Trip Report - Solo hiking the Alta Via 1 in the Dolomites
Hi All!
A little late but I want to give a little summary of my trip to the Dolomites back in July. I spent two weeks there doing the Alta Via 1 and various day trips around Cortina and Bolzano. And I have to say, it is definitely one of my favourite places on the planet! Here are a few things I learnt along the way:
Getting there - I flew into Venice and caught the Cortina Express straight to Cortina D'ampezzo. From here, I caught the local buses to get to the trail head for both the Alta Via 1 and various smaller day trips. I also used a combination of buses and trains to commute from Cortina to Bolzano.
Accomodation - In Cortina, I stayed at both Camping Cortina and Camping Rocchetta when I was close to town and I wildcamped the Alta Via 1. In Bolzano, I stayed at small campsite called Camping Ganthaler. It is a little bit outside of town but with the free transport there for guest, it is more than worth it for the savings.
Food - As you pass at least one rifugio every day, food is quite easy to get access too. But do keep in mind that it is not the cheapest. I opted to do self cater for 2 meals and eat out for 1 each day.
Water - You can restock on water at both the riugios and at natural sources like streams, rivers and lakes along the way. Note that not all water at rifugios are potable and it is best to always check with staff.
Bugs - It is best to always check for ticks at the end of each day. I found a few in my tent which might be due to camping close by to cattle.
Weather - It really was a hit and miss. You will get stretches of good weather and other times, you will get summer thunderstorms rolling in every afternoon. It is best to hike early and finish early.
Navigation - I used a combination of komoot, garmin maps and mapy to get around.
If you want more information, I put all my planning notes and lessons learnt on these guides:
