New Hikes in the Dolomites
Brenta, Pale di San Martino & Rosengarten
Printable version of trip itinerary
Traveling to Italy in 2025: What to Expect
Brenta Dolomites & Pale di San Martino Slide Show
Brenta Dolomites & Pale di San Martino Slide Show for iPad and iPhone
Join us in 2025 during the mountain spring and celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of Mountain Hiking Holidays in the Dolomites, the place where it all began! Co-founders John and Amy Osaki led their first tour through the Dolomites in September of 1995 and four months later established Mountain Hiking Holidays (then known as Walking Softly Adventures). Over the span of three decades and after leading hikes over hundreds of miles of trails in mountains around the world, we find that the Dolomites still hold their own. There is something special and magical about them and they keep drawing us back. Perhaps the old legends of elves spinning moonbeams to lay a luminous cloak over the mountains are true! These are truly enchanted mountains that will weave their enchantments on you!
In celebration of our three decades in the Dolomites we’ve designed this new itinerary. It contains a new set of hikes in three mountain groups that are not included in our “classic” Dolomites tour. These three mountain groups—the Brenta Dolomites, the Pale di San Martino, and the Latemar-Rosengarten group—along with the two mountain groups featured on our “classic” Dolomites trip together make up five of the nine areas of the UNESCO-designated Dolomites World Heritage Site.
On this new trip, discover new areas and collect new hikes, and savor travel among lesser known and less-frequented Dolomite peaks. Along the way you’ll experience all the signature elements of the Dolomites landscape—skyscraping peaks, flowery meadows, charming villages sporting flower-filled window boxes, an extensive and varied trail system the envy of other mountain ranges, and mountain refuges offering shelter, food and camaraderie. We hope you can join us for the celebration!
Arrival Day
Plan your arrival in Bolzano (Bozen), Italy for this day. On this evening of (June 29) we encourage you to attend a complimentary evening “wine and cheese” reception at the meeting hotel in Bolzano at 6:30 PM. We’ll give you a brief overview of the trip, and you’ll have the opportunity to meet the other members of the group in a relaxed environment before the trip begins on the morning of June 30.
In the Brenta Dolomites.
Day 1
Overnight in Madonna di Campiglio
Dinner included
Transfer from Bolzano to the mountain town of Madonna di Campiglio. Ride the Grostè lift to its upper station set in the windswept, rocky high country of the Brenta Dolomites. Descend directly to the green meadows at Spinale or choose a longer route that leads you through the high pastures of the lovely Vallesinella and past the spectacular Vallesinella cascades. Settle in for a three-night stay in Madonna di Campiglio.
The meadows of Spinale backdropped by the Presanella peaks.
Mountain refuge, Brenta Dolomites.
Day 2
Overnight in Madonna di Campiglio
Breakfast and dinner included
Ascend into the mountains again via the Groste cable car. From the cable car’s upper station follow a trail that traces its way beneath towering peaks to reach the Rifugio Tuckett set in a boulder-strewn basin at the base of a narrow valley leading up to the pass called Bocca del Tuckett (“Tuckett’s Mouth”). Behind the refuge rise the sharp peaks of Castelletto Superiore and the Cima Sella. From Rifugio Tuckett descend past the Rifugio Casinei tucked on a wooded ridge to trail’s end. For a longer hike, stay high past the Rifugio Tuckett following a spectacularly engineered trail blasted into a cliff face to reach the Rifugio Brentei set in a basin below the massive bulk of the Cima Tosa (peak). From Rifugio Brentei descend into the Vallesinella to conclude the hike.
Cima Tosa, Brenta Dolomites.
Lake in the Presanella massif.
Day 3
Overnight in Madonna di Campiglio
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Take the Pradalago cable car into the Presanella massif and enjoy impressive views eastward to the bulk of the Brenta Dolomites. From the upper cable car station, set off on a one-way hike that will lead you past the splendid, glistening high country lakes of Serodoli, Gelato, Lambin and Ritorto. At the end of the hike, return to Madonna di Campiglio via the Cinque Laghi (“Five Lakes”) cable car. For a less strenuous hike, you can ascend into the high country via the Cinque Laghi cable car from where you can hike to the lakes of Ritorto and Lambin. Retrace your steps to the cable car to return to Madonna di Campiglio. Whatever option you choose, the views of the Brenta Dolomites from the trail on this day are not to be missed!
View of the Brenta Dolomites from Presanella.
A view toward the Brenta Dolomites across alpenrose meadows.
Lago di Bombasel.
Day 4
Overnight in San Martino di Castrozza
Breakfast and dinner included
Travel by vehicle to the town of San Martino di Castrozza set in a valley at the foot of the Pale di San Martino mountain group. En route to San Martino, ascend by cable car into the mountains south of the town of Cavalese from where you’ll enjoy a hike to the blue mountain tarn of Lago di Bombasel. From the lake, views extend northward to the Latemar and Rosengarten mountain groups. A short distance beyond the lake, the grassy pass called the Forcella di Macaco offers views over wild country to the south. After the hike, continue by vehicle over the Passo Rolle and decend to San Martino where you’ll settle in for a four-night stay.
