> Three days, three postcards: the Cadini, the Tre Cime and Lago di Braies
> A long weekend on Lavaredo Ultra Trail terrain
> We book the huts, you run
Seven in the morning at the Büllelejoch, 2,520 metres up. The first hikers are only now having breakfast at Rifugio Auronzo, and the trail below you is empty all the way to the Dreizinnenhütte. One by one the north faces of the Tre Cime catch the sun. From here it is mostly downhill for ten kilometres. Let it roll.
This is the compact one: 63 kilometres and 3,250 metres of climbing over a long weekend, from Rio Gere near Cortina to the shore of Lago di Braies. Day one warms you up past Lake Misurina to Rifugio Auronzo, with a sunset detour to the Cadini viewpoint. Day two loops around the Tre Cime and climbs back up to Rifugio Prato Piazza. Day three stays high to Rifugio Biella, then drops to the lake and the bus. Two hut nights, no luggage transport.
Made for trail runners with a few mountain races or big days in their legs. The middle day has 25 kilometres and 1,500 metres of descent on rocky paths, and the last day ends with a steep drop of 850 metres. A 20 to 30 litre pack is enough: dinner and breakfast are at the huts, and Rifugio Biella is a good lunch stop on day three. We book the huts, you run. Deal?
A warm-up day with a sting in the tail: about 19 kilometres and more than 1,200 metres of climbing, most of it in the second half. Take the bus from Cortina d'Ampezzo towards Misurina, get off at Rio Gere just below Passo Tre Croci and you are on the trail within minutes. Keep the pace easy, tomorrow is the big one.
From Rio Gere you climb to Passo Tre Croci at about 1,800 metres and follow forest trails and a rolling traverse that tops out around 2,080 metres, before dropping to Lake Misurina at about 1,750 metres. After the lake the real climb starts: past Lago d'Antorno and up to Rifugio Auronzo at 2,320 metres, right below the south faces of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo. Lavaredo Ultra Trail runners reach this hut after 48 kilometres of the 120K race. You only have 16 in your legs.
Drop your pack and run the short out-and-back to the viewpoint over the Cadini di Misurina at about 2,290 metres, a row of rock spires that looks better the lower the sun gets. Go at sunset if you can, then head back to the hut for dinner. About 19 kilometres, count on 4 hours 45 minutes.
The big day: 25 kilometres with more than 1,200 metres of climbing and 1,500 metres of descent. You run a lap around the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, drop to the valley floor and climb back up to the high pastures of Prato Piazza. Start early, the trails around the Tre Cime fill up fast.
From Rifugio Auronzo an easy trail leads to Rifugio Lavaredo. From there you head east and climb to the Forcella Pian di Cengia (Büllelejoch) at about 2,520 metres, the high point of the day, before traversing to the Dreizinnenhütte (Rifugio Locatelli) with the north faces of the Tre Cime in full view. This is the picture on every Lavaredo Ultra Trail poster.
From the hut a long descent of almost 1,000 metres takes you down to about 1,400 metres in the valley near Landro. Let it roll if your legs feel good. Then comes the last climb of almost 800 metres towards Prato Piazza, topping out at around 2,180 metres before a short run down to Rifugio Prato Piazza at 2,000 metres. Wide meadows, the Croda Rossa in front of you and a well-earned dinner. About 25 kilometres, count on 6 hours.
A high final day: almost 19 kilometres with close to 800 metres of climbing and almost 1,300 metres of descent. Most of it stays above 2,150 metres, with a hut stop halfway and a long, steep run down to the lake at the end.
From Prato Piazza you climb west over high alpine meadows to about 2,320 metres, with views back to the Croda Rossa and the Tre Cime. A rolling traverse follows across the high plateau, with fast running on the flatter stretches, before the last climb to Rifugio Biella (Seekofelhütte) at about 2,330 metres, right below the Croda del Becco. This is your break: refill your bottles, eat something and look out over the Fanes and Sennes peaks.
Then the descent: about 850 metres down to the south end of Lago di Braies at around 1,500 metres, steep and rocky in the upper part, so save something for it. The last kilometre and a half follows the shore of the lake to the north end, where the bus leaves for Dobbiaco. Arriving at Lago di Braies on foot beats arriving by car. About 18.7 kilometres, count on 4 hours 15 minutes.
