Bikepacking in the Dolomites

The Dolomites are undoubtedly one of the most magical places on Earth: a unique mountain range situated in the northern Italian region of South Tirol bordering Austria, characterized by awe-inspiring vertical cliffs that represent the dream of many mountain climbers from all around the world. We had also dreamt of spending some days riding our bikes in this region, and finally our turn has come.

Our destination is Cortina D’Ampezzo, a glamorous mountain resort destination that combines its ease of access to the surrounding mountains with 5 stars chalets, spas, fine dining and high-end shopping. Needless to say, the only reason that brought us here is the former!

We planned on a 3 nights, 4 days bike packing adventure with a limited number of kilometers and plenty of time to relax, enjoy the views, the mountain food and fresh air. We opted for the Fanes-Sennes natural park, a protected area with jaw-dropping landscapes, well signposted gravel roads, and an incredible number of mountain huts. As the cherry on the top, we planned our last night on the high slopes of Mount Cristallo, one of the tallest and most characteristic mountain in the surroundings of Cortina, reaching above 3000 meters.

The result is a track of 106 km across 4 days and 3 nights in mountain huts, with a cumulative elevation of 5000 meters (2800 not considering the cable car). Enjoy reading here our adventure!

1. Photostory
2. Maps and Stats

Photostory

Enjoy the story and above all the photos down below!

Day 0 – Preparation

It is the beginning of the last weekend of July, Maria and I are ready for the weekend that we have been planning for a long time. We both managed to take a few days off work for a long weekend, Maria came over to Milan in the middle of the week, and now that it’s friday afternoon we are ready to go. Our packing has been very quick this time…is it because we’re getting the hang of bike packing or is it just that we had no time? We packed the bare minimum with us, bringing simply one set of biking clothes, one set of dry clothes, flip flops and towel. A handlebar bag and our two backpacks are sufficient for the job. Tools will be a couple of spare tubes, a hand pump, multi tool, chain tool, and finally a first aid kit.

As far as the bikes are concerned, Maria obviously takes her Specialized Rhyme and this time (for the first time in bike packing mode) and I opt for my lovely Cannondale Jeckyll. Both bikes give their best when going downhill and are probably way too aggressive for the trails we expect to ride, but we do not want to give up the fun of shredding them as hard as we can!

The journey to Cortina is long. One would think that Milan and the Dolomites can’t be so far away, and well, that is not entirely true. After a 450 km journey and 5 hours of sitting in the car we finally arrive at our destination, just moments before our B&B hotel closes the reception, which would have cost us 20 extra euro for late check-in (yes, this is not going to favor our review on Tripadvisor). There is still some light and the majestic rocky surfaces of the Dolomites proudly show themselves towering above the town, and we go to sleep early eager to begin our bike packing adventure.

Day 1 – Climb to Fodara Vedla mountain hut

We knew it, the first day is a day of climbing. We have almost 1000 meters to climb, so we start early and decide to take it easy. Our destination is the Fodara Vedla mountain hut, at 1930 meters, and is the third hut that we are going to visit today, after 20 km of riding.

Our first challenge, however, is to find a free parking for our car. Easier said than done, but after a few circles around the Olympic winter stadium we manage to find the classic “bug in the system”, i.e. a parking spot that is neither allowed nor explicitly forbidden…in the Italian culture his is clearly interpreted as a perfect place, so we manage to park and leave.

Today, the weather is very cloudy but it should keep dry according to the forecast, but the sooner we go the better it is. Before hitting the track, we go for a quick glimpse of downtown Cortina, which is very nice with its central avenue full of nice shops and restaurants.

The track begins on a cycleway, a classic itinerary for the cycling enthusiasts of the area, which unwinds at the bottom of the valley and gently climbs towards the northern mountains, following the course of a very large riverbed. The track is very wide, easy, and pleasant…and also very busy with riders of all types!

After 10 kilometers of easy riding, we begin our first real climb towards the first mountain hut and the entrance of the natural park. The ascent, despite being on a paved road, is extremely steep and quickly drains our energy.

We need to pace ourselves, but finally we get to the first mountain hut of the day: Malga Ra Stua, at 1695 meters, which is located exactly at the entrance of the Fanes-Sennes national park.

It is lunch time so we decide to take a break and try out the cusine of Malga Ra Stua. A little pricey, but their lentil soup is filling and wholesome. A cold beer and a short siesta top up the experience making it even more enjoyable.

