A short note on drinking water: in towns and villages Italian tap water (acqua da rubinetto) is always safe for drinking and, by law, it is meticulously tested on a frequent basis. You can also request it in any restaurant and café instead of the bottled mineral water that is so widely consumed. Huge amounts of polluting fuel are burnt up every year transporting these bottles to and fro across Europe, but thankfully there is a growing movement of people aware of this incongruity who choose to drink tap water.
What to take
Essentials start with good quality waterproof boots incorporating ankle support and non-slip soles (preferably not brand new, unless you plan to protect your feet with sticking plaster). Trainers are definitely inadequate for alpine paths. You also need a comfortable rucksack, big enough to contain food and drink for a day, along with rain gear and emergency items including a first aid kit. A sun hat, sunglasses and very high factor protective sun cream are essential – remember that for every 1000m of ascent, the intensity of the sun’s UV rays increases by 10%. A range of clothing is needed to cater for conditions ranging from fiery sun through to lashing rain and storms and, occasionally, snow. Lightweight telescopic trekking poles are a handy option to help you descend steep slopes and ease the weight of a rucksack off your knees and back.
Signpost for Rifugio Tre Scarperi (Walk 6)
Always carry a full day’s supply of water as your chances of finding any en route are low and livestock at pasture pollute the rare watercourses. At some huts the water may be labelled non potabile (undrinkable) if supplies come from snowmelt, making it unsuitable due to low salt content. If in doubt, check with the staff, as it may be a simple matter of health service bureaucracy and nothing harmful.
Although food is available at huts on the majority of walks described in this guidebook, it is always best never to rely on them, but always to be self-sufficient and carry generous supplies of your own. Bad weather, minor accidents and all manner of unforeseen factors could hold you up on the track, and that extra biscuit or energy bar could become crucial.
Mineral salt tablets are helpful in combating salt depletion and dehydration caused by profuse sweating; unexplained prolonged fatigue and symptoms similar to heat stroke indicate a problem.
Passo di Costalunga (Walk 37)
Maps
An excellent network of paths penetrates the Dolomites, each marked with frequently placed red and white paint stripes on prominent fence posts, tree trunks and rocks, each complete with their own distinguishing numbers. These numbers and routes are marked on commercial walking maps. While sketch maps are provided in this guide, limitations of space make it impossible to include full details, which are essential in an emergency, so it is imperative that walkers obtain the recommended commercial maps listed in individual walk information boxes. These are Tabacco carta topografica per escursionisti maps at 1:25,000 scale, by far the clearest on the market at present. They use a continuous red line for a wide track and a broken red line to indicate a marked path of average difficulty. Red dots denote routes that are exposed or unclear, while crosses denote aided sections such as cable or ladders and via ferrata routes. The only drawback of the Tabacco maps is the ill-advised substitution of well-used place names with ancient and dialectal versions. While of great historical interest, few correspond to local usage or signposts. The maps can be ordered at www.tabaccoeditrice.com. Smartphone users can download the App for digital maps from www.tabaccomapp.it. The maps are sold throughout the Dolomites and leading overseas booksellers include www.omnimap.com in the US and the Map Shop (www.themapshop.co.uk) or Stanfords (www.stanfords.co.uk) in the UK if you prefer to purchase them beforehand. Kompass maps (www.kompass-italia.it) also cover the Dolomites.
Plenty of good road maps can be found – the Touring Club Italiano 1:200,000 Trentino Alto Adige is hard to beat.
Dos and don’ts
It’s better to arrive early and dry, than late and wet
Maxim for walkers
Find time to get in shape before setting out on your holiday, as a good level of fitness will maximise your enjoyment. If you’re not exhausted, you will appreciate the wonderful scenery more and react better in an emergency
On the trail find your pace. If you have to keep stopping to catch your breath, you’re going too fast
Don’t be overly ambitious; choose routes suited to your capacity and read the walk descriptions before setting out
Get into the habit of leaving word at your hotel of your planned route, or signing the hut register if staying in a rifugio, as this may be helpful if you don’t turn up when expected
Don’t set out late on walks and always keep extra time up your sleeve to allow for the possibilities of any detours due to collapsed bridges, wrong turns taken and missing signposts along the way. Plan on getting to your destination early in hot weather, as afternoon storms are not uncommon. As a general rule, start out early in the morning to give yourself plenty of daylight
Stick with your companions and don’t lose sight of them. Remember that the progress of groups matches that of the slowest member
Avoid walking in brand new footwear as they may cause blisters, but leave those worn-out boots in the shed, as they may prove unsafe on slippery terrain. Three quarters of mountain accidents are caused by slipping. Choose your footwear carefully!
Don’t overload your rucksack and remember that drinking water and food add extra weight
Carry extra protective clothing as well as energy foods for emergency situations. Remember that in normal circumstances the temperature drops an average of 6°C for every 1000m you climb
Check the weather forecast if possible – tourist offices and hut guardians are in the know. For the Südtirol see www.suedtirol.info, for Trentino www.meteotrentino.it and for the Veneto www.arpa.veneto.it. Never set out on a long route in adverse conditions. Even a broad track can become treacherous in bad weather, and high-altitude terrain enveloped in thick mist makes orientation difficult. An altimeter is useful – when a known altitude (such as that of the refuge) goes up, this means the atmospheric pressure has dropped and the weather could change for the worse
Please carry rubbish back to the valley, where it can be disposed of correctly; don’t expect hut or park staff to deal with it. Even organic waste such as apple cores and orange peel is best not left lying around, as it upsets the diets of animals and birds
Be considerate when making a toilet stop. Keep well away from watercourses, don’t leave unsightly and unhygienic paper lying around (bury it) and resist any temptation to use abandoned huts or rock overhangs; in bad weather these could serve as life-saving shelter for other people!
Collecting flowers, insects or minerals is strictly forbidden, as are fires
Learn the international call for help – see below. DO NOT rely on your mobile phone, as there may not be any signal. Refuges have landlines and experienced staff can always be relied on in an emergency. In electrical storms, don’t shelter under trees