When you meet them at first, they take your breath. They are not similar to other mountains. They are white, and monumental, and you may see them standing out in sheer jagged towers and saw-toothed ridges, which appear to rip up the sky. The Dolomites, the Pale Mountains of northern Italy, and to walk in them it is to enter into a region of classic dimensions. There is certain magic about this, a geological and aesthetic miracle that makes this corner of the Alps one of a kind. It is detected in the manner morning sun beams at the vertical faces of them and most colloquially in the so-called Enrosadira effect at sunset and sunrise, the dolomite rock, with abundance of calcium carbonate and magnesium, bursts into flame of pink, orange, desperately purple. It is an ethereal beauty of spectacle that is impossible and yet so real. This by itself is nothing short of the essence of going hiking alone, being on a high pass where the wind blows as the only company to see the world burn into the gentle colours of dawn. It is not only a trip from place to place, but also about getting more in touch with the land and oneself. Becoming an adventure traveler and touring in this UN World heritage site as a single traveler can appear far too intimidating to think, yet quite the contrary; it is, by far, one of the most gratifying and unexpectedly approachable wild encounters one can have in Europe. You can think of this guide as your guide, as the guide that shows you everything around, so you can understand how to go every step of your own inner journey, how to take the first step of an idea that comes to your mind and the last, victorious steps at the end of a path that will be engraved on your memory forever. It can attest to the fact that aloneness in such a fantastic locale is not emptiness, but the condition of being extremely full.
The very nature of the Dolomites provides an inordinately ideal backdrop to any tourist who opts to hike on his/her own. This is a scenery with a long and established history of interaction with humans, unlike more distant or wild mountain ranges, which created a system, which brilliantly supports the separate adventurer. The most important part about this system is the extensive and massively well-upkept trail network. The mountains are criss-crossed by thousands of kilometres of paths, or sentieri, some easy valley walks and some steep and difficult high-altitude via ferratas. These paths are carefully numbered and painted flashes of red and white markings are common and the trail number can clearly appear at intersections. This ease of navigation really minimizes one of the biggest fears of hiking alone, that you will get lost, and thus you can devote more time to the beauty of your own environment without worrying that much about getting lost. What is more, there is the abundant infrastructure of so-called rifugi, or mountain huts, which populate the scenery. They are not just cheap simple huts but comfortable, well-staffed inns in place in some of the most spectacular spots imaginable. The rifugio system is a game changer to a solo hiker. It does not require a tent, sleeping bag and cooking gear making your pack much lighter and your logistics much easier. What is more important, it offers an innate society at the end of each day. The communal dining rooms are a hub of the group energy of fellow hikers visiting and living across the globe, and a comfortable and natural remedy of socializing, sharing tales, and exchanging information about the way through this trail. A combination of dramatic solitude during the days fully enjoyed then a way to relax the evenings with companionship is a special and valued part of embracing the Dolomites. With the able support of good public transportation to get between trail heads and valleys, the area offers a sense of infrastructure bestowed on the solo hiker a sense of security and independence that is reinforced by the safety net of good roads and facilities.
The very first decision of when to go will define the type of journey you are going to make before you put your first step on the trail. Dolomites were known to have different seasons and each of them has a different character, different sets of advantages and challenges. Summer starts at the end of June and lasts until the first week of September hence the main time of year when people would like to go hiking. It is the time when the mountains are the most alive as well as accessible. Weather is most stable, usually warm, sunny days and colder nights, but the golden rule of mountain weather is always remembered, be ready to expect anything. In this high season all the paths are snow-free, all the cable cars and gondolas run, and all the individual rifugio are functioning and full of life. It is also the best time to come as a first-time visitor or as anyone who would like to experience the famous high-altitude multi-day hikes such as the Alta Via 1 because you would be assured of all the support the infrastructure of the region offers. The price is of course, the crowds. The most famous places including the loop around the Tre Cime di Lavaredo or the Lago di Braies shores may become extremely crowded. However, you can find peace even in the middle of August, you can start you day as early, as at the dawn or walk a less fancy, but no less beautiful path.
