ALTA VIA 2 HIKING ROUTE IN THE ITALIAN DOLOMITES

The Dolomites “Alta Via” n.2, leads from the Eisack Valley to the ancient town of Feltre. Through the centuries, Feltre became the core of Venetian culture on the border of the alpine mountains. The mountain ranges crossed by the “Alta Via 2” are some of the most famous in the Dolomites. Some peaks appear soft and inviting while others are dignified, haughty and as sharp as the turrets of old medieval castles.  The Plose, Peiterkofel, Púez, Sella, Marmolada Geisler mountain groups are good examples of the former while the Pale di San and the Alpi Feltrine are typical of the latter, with their arching peaks.

This route is divided into 13 stages offering a variety of different landscapes and geological features. The scenery alternates between mountains made of Dolomite rock such as the Peiterkofel, the Geisler, Sella, Pale and Cimònega to limestone mountains such as the Marmolada. Some regions, like the Plose, Púez, Padon, Bocche and Vette are made of a completely different type of rock and have therefore a completely different appearance, offering a strong and picturesque contrast to the Dolomite mountains.

However, it is the large plateaus make this route so special and unique. These plateaus lie between 2000m and 2500m above sea level and the Pale di San Martino measures around 50 km. The plateaus of the Sella, Púez, Zingari and the Vette Feltrine are smaller.

DATA SHEET FOR ALTA VIA 2 TREK

• Starting Point: Town of Bressanone
• Finish Point: Town of Feltre
• Walking days: 13 (excluding variations or digressions)
• Length of the mountain route: 180 kilometers (210 from city to city)
• Mountain huts on the main route: 14
• Bivouacs on the main route: 2
• Longest leg: the eleventh, at 9, from the Feltre Bivouac to the Refuge From the Piaz
• Shorter leg: the ninth, 4.30 hours, from the Treviso Refuge to the Pass Ceréda
• Estimated time tot. net (excluding variants): about 80 hours from Bressanone to Feltre
• Difficulty: E, EE (EEA on some sections and variants)
• Total Elevation Gain: about 11,300 meters from Bressanone
• Total Elevation Lost: about 11,200 meters up to Feltre
• Maximum Elevation Gain One Day: 1150 meters, sixth stage, from S. Pellegrino to Mulàz (1890 meters from Bressanone to Plose; optional)
• Maximum Elevation Lost One Day: 1550 meters, eighth stage, from Rosetta to the Refuge Treviso (1680 meters on the last day from the Dal Piaz in Feltre)
• Maximum altitude: Passo delle Faràngole, 2932 meters
• Minimum altitude: Feltre, 324 meters
• Mountain groups involved: 8 (Plose, Pùtia, Odle, Pùez, Sella, Marmolada, Pale di S. Martino, Vette Feltrine)
• Shelter opening period: around 20 June - 20 September
• Signage: good everywhere
• Recommended cartography (in order of use) - Tobacco Maps 1: 25,000,

1. n. 030 "Bressanone / Brixen-Val di Funes / Vilnöss" from Bressanone to Rifugio Pùez
2. n. 07 “Alta Badia-Arabba-Marmolada” from Passo Rodella to Malga Ciapèla
3. n. 015 "Marmolda-Pelmo-Civetta-Moiazza" from Passo Pordoi to Passo S. Pellegrino
4. n. 06 “Val di Fassa and the Fassane Dolomites” from Malga Ciapèla to Passo Vallès
5. n. 022 “Pale di San Martino” from the Vallès Pass to the Bruno Boz Refuge and Le Vette
6. n. 023 “Alpi Feltrine-Le Vette-Cimónega” from the Bruno Boz Refuge in Feltre

HIKING THE ALTA VIA 2 ROUTE NOTES

STAGE 1: From Bressanone to Rifugio Città di Bressanone-PlöseHütte

• ELEVATION: gain 1900 m da Bressanone, 435 m da Valcroce, 150 dalla Seggiovia
• LENGTH: 27 km departing from Bressanone
• WALK TIME: 6,30 hours by foot from Bressanone
• TRAILS: 4, 5 and 17
• DIFFICULTY: E

