Italy: The Via Ferrata
Hiking and Climbing in the Stunning Dolomites
This itinerary is no longer available
We may run this trip again in the future, please contact us if you are interested.Buckle on a climbing harness, clip into a safety cable, and head for the heights in Italy’s stunning Dolomites! The Via Ferrata, a trail system of fixed cables and steel ladders found throughout these dazzling peaks, allows adventurous hikers access to alpine realms usually reserved for skilled rock climbers. The routes, originally built during World War I to help alpine troops move easily through the mountains, are located in some of the most spectacular settings imaginable, providing heart-stopping views of awesome spires and pinnacles that seem to belong to another world. No previous experience is necessary, but stamina, sure-footedness, and a good head for heights are absolute musts. Looking for high adventure? You’ve just found it.
Highlights
- Climb the Dolomites’ Via delle Bocchette, using the Via Ferrata trail system
- Enjoy the ambiance of comfortable, superbly-situated alpine lodges with stunning mountain panoramas
- Historic Hotel Gardesana on Lake Garda
Details
- 8-day trip begins in Bolzano and ends in Verona
- 3 nights in hotels, 4 nights alpine lodges with semi-private rooms, shared baths, and hot showers
- All breakfasts and dinners included
- Strenuous hiking and scrambling on moderate to steep narrow trails carrying a pack with overnight belongings, 5-8 hours a day, altitudes up to 10,000 feet
- No technical climbing experience necessary. Hikers will be clipped into cable for safety, but must be comfortable on ladders and narrow ledge walks.
This itinerary is no longer available
We may run this trip again in the future, please contact us if you are interested.Suggested Reading
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Itinerary at a Glance
Days 1-2
Bolzano / Mezzocorona Gorge
We meet in Bolzano, a charming city with German-Austrian influences, and explore the museum where the famous Otzi, the Iceman, is on display, as well as artifacts from the Iron Age, Roman times, and the Middle Ages. The next day we head into the mountains for a warm-up scramble on the Via Ferrata Mezzocorona, a spectacular and highly scenic route through a wild gorge with sparkling waterfalls and sheer rock walls. In the afternoon we have time to explore Bolzano’s cobbled pedestrian-only areas or visit its Hapsburg-era churches.
Days 3-6
Via delle Bocchette / Brenta Massif
We tackle the extraordinary Via delle Bocchette, the most famous multi-day Via Ferrata in the Dolomites. For five days we stay high up in the mountains at an average altitude of 9,000 feet, following an airy, high-level route along the 25-mile-long crest of the magnificent Brenta Massif in the far western section of the Dolomites. Starting from the alpine village of Madonna di Campiglio, we cross a series of wild, exposed, but always well-equipped ledges, interspersed with steep cables and vertical ladders that interconnect the main ledge system. Along the way we feast our eyes on some truly amazing scenery and cross a wild, vertiginous moonscape of high limestone plateaus, sawtooth mountain ridges, and steeples of needle-thin pinnacles that reach for the sky. Most days we spend five to eight hours hiking and climbing the various sections of the Bocchette Ferrata route. Our overnights are in spectacularly located high-altitude mountain lodges (rifugios), each of which is comfortable and warm (most even have hot showers!) and boast a convivial atmosphere. The lodges are welcoming havens after a day of negotiating the challenging trails. (Our first night is in the Rifugio Tuckett, named after Francis Fox Tuckett, who was the first to traverse the Brenta Group in the mid-19th century.)
Days 7-8
Rifugio 12 Apostoli / Lake Garda / Verona
From the Rifugio 12 Apostoli, we descend from the mountains and follow a lovely path to a trailhead just above the ski resort town of Pinzolo. We transfer to our wonderful lakeside hotel on nearby Lake Garda in time to enjoy a peaceful afternoon on the terrace taking in encompassing views of the shimmering lake or watching boats bob in the tiny medieval harbor. Later we celebrate our hiking efforts with a festive farewell dinner. On Day 8 we depart for nearby Verona for trains or flights to other destinations in Europe.
This is the Itinerary-at-a-Glance. For the complete trip description, Download Full Trip Brochure