Alta Via 2, also known as The High Route of the Legends, is a hut-to-hut journey in the Dolomites that we’ve dreamt of bringing to life for years now—so be one of the first ones to join us! The 9-day trip is overflowing with spectacular views every day, all day, and it’s a great intro to big mountain climbing. We’ll be putting in quite a lot of effort into exploring the awe-inspiring Italian Dolomites, but the rewards are immense: quality rifugi, local traditional food, and wallpaper-worthy views all around. Jaggy peaks, glimmering lakes, immense vertical faces, it’s all there in the incredible Dolomites. But pictures don’t do it justice, you’ll just have to come here and witness it for yourselves.
For a legendary journey across the high Dolomites, there’s no better choice than Alta Via 2. As we’ll be spending our days high up in the mountains, going hut-to-hut, consider this as a great way to ease into mountain climbing. This 9-day Alta Via 2 trekking tour will have us exploring the Dolomites’ most gorgeous landscapes, and we’ll also get to get a taste of the local food, culture, and people. With all logistics arranged for you and an experienced, qualified mountain leader by your side, we’ll make sure you get the very best of the Dolomites!
The starting point of our Alta Via II trek is the medieval town of Brixen, if German-speaking, or Bressanone, if Italian. This beautiful town was an important artistic and political center dating back to the Middle Ages. It’s well worth arriving early to explore the cobbled streets and impressive buildings before we meet as a group in the hotel before dinner. We’ll all meet together in the evening, enjoy our dinner, run through the itinerary, check the week’s weather forecast, check your kit, and answer any questions.
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: Three-star hotel in Brixen/Bressanone
Luggage access: Yes
We’ll hop into a cable car and get from the village of San Andreas up to the pastures of Valcroce. It’s here that the real trek begins! Our first landmark is Rifugio Plose, which is our official starting point and the first opportunity for a coffee (and a cake) stop. Most of today is a mellow introduction to trekking in the Dolomites—an opportunity to find our footing and get used to the terrain. We’ll spend the day mainly on open trails with unspoiled views of the Austrian Tyrol and the Puez-Odle ridgeline. After lunch at the private Schatzerhütte, we’ll cross our first proper col, the Forcella di Putia (2,357 m / 7,733 ft), before reaching our night’s accommodation at the popular and fun Rifugio Genova.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Hiking: 20 km / 12.5 miles (6-7 hours)
Elevation: +1,024 m / -747 m (+3,360 ft / -2,451 ft)
Accommodation: Rifugio Genova
Luggage access: No
Today’s route offers a classic Dolomites experience with high, airy traverses and towering cliffs. We begin with a short walk back to the Passo Poma through beautiful meadows of wildflowers. After that, the climbing begins! It’s a steady traverse across a stony hillside with impressive rock spires and the snowy slopes of Punta del Puez as our backdrop. In the distance, we’ll see a clear notch in the ridgeline above us—that’s our high point for the day! We’ll enjoy a scrambly route through the Forcella della Roa (2,617 m / 8,586 ft), and traverse an airy ridge before descending into the high valley that sits above tonight’s refuge. We’re far from any roads or villages, and our accommodation is in a truly remote and unique setting, surrounded by the extraordinary limestone rock features of the Puez range.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Hiking: 10 km / 6 miles (5 hours)
Elevation: +600 m / -800 m (+1,969 ft / -2,625 ft)
Accommodation: Rifugio Puez
Luggage access: No
Today we head deeper into the mountains, with our first climb taking us up to Forcella di Ciampac (2,366 m / 7,762 ft) and over a vast plateau before descending to Lago di Crespeina. Above the lake is our second ascent, Passo Crespeina (2,528 m / 8,294 ft), where we’ll be greeted with an impressive view of the snowy Sella massif. Descending below the Pizzes da Cir cliffs, we’ll head towards Jimmy’s—one of our favorite restaurants.
