nights in Ortisei sleeping at 1,230 m/3,900ft, allowing you to acclimate. Our first day of hiking is after you have slept one night at that altitude. You may experience some shortness of breath during your first hike, but that is all unless you have some pre-existing medical conditions that make you more sensitive to lower oxygen levels.  After two nights in Ortisei, two nights are spent at 2,300m/7,350ft at Rifugio Genoa and two more nights at 2,050m/6,550ft at Rifugio Gardenacia. None of these altitudes are above the usual threshold of 8000 feet, and we do not spend much time hiking above 8,000 feet. Our final night is back in the valley at 1,400m/4,480 feet in Selva Val Gardena.  Be in shape for the tour and stay well-hydrated during the hikes.