To the visitor that wants a little less mountain, early summer (June) and autumn (September, early October) are a magnificent shoulder season. June brings about the freshness of life. The green pastures are all dotted with valleys and the alpine meadows are completely plastered with an impressive diversity of wildflowers making a riot of colour on the pale rock. The atmosphere is fresh and there is something about the mountains shifting out of long hibernation. The weather, however, is more changeable and there may not have melted away all the stubborn patches of snow on some of the higher passes, so care and, perhaps, the use of ice-ax and crampons may be necessary on some routes. The rifugi do not all open early in the season, and many open at around mid-late June, so it is necessary to find out when they are going to open when organizing your trek. On the other hand, the presence of the warmth comes to an end during the mid-September to the early October as a time of glorious departure. Summer crowds are gone; everywhere you can feel the deep serenity of the trails. The air is sharp and very clear and this may sometimes give the finest long-distance visibility of the year. The larch-trees become a glowing gold, which makes the sides of the hills aflame with autumnal colouring. Even in the cool, twilight air the Enrosadira appears to be burning all the more intensely. It is a meditative, lovely time to hike, and it has to be flexible. Weather may change rapidly and the first major snowfalls usually take place in October. Rifugi are opened and the schedule of the public transportation is limited. The shoulder season hiker also has to be more independent and thorough in the verifying conditions and ready to deal with colder weather, however the pleasure of having such a fantastic place to explore almost to yourself cannot be measured. On the other hand the months of winter and spring, converting the Dolomites into a snow and ice world, a paradise to skiers and the experts in winter mountaineering, is a time not to be chosen by the individual hiker not specially equipped and trained to meet the great rigours of winter conditions in the mountains.
Now that your season is decided, the deliciously limiting adventure of tabulating what you will do starts. The possibilities alone can leave one parallyzed; the best thing would be to first determine the type of hiking that best fits your wants and capabilities. Stay one of the lovely towns of the valleys and do a series of fantastic day hikes returning each night into the luxury of a hotel or apartment. It is highly flexible because on this strategy you decide the goal you want to accomplish each day depending on weather conditions and your energy. It also implies that you can have a lighter daypack with you. The other, and to many the best Dolomite experience, is a multi-day huttohut hike. This means trekking between one rifugio and the next with all the stuff you require on your back. It is like a trip of intense immersion, and you can spend days in the mountains without paying another visit to the nearest road or town, watching the whole cycle of the sunset, the starry sky and the dawn. This is an especially intense situation when you have to be alone and it really makes the life simple and rhythmic: walking, eating, sleeping, which gives a strong connection with the surroundings.
The Tre Cime di Lavaredo loop is a classic day-trip away; once you have seen this loop, nothing is the same again! It is accessible either at the resort of Cortina d Ampezzo or as the car is driven up towards the toll road to Rifugio Auronzo and is a fairly flat 10km walk around the three huge rock monoliths which represent an icon of the Dolomites. It is relatively easy to go, there are no tricky parts or twists on the trail, the solo traveler will be safe knowing that there are always hikers around, and the scenery is ridiculously breathtaking all around. You may stare at the sheer north walls that have vexed climbers throughout generations and rest to lunch at Rifugio Locatelli that has one of the most renowned mountain views in the globe. The ridgeline of Seceda in Val Gardena is another fantastic day trek, especially in the case of the photographer. A cable car up into the town of Ortisei takes you up to the top and you are rewarded by an incredible view of the jagged Fermeda towers falling into the valley below. There is a breath-taking high trail which winds along the peak and back through the wildflower meadows to Rifugio Firenze, an excellent lunching place before the walk or the next lift ride down into the valley. It is what one would call a medium-effort, high reward adventure because it is relatively easy to get to due to the fact that it is accessible by cable car which makes it ideal as a solo day.
