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Family Hut to Hut in the Dolomites
We are a family with three children (ages 8,13,15) visiting the Dolomites this summer. We are spending 4 nights in a hotel in Ortisei and then would like to spend two nights hiking hut to hut in the alpine. We are looking for either specific mountain huts and hiking routes or a company that can help us plan this. We can manage approx. 12km/day and a modest elevation gain since we have an 8 year old with us. I have tried to research online but the options are overwhelming so I am looking for some words of wisdom! Thank you
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There are tons of huts just around Ortisei. Have a look at a map and decide. Or ask your hotel once arrived in Val Gherdeina.
12 kms on mountain trails with not too exercised kids may take about 7 hrs (5 hrs for walking and 2 hrs for intermediate stops). |
Here is a trip report with links to photos, a few years old, they travelled with a young child.
https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowT...tes-Italy.html |
Adelaidean I did come across that post as well - thank you. I was hoping to find something a bit more recent with kids closer to my kids’ ages.
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neckervd We are hoping to book ahead since July is very busy in the Dolomites. With three kids in tow, we don’t want to risk trying to show up and find something.
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" neckervd We are hoping to book ahead since July is very busy in the Dolomites. With three kids in tow, we don’t want to risk trying to show up and find something"
So, have a look at a map and decide, as I told you above. https://www.valgardena.it/en/hiking-...45ab9fb30821c0 BTW: I never told you to "show up and find something". I usually phone before starting the hike. |
You probably found this post too, but just in case...
https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowT...o_Adige.html#7 |
Francewithfive - the Italian word you need is baita or baite in the plural. If you use Google Crome there is an automatic translation facility if the various sites are only in Italian. The highest baite are often aimed at mountaineers and frequently only offer dormatory facilities which is probably not what you are looking for. However, at lower altitudes there is a huge selection, many with family rooms. At these altitudes many are reachable by car during the summer months.
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While this blog relates to Switzerland, not Italy, might be a worthwhile read, she has links to her actual walks and the logistics of travel with kids.
Swiss Mountain Huts with Kids » Moms:Tots:Zurich |
There is a huge difference between rather spartan Swiss Alpine Club huts and much more comfortable German and Italian huts. Many huts in the Northern Dolomites were built by the German Alpine Club (Deutscher Alpenverein) some 100 years ago.
A Baita is a usually private owned mountain restaurant which may have some dormitories or rooms. You find tons of baite in Lombardy and Piedmont, but much less in South Tyrol. Around Ortisei, I found just one of them https://www.sentres.com/en/s-cristin...a/baita-daniel |
Adelaidean that post is really helpful - thank you. Exactly what I was looking for. We have so far found rooms available at Rifugio Averau, Col Pradat, and Friedrich August. Now we need to map the route and chose two that might work. Not sure if we can truly go hut to hut but even going back down to our car, driving, and heading up a new route is fine too. Things are very booked up so I’m happy we have a few opinions. Has anyone stayed at Col Pradat?
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Thanks Nochblad that is really helpful. I am having trouble finding an interactive map online to route plan. I found one but it only includes certain rifugios from a list. Do you have any suggestions? I might have to go “old school” and get a guidebook :)
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neckervd thanks for the map and hut suggestion. I have found three huts that have private rooms available for the nights we need.
Col Pradat Hütte - above Colfosco. Short chairlift ride. Good access to easier hikes with the kids. Rifugio Averau - right by the Cinque Torri which would be spectacular to see both day and night from the Rifugio. It’s a part of the Dolomites we would like to see. Friedrich August -Campitello Di Fassa area. Similar to Averau I am leaning towards Col Pradat and Averau. I realize this is not true “hut to hut” but rather car to hut. However, it also lets us save energy to hike once are at the huts as opposed to trying to hike from hut to hut. Does this make any sense at all? I am finding it hard to piece this part of our trip together with three kids with an age range of 8-15! |
" Does this make any sense at all? "
If it makes sense for you, do it! You cannot get wrong anyway. The only problem may be the weather which is always a bit unpredictable in the Alps. |
Travelling in Italy you will come across ristorante, locanda, trattoria, osteria etc. However, some maintain the name but actually have moved up-market.
The same applies to mountain locations such as baita/e and ristoro/i. Many baite have now become quite sophiisticaated in what they offer in terms of food and accommodation. Ristori traditionally have been locations dedicated to climbers and have been quite simple in what they offer but even here the quality of the offering has changed. No longer must you base your selection as to how the palce calls itself - look very closely at what they offer. |
Will do - thanks for the great tips.
