Alta Via 1

Beginning in the picturesque alpine village of Dobiacco and ending in the charming town of Belluno, this trek takes you through some of Europe's finest mountain scenery and some of the most hospitable mountain huts you will find anywhere in the World. As if all that wasn't enough, the whole area that the trek passes through is dripping in history, with remnants of the First World Way battles that were fought across the Dolomites around every corner. The total height gain for the trek is 6665 metres and the highest point reached is 2752 metres (although there are options en route to tag a few peaks that are slightly higher). The hike is a pleasure for any fit hiker who can happily walk for 4 - 8 hours per day but the positioning of the mountain huts en route mean that you can change the itinerary to suit your fitness level - options exist to do the hike in anything between 8 and 12 days. The huts themselves are a major attraction on this hike because they are unfailingly well positioned, reasonably priced and serve wonderful Italian cuisine. Should weather or fatigue require it, detouring to one of the lovely Italian villages in the valleys below the trek is perfectly possible. Although there are some short sections of the hike that have a cable to serve as a handrail, there are no sections of via ferrata and the route is completely non-technical. All in all, an attainable but deeply satisfying adventure!