In case the urge to go on a multi-day adventure is too much to resist, the Alta Via 1 (AV1) is an unparalleled option that a single traveler will never want to miss. It is the most easy, most popular, and the least technical of the high routes; no technical climbing ability is necessary, and it passes though some of the most beautiful scenery in eastern Dolomites, a distance of 120 kilometres. The whole route is about a ten day hike, whereas a short 3 or 4-day component gives an ideal dose of the hut-to-hut experience. A traditional segment starts at insanely beautiful Lago di Braies whose emerald-colored waters start at immense Croda del Becco. The initial ascend on the first day will take you into a high, moon like, limestone rock and toward the Rifugio Biella or Rifugio Sennes. Days four and five will see you in an alpine pasture landscape of striking passes and on historic rifugi, such as unique Rifugio Fanes and popular Rifugio Lagazuoi. The latter sits atop a mountain that was greatly tunnelled and scratched over in the course of World War I and to go under the restored tunnels provides heart-touching lesson in history amongst the natural beauty. The friendship experienced on the AV1 is a major aptitude to the lone traveler. This is unavoidabley, every day you will get into an opportunity to march with the same group of individuals, you will have the joys of exchanging meals and tales in the evenings, forming a short-time family that breaks the loneliness. To those in the mood of still greater solitude, a tour in either the Rosengarten/Catinaccio range, climaxed by its towering pinnacles of ice-sculptured rock tinged with a fiery red, or a journey over the wild and sweeping plateau-land of the Pale di San Martino, will afford the opportunity of following the Dolomites in some more closely followed and exploited track. Whichever way you take, careful preparation is hallmark. It is vital to invest in good topographic maps like maps at the scale 1: 25 000 available on the market in such a brand as Tabacco which is the class of the maps of Italy. On your phone, you should supplement these with new-fangled GPS programs such as Komoot or Gaia GPS but never trust them exclusively. Never leave home without consulting on the latest trail conditions at the websites of local tourist offices and at the rifugi themselves, and make your itinerary brutally honest about your fitness and experience.
The accommodation that you take will shape your type of trip. The Dolomite hiking experience involves the soul of the hike, the rifugio. It is imperative to realize that these are mountainous inns but not luxury hotels. Most of the accommodation is in dormitories but there are plenty of huts with smaller more costly rooms. Dorm bed is very social and cheaper when you are traveling alone. Booking your place as early as possible will be essential also on some of the busier huts on the AV1, where beds have been booked out a year in advance together at some times in July and August. Reservations are most often made on the rifugio web site or through email. When you book you will nearly always ask to be on half-board which is ‘mezza pensione’. This has a hearty multi-course dinner and a simple breakfast. Food is frequently very tasty, even unexpectedly so, and is usually very abundant, a pleasant reward at the end of a long hiking day. As a member of an alpine club, e.g. the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI) or the Austrian Alpine Club of the UK, one can expect discounted rates on lodgings. In the case of day-hiking strategies, deciding upon a base town is of of major concern. Most renowned is Cortina dAmpezzo, which also provides a glamorous setting and good restaurants, but has the added attraction of bus connections to several of the most famous trailheads, and is also the most expensive. The Val Gardena valley towns; Ortisei, Santa Cristina, and Selva have the most extraordinary access to tens of kilometers of network of trails off an amazing system of cable cars and lifts. To have a somewhat quieter, still well-connected base, Corvara or Colfosco in Alta Badia are excellent choices, as they are located in the broad, sun-kissed valley among fantastic mountain walls.
Smart packing becomes a very important art to the lone hiker, there is no one that you can trust to loan you items that you have forgotten to bring. The slogan is to travel light and still remain safe and comfortable. An appropriate 30-40 litres backpack is ideal piece of equipment in a multi-day hut-to-hut walk. Your wardrobe is supposed to be implemented on a layering system. Base layers made of merino wool are the preferred choice because they are highly wicking and do not smell. Complement your outfit with a fleece or synthetic insulated jacket in terms of insulation. The high-quality waterproof and windproof jacket and trousers must be your outside shell or hard shell since weather changes rapidly in the mountains. Your legs will fare well with a pair of hiking pants which must be comfortable, durable and maybe a pair of shorts. But the most important thing of all is to get a few pairs of good quality hiking socks made of wool as this will make your feet very dry and free of blisters. The most important gear that you have is your footwear. You should pick two pairs of strong, waterproof hiking boots that have good ankle support, break them in ahead of time and bring them with you. Trekking poles are a must item; they will spare one the knee agonizing descents and will keep you on track unsolid grounds. Chaters should carry a minimum of 2 litres of water capacity to drink and carry a filter/purification tablets to re fill at streams or rifugi. On the list of your gears should also be: sun protector (high-factor sunscreen, sunglasses, wide-brimmed hat), headlamp with back-up batteries, a simple first-aid kit reflecting the hiking injury afflictions such as blisters and ankle sprains, and a power bank that will keep your phone running. A liner made out of silk or cotton sleeping bag is compulsory in the rifugio stays. Earplugs and eye mask can literally save you in an environment with many bed mates and loud conversations and a simple towel, small, quick-drying is also handy. Lastly, cash is always a good thing to bring with you since most rifugi do not accept credit cards given their remote nature.