After lunch, we trek down to the famous Passo Gardena with its stunning road. We’re now in the heart of the Sella mountains, surrounded by unforgettable peaks, massive cliffs, unique buttresses, and towering rock spires. Our day ends on a challenging note, with just over two hours of technical uphill hiking and scrambling to our night’s accommodation. The terrain is uneven, with some sections aided by cables and metal handholds. Although it can feel a bit exposed, it should pose no problems for capable mountain walkers.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Hiking: 12 km / 7.5 miles (5-6 hours)
Elevation: +862 m / -765 m (+2,828 ft / -2,510 ft)
Accommodation: Rifugio Pisciadù
Luggage access: No
Today we take a spectacular route over a long stretch of rugged terrain. We begin by circling Lago di Pisciadu, followed by a technical rocky path with some cable sections. It’s a steep climb up to the Altopiano del Meisules, a barren landscape rich in ammonite fossils. Following a line of simple cairns, we cross this ‘lunar’ terrain to arrive at Rifugio Boe for a lovely Italian coffee. After a short, gentle climb, we reach Rifugio Maria, the top station of the cable car down to Passo Pordoi. Taking the lift saves our knees from a punishing 600-meter descent and buys us time for a longer lunch. Our path then follows a grassy hillside flanked by huge volcanic formations until we reach the beautifully located Rifugio Viel del Pan, with its impressive views of the Civetta.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Hiking: 13 km / 8 miles (7 hours)
Elevation: +1,108 m / -1,298 m (+3,635 ft / -4,259 ft)
Accommodation: Rifugio Viel del Pan
Luggage access: No
After an early start from the rifugio, our route is dominated by the Marmolada, the Queen of the Dolomites, which at 3,343 m (10,968 ft) is one of the highest peaks in the range. The southfacing walls of the Marmolada are up to 1,000 m (3,280 ft) high, and it is capped by one of the largest glaciers in the Eastern Alps: the moraines are a treasure trove of fossils. There are no major technical sections, but we’ll definitely be looking forward to our lovely spa-hotel by the time we reach the final climb of the day to the Passo San Pellegrino.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Hiking: 32 km / 20 miles (10 hours)
Elevation: +1,200 m / -1,760 m (+3,937 ft / -5,774 ft)
Accommodation: Spa hotel
Luggage access: No
Leaving the San Pellegrino pass, we’re now entering the final section of Alta Via II, with the week’s highest pass and some fun ridgeline scrambling on today’s agenda. Our journey begins with a short, easy section to the Passo di Valles and the Rifugio Passa Valles (for coffee!). From here we’ll tackle the day’s first climb, up to the Forcella Venegia (2,217 m / 7,274 ft) which overlooks the impressive, striped red cliffs of Cima Caladora.
It’s now that our day becomes much more exciting as we follow a panoramic crest to Monte Mulaz, Cima di Val Grande, and the majestic Cimon della Palla. Surrounded by impressive rock spires, exposed ridges, and breathtaking scenery, we’ll work our way steadily up to tonight’s base, navigating rocky ledges, slabs, and scrambling up some short sections with cables. Our night’s accommodation is the spectacularly located Rifugio Mulaz.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Hiking: 11 km / 6.8 miles
Elevation: +1,176 m / -548 m (+3,858 ft / -1,798 ft)
Accommodation: Rifugio Mulaz
Luggage access: No
We will leave Rifugio Mulaz to climb higher into the dramatic mountains around us and over the Col de Mulaz. This marks our final point in the high Dolomites, as from here it’s a descent to more mellow terrain and the end of our journey. We’ll pass through beautiful, lush landscapes as we make our way down on the other side of the col.
Our initial goal is the rocky plateau of Castellaz. From here, we normally try to make a short extra loop and climb up to the summit of Cristo Pensante to look back over the hills we’ve crossed. We’ll have the opportunity to enjoy one last coffee and cake stop at the Rifugio Capanna Cervino before our taxi takes us back to our starting point in Brixen, over 100 km (60 miles) away. This final night is back in our original hotel, where we will all be grateful for the relative luxury, hot showers and celebratory beers!
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Hiking: 8 km / 5 miles (5 hours)
Elevation: +400 m / -851 m (+1,312 ft / -2,792 ft)
Accommodation: Three-star hotel in Brixen/Bressanone
Luggage access: Yes
After our final breakfast, it’s time to leave. If you’d like to stay longer in the area and keep on exploring, just ask us for some recommendations!
Meals: Breakfast
Included:
Not included:
This Alta Via 2 hike is meant for regular hikers with excellent fitness. The trekking is relatively strenuous, but you’ll go along quality trails and walk at a steady pace so that you can enjoy the scenery and the surroundings. Please check out the itinerary to learn about day-by-day distances and elevation changes.
Luggage transfers are not included, so please note what you will have to carry your own kit for the duration of the trek. There’s a detailed kit list below.
Keep in mind that there are no via ferrata sections on this trek. There are, however, some sections where the path covers steep, rocky ground, and there are occasionally some cables and fixed equipment to help across these sections. While this Alta Via 2 hike is entirely achievable for fit hikers, Alta Via 1 does cover some exposed terrain, so make sure you’re comfortable hiking in the mountains—you can’t suddenly decide to bail, for example, in the middle of a day. So keep in mind that this is not a trek for a first-time hiker.
