Trip Date: July 4-16, 2022
2022 ITALIAN DOLOMITES VACATION
Alta Via 2 Trail Traverse: Plose Ski Area to Croce d’Aune
Alta Via Dolomiti 2 aka Dolomiten-Hohenweg 2
Introduction
During July 2022, Eileen, Brooke, and I completed a two-week trek along Alta Via 2 in the Italian Dolomites, starting at Brixen/Bressanone and ending at Feltre. Eileen and Brooke did all of the advance planning for the trip, over three years of Covid-induced delays. We were joined by our friend Maeve for the second half of our trek, and by our friend Francois for the last two days.
This trekking overview summarizes my observations, findings, opinions, and lessons learned along the way. A day-by-day description of our trek is presented in two separate posts—one for the north part and one for the south part—as shown in the links below. Links are also shown for posts regarding three outstanding via ferrata climbs that we did.
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Related Posts
Alta Via 2 Trail Traverse – North Part: Brixen/Bressanone to Marmolada
Alta Via 2 Trail Traverse – South Part: Marmolada to Feltre
Brigata Tridentina Via Ferrata / Klettersteig
Trincee Via Ferrata Loop / Klettersteig Loop
Canalone Via Ferrata Loop / Klettersteig Loop
Packing List for Alta Via 2 Trail Traverse
Geologic Setting
The Dolomite Alps, or Dolomites, are a famous sub-range of astonishingly steep and rugged mountains in northeastern Italy, sandwiched between the Atesine (Tyrol) Alps on the north and the Venetian–Carnig Pre-Alps on the south. Geologically, they consist mostly of dolomite or dolostone, a calcium-magnesium carbonate sedimentary rock similar to limestone. This predominant rock type is locally interlayered with thick deposits of igneous volcanic rock and a few thin deposits of shale, and it is transected in places by basaltic dikes. The unweathered dolomitic rock ranges from chalk-white to dark gray, but light gray is the principal color. Small amounts of iron within the rock causes weathered surfaces to take on a brownish yellow color, thereby giving the Dolomites their characteristically soft hues.
Route Description
There are six or eight established High Routes that traverse the Dolomites in various locations. Of these, Alta Via 2 (in German, Hohenweg 2; typically abbreviated as AV2 in all languages) is the longest and most difficult. It extends approximately 100 miles (160 km) in a generally north-south direction from the small town of Brixen/Bressanone to the large town of Feltre.
Over its course, AV2 makes countless ups and downs, reaching a maximum elevation of about 9800 feet (3000 meters) near Piz Boe and a minimum elevation of about 4000 feet (1200 meters) at Cereda Pass. The cumulative elevation gain and loss each approach 35,000 feet (11,000 meters). However, there are numerous possible variations and sidetrips that can significantly increase the total distance, gain, and loss. There are also a few gondolas and shortcuts that can be used to decrease these numbers.
AV2 is crossed by major (paved) roads at several locations, including Gardena Pass, Pordoi Pass, Fedaia Pass, San Pellegrino Pass, and Cereda Pass. These road crossings provide jump-on and jump-off points for trekkers, and to a limited degree, they provide resupply points.
Trail Conditions
Although AV2 officially follows a “trail” for the entire distance, it should not be regarded as a conventional hiking or backpacking trip. Much of the trail is steep, rocky, and rough, and it crosses vertical cliffs on narrow ledges at many places. In general, the southern half of the route is more rugged and more exposed than the northern half, with more exaggerated ups and downs.
Like all trails throughout the Dolomites, AV2 is well-marked with red and white stripes painted on rocks, trees, and poles. These distinctive marks are supplemented with red triangles and rock cairns at sporadic locations.
In addition to trail markers, nearly every trail junction has a signpost that clearly identifies the particular trail numbers and direction to critical waypoints such as passes, valleys, peaks, huts, and bivouac shelters. Older signs are made of wood, whereas most newer signs are made of high-visibility white plastic with red accents. Occasionally, you will also see some interesting old metal signs.
At any location where the trail becomes dangerously exposed, cables usually have been installed for security purposes, thereby constituting a Grade 1 via ferrata. Experienced trekkers and competent scramblers will likely be comfortable using the cables as just a handline, whereas less-experienced trekkers will likely feel a need to clip in with lanyards (see the Technical Gear section below for more information regarding via ferrata gear).
