Alta Via di Capra: Hiking Cinque Torri & Croda da Lago

The Alta Via di Capra is a 4-day or 3-day (for the real goats) hut-to-hut that starts and ends in Cortina d'Ampezzo, one of the bases for all that Dolomites breathe and live. Cortina is also a hub for the famous Alta Via 1 and Tre Cime di Lavaredo, also known as the Drei Zinnen. Whereas for the Alta Via 1 you still have to take an early bus to Dobiacco (Toblach), for the Alta Via di Capra you can start hiking from the sidewalk of your hotel and return to that same hotel after 3 or 2 nights. Winning.

On the Alta Via di Capra, you start your trek on the slopes of Parco Naturale Regionale delle Dolomiti d'Ampezzo, in the shadow of the world-famous Lagazuoi. You will then cross the Falzarego Pass and hike past the Cinque Torri, one of the most extraordinary rock formations of the Dolomites. A visit to Rifugio Nuvolau completes this part of the hut tour. But there is more. Croda da Lago, just a day hike for many tourists, is part of the Alta Via di Capra. With Lago Federa and Rifugio Palmieri the perfect cherry on the cake to a short, vigorous trek in the Dolomites.

The Tre Cime or the Cinque Torri. Which image is more popular? The competition is on. Fact is, the Cinque Torri is one of the symbols of the Dolomites. Cinque Torri translates quite easily to Five Towers and is indeed a formation with five "towers." Each of the main towers has a name. The largest and most prominent tower is called Torre Grande. The remaining towers are called Torre Seconda, Torre Latina, Quarta Torre and Quinta Inglese. Torre Grande and Torre Seconda both have numerous climbing routes.

This makes the Cinque Torri a popular spot for rock climbers. But the place is just as popular with hikers, cyclists and even history buffs. More than 100 years ago, during World War I, this area was the battleground between the Italians and the Austro-Hungarians. Bunkers and trenches were built between the towers of the Cinque Torri, and after the war, when the area was abandoned, these emplacements remained. Recently, the trenches and bunkers have been restored and the Cinque Torri is now like an open-air museum including wax statues of soldiers and artillery cannons. You'll find some of the most extraordinary rifugios in the Dolomites, namely Nuvolau, Averau and Scoiattoli. Depending on availability, spend the night in one of these mountain huts.

In terms of size, Croda da Lago is not the most impressive mountain range in the Dolomites. In terms of beauty, however, it definitely competes for prizes. Like Cinque Torri, Croda da Lago is popular with day-trippers. Fantastic, of course, but when you see them sipping their coffee at Rifugio Palmieri, you're glad you get to stay over and wake up there.

Lago Federa, Lake Federa, is a stone's throw from Rifugio Palmieri and it is this lake that makes everyone pause for a moment. In the early evening here you have one of the most magnificent views of the Dolomites. And exactly that view the day hikers don't get. Long live the benefits of hiking from hut to hut!

After many years of experience on the Alta Via 1, Alta Via 2 and other tours in the Dolomites, we at Bookatrekking.com were looking for a hike that would satisfy the high interest in hut-to-hut tours in the Dolomites and that would be suitable for most hikers who booking their adventures with us. With a start and finish in beautiful Cortina d'Ampezzo, day stages that are in proportion to each other in terms of difficulty and do not use the most technical trails, we have found the answer in this adventure. Therefore, we have proudly featured our own mountain goat in the logo.

The Alta Via di Capra is slightly easier in balance than the short Alta Via 1 but also slightly more difficult than the family version of the Alta Via 1. A good introduction to hut-to-hut hiking in the Dolomites but not just any old one. Can you do it? If this is your first trek, you'll have to put in some effort here and there but there are certainly more challenging options out there.

Is the Alta Via 1 fully booked or a little too much to handle? Then the Alta Via di Capra is for you. Don't fancy the long distances and technical passages of the Alta Via 2? Check. Are the Drei Zinnen beautiful but a little too easy? Bring it on. Is the Alta Via del Granito a little too southern? Cortina d'Ampezzo is a 3-hour drive from Innsbruck. Is the Palaronda Trek too exciting? Is the Garda Trek not exciting enough? The Dolorama Road a little too long in terms of daily distances? We could go on and on, but provided you are not traveling with young children, everyone can get a good go on the Alta Via di Capra. And if the elevation gain on the first stage is too much? Then take the cable car!

When is the best time to hike the Alta Via di Capra? This is the same for almost any hut-to-hut hike in the Dolomites or the Alps. Between mid-June and mid-September, the trails are usually passable and the huts are open. After this, the huts close their doors to prepare for winter, as it can snow heavily at altitude.

Mountain weather is always very unpredictable, and can change quickly. However, a typical day looks good with clear blue skies and bright sunshine. However, this does not mean that the next day it may not rain incessantly or you may be hit by a thunderstorm. So always make sure you are prepared for all situations.

In general, the summer season is a popular time to go out in the Dolomites, even for the Italians themselves. Therefore, never set out without a reservation at the mountain huts, and especially not around the stages of the Alta Via 1 and thus the Alta Via di Capra. Due to the popularity of these tours, chances are that they are fully booked and there is no more room for you and your company. Avoid disappointment and book your spot far in advance. For hut tours in the Dolomites, we recommend making your plans around Christmas or earlier.

Every country has its own hiking association dedicated to the welfare of the trails, mountain huts and surrounding nature. For example, the Netherlands has the NBKV, Flanders has the BKF, Austria and Germany have their Alpenvereinen, and, even, South Africa has the Mountain Club of South Africa. For Italy, since 1863, this has been the Club Alpino Italiano, also known as CAI, for short.

The CAI is enormously active not only in signposting mountain trails and protecting the Italian Alps and Dolomites, but also in organizing climbing competitions and, of course, managing and maintaining mountain huts. The CAI has 433 fully equipped mountain huts, 224 bivouacs and 106 smaller huts under its care. Together, these accommodations number more than 23,500 beds.

Hikers are required to spend the night in these types of mountain huts, and this certainly brings advantages during your Alta Via di Capra trek. Namely, you don't have to bring a tent, cooking gear or food to the rifugi, mountain huts in Italian. The rifugi vary in size and accommodation options, but they all offer a shower, a good night's sleep, and delicious food on a half-board basis. Trust us, the food is truly outstanding compared to some of the neighbouring countries.

The Alta Via di Capra begins and ends in Cortina d'Ampezzo. Therefore, should you have booked accommodation in Cortina d'Ampezzo prior to the trek, you can start the hike from here. It is best to keep Impianto di risalita Tofana - Cortina in mind as a starting point for the start of the hike, this is the cable car in Cortina d'Ampezzo from where the Alta Via di Capra thus begins.

By plane:

If you choose to travel to Italy by plane, the easiest way is to fly into Venice, Treviso or Innsbruck. By public transportation, it takes you about 2.5 hours to travel to Cortina d'Ampezzo from Venice. From Treviso, it takes you about 3.5 hours to travel to Cortina d'Ampezzo. From Innsbruck, it also takes you about 3.5 hours to travel to Cortina d'Ampezzo.

By car:

If you have booked an overnight stay in Cortina d'Ampezzo, you can ask the accommodation about parking spaces they offer. Often you can leave the car for a few days for a fee. You can also find several parking lots in Cortina d'Ampezzo where you can leave your car.