There is one ascent up to the Rifugio Pisciadu where you need to concentrate. There are rungs to hold onto where they are needed. It’s not a series of ladders, but rather a steep path, and children do it. Best to have a good head for heights for this trip: you won’t be doing anything ridiculous, but it’s still quite an adventurous trip. Those who suffer vertigo or are inexperienced hikers should not book.
Please bring all of the items on the essentials list for this Alta Via 2 hike. At least once per summer, unseasonal conditions make every item of the list essential. If you don’t have the full kit, you can put yourself and others at risk and the guide may ask you to leave the trip.
No luggage delivery is available on this trip, though you do have the option to leave any surplus luggage in the hotel in Brixen. Carrying your own kit is all part of the adventure and there’s an added sense of satisfaction for having completed the route in “pure style”.
Make sure to stick to the kit list and pack light!
Essential items and equipment
Optional items
In mountainous terrain, the weather can vary. Temperatures can reach over 30°C (86°F) in the height of summer (July/August), but can be as low as 5°C on the passes. It is often sunny with good weather, but it can rain, and even snow (even in July or August) so you should be prepared for any eventuality. The average temperatures range from 15-25°C in the valleys, to 5-15°C on the passes. Statistically you will have some rain every other day in the Dolomites, but in reality that tends to fall in one go as part of an afternoon storm, so we do try to finish our day before that happens!
If it rains during your Alta Via 2 hike, you will need both waterproof jackets and trousers, as well as several pairs of gloves. If it snows, you will need decent hiking boots (not trainers!), walking poles, warm clothes, warm hat, and gloves. It’s also essential that you can put your waterproof trousers on without removing the boots.
All breakfasts and evening meals are included in the price of the tour. Each night, you will usually eat in the hotel or rifugio where you are staying, and experience fantastic, local Italian food. Breakfast at the hotel is excellent, but in the mountain huts it tends to be slightly more basic and usually consists of tea, coffee, bread, jam, and cereal. Still, being Italy, there’s often a fantastic spread, even in a rifugio!
Packed lunches are not included, but each day your guides tend to order food from the rifugio where you are staying, as you will not go past many shops en route). Occasionally, it can happen that you have a sit-down lunch in a rifugio. Drinks are not included, but you can normally order beer, wine, and soft drinks at hotels and mountain refuges.
Group sizes and pricing
Alta Via 2 hikes can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements
To get to your Alta Via 2 hiking tour, you have to reach Brixen/Bressanone (the same town, Brixen is the German name, Bressanone Italian). To get there, most people fly into Bolzano Airport (BZO) (just 40 minutes away by car), Innsbruck Airport (INN) 1.5 hours by car), Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE), Treviso Airport (TSF), Verona Airport (VRN), or Munich Airport (MUC).
Make your way to Brixen/Bressanone and check into your hotel. You’ll have a welcome dinner in the evening with your guide and your group.
Travel and medical/rescue insurance is mandatory on this tour. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, simply choose Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner!
Redpoint tailors their protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations. Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.
Once your booking is confirmed and your trip is paid in full, you will be offered to purchase Redpoint’s protection. If you need any help or require more information, let us know and we will be happy to help!
Deposits
You can secure one of the set dates with a 30% deposit upon booking. The remaining 70% of the trip price is to be paid 90 days prior to departure, at the latest.
Cancellations
Booking fees are non-refundable in all cases. During checkout, however, you can choose one of 57hours’ flexibility options:
Basic
Flexible
Super Flexible
Thank you so very much for the most wonderful week of walking the Alta Via 2. It was even better than I could have ever imagined. The walking was wonderful, scenery was magnificent, the Refugio’s and food superb. We all got on really well and all were of similar ability so perfect. The Refugio’s were all absolutely stunning, the food was amazing in all of them, the beds comfortable, showers good, hosts all very friendly. The Viel Del Pan refugio was on the most magnificent spot. Actually they all were so could not put any above another in order of preference. They were all unique and interesting in their own ways. The trip notes say this is a tough route but I think if you are fit and used to mountain walking then this is a perfect hike. It was not that technical or difficult and the walking day was usually done by 3 or 4 with a break for lunch …. so just perfect!! No blisters or sore legs suffered by anyone. The scenery was just so dramatic and majestic it has left me wanting more…please. Thank you so much once again for putting on such a fantastic walk for us. We all loved it.