A view of the maroon cliffs of the Crode Rosse and the peak of Cusiglio from Passo Rolle.
Chapels grace the Alpine landscape throughout the Dolomites.
The Chapels of the Dolomites
It’s almost impossible to hike in the Dolomites without encountering at least one of the lovely chapels that grace the high country throughout these mountains. Why are they here? There are several explanations. In some cases, chapels were erected to commemorate visions, revelations, or locally significant events. An example of the latter are the numerous chapels commemorating events of World War I when the Dolomites were part of the front line between Italy and Austria-Hungary. Earlier, in the mid-seventeenth century, the papal envoy in the Valais region of Switzerland issued a decree against the alpine tradition of celebrating Mass in the open meadows of the mountains, and this may have served to encourage the construction of mountain chapels throughout the Alps. Later, the Romantic movement of the late-eighteenth to nineteenth centuries, which proposed that elements of the sacred were embodied in natural landscapes and features, may also have influenced chapel construction as “temples of people” were raised within the “temple of Nature.” Some chapels were built and maintained as places of private worship. Others became, and continue as, public pilgrimage sites. The origins of other chapels have been lost to time. At any rate, these little chapels remain, for us, testimonies to the faith and perseverance of mountain people. They accentuate the serenity and grandeur of the mountains that surround them. They are gems within the Dolomites landscape and we love them! Above photos, left to right: A stone chapel in the Mastle Alm with the snow-flecked Gruppo Sella in the background; the simple chapel near the Williamshutte; St. Jacob church on the wooded northern slopes of the Val Gardena.
The Pale di San Martino from the trail to Lago Colbricon.
Day 5
Overnight in San Martino di Castrozza
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
This morning, a short vehicle transfer will bring you to the base station for the Tognola lift which will carry you up to the Rifugio Tognola on the flanks of its namesake peak. Begin hiking northward through larch woods and flower-strewn meadows to arrive at the Colbricon Pass and the nearby lake and refuge of the same name. From the lake (Lago di Colbricon), there are two ways to continue. You can choose a hike through forest and meadows on the trail known as the Translagorai bound for Passo Rolle where the hike ends. Or, if you’re feeling energetic, you can depart Lago di Colbricon on a steep path that climbs toward the summit of Monte Cavallazza where you’ll discover the remains of trenches from the First World War. Monte Cavallazza was on the front line between the Austro-Hungarian forces to the north and Italian forces to the south. Follow the ridge northward toward Passo Rolle passing above the Cavallazza lake and its entourage of smaller tarns each reflecting the dramatic peaks of the Pale di San Martino. At the end of the hikes, shuttle back to San Martino by vehicle.
Exploring the WWI trenches atop Monte Cavalazza far above Lago Colbricon.
The north face of the Pale di San Martino rises above the Val Venegia.
Day 6
Overnight in San Martino di Castrozza
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Travel by vehicle from San Martino to the Passo Valles on the northern flanks of the Pale di San Martino. From Passo Valles, contour along the open slopes of the Cima Valles enjoying views of the Marmolada and Civetta mountain groups. Reach the pass known as the Forcella Venegia where a stunning view of the Pale di San Martino suddenly opens before you. Descend into the Val Venegia through open meadows punctuated by conifer groves and alpenrose thickets before ascending steadily to the valley head at the Passo Costazza where you’ll find a wonderfully-situated mountain hut offering spectacular views of the north face of the Pale di San Martino and the needle-like spire known as the Cimon della Pala. The short hiking option ends here with a shuttle ride back to the hotel. If you’re in for more hiking, you can add a hike along the Sentiero dei Finanzieri, a trail which will carry you through the multi-hued, banded cliffs of the Crode Rosse to the Colverde lift station. At Colverde, ride the cable car back down to San Martino di Castrozza.
Meadow beneath the Pale di San Martino.
The spectacular trail ascending to the altopiano of the Pale di San Martino.
Day 7
Overnight in San Martino di Castrozza
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
This last day of hiking out of San Martino allows you to experience the altopiano (high plateau) atop the Pale di San Martino as well as one of the most superbly engineered mountain trails in the Dolomites. The trail that provides access to the altopiano ascends the steep western face of the Pale di San Martino in long gradual switchbacks reminiscent of the trails in the Grand Canyon. You can choose to either hike up to the altopiano from San Martino di Castrozza, or alternatively, you can ascend to the altopiano via the Rosetta cable car and walk back down to San Martino. Either direction you choose, you’ll enjoy wonderful views of the rocky spires of the Campanili (“bell towers”) of the Val di Roda along with other peaks and pinnacles that punctuate the western face of the Pale di San Martino. SEVEN DAY OPTION CONCLUDES THIS DAY (breakfast and transfer to Bolzano the following morning are included).
