Dolomites for 2 nights in early June. Recommend a rifugio and day hikes.
 

Hi, myself and some friends are spending a few weeks in Ferrara, Italy in early June. I will have a car and I am willing to hike to a rifugio. I want to know what are some rifugios you would recommend for four adults in their early 30s. I'm looking to spend one or two nights and do day hikes. Something with amazing vistas would be spectacular. I'll be looking forward to many landscape photo opportunities.

I've been recommended:

Rifugio A.Locatelli

Rifugio Lagazuoi

I'm also open to just staying in a town as a base and do day hikes from there, but I figured getting closer to the upper trails is a good idea.

Thanks in advance.

As far as I remember, and do not trust my word, Lagazuoi is easily accessible by cable car from Passo Falzarego; rifugio Locatelli is about one hour walking from the closest parking at rifugio Auronzo (there should be a dirt road as well but a jeep could be needed and you may not allowed to drive). Both are relatively expensive to access, as you have to pay cable car tickets for Lagazuoi and toll road for Auronzo. Check for opening dates, I am fairly sure Locatelli is closed in early June, I do not know about Lagazuoi.

I would stay in town anyway. Both places are very high in elevation and if weather is less then excellent they may end in clouds. Rifugio hiking is best suited to people that are not in a hurry and may wait days for the best weather to have an hike. Early June is still very early season for summer hiking.

Ok thank you. I was going to not pick a date to go up to the Dolomites until I am in Italy and know the weather is good. I have a about 12 days to choose when I go up that way.

Any particular walks you would recommend? I'm trolling through photos on Google Earth, finding some great areas for more research, but any advice you might have would be greatly appreciated. Looking for hikes less than 5 miles. I would love a multi-day hike but not going to convince the people I'm going with. :)

Enjoy !
http://onelittleworld.com/dolomites_1.html

The idea of waiting the best weather for the trip is a clever one; if you have two good days you may cover both places from Cortina. Rifugio Locatelli and Rifugio Auronzo are on a round trip around Tre Cime/Drei Zinnen. Landscape is spectacular, you can have a look to plenty of photos of the three peaks, of course getting the best photo is a question of time, light and plenty of luck. The area aroung Lagazuoi is more varied. Here the point is that this was operation area during 1st World War, and a strange sort of operations. Austrian had the pass and the refuge, while Italians had a narrow corridor about mid height. Austrians did their best to remove Italians attacking from below and above but they did not manage anything. At a time, Italians had the clever idea of digging an elicoidal tunnel in a small mountain, filling it with explosive and blowing up the tip of the mountain (Castelletto) with the Austrians above it. It is still possible to walk from the rifugio to the pass through the remains of the tunnel - a trip adviced only to very fit people, with correct equipment (lamps, helmets and sturdy shoes). But the top area of Lagazuoi still shows trenches, grottoes and it is not uncommon that war relics like old shoes or bomb fragments are unearthed by occasional hikers.

Hi guys, great idea to visit the Dolomites, but be careful: this winter was a record winter and we still got tons of snow up there. best would be to check the webcams (i.e. http://www.bergfex.it/lagazuoi-cinqu...webcams/c7424/ or http://www.umbriameteo.com/webcam/trecime/ for the Tre Cime di Lavaredo).

Have fun in the Dolomites.

Gerd

Please tell me how your trip was and if you found any of the alpine huts open in early June. I am finding most of them plan to be closed...! I am going there the first week of June this year and would appreciate any info to help me finish my planning!!!

Link to trip report?
 

Does anyone know where the trip report on the Dolomites that BobTheNavigator recommends has gone? I get an error.