UKC

Off to the Dolomites at the end of October with my wife. We'd like to do some walking but as I've only ever thought about the Dolomites with climbing in mind, I've no idea where to go.

Does anyone have any suggestions of places in the Dolomites that lend themselves to walking as opposed to climbing? We'd quite like to do a walk to a hut staying below the snow line. Not fussed about Via Ferrata.

In reply to galpinos:

No-one?

In reply to galpinos: Hi

I just got back from the dolomites. There's loads to do, but you should bear in mind that it is starting to cool off, and a lot of the cable cars, chair lifts, huts, busses etc. are shutting down about now.

Any of the climbing locations are also good for walking imho. There's loads of good stuff near Cortina and Canazei.

I have an information sheet from the Cortina tourist info with the local hut opening times, phone numbers etc. Can send you a copy if you mail me.

In reply to galpinos:

There are 2 huts at the Tre Cime, with many tracks for walking. The area is stunning and I'd highly recommend it. There were also loads of tourists on walking trips so it is popular too.

In reply to jonnie3430:

How could I have forgotten those?! I was at the Locatelli a couple of weeks back, and an awesome hut it is too!

In reply to galpinos: I suspect the huts & chairlifts will be shut, from memory they tend to close around the 20th Sept. I guess some huts may have their winter rooms open. Arco has quite a few valley-level VF that don't require huts or lifts, North of Cortina are a couple (Col rodella?) which are the same, as is Brigadata Tridentina on the Sella massif. Arco has the advantage of being at a sensible altitude, the stuff round Cortina/Sella could well have snow and be a more serious proposition. At least Arco won't be stupidly hot like it is in summer.

In reply to galpinos:

We spent our honeymoon in the Alta Badia, in a place called San Cassiano a few miles from Corvara. Lovely area, didn't walk much, mainly climbed but the walking looked good with plenty of paths for all levels of ability. I can also point you in the direction of a very nice hotel if you are wanting to splash the cash, the food in particular was excellent.

If you want a pair of lanyards for any VFs, I have an unused pair which you are more than welcome to borrow.

Oh and congratulations for you know what (forget Zero and Orion as mentioned on the other thread though, not going to happen!).

In reply to rossh:

Oh and Toerag has a point if you want lower altitude stuff. North end of Lake Garda/Arco is good and there are some fun VFs (I have a guide for the VFs in that area somewhere, it is in German though) as well as endless walks.

In reply to galpinos: I'd ditto the comment about the area around the tre cime. I was only there for a long weekend, but stunning views.

In reply to FrJ:

I just took a look at my camera and found these views of the Tre Cime from the Locatelli hut about a week and a half ago...

http://www.spectral3d.co.uk/misc/night/tre_cime1.jpg

http://www.spectral3d.co.uk/misc/night/tre_cime2.jpg

Also Paterno:

http://www.spectral3d.co.uk/misc/night/paterno2.jpg

In reply to galpinos:

All the main Dolomite areas are great for walking, but if I was choosing it would be the Pale di San Martino or the Brenta groups, because they offer the chance to get into some really wild areas. End of October can be absolutely idyllic for walking and even climbing in The Dols, but it can also be distinctly wintery, and you would need to be careful not to get snowed into some remove bivouac hut.

The long term weather outlook is for good weather right through October but with a changeover around the end of the month.

If you found that things had gone distincly white, then you have plenty of pre-Alpine walking to do where I live, or further down around Lake Garda.

Thinking about it more, I would go walking on the (very easy) glaciers of the Adamello group (just west of the Brenta Dolomites) because a bit of fresh snow basically makes no difference to your plans. Gorgeous free bivvy huts up there, and almost nobody around at that time of year (not even me, I have work in Tuscany all of October).