The high plateau (altopiano) of the Pale di San Martino and Rifugio Rosetta.
Sunset on the Pale di San Martino.
The church of St. Cyprian in the Val di Tires backdropped by the peaks of the Rosengarten.
Day 8
Overnight in the Val di Tires
Breakfast and dinner included
Depart San Martino this morning bound for the Val di Tires at the base of the mountain group known as the Rosengarten (“Rose Garden”). The name refers to the rosy hues reflected off the mountain walls at sunset when conditions are right. En route to the Val di Tires, stop for a choice of hikes in the Latemar mountain group. You can choose a more leisurely option across mountain meadowlands to a small hut set beneath the south face of the Latemar where you can enjoy a rustic South Tirolean lunch. Or, climb the steep trail up to a mountain-top refuge set among towering stone pinnacles. After the hikes, a short ride brings you to your accommodations in the Val di Tires. Settle in for a three-night stay.
Mountain trail and the Latemar.
Lunch time! Polenta con salsicce e funghi (polenta with sausage and mushroom ragout) at the Rifugio Belvedere.
Rifugio Dining
Having a sit-down lunch at a mountain hut (rifugio) is a quintessential part of a Dolomites experience and one of the great joys of hiking in these mountains. Don’t miss it! Pasta dishes abound including one of our favorites: pasta aglio olio (pasta with garlic and olive oil). Simple, but delicious! Vegetable soup (minestrone) and barley soup (zuppa di orzo) are on the menu at many mountain huts. Hearty fare such as polenta con capriolo e funghi (polenta with roe deer and mushroom ragout) or polenta con salsicce (polenta with sausages) are also typically available. Or, you might order up canederli in brodo (dumplings—sometimes flavored with Tyrolean ham or spinach— in broth). And for dessert? Why, there’s usually always apfelstrudel or strudel di mele (apple strudel) accompanied by an espresso drink or tea. Buon appetito!
And for dessert: Yogurt topped with frutti di bosco (fruits of the forest) served al fresco at a mountain refuge.
Day 9
Overnight in the Val di Tires
Breakfast and dinner included
A short vehicle transfer from the hotel brings you to the Frommeralm from where a gondola lift will whisk you almost 2,000 feet up to the Rosengarten mountain refuge from where the contouring mountain path called the Hirzlweg swings around the southern extent of the Rosengarten group. Here, you leave South Tyrol and enter the neighboring Trentino province. The path continues to the Rifugio Roda de Vael set in a mountain saddle on the eastern flanks of the Rosengarten. From the refuge the path swings around a meadow-filled mountain basin before contouring open slopes to reach the gondola station at Ciampedie. Descend by gondola (called a “funivia” in Italian) into the Val di Fassa. For a shorter hike, you can hike from the Frommeralm to Roda da Vael and descend back into the Val di Tires via another lift. After the hikes, transfer by vehicle back to the hotel in the Val di Tires.
Rifugio Roda di Vael in the Rosengarten group of peaks.
The peaks of the Crepe di Larsech and the Val di Vajolet from Ciampedie.
Day 10
Overnight in the Val di Tires
Breakfast and dinner included
Ascend via the Catinaccio funivia to the mountain meadows at Ciampedie. From this high country trailhead, set off on a path that winds through larch woods along the western slopes of the Val di Vajolet to reach the Rifugio Gardeccia set in a subalpine bowl sandwiched between the peaks of the Rosengarten mountain group and the spires of the Crepe di Lasech. From here the broad path ascends steadily but easily through an open, rock-strewn landscape before arriving at the Rifugio Preuss set atop a rocky promontory overlooking the valley. Energetic hikers can continue beyond this point ascending the Vajolet valley to the Rifugio Passo Principe tucked under a rock overhang at a mountain pass in the very heart of the Rosengarten group. After soaking in the views, retrace your steps to the funivia at Ciampedie and glide back down to the valley floor and your accommodations for the evening.
Rifugio Preuss in the Val di Vajolet, Rosengarten.
Departure Day
Depart the Val di Tires for Bolzano rail station and your onward connections. Planned arrival time in Bolzano is 10:30 AM. Please plan your departure from Bolzano accordingly.
High above the Val di Tires, a hiker follows a path beneath the west face of the Rosengarten.
The Brenta Dolomites as seen by the Pradalago webcam on June 12, 2017 at 12:40 PM.
Enjoy a panoramic view of the Brenta Dolomites as seen by the webcam at the upper station of the Pradalago lift at Madonna di Campiglio. The best views are during the morning and early evening hours. Madonna di Campiglio is six hours ahead of Eastern time and nine hours ahead of Pacific time.
Printable version of trip itinerary
Traveling to Italy in 2025: What to Expect
Brenta Dolomites & Pale di San Martino Slide Show
Brenta Dolomites & Pale di San Martino Slide Show for iPad and iPhone
Photos on this page are by John Osaki, Amy Osaki, and Asen Marinov (© All Rights Reserved) except as otherwise credited.
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