The Italian Dolomites – A Challenging but Amazing Experience

The Dolomites are a mountain range in northeastern Italy. Federica di Cintio recently visited, along with several members of her family. Here’s her report:

I loved the tour of the Brenta Dolomites. We started our hike from the Grosté mountain and we visited four refuges. (A refuge is any shelter or protection from distress or danger in a mountainous region.) They included: Tucket, Brentei, Casinei and finally the Vallesinella refuge, which was amazing. It involved a seven hour tour, but definitely worth it. 

We booked a sightseeing tour and, along the way, the guide was pointed out many interesting things. My children were impressed with his knowledge about the area’s flora and fauna. The ground around these mountains is a karst – “a type of landscape where the dissolving of the bedrock has created sinkholes, sinking streams, caves, springs, and other features.” So you wouldn’t expect to find herbs, like chives and thyme, growing among the rocks. We also saw edelweiss!

One warning, however. No one tells the tourists that once you leave the Grosté cable, you have no option but to walk all the way to the final refuge, Vallesinella. My father left at the Tucket refuge and had to walk five hours down a rocky hillside. Luckily, he’s quite fit, but more information about exiting the tour early should be provided. 

Vallesinella can also be the starting point for those who wish a shorter walk. That route also leads to the beautiful Vallesinella Falls.

Photos by Federica di Cintio