Nomenclature
The nomenclature used throughout the northern Dolomites can be confusing. Due to a long history of territorial disputes between Austria and Italy, most geographic features possess both a German name and an Italian name. For example Brixen and Bressanone refer to the same town; Peitlerkofel and Putia refer to the same peak; Grodnerjoch and Passo Gardena refer to the same pass; and Schluterhutte and Rifugio Genova refer to the same hut. In the southern Dolomites, though, geographic names tend to be Italian only.
Some geographic features in the northern Dolomites have not only an Italian and German name but also a Ladin name associated with the original inhabitants of the Dolomite region. For instance, rifugio, hutte, and utia are Italian, German, and Ladin words, respectively, for a mountain hut.
In an effort to balance clarity with conciseness in my reports, I describe most features with anglicized common nouns. For example, rather than saying Rifugio Puez / Puez Hutte / Utia de Puez, I simply say Puez Hut. Similarly, rather than saying Passo Gardena / Grodnerjoch, I simply say Gardena Pass.
Accommodations
AV2 is served by numerous mountain huts that are spaced at intervals ranging from a couple hours apart to a full day apart. These huts vary greatly in their capacity and configuration, but nearly all have a combination of small bedrooms, which hold a few people, and larger dormitories, which hold a dozen or so people. Every hut provides a bunk bed with a mattress, a blanket, and a pillow, so you need only to bring a sleeping sack.
Bathroom facilities are shared by all guests within a hut. Some huts also have hot showers available for a nominal fee (typically about 3 to 5 euros), but the shower situation is never certain. We found that many huts either had severely limited their shower hours or had closed their showers entirely, due to water shortages.
Ever since the post-pandemic floodgates opened in 2021, most of the Dolomite huts get booked up months in advance. As such, early reservations are strongly recommended for any party of two or more, especially if hoping to share a small bedroom. However, Maeve was traveling solo and completed the entire AV2 trek without any reservations at all; in every hut, she was able to find an open dormitory bunk.
Hut Food
All of the mountain huts along AV2 provide breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, but the arrangements vary from one hut to another. Some include breakfast and dinner as part of the lodging package, with no option to decline (this is called “half board”), whereas others provide meals on an ala carte basis. Only a few huts offered both options.
With respect to food quality and variety, there are two types of mountain huts: vehicle-accessible and remote. The vehicle-accessible huts generally offer better meals and more variety. Our group had particularly delicious lunches and dinners at a few of these huts, and breakfasts usually included items such as yogurt, cereal, fruit juice, cheese, and meat. In contrast, lunches and dinners at remote huts tend to be rather simple fare based around the three P’s: pasta, potatoes, and polenta. I found those meals to be ample and tasty if not memorable. Breakfasts, however, are usually downright dismal—limited to dry white bread, jam, Nutella, coffee, and tea.
It’s worth mentioning that every hut we visited had an espresso machine, so cappuccinos, Americanos, and espresso shots were always available. Curiously, though, lattes and mochas are virtually unknown in the Dolomites.
Because the sack lunches offered at huts are typically uninspiring, Eileen and I carried a large amount of portable snack food on our AV2 trek. Our 12-day supply of provisions included energy bars, pepperoni sticks, nuts, gummies, chocolate, and candy. This resulted in a substantial weight—about 5 pounds for each of us—but it gave us much variety and flexibility on the trail.
Drinking Water
Because the Dolomites are a fairly arid mountain range, water is not widely available along the AV2 trail. There are occasional streams along the lower-elevation segments of the trail, but the higher-elevation segments tend to be very dry by mid-summer—and getting drier each year as the glaciers and snowfields shrink. As such, it is advisable to start each day with enough water for the entire day’s trek.
Aside from a couple larger streams and established spring spigots, the only reliable water sources are found at mountain huts. However, nearly every hut that we visited has a warning sign saying the tap water is not potable. I was curious about this, considering that most huts obtain water from uphill springs or snowfields. Upon quizzing one of the hut managers, we were told that the snowmelt water is unpotable because “it does not contain any minerals and is too cold for the stomach.” To me, these concerns are ridiculous on multiple levels, because mountain travelers have been safely drinking snowmelt for centuries!
In regards to mineral content, I would argue that no tap water—whether from a spring, creek, or snowfield—contains enough electrolytes for sustained physical exertion. The normal solution to this problem is to add an electrolyte supplement to the water or to consume electrolyte capsules. There are hundreds of commercial products available for this purpose.
