Hiking in the Dolomites
 

Me and my wife are going to be for 8-10 days in the Dolomites.
Any suggestions for good hiking (day hikes and up to 3 days hike)?
Should we make reservations for the Rifogio?
Can we camp (in a tent) nearby a Rifogio?
Thanks,
Noam

You will love the Dolomites. They are my all-time favourite holiday destination in Europe.

I can't help you with details about hikes. Really, you just follow your nose and camp when it suits you, I guess. I have only ever done out and back walks, because I enjoy the comfort of a hotel at night.

RifUgios can get very busy in the high season, which is July through August, so it would be best to avoid these months. You may not be able to camp right next to a rifugio as they are often perched up on uneven ground.

Why not invest in a specialist hiking guide book? You would then get all the information you need like phone numbers for rifugios, recommendations for longer hikes and so on. Try "Huts and Hikes in the Dolomites" by Ruth Rudner. It retails at around $5.

harzer, would you mind, to briefly explain you reasons why the Dolomites are your favorite place? As opposed to the Swiss, Austrian or German version of the Alps? Thanks.

You might start off with or even end up with a day or two at Lake Garda. We've done day hikes while staying at the northern end - if you ferry or drive to Malcesina early or base yourself there, you can either hike up the mountain above the lake, or cheat and take the 2 cable car rides to the very top for glorious views of the Dolomiti and the huge lake at their base, stretching from north to south. There's a little ristorante and trails to follow up there with rifugios I believe. We enjoy staying at a hotel ourselves with lots of gelato nearby :o). I would definitely get a book on hiking first (I found this trail in a book on walks in Italy), because the local info Garda office only had basic hand drawn maps and info in italian when we were there. maybe it has changed since. Most local offices usually have better info on trails (sentieri) once you get into the dolomiti proper.

check out this site as well...
http://www.initaly.com/travel/info/alpine.htm

We enjoyed the easy hikes around Compatsch this July - the "Seiser Alm" - several lifts there (and apparently a new one going in to take you from Castelrotto up to Compatsch) that make the going easy. Terrific scenery, wonderful views. We used the pretty town of Klausen (Chiusa) in the Eisack Valley as a base. You'll need better advice from tougher hikers than me for the more aggressive hikes.

Like Harzer this is my favourite mountain destination in Europe - and I'm not even a serious hiker. The whole area is spectacularly beautiful!

You might find this sight useful for planning if you are interested in hikes using the Vie Ferrate/Alte Vie, - it grades them in terms of beauty and difficulty.

http://www.planetmountain.com/English/Trekking/ferrate/

I can especially recommend the Catinnaccio area:

http://www.planetmountain.com/Englis...via=&diff=

The Sella, Lagazuoi, Sasso Lungo, Odle, Braies and Sesto Dolomites ranges are all quite stunning - you really can't go wrong!

You would certainly need to book in the rifiugi in high season.

Hope this helps ...

Steve