We hit the gravel road again, which in the first kilometer is very gentle and pleasant, always wide, compact and very easy. However, the joy doesn’t last long, as we quickly come to terms with a crazy climb of unreal steepness, where also the road conditions worsen as the rocks get bigger and looser than before. We have to push the bike for some time, but the more we go up the better the views, so our morale is always up in the sky.

We have reached elevation 2000 meters, the vegetation is now less dense, and after a saddle the steepness comes back to normal.

We take a break to enjoy the view, recover and eat something. I take the chance to test my new fancy Iphone lenses for some macro photography.

The trail presents no difficulty but we notice that the air is thinner at 2000 meters, so we take it easy towards the second hut of the day, the Sennes hut at 2126 meters.

From here, it is almost done for the day. We have a brief downhill section before the hut where we will spend our night, the Fodara Vedla. Finally we can let go of the brakes and we enjoy the speed and thrill of the descent, knowing that our bikes can handle this terrain very easily.

We arrive at the hut by 6 pm. It has been a long day of riding, but now we can just have a hot shower, unwind, relax and enjoy!

There is no better way to celebrate than having a glass of Prosecco while resting our tired muscles, enjoying the chilly sunset mountain air.

After a filling dinner, we hit the bed and get some rest. The strong thunderstorm that hits us in the middle of the night is almost a pleasant backdrop from the safety and warmth of our room.

Day 2 – From Fodara Vedla to Fanes

In the morning, the little cattle shelters scattered around the hut have a spectral atmosphere in the misty valley: the sky is dark and humid, and our shoes get quickly wet from the dew as we take our first pedal strokes of the day.

The first section for today is a very steep downhill along a gravel road that will get us 500 meters down after an endless series of hairpin bends, with the backdrop of huge vertical cliffs that would give anyone vertigo just at the thought of climbing them.

We have now entered the Italian region of Sud Tirol, and once at the bottom of the valley  we stop for a coffee at the Pederü hut…cafeine for us is very welcome as a big climb awaits us…and also our poor brakes need a pause after the descent…especially Maria’s rear brake, which clearly sounded like having gone through all the pads, its pistons already starting to bite into the rotor. Nothing we can do about it for 48 hours though, we can just hope it will suffice.

The amount of e-bikers is just mind-blowing. The bike-tourism industry is definitely a big thing in these regions, and with the advent of e-bikes the number of enthusiasts that can access these mountains is increasing exponentially.

Unfortunately, we have only our legs to rely on, so we’d better get back on the saddle and tackle the climb. Luckily the gradient is nowhere near the descent, but still we have a long and constant uphill before our destination. Maria feels energized after her tea and tackles the climb like a pro, on a steady pace towards the Fanes valley.

The time passes quickly and it is sooner than later that lunch time comes and our energy drains. My stomach gurgles insistently and I feel like passing out if we do not get something to eat right away!

Luckily the climb is almost over, and we enter the beautiful Fanes valley at 2000 meters. The landscapes are incredible but the first thing that catches our attention is the Lavarella hut with its inviting dining terrace in the sun…we use our last ounces of energy to sprint there and get a table!

We both order pasta, that luckily comes in elephant-sized portions, and some house wine. The warm summer sun is shining, but a fresh mild breeze often finds its way down the mountain…our tummies full, the landscapes are like postcards, and now we have the entire afternoon to relax…it could not get any better than this!

Talking about relaxation, we do not have to go far away to find our perfect spot: the banks of the ice-cold Lago Verde (green lake) are as good as it gets.

After our well-deserved siesta, it is time to go to the Fanes hut which is where we will spend our night. It is just a hundred meters away from the Lavarella, and also this one comes with a nice sun-blessed terrace.

However, if you know me just enough, you will also know that the word “relax” has a relative meaning for me…I enjoy relaxing, but I cannot just sit out my day. Maria calls it a day and decides (wisely) to have a prosecco and enjoy the view from the terrace, whilst I opt for a little trek with the objective of getting deeper into the Fanes valley and higher up.

The trail immediately picks up its steepness, but I am determined to get just above the tree line so that I can enjoy the best views of the valley.

This valley is renowned for its beauty, and for a reason. However, this also means that it is on the bucket list of many tourists and hikers, and the two huts are teaming with people, their chatters pleasant but spoiling the wilderness of the mountain. My trail quickly takes me out of the beaten track, and the only sound I can hear is that of my footsteps. Several big, chubby marmots observe me with curiosity as I make my way towards the top.