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Hello Francewithfive,
I was just reading your messages on the forum and it sounds like we are trying to do something similar. My family and I are trying to plan a hut-to-hut trip in the Dolomites for this summer (2019). We have two daughters (ages 11 and 9) who are good hikers, but we don't want to go too difficult with the hikes. Ideally, we are looking to do a 3-day, 2-night trek. It sounds like you maybe did something similar with your family? Any insights about huts, routes and villages to start at would be really helpful. Thanks so much! |
There are just Huts112 Alpine Club huts alone in the province of Bolzano/Bozen. But the Dolomites spread not only over this province but over those of Trento, Belluno and Udine too. And every hat is linked to other one's by hiking trails.
Therefore you will never get a good answer as long as you don't define the area where you want to hike. |
We spent about a week in the Dolomites last September, splitting bases between La Villa (Alta Badia area) and Ortisei (Val Gardena area). If you are “leaning towards Col Pradat and Averau”, I think staying in the Alta Badia may be better logistically and save some driving time vs Ortisei. We stayed at the Ciasa Montanara in La Villa, one of our best B&B experiences ever.We did not stay overnight in any rifugios (wish we had), but undertook a number of easy walking/hiking trails visiting several rifugios en route whilst there (we are not professional hikers/walkers). Am sharing my Cinque Torri experience if helpful for your planning. One day we drove from La Villa along the SR48 past Baita bai des Dones (from where the lift goes upto Rifugio Scoiatolli), taking a turnoff near Cianzope and driving a narrow, unnamed, single track road all the way to Rifugio Cinque Torri. We parked our car outside near a layby (you’ll find a few other cars parked there), and then began our climb to Rifugio Scoiatolli (about 30 mins, easy). We then spent a few hours at Scoiatolli, having some snacks and soaking in the glorious views, including exploring the open air museum replete with WW bunkers, barracks and lookout points. We then hiked further 30 minutes to Rifugio Averau – great views and hot chocolate, and very friendly people. If you will be there, you can also venture another 1km or so further to Rifugio Nuvolau and return. You can also plot these on google and examine the route, elevation gain etc. further.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...01e127c09f.jpg I have no personal experience with Col Pradat. Whilst in Ortisei, our most memorable experience was ngoing up Seceda, looping around Pieralonga and returning via Col Raiser to St Christina – we did this all in half a day, but I suppose you could break overnight in one of the rifugios en route.The Dolomites are a slice of heaven – enjoy ! |
I’m not sure I have the answer you are looking for but I will tell you what we did. We spent 4 nights in Ortisei at Hotel Angelo Engel (lovely!!). The hotel had a hiking guide who was fabulous and we joined him for small group hikes (no cost). In retrospect, this was probably ideal because there are SO MANY trails everywhere and it was so nice to just enjoy the hike rather than trying to figure out where we were. We definitely feel that we took in all of the scenery and the full experience. Having a hotel to come back to at the end of the day was really perfect for the kids as well as not having to carry really heavy backpacks. We did a day of e-biking as wel which was a highlight since our kids are avid mtn bikers. We spent two days about an hour away at Col Pradat, a “hut” (well really a gorgeous little hotel) at the top of a gondola. We were the only guests there so it was extra special .We watched the sunset and sunrise over the Dolomites which was an incredible experience, one we will never forget. Looking back I think we ended up doing the trip the best way possible for our kids. Why? - Not carrying backpacks made it possible for them to hike longer distances - Coming back to a hotel at the end of the day gave everyone some downtime and a familiar place. The pool really was the thing they loved most. - Ortisei is a really lovely little town and it was fun to be close to some shops, places for gelato, etc. - The weather is very unpredictable so being on the top of the mountains overnight for multiple days means you could be hiking in gorgeous sunshine - or torrential rain. - We live in Canada where we hike a lot and consider ourselves pretty “outdoorsy”. BE warned: hikers in the Dolomitees are EXPERIENCED. If a hike says difficult, then it 100% is difficult and the estimated times are for people who are quite fit. Don’t get in over your heads. So.....we went for a less high-adventure option and it worked for us. We agreed we will do hut to hut again with the kids when our youngest is older. She’s only 8. Feel free to send along any more questions. Hope this helps. |
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