STAGE 2: From Rifugio Città di Bressanone (Plöse Hütte) to Rifugio Genova (Schlüterhütte)

• ELEVATION: 500 meters gain; 650 meters descent
• LENGHT: 15 km
• WALK TIME: ore 5
• TRAILS: 4
• DIFFICULTY: E, short section of fixed trail

STAGE 3: From Rifugio Genova-Schlüterhütte to Rifugio PùezPuezhütte

• ELEVATION: 850 meters gain; 670 meters descent
• LENGTH: 15 km
• WALK TIME: 6 hours
• TRAILS: 3 and 2
• DIFFICULTY: EE, short section of fixed trail

STAGE 4: From Rifugio Pùez to Rifugio “Franco Cavazza” al Pisciadù

• ELEVATION: 570 meters gain; 460 meters descent
• LENGTH: 10 km
• WALK TIME: 5 hours
• TRAILS: 2 and 666
• DIFFICULTY: EE, short section of fixed trail

STAGE 4: From Rifugio Pisciadù to Rifugio Castiglioni alla Marmolada

• DIFFICULTY: 750 meters gain; 1280 meters descent
• LENGTH: 19 km
• WALK TIME: 6,30 to 7 hours
• TRAILS: 666, 647, 627, 601
• DIFFICULTY: EE, section of fixed trail

STAGE 5: From Rifugio Castiglioni alla Marmolada to Passo San Pellegrino

• ELEVATION: 1100 meters gain; 1200 meters descent
• LENGTH: 16 km
• WALK TIME: 7 hours
• TRAILS: Paved road and trails 610, 689, 694, 670, 607
• DIFFICULTY: T e E

STAGE 6: From Passo San Pellegrino to Rifugio “Volpi” al Mulàz

• ELEVATION: 1100 meters gain; 500 meters descent
• LENGHT: 14 km
• WALK TIME: 7 hours
• TRAILS: 658 and 751
• DIFFICULTY: EE, short section of fixed trail

STAGE 8: From Rifugio “Volpi” to Mulàz al Rifugio “Pedrotti” alla Rosetta

• ELEVATION: 760 meters gain; 750 meters descent
• LENGTH: 8 km
• WALK TIME: 5 hours
• TRAILS: 703
• DIFFICULTY: EE e EEA on Sentiero delle Faràngole

STAGE 9: From Rifugio Rosetta to Rifugio Pradidàli and Rifugio Treviso

• ELEVEATION: 720 meters gain; 1600 meters descent
• LENGTH: 14 km
• WALK TIME: 7 hours
• TRAILS: 702, 715, 709, 711, 707
• DIFFICULTY: EE with short section of EEA

STAGE 10: From Rifugio Treviso to Passo Ceréda

• ELEVATION:  1150 meters gain; 900 meters descent
• LENGTH: 10 km
• WALK TIME: 4,30 hours
• TRAILS: 718
• DIFFICULTY: EE

STAGE 11: From Passo Ceréda to Bivacco Feltre “Walter Bodo”  or Rifugio “Bruno Boz”

• ELEVATION: 1200 meters gain; 600 meters descent
• LENGHT: 14 km
• WALK TIME: 6,30 hours
• TRAILS: 801
• DIFFICULTY: EE, short section of fixed trail

STAGE 12: From Bivacco Feltre to Rifugio Dal Piaz

• ELEVATION: 900 meters gain; 650 meters descent
• LENGHT: 15 km
• WALK TIME: 7 hours
• TRAILS: 801
• DIFFICULTY: EE, short section of fixed trail

STAGE 13: From Rifugio Dal Piaz to Croce d’Àune the down to Feltre

• LENGTH: 980 meters descent to Croce d’Àune, 1670 meters descent to Feltre
• LENGTH: 19 km
• WALK TIME: 6 hours
• TRAILS: 801 and paved road
• DIFFICULTY: E e T

ITALIAN DOLOMITES ALTO VIA 2 HIKING TRAIL MAP