Self-Guided: Dolomites High Route Alta Via #2

Self-Guided: Dolomites High Route Alta Via #2 Itinerary

As with all of our self-guided trips, we look after the pre-trip organization, bookings, and ground transportation logistics. In addition, we will provide your group with detailed daily instructions, a recommended equipment list, GPS tracks (which can be followed on your smartphone), and PDF maps. Your group of strong and experienced hikers will follow the itinerary on your own. If you’d prefer the company of one of our certified mountain/hiking guides, please consider our guided Cortina Dolomites Hut Trek, Cortina Dolomites Via Ferrata Trek, or Guided: Palaronda Classic Via Ferrata Hut Trek. Private groups can add a guide for any itinerary.

The Dolomites High Route #2 / Alta Via Due follows ridgelines and traverses high-level plateaus largely in a north-to-south direction. The “Alta Via Due”, also referred to as the AV2,  starts in the town of Brixen / Bressanone in German-speaking South Tirol and ends in Feltre, not too far from Venice and Belluno. Most hikers opt for 8-9 days of hiking so we commonly “pick the pearls” and shorten the trip duration in accordance with our client’s preferences. A few distinct characteristics of the Dolomites High Route 2 / Alta Via 2:

• The last 3 days through the Feltre Dolomites involve large climbs, a lot of below-treeline terrain, the huts are very basic and there are many exposed trail sections with or without cable protection where stumbling would result in serious consequences. Therefore, for most of our guests, we end the trip in the Val Canali/San Martino di Castrozza or earlier. The last 3 days of this route can be completed under the supervision of a guide, upon request.
• The original routing of the Dolomites High Route 2, as with most of the 12 High Routes in the Dolomites, involves exposed trail sections, via ferrata / cable-equipped sections and even a bit of glacier travel requiring crampons when travelling through the Marmolada Range. We will modify your itinerary according to your preferences: either avoiding those sections while still including scenic highlights or including those sections, sometimes under the guidance of a mountain guide.
• The first 5 – 6 days of the High Route 2 can be done entirely with private room lodging and most of the time with private bathrooms as we can use hotels located at the high road passes and some gondola-accessible lodges.
• We can also prioritize high-elevation hut lodging which usually comes with sharing larger dorm rooms with other hikers and shared bathrooms.

Know What to Expect

Most days will involve hiking 15-20 km (10-13 miles) distance and gaining/losing between 700 and 1,300 vertical metres (2,300-4,300 ft).

Where and When? 

You will begin your trek from the beautiful town of Brixen/Bressanone, easily accessible by car and train. Your trip will include lodging at a hotel before you meet your taxi driver the following morning for a transfer to the trailhead. You will store your suitcase at the hotel and we will have it delivered to your hotel in San Martino di Castrozza at the end of your trek. For some participants that book a shorter trip, your trip may conclude in another location.

Book Early

Some of the huts book up very early, so it is best to give us as much notice as possible. Fortunately, there are alternative accommodations along the way, but to get the most spectacular hut locations and private rooms, advance requests are necessary – especially if you have four or more people. Many groups are booking up to a year in advance.

Booking your Trip with OnTop

You will work with your trip coordinator from the get-go who will take note of your preferences and design, under the guidance of our director and head guide, an itinerary for your trek. 4 -6 weeks prior to your trip departure, we will send you a detailed trip letter containing all of the important information about your trek:

• Daily itinerary, including
  • Trail numbers that you will follow
  • Daily horizontal distances and vertical gains/ losses
  • GPS track of the itinerary that can be downloaded to your smartphone to make sure you know where you are at any given time
  • “Plan B and C” options in case of bad weather or adverse mountain conditions or a need for longer or shorter days
  • Recommendations for side trips to summits, World War I commemorative sites, and other points of interest
• Lodging sequence and meal plan
• Taxi to trailhead at the start of your trip
• Luggage storage and transfer from Brixen/Bressanone to San Martino di Castrozza
• Emergency contact numbers
• Gear list (also available on this webpage by clicking the “gear list” tab above)
• faq and more

Customize It

Make this trip yours by adding or upgrading services. Check out our ‘Included Services” for a list of options.

