The Heart of the Dolomites

We fly to Venice, where for group departures from Oslo, we are met by a bus that takes us to the Olympic village of Cortina. For participants departing from other destinations you are responsible for getting to Cortina on your own. The charming mountain town sits at around 1200 meters above sea level - in the heart of the Dolomites. Here we stay at a lovely hotel and eat a joint dinner where we run through the weeks program. For group departures with out flights, we can arrange one group transport from Venice to Cortina. For the rest, you will meet in Cortina.

After a good breakfast, we leave behind any luggage we don't need on the mountain hike before driving to the starting point of our hike north of Cortina. The Dolomites mountain range was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2009 and is known for its lush valleys and high, steep limestone mountains – and even before we start walking we understand why so many people are fascinated by the Dolomites. Today's stage starts at Lago di Braies, 1500 meters above sea level. We walk along the water followed by a good climb on gravel up to Rifugio Biella (2330 m above sea level). We are quickly inside the mountain and can enjoy beautiful views already on the first slopes from the water. We continue hiking past Sennes and down to Fodara where we will spend the first night in the mountains. This is a good first stage, but we will enjoy the day, the view and the company in the mountains.

This day you can enjoy your morning coffee on the veranda before setting out on today's stage. The hike starts with a gentle climb through beautiful woodlands and open high mountain pastures. The trail gradually descends to the charming Rifugio Pederü (1,548 m), which is a nice place for a break. We continue towards the high mountains past Lè Piciodel, where you can perhaps take a bath and then on to a mountain hut with real Alpine comfort. It will be a pleasant place to spend the evening.

We continue south and eventually get a view of the snow-capped Marmolada (3343 m), the highest mountain in the Dolomites. After the Forcella del Lago mountain pass (2490 m), a steep descent of almost 300 meters awaits before the trip continues upwards towards Forcella Lagazoui and the Rifugo Lagazoui mountain hut (2750 m). From here there is a great view that will touch our hearts, if the weather does not turn against us. It often clears up quickly after a possible shower. Here there are opportunities to take a sauna.

The mountainsides around us were the front line in World War I, where the forces of Italy and Austria/Hungary were firing at each other. The tunnel we will go through today was central to this warfare and has a lot of exciting history in its walls. The tunnel is about 300 meters high and 1 km long, and we come out about halfway up the mountain wall. From here, a path goes down to the Falzarego Pass (2105 meters above sea level). Those who want to save their knees can take the gondola down for an additional cost. From the Falzarego Pass, it gradually goes up towards and past the Averau mountain and to the Rifugio Averau (2413 meters above sea level). We will stay at Averau or at one of the nearby huts, and spend the afternoon in the Nuvolau / Cinque Torri area. Today's stage takes about 5 hours, a little longer if we choose an afternoon trip.

Now we leave the beautiful massif around the Cinque Torri and head towards the Pelmo massif that looms in the distance. This is the longest day and it has a varied terrain. After we cross the Passo Giau pass, the terrain opens up with green plains. It becomes easy to walk with a beautiful view of the mountains we walk along. Pelmo gets closer and closer, until we find the parking lot where our bus is waiting. We are then driven to Chioggia (3-4 hours). Here we will experience the genuine charm of a living fishing village far away from the crowds.

We have a full day in Chioggia. There are opportunities to glide quietly through the Canal Vena in a kayak, past colorful houses and under bridges. We can also enjoy the city life, or visit the 10 km long beach of Sottomarina for a swim. We meet in the evening for a pleasant closing dinner.

After breakfast, we head home. For a group trip from Oslo, we will return to Oslo. We are a little sad to leave Italy this time, but the memories are many :)