The climb is steep and more tiring that I had expected. I told Maria that I would be back in one hour, so I keep the pace up and it does not take long before my breath gets quicker and quicker, the thin air making its part too.

Finally I get above the tree line and I look back…the view is stunning. There is only me here, then just rocks, silence and some eagles circling in the sky.

As everyone knows, the weather can quickly change in the mountains, especially at high altitude. This is exactly what happens: I left with clear skies and now the first raindrops are falling. There is no further time for photos, and I sprint down the trail and reach Maria in record time!

Tonight, we do not have the luxury of a private room. We will spend the night in a dormitory for 10 people…not the coziest accommodation ever, but for one night it will do!

Dinner is great in this busy mountain hut, as well as the company: there are many hikers here and everyone is willing to exchange mountain stories and heads up for their next adventures.

With our tummies full of delicious mushroom pasta and (again) house wine, the night passes in the blink of an eye..not even the torrential hailstorm that hit us in the middle of the night can stir our peaceful dreams.

Day 3 – From Fanes to Son Forca

Like yesterday, the night downpour has already faded away by the time our morning alarm rings. The sky is blue and we feel energized after a long night sleep and a good breakfast.

The first section for today is a steep climb. It is short, less than 100 meters, but it is just unforgiving to tackle a steep uphill on loose rocks as the very first thing of the morning, our bodies still sore and cold from the night.

We quickly get to a saddle at 2150 meters. After this saddle, it is going to be a long, beautiful downhill until Cortina, almost 1000 meters below us.

Right at the top, we notice something surprising for the location….an astronaut wooden statue!!! And even more incredibly, as we make our way towards it, we bump into the very artist who has carved it in the first place, who is there for maintenance…what are the chances??

It is time to begin the descent and let our brakes go. Quite literally though: Maria’s rear brake pads are gone, and every time she breaks her bike shouts out a metallic squeak that says it all.

After a while we reach a little hut with some animals. It is impossible to prevent Maria from patting two relaxed donkeys!

From here, the trail quickly gets us down through the valley and back into the region of Veneto. Gradually trees become denser and denser, until we are in the middle of a pine forest.

We are almost at the bottom, when we run into a small group of mountain climbers. They tell us there is a nice waterfall to see, so I waste no time and join them along the short via ferrata that leads into the rocky canyon carved by rivers across millennia.

Back on track, we are very close to Cortina, we just need to go through some kilometers of ups and downs in the forest…which looks fun in the beginning, but quickly drains our energy!

We finally get to Cortina. Maria’s brake gave out painful, horrible squeaks all the way down from the top of the mountain 1000 meters above us. We decide to go to a bike shop and have it taken care of, and we are lucky enough to find one just 20 minutes before the 2-hours long lunch break begins.

The mechanic listens to our story and smiles…he says that this is typical here, as the descents are long and rather easy, so there is a lot of people (not necessarily well prepared) that ride them and hang on their brakes all the time, inevitably going through brake pads as if they were made of peanut butter. However his smile turns into authentic surprise when he sees Maria’s brake…he says he has never seen anything like this, and he wants to keep what is left of the brake pad for his personal collection..

This makes things more complicated than we thought, but luckily the mechanic knows his stuff and between grinding some aluminum away from the rotor, cutting part of the rear piston away and applying new pads, Maria is back on track.

Wow, we feel much better now…for a moment we have thought that we wouldn’t be able to keep going for the day, as we have a clear deadline to be mindful of: the rest of our day consists in taking the cableway up to Mount Faloria above Cortina, then riding down to Passo Tre Croci, and from here take another chairlift up to the Son Forca hut at 2300 meters, where we will spend our night. However, this is possible only if we get to the chairlifts before they close, which is not late…16:30 is our last ride up and it is already 13:00.

Unfortunately, just after Maria checks out and the bike shop closes until 15.30, I realise I also have a problem with my brakes. Both brakes actually felt weird, holding onto the rotors even when not braking, and having a hard time in going back to neutral position. I try to solve it myself, but I only make it worse…after pushing the pistons out of the way with my multitool the wheels go back to spinning normally but….but the brakes just don’t work any longer!!!! I can’t brake!

Now it is a race against the clock…we have maximum one hour and a half to use before having to use the first gondola, otherwise we would not make it to the Son Forca hut for the night. Maria and I split and try all bike shops in Cortina, only to discover that either they are closed, or they just don’t know how to fix the problem.  There is a lot of tension and we are unsure how to proceed..I simply cannot just ride downhill without any brakes! However, we decide to take our chances and, when we are out of time, we climb up to Mount Faloria, my bike with no braking power whatsoever.