Family and Group Discounts

For groups and families of 5 or more, we can offer the following discounts on our advertised prices

2-4 participants: Our advertised per person price
5-6 participants: 5% discount from our advertised per person price
7+ participants: 10% discount from our advertised per person price

Inclusions

Services included in the total price

• Fully Customized and detailed day-to-day itinerary, designed by our director and head guide, Jorg Wilz
  (you will find directions, including hiking times/distances/elevation gain and loss, trail numbers and “Plan B options” in case of fatigue or adverse weather or extension options should you desire a longer day)
• Lodging in huts/mountain lodges in private rooms (when available) with 3- or 4-course dinners and buffet breakfasts
• GPS tracks that you can upload to your smartphone or GPS, along with printable PDF maps
• 24-hour Hotline contacts while you are en route
• 3 -star Hotel lodging in Brixen/Bressanone and San Martino di Castrozza with a large breakfast
• Private taxi transfer from your hotel to the trailhead
• Luggage transfer from your start to your end point
• Support with your travel logistics and all trip organization as well as sightseeing suggestions

Not included

• Airfares
• Transport to your Brixen/Bressanone and from San Martino di Castrozza
• Transport at the end of your trek to your hotel in San Martino
• Dinners for the nights in hotels and, if applicable, Schleuter Hut and Frara Hut,
• Tourist Tax ( €2-€5 per night/person, payable in cash to the huts at check out)
• Lunches and snacks (these can be purchased at the huts or in the Valley)
• Drinks (beer is usually about €5 per pint, wine €10-€30 per bottle, lunch €10, bottled water €4 per litre)
• Insurance
• Any additional costs in case of itinerary changes regardless if those changes were made due to adverse weather or mountain conditions, or due to personal or group preferences.

Customize It

Make this trip yours by adding or upgrading services (€): 

Try a Via Ferrata

See what the buzz is all about – add on 1 or 2 days of via ferrata, under the supervision of a mountain guide. Via ferrata routes include the use of cables, ladders, rungs, and the occasional bridge to facilitate safe passage across exposed mountain faces and ridges with beautiful hiking in between. The first via ferrata routes were built and used by soldiers in World War I. Many of these routes are still in use, but development is ongoing as via ferrata climbing has become a very popular sport in itself.

Upgrades(€): please ask for a quote

• Private rooms at premium huts with higher-than-average room rates (Fuciade Hut, Hotel Cir, etc)
• Hotel upgrades

Add-Ons(€): please ask for a quote

• Additional hotel nights at the start and/or end of your trip
• Topographical maps (available on request – cost of map + shipping additional €)
• Guided via ferrata or rock climbing – minimum of 2 days commitment
• Taxi surcharges for hotel lodging outside of our normal booking radius
• Taxi transport from nearby airports
• Mid-trip luggage transfers

Transportation

Closest Airports and Transport Options

Your first night will be in the historic mountain town of Brixen, north of the Venice International Airport and south of Innsbruck, Austria and Munich, Germany.

Airport Options:

The Innsbruck International Airport in Austria is about 1.5 hours by train from Brixen. You can book your tickets at oebb.at

The Venice Marco Polo International Airport is about 3.5-4 hours by train from Brixen. You can book your tickets at trenitalia.com

The Munich International Airport is about 4.5 hours by train from Brixen. You can book your tickets at bahn.de

All of these train times assume that you will travel during the day – later in the evening and night train connections are generally longer.

The earlier you make your train booking, the cheaper it will be.

Most of our guests fly out of Venice at the end of their trek or catch a connecting train at Venice-Mestre for transport to their next destination/airport. Here are some suggestions for travel:

1. Brusutti Bus – transfer to/from Venice to Feltre. 1 transfer daily in shoulder season, 2 buses in peak season. Please refer to the website for schedule and booking details. OnTop has not used this bus before – reviews are mixed. Take public bus, as described below, to reach/depart San Martino.
2. Trains/buses that fit your schedule: This website (https://www.sanmartino.com/EN/getthere/) has the best information as far as links to trains/bus companies go. Bus line B501 will get you from San. Martino to one of the towns on the list that has a train station (often Feltre) and from there take the train to Venice (best to search on Omio for Feltre- Venice trains).
3. Taxi – all or part of the way. Here is a list of taxi services in the region: https://www.sanmartino.com/EN/taxi/
4. When arriving in Venice Mestre (main train station) best take the airport shuttle bus to Marco Polo Airport which departs every 20 min, takes about 20 min and costs Euro 10 / person to include one larger piece of luggage plus hand luggage. Tickets online.
5. Venice mainland has Uber service

Private Shuttle: We may be able to arrange a private shuttle from one of the airports to Brixen – ask us for a quote.

FAQ

Climate, weather, temperatures and the best time to visit the Dolomites

The Dolomites, being on the “sunny side” of the Alps, are usually blessed with favorable weather. However, as with anywhere in the mountains, there is always a chance to get rain or snow. This is rare in July and August but it can happen in June and September. Daytime temperatures can range from -5°C (23°F) to 25°C (77°F), but it is usually somewhere in between. Average temperatures and precipitation for each month are described on this helpful weather graph for the Dolomites, which covers the past 30 years.