Besides the physical planning of the routes and equipment, there is the number one priority of security and a mental attitude towards your solo adventure. In the mountains, there is no team to rely on when you are alone and no one will be there to care about your well-being except you. Communication can be considered the most critical safety procedure. Make sure that, prior to going hiking, someone is aware of your elaborate itinerary of where you will be, which trails and trail numbers, where you are going and your approximate time of arrival back. This may be the member of your family who is in your native country but who talks to you through a text message every day, or the owner of your hotel or rifugio. This is information that is essential in case you do not make it back and return at the stipulated time. It may be astounding how well the mobile phone service works all over in the Dolomites but there will be dead zones, which are a fact of life. This is why having a personal locator beacon (PLB) or a satellite messenger such as a Garmin inReach is a good investment on the part of the serious solo hiker. These gadgets enable you to transmit pre-programmed messages, or initiate an emergency alert to call to the rescue agencies, even without network coverage. They offer a fantastic sense of security to you and your family. Another requirement with no room for compromise is knowledge and respect to the weather. Having a religious check with the forecast on a daily basis. Note that thunderstorms, common in the Dolomites in summer afternoon, may take away all visibility. This is thinking that it is best to begin your hike early, preferably in the mornings (at sunrise), in order that by early afternoon, you will be on top of any high, exposed pass and on your way to the relative safety of your destination. When you note that dark clouds are approaching, the thunder is rumbling, or the wind is blowing with a swish dramatic, do not delay switching back. Another day the mountain will be there.
As varied and rich as the physical environment is, the mental and emotional landscape of a solo hike is the same. There is the unequaled pleasure of the complete freedom it brings. You make your own time, can take photos whenever you want to, rest when you feel like, and make the decisions independently only guided by your personal instincts and needs. This independency leads to a high rate of self reliance and confidence. Being able to reach the top of the mountain after each pass and cross all of those valleys, you are demonstrating yourself of your own strength and possibilities. But it is also normal that one would feel lonely. It is an expansive landscape which can be overwhelming at times when you are just a speck inside it. What matters is to get lost in that solitude, utilize the time and see the world as it really is with no distractions. The rifugio system is a brilliant antidote to any feelings of lonesomeness after a long prison sentence. Shy not at nights. There is a good reason why dining tables are communal. Compliment their gear, or ask the person next to you where they hiked, or be in awe at beauty of the day, etc. You will get to know that to get some exciting discussions and quick friendship that can last at least a love of the mountains. Last but not least, you should adopt the local etiquette on trails. It is expected and makes everyone feel good with a warm reception by saying: Buongiorno or Guten Tag in a bi-lingual South Tyrol, or the well known Ciao. Reckless according to the Leave No Trace that must be strictly adhered to: pack it in, pack it out, follow the existing trails to avoid erosion, and keep off the animals. When in rifugi, remember about mutual territory. Take off your muddy boots in the selected room, have your equipment sorted, and be silent during a specified period of sleeping. As a mindful and friendly traveler, you will make sure that this beautiful place will be just the same when someone travels to it after you.
In the point of view of the Dolomites, the solo hiking adventure is a self-investment of utmost value. It is a promise of pushing your body, stretching your mind and opening your heart to the smashing beauty of the nature world. It is all a much bigger story that includes the bliss of carefully plotting your path on a paper map to the sensation of the sun on your face at a summit pass. It is a trek that will educate you about what being alone is, what solitude is, what it means to travel down a trail and what it means to travel down your inner topography. The training will not only make you free but will also make you confident because you will be able to learn what proactive measures to take in case of an emergency. The Pale mountains have been here ever since; massive and silent, vividly welcoming failure and succeeding in it. They carry with them a request of your respect, your preparation, and your fully-given attention. In exchange, you will get a sense of a perspective, a feeling of achievement, and a gallery of unforgettable memories that will stain your dreams in a bright palette over the years. and read the maps and stuff, and set off, that first single step. There is a world with breathtaking beauty that will be waiting to be seen at your pace, the terms that suit best to you.