In regards to temperature, I observed that most huts bring in water from springs or tanks via long runs of black plastic pipe that lies on the ground surface, fully exposed to the sun and ambient air. By the time it reaches the hut, the water has warmed up considerably from its source temperature. In fact, I would regard the tap water to be above the desirable temperature for an iced tea!
The real concern regarding hut water, in my opinion, is bacterial contamination. Because few or none of the huts have a closed, sanitized system, there is no way that they can ensure against contamination from livestock or wildlife. A simple and inexpensive solution to this problem is to use a water filter. A simple but slightly more expensive solution is to buy bottled water at each hut. Our group drank a combination of filtered tap water and stream water; unfiltered tap water and stream water (using judgment about the source); and bottled water. Happily, none of us suffered any gastric distress.
Trekking Equipment
The following comments regarding equipment for AV2 are divided into five categories: basic gear & clothing, footwear, technical gear, hut clothing & accessories, and rucksacks. For a more comprehensive discussion regarding all of these items, including a detailed packing list, see my separate page here:
>>> Gear Comments & Packing List for Alta Via 2.
Basic Gear & Clothing
During our AV2 trek in July, we experienced a full gamut of weather conditions—ranging from hot, sunny days to cold, windy hailstorms. Consequently, it was necessary to have a variety of clothing items, including shorts, sun hat, jacket, raincoat, rainpants, and gloves. We also doubled up or tripled up on tee shirts, underwear, and socks for the sake of comfort and hygiene.
Other recommended trekking gear includes a sturdy pair of trekking poles, a water bladder and/or water bottles (2-liter capacity minimum), a GPS device or phone app, sunglasses, sunscreen, a first aid kit, backup paper maps, and a compass. If planning to do any sidetrips off AV2, a compact summit pack is also very handy.
Footwear
Trekking footwear is obviously a crucial item but highly subject to personal preference. Our group of five people wore a wide range of footwear options that included trail sneakers, ultralight trail boots, lightweight trail boots, medium-weight trail boots, and lightweight mountaineering boots. No single type of footwear was ideal for all conditions encountered, but each person was fairly satisfied with his/her choice. However, I will mention that the northern part of AV2 would generally allow for slightly lighter footwear than the southern part, which is more rugged.
Technical Gear
Because AV2 includes numerous segments of highly exposed trail fixed with steel cables, along with rungs or ladders in some locations, most trekkers will likely appreciate having some basic via ferrata gear. Furthermore, trekkers who intend to complete any serious via ferrata climbs along the way will definitely need technical gear. A basic via ferrata kit comprises a lightweight climbing harness, a set of energy-absorbing lanyards, a helmet, and a pair of leather gloves.
Of these four technical gear items, only the lanyards are specific to via ferrata climbing. Our group used two different lanyard systems. One was a fairly simple and lightweight system made by Camp, which is well-suited to occasional use. The other was a slightly heavier and more complex system made by Edelrid, which is more convenient for frequent use.
Hut Clothing & Accessories
For the sake of cleanliness, trail shoes and boots are prohibited in the dining and sleeping areas of all huts. Some huts provide loaner Crocs or slippers, but other huts don’t, so it is advisable to bring your own. Our group brought a variety of hut footwear, including flip-flops, sandals, and slip-on sneakers.
For hygienic reasons, a sleeping sack is required for everyone. We each used an ultralight Sea to Summit cotton/silk-blend sack, which packs up to the size of a baseball. Despite being so thin and light, these sacks were oftentimes the only covers we needed in the warmer huts.
Most trekkers will appreciate some clean, casual clothing—a shirt, shorts or pants, and socks—to wear around the huts as a reprieve from smelly trekking clothes. Other useful hut accessories include a basic hygiene kit, a hand towel and/or bath towel, a headlamp for navigating dark hallways, and a recharger cable for cell phones.
Rucksacks
A critical item for AV2 is a comfortable rucksack to hold everything. Our group of five people covered a broad range of rucksacks that included capacities of 20, 33, 38, 48, and 60 liters. The appropriate size will be dictated by the amount of gear and clothing being carried. Because Eileen and I brought via ferrata gear and a large quantity of snack food, we choses rucksacks holding 38 and 48 liters, respectively. Thanks to more judicious packing, Francois and Brooke were able to manage with 20- and 33-liter rucksacks. In order to be more self-contained, Maeve brought a sleeping bag and portable shelter, which warranted a 60-liter backpack.
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