The majority of the huts along the way are between 2,000 and 2,500 m (6,500-8,200 ft.) in elevation.

Most of the huts are open from mid-June to late September, with some huts being open from early June to early October. The busiest times are from mid-July to the end of August, with the period around August 5 – 25 being Italy’s busy summer vacation time.

What are the huts like? Double rooms? Showers? Food Choices?

The huts along the route vary. While all of the huts offer showers, only some offer private rooms. The others offer bunkbed-style sleeping with up to 10 people per room. Upon request and with an early booking, we can organize your trek with as many private (double) room options as possible.

The food is always delicious and plentiful (as is the Italian wine). Special diets can usually be accommodated.

How do I get to the meeting place from the airport?

Please see the “Transport” tab for details.

Do I need to sign a Release of Liability & Assumption of Risk Agreement (a.ka. liability waiver)?

Yes, you do. Mountaineering, skiing, climbing, hiking, via ferrata and all other wilderness and adventure travel activities are inherently risky with potential for injuries or even death.
It is very important to us that you are aware of those risks before you start the booking process, which includes filling out a booking form and paying a deposit.
With signing the liability waiver, you confirm that you understand the potential risks and hazards, and are willing to accept the risks, which includes giving up legal rights you may have.
This would also be the time to ask questions or address concerns before you book.
For your reference here is a link to our Liability Waiver. Our booking terms & cancellation policy with more details can be found here

What are the huts like? Double rooms? Showers? Food Choices?

The huts along the route vary. While all of the huts offer showers, only some offer private rooms. The others offer bunkbed-style sleeping with up to 10 people per room. Upon request and with an early booking, we can organize your trek with as many private (double) room options as possible.

The food is always delicious and plentiful (as is the Italian wine). Special diets can usually be accommodated.

What is a sleeping bag liner and do i need to bring one? =
A sleeping bag liner, “sacco lenzuolo” in Italian, is a lightweight, sack-shaped layer (usually cotton, silk, or microfiber) that you sleep in inside a bed or sleeping bag. Think of it as a personal bedsheet you can carry in your pack. It adds a tiny bit of warmth, keeps things hygienic, and packs down small.
For hut treks in the Dolomites, the short answer is: yes, you need one — and in many huts, it’s mandatory, even in private rooms. Mountain huts provide blankets and pillows, but for hygiene reasons they require guests to bring their own liner. Some huts sell disposable sleeping bag liners but these are discouraged for not being environmentally friendly.

Medical/Rescue and Trip Cancellation Insurance

We recommend pandemic coverage with your insurance policy.

Can I Do It?

The Dolomites High Route #2  involves strenuous hiking on everything from good, dry trails to rocky terrain to snow-covered passes (depending on the time of year). The trails are well marked and maintained, but even so, there are stretches with rough, steep, and exposed sections that require the use of cables to negotiate. Each day involves 5-8 hours (maximum of 20 km / 13 miles, 1,300 m / 4,600 ft vertical) of hiking with steady elevation gains and losses. Yaktrax-type traction cleats may be required in certain places, especially early and late in the season.

Some days, you will reach your hut or lodge by early afternoon and will have the option between summiting a nearby (non-technical) summit or relaxing with a good book and an Italian coffee.

Your backpack will be relatively light (5 – 8 kg = 11 – 18 lbs) as you will only carry snacks/lunch for the day, water, and extra clothing.

Your group should be physically fit, experienced at mountain hiking, comfortable with exposed hiking on narrow and steep trails, and able to deal with adverse weather conditions. You should be able to navigate in fog and bad visibility with a map and a compass (or GPS). Rain, snow, or icing can make the trails treacherous or cover up trail markers, which can turn your hike into a challenging mountaineering adventure any day.

If in doubt whether your group has the skills and experience required, please discuss it with us. If this trip sounds like it might be a little too far out of your comfort zone, you might want to try the slightly easier (and thus more popular) Dolomites High Route #1 (Alta Via Uno), or you may want to consider joining one of our guided hut-to-hut treks, such as the Cortina Dolomites Hut-to-Hut Trek or the Cortina Dolomites Hut-to-Hut Via Ferrata Trek.

How difficult are the trails on the AV2? Are there via ferrata sections and other exposed trails?

