In September I will be leading a trip for the Mazamas to the Dolomites Region of the Italian Alps.
Here are some Dolomites links:
It should be a spectacular trip, hiking to and staying in four different alpine huts way up in the mountains. Each day, we will either be hiking to the next hut or taking trips from the current hut. And for these day trips, there will be options, like a climb of Cima della Vezzana (SummitPost.org / Google Images) or a trip on the via ferrate, or “iron roads,” a series of ladders and cables that let you go to some mind-boggling places. You can see one of those in this video. (Beware: much accordion music).
Don’t let the big mountain and cables spook you; these are optional side trips. Most of the hiking is tough, but not dangerous like this, and if you want to skip the scary stuff you can. It is a real hiking trip, though.
I should also be clear that when I say “hut” I don’t mean a little mud hut or something. For example, the first one is Rifugio Pradidali. (And here is a photo gallery from the area.) They serve dinner and everything.
The trip begins on September 2 in Venice — can’t go wrong there. We’ll spend a night and have dinner in Venice, then take a bus the next day to the ski village of San Martino di Castrozza. From there, it’s up into the mountains for eight nights, then another night in San Martino, and the trip ends September 13 back in Venice.
The cost depends quite a bit on the Euro/Dollar exchange rate, but it will be around $2,800. That includes:
- All guides
- All accommodations
- Dinner in Venice, all dinners in the huts
- All transportation during the trip
Cost does not include:
- Airfare (probably $1,200-1,500)
- Two dinners in San Martino (might be added, depending mostly on exchange rate)
- Lunches and snacks on hikes
There’s also a $60 fee if you’re not a Mazama. But if you’ve climbed a glaciated peak, you can join the club for the same amount of money.
Interested? Get in touch!