Hut-to-Hut Hiking in the Dolomites: The Adventure Trip of a Lifetime

If the sound of a hut-to-hut adventure in the Italian Dolomites gets your spine tingling, well, join the club! Our friends over at MT Sobek offer a special hut-to-hut hike through Italy's rifugio (mountain huts), which are mostly owned by the Club Alpino Italiano and run by local families.

We caught up with MT Sobek's field expert and Europe Program Director, David Martin, to get all the deets.

What is special about the Dolomites?

The Dolomites comprises a beautiful mountain range in the northern Italian Alps, with 18 peaks above 9,800 feet. Not only is it a UNESCO-listed wonder with vertical walls, sheer cliffs and a high density of narrow, deep and long valleys, but it is also interlaced by a series of well-appointed mountain huts, or rifugio, which make perfect rest-stops for weary hikers.

So what are these rifugio's like?

Rifugios are sturdy, well-built mountain lodges made of stone and wood. Most were built in the last century. Their location, high in the mountains, gives them a charm and unmatched beauty that few hotels can rival. While the accommodation at rifugios is basic, with varying levels of comfort and often shared bunkhouses, the warm welcome and hot food is a reward for Alta Via 2 hikers. There is generally no Wi-Fi, so rifugios are the perfect place to unplug and get away from it all. To get more details on rifugios, you can check out the Club Alpino Italiano or the Dolomites tourism board websites.

Tell us about what it's like to travel between huts. 

Most rifugio are only accessible on foot and located around three hours’ walking distance apart. This means that hikers can stop at one rifugio for lunch and then hike another three hours to the next hut. The trails between each rifugio are clear, but the hiking is strenuous, and at elevations between 4,000 and 8,000 feet.

For our hut-to-hut adventure, we’ve chosen rifugio based on distance on the trail and the overall accommodation level—opting for the highest level of comfort available. On our 11-day Dolomites hut-to-hut trek, we sleep at rifugios for five nights. This affords a great opportunity to really experience the mountain huts—and life in the mountains. On clear nights the landscape is awash with stars.

Do I carry my own gear?

While some hikers opt to carry their own packs, arrangements can be made to ensure that your gear (beyond your day bag) can meet you at the next rifugio. This helps you to focus on your step and on the surrounding mountain beauty.

What's the best time of year to take a hut-to-hut trip?

The best time to visit the Dolomites is in early summer (before the summer crowds arrive) or early fall (before the snow falls). In addition to classic, family and wellness Dolomites trips between June and September, MT Sobek has three upcoming departures of their epic Dolomites Hut-to-Hut Trek, beginning September 1, 2019.

Images courtesy of MT Sobek.