Outdoor - USA (2020-03)

PLANNING YOUR TRIP

DOLOMITES HIKING

Language

Italianin thesouth,Germanin thenorth,LadinaroundVal

Fassa,andEnglishnearlyeverywhere.

Whentogo

JulyorSeptembertoavoidthecrowds.Octoberis also

beautiful,butmanyofthehutsareclosed.Augustis busyand

hot.

Whattobring

40 to60Lpackwitha sleepingsheet(blanketsareprovided

in thehuts),rainjacket,woolbaselayer,walkingshorts,

woolwalkingshirt,woolorfleecemid-layertop,bootsor

trailrunners,onesetoflightweightcasualclothes,crocksor

lightweightSketchershoes,woolsocks,underwear,sunhat,

sunglasses,headtorch,book,camera,phone,toiletries,guide

bookandmaps(fromwww.stanfords.co.uk),compass,and2 x

1Lwaterbottles.Allup,yourpackshouldweigharound12kg.

Youcanwashyourclotheseveryfewdays,sothefeweryou

carry,thebetter.WeleftourHongKongstopoverclothesand

non-hikinggearin a lockeratMunichairport.

Wheretostay

Rifugios in the mountains. Join the UK chapter of the Austrian

Alpine Club for ‘member’ discounts and expect to pay around

50 Euro per person per night with dinner and breakfast. By

arrangement, Rifugio staff will provide a packed lunch if you’re

planning to be out all day.

Hotels in the valleys. Book hotels on a half-board basis with

dinner and breakfast because the food is excellent and you can

avoid the tourist trap of local restaurants. Most of the hotels are

family-ownedand provide great authentic service.

Weather

Be prepared for mountain weather. Generally, the days are 5–25

degrees (depending on altitude) in July and September, and

the nights are 0 to 10 degrees. Mid-afternoon thunderstorms

are common in the summer months, and you should plan to be

off the high ground by the time the storms arrive. The sun is

strong and the reflection off the white limestone and snow at

highaltitudesis intense.

Gettingaround

There are trains along the major valleys, and buses along minor

valleys. The fastest way to travel is by pre-arranged taxi (book

at your hotel) for a rate of about 70 Euro per hour — this

can save you many hours of awkward connections on public

transport, and give you more time to hike (or relax by the pool).

90 / Outdoor