Hut to hut across the Dolomites
Five days of pale limestone towers, mountain huts with very good soup, and learning to love the sound of my own boots.
The plan was simple: walk from one rifugio to the next, carry as little as possible and let someone else cook. The Dolomites make this easy. Huts sit on saddles and ledges a day's walk apart, and each one has a hot meal, a dormitory and a terrace that faces something absurdly beautiful.
The stages
| Day | From → to | Distance | Climb |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valley → first saddle | 11 km | 950 m |
| 2 | Saddle → plateau hut | 14 km | 700 m |
| 3 | Plateau → lake hut | 9 km | 550 m |
| 4 | Lake → ridge hut | 12 km | 1050 m |
| 5 | Ridge → valley | 15 km | 200 m |
Notes for next time
- Book the huts early. The good ones fill months ahead.
- Bring a silk sleeping-bag liner; blankets are provided, sheets are not.
- Start at seven. Afternoon storms are a regular appointment in summer.
- Pack a headlamp for the dormitory, and the patience of a saint for the snoring.
The fourth day was the hardest and the best: a long climb on scree, a narrow ledge with a cable to hold, and then the hut on the ridge, glowing in the evening light with the whole range below it.