What are the most challenging hikes in the Dolomites?

With the appropriate level of fitness and experience, the answer to this question is … ‘Not at all.’  Collett’s Mountain Holidays has been delivering hiking holidays in the Dolomites for enough years to have developed a trusted place in the holiday market for walkers of all types, from the gentle flower-meadow stroller to those who crave the thrills and spills of a physically demanding high adventure. We know these mountains as well as anyone, and you can rest assured that the recommended high-level routes that await our active holidaymakers have been expertly selected after many years of research and perfection. That said, all our high-level walks are well waymarked, easy to navigate in clear weather conditions and representative of a rich variety of enthralling Dolomitic terrain.  

We have been building walking holidays in the Dolomites around these hikes since 1997. On our centre-based walking holidays in the Dolomites, you choose day-to-day how big and high you would like your itinerary to be. With us, there is all the assistance you need: your own Walk Pack awaits you on your arrival with a range of breathtaking walks to suit your specified fitness level, plus a good walking map, comprehensive route notes and a daily early-evening opportunity to meet up with our Walks Team, who are available throughout your stay. Also, through our app, we provide smartphone navigation to keep you on the straight and narrow. If you opt for a break from the hiking, our Walks Team can propose local places of interest or other locally-supplied alpine activities, such as paragliding, mountain biking, sport climbing, via ferrata etc. Additionally you can try our hut-to-hut walking holidays, where you will walk point-to-point from one fantastic mountain rifugio to the next, high up in the Dolomites.

But whether you visit with Collett’s or come independently, most of the many charming mountain resorts that comprise the central Dolomites have multiple trails that climb between 500m and, say, 1200m to give fit walkers their fix of long and steady ascent, culminating in the rich rewards that punctuate the peaks, passes and high rocky reaches. And what might these rewards be? Well, firstly, mountain panoramas that will blow your socks off; secondly, close-ups of the craziest rock formations in the world; thirdly, remote mountain lodges (rifugios), where hearty food, refreshment, and camaraderie flourishes among trekkers; fourthly, regular moments of solitude, precious opportunities for reflection; and finally, surprisingly abundant flora and fauna: soaring golden eagles, athletic chamois, exquisite alpine rock plants and much more besides. In short, these are walks that get the ‘man/woman in the street’ further from the street than he/she ever dreamt possible. 

The most famous high treks in the Dolomites are probably the long-distance hut-to-hut Alta Via 1 and Alta Via 2. These hikes traverse the range. The Alta Via 1 unfolds north/south over 120kms (75 miles) from Dobbiaco to Belluno; and in Corvara, our base, Collett’s is close to its highest point at Rifugio Lagazuoi (2752m). The Alta Via 2 is a 13-stage route stretching 174kms (108 miles) from Bressanone to Feltre; it also passes right through our walking domain in the central Dolomites, crossing the colossal Sella (3152m), Corvara’s iconic western backdrop, from the Gardena Pass to the Pordoi Pass. 

The most recognisable peaks in the Dolomites are the Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Three Peaks of Lavaredo) on the eastern side of Cortina. In German, they are known as the ‘Three Teeth’ (Drei Zinnern)  and inevitably they make a good hunting ground for high level treks. Such is the iconic status of these jagged gems, I feel duty-bound to mention the 6 mile Tre Cime Circuit Trek, which is in condition between June and October. With a total ascent of 400m, I would categorise it as moderate, but it is high altitude, panoramically sensational, pure Dolomites, and unquestionably famous in the hiking community.