We get to the top, but I know I cannot ride like this. Also, we cannot waste any time, because we have another chairlift to take…some 4 kilometers ahead and 300 meters down. Doing the math, if I walk fast enough we could make it….and off we go.

It is a race against time, and our morale is under our feet, also due to some nervousness that I regrettably have taken out on Maria who did her best to help all the time before. I try to think of a plan B that I just cannot see…when the magic happens. All of a sudden, after countless “pumps” on the brake levers, both my brakes come back to life! They are awful, they offer no modulation at all – they just go on/off with a huge sensitivity but hell, they work!

With a boost of morale, we get down the track along the ski slope in no time. The landscapes are amazing here, but frankly the biking is rather poor. There is nothing better than a ski piste, wide and steep and not fun to ride at all. Thank God Maria has new brake pads!

We get to the second chairlift well before its closure time, and by mid afternoon we reach our destination for the day, the Son Forca hut at 2300 meters.

This place is nothing like the huts we have visited in our first two days. The Son Forca is much more secluded, and although easy to reach with a chairlft and close to Cervina, it is clear that it must not be featured in any tourist guide, as we are basically the only guests of the entire structure.

With the Son Forca just for ourselves, we just have to relax and wait until it is time to have dinner and then sleep. It has been a long and proving day, but filled with wonderful trails, landscapes, forests, riding …and problem solving!

Today we are back to our fancy standards, having a room just for ourselves. Ok, not the most romantic nest I could think of, but this is the best the house can offer!

Day 4 – From Son Forca to Cortina (Val Padeon)

We wake up in a marvelous summer morning, with deep blue skies and a soft, vibrant light that draws gentle shadows in the valleys down below us. We know we don’t have much left, just a rapid descent through the green Val Padeon and then finally back to Cortina, where our car awaits us for the long trip back to Milan.

We have never been the types of persons to over-relax, therefore I come up with an idea: the Son Forca hut lies just down the peak of Mount Cristallo (3200 meters), and we can spot a saddle point just above us, from where the sights are surely breathtaking. Besides, it looks like there is another hut on the top of the mountain, at 3000 meters, and it really does not look that far away, surely a matter of no more than one hour! Maria takes some convincing, but finally she agrees to go for the hike.

From the very first steps we notice that this is not going to be as easy as it looked from below: there is no actual trail and we need to work our way up a ski piste (the steepest in the dolomites, we will learn afterwards) covered in crumbling rocks. We progress at an incredibly slow pace, and the higher we get, the more we can fell the air thinning.

The ordeal takes double the time we expected, and it takes us a lot of effort and determination to keep pushing for more than two hours until we finally reach the top.

We get to the top around 11 and we are eager to grab a well deserved cake and a cup of tea in the mountain hut, just to learn that it is actually closed…what a day! Fortunately, the views from here are so beautiful that our disappointment does not last even a fraction of a second: from here, we can see tens and tens of kilometers in the distance, all the way to the Austrian Alps as well as many of the major peaks of the Dolomiti range.

The steepness of the cliffs here is crazy…I never suffered vertigo, even slightly…but here I get very close to it, often having the feeling of sitting on the last step of a thin, fragile ladder of 3000 meters of elevation, fighting gravity to stay afloat. Weird feeling!

Many via ferratas start from here, and I have immense respect for the Alpine climbers who take them and especially the ones who built them!

Having taken 2 hours on the way up, we do not have time to lose. The descent is even worse than the climb, the terrain being insanely slippery as the rocky terrain crumbles under our inadequate mountain biking shoes. Maria is nervous, and she does not speak a single word until we reach the bottom, 2 hours later, with numb knees and sore legs, but a sense of relief.

Almost starving, we grab a generous portion of pasta at the Son Forca hut and then we hit the road for our way down to Val Padeon.

The track is very easy, a wide gravel road that unwinds down the valley and through the pine forest. The landscapes, as it is expected in this area, are simply wonderful.

In no time we’re back to Cortina, 2000 meters down from where we were just a few hours before! Unfortunately there is no time to relax with a beer and we hop back into the car, direction Milan, where we will arrive 5 hours later – dead tired, but deeply satisfied about the adventure that we dreamed for long and became a reality.

Map and Stats

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