The Alta Via 2 does have sections with exposed trails where stumbling or falling off would result in serious consequence. Most of those sections have fixed cables to hand-rail, some longer sections (mainly south of Valles Pass / Pala Range) are rated “via ferrata”. Pictures speak more than words and we would recommend checking out the many clips on the net, namely on Youtube that describe the AV2 in various weather / trail conditions. Unfortunately, rarely does one find particular days or sections labelled. Following is a sequence of clips that we found quite descriptive with our labelling and start times to watch for each section:

a) Brixen / Bressanone to Groedner / Gardena Pass Alta Via 2 EP 1 Mike Windsor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=619UZZ2TOD8 Day 2 Forcella Munt Dal Ega / Wasserscharte: 7.20 min, Forecella Sieles / Sieles Scharte 7.25

b) Groedner / Gardena Pass via Sella Plateau to Pelegrino Pass Alta Via 2 EP 2 Mike Windsor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfQexl3oRUo
Day 3 Groedner / Gardena to Pisciadu Hut via Val Setus – best start watching from the start. Min 2 shows the start from Pisciadu to the Sella Plateau / Boe Hut

c) Valles Pass to Croce D’Aune Pass (end of route) Alta Via 2 EP 3 Mike Windsor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hQ0NCX92ZU . Day 7: Short sections with cables Valles Pass to Mulaz Pass: Watch at min 1
Day 8: Mulaz Hut to Rosetta Hut (rated via ferrata) watch from min 1.12
Day 9: Mulaz Hut to Pradidali Hut (rated via ferrata) watch from min 6.32 to 8.36 and avoiding a cabled / exposed section on Delle Lede Pass to Treviso Hut / Canali Valley

Most of our guests finish in San Martino either via the Pala Plateau / Rosetta Hut or Pradidali Hut. The last 3.5 days are MUCH less travelled, feature lots of step drop offs,1 very long day,  grassy slopes and often muddy / slippery trails with very basic huts. If you plan on doing these sections, best watch the remainder of the clip!
Day 10: Treviso Hut to Cereda Pass: Start min 11 – 12.30. From Forcella D’Oltro Saddle follow a few hours of walking along trails contouring extremely steep, grassy / rocky slopes where slipping / stumbling would be very consequential! No cables!
Day 11: Cereda Pass to Boz Hut via Walter Bodo Bivi Shelter – long day, lots of exposed trail, some with cables – best watch from min 12 – 18.25
Day 12: Boz Hut to Dal Piaz Hut 18.25 – 24 min then much easier trail to Croce D’Aune Pass and road transport to Feltre.

Can technical / exposed trail sections be avoided on the Alta Via 2?

Yes – the AV2 has many routing options and our custom itineraries describe options to bypass most technical / exposed trail sections. These options are also suitable for groups for split groups or bad weather.

Feedback

We will gladly put potential clients in touch with previous participants of each trip in order for interested guests to get more personalized references and their questions answered from a more objective point of view than what our office could provide.

References of prior guests

“We had a great time on our hike. Thank you. The weather was fantastic (aside for a little rain on day 3). Thank you for all the arrangements. It made our trip hasslefree, which is what we were looking for. We are happy to leave a positive review somewhere if that would be helpful. ” Jonas H., Atlanta, USA

“- Itinerary was great, amazing scenery and generally well balanced. The first day was a little short for our liking.
– Maps were clear and easy to follow, however written instructions were less clear but with a map alongside them they made sense.
– 9/10.
– We’d definitely be interested in booking another trip next year. ” Jack G., UK

“Our Dolomites adventure was fantastic! Everything worked out perfectly (including, luckily, the tight flight and bus transfers to Cortina). Organization and logistics were accurate and detailed. We felt very informed about the itinerary, lodging and food were great, and we have already recommended OnTop to a friend. Thanks for everything!” Joshua K., MA, USA

“We just want to send a quick update on our trip. We had a wonderful time trekking in the mountains. The huts and ruins were big highlights! And the weather was even perfect….it rained only once we were checked into our huts and cleared by morning to give us postcard views. Thank you for all the details and descriptions of the route(s)…they were right-on. If you want me to write a review for your use I’ll be happy to do that once we are back home next month.” Susan S., CO, USA

“We did have a great Europe trip! Our favorite part, for both of us, was the OnTop self-guided hikes in the Dolomites. It was absolutely spectacular! It was laid out in just the right sequence, starting off fairly easily, and then getting a bit more challenging as we went along…
then providing a little respite in Cortina before doing another amazing circuit of the Tre Cime de Lavarado. Jorg’s directions were very good providing bailout options for really bad weather or fatigue etc… and extra side trips for a bit of extra adventure if that suited our fancy. We did most of the recommended route, but passed on a couple of side trips, and took the short route on the last day. I will provide much more detail in a revised version of Jorg’s hiking instructions, with photos, and map snippets, and some info regarding our impressions of the various trails.” Steve Ford, WA, USA