One of the most beautiful, thrilling itineraries in the Dolomites: the classic route across the Mount Civetta, through spectacular scenery, amid magnificent rock faces, wide-open pastureland, green spaces and mountain refuges. While easy for the most part, it does require a good level of fitness, given the length of the route, which takes about 7 hours.
The route starts out from Palafavera, in Val di Zoldo (1515 m); from here up to Pioda, you can either take the chairlift (open in July and August), or walk along the convenient dirt road, which takes about an hour. Continue along the mule track (path no. 556) that leads to the Sonnino al Coldai Refuge, amid the landscapes of Monte Pelmo and the Civetta. You’ll be likely to spot a marmot or two along the way. Once you reach the refuge (after about an hour), continue on to the magnificent Coldai Lake, nestling in a rock basin, and follow path no. 560 towards the Tissi Refuge.
A slightly up and down route at the foot of the walls of the Civetta will take you to the fork in the path (563) that leads to the Tissi Refuge. From here you can decide whether to go up to the refuge (30 minutes one way; 2257 m) along path no. 563; it is certainly worth a visit for its striking position, on a rock spur overlooking the valley of Alleghe.
Once you come back down from the Tissi Refuge, continue along path no. 560 past Casera Col Rean (1895 m) until you reach the Vazzoler Refuge (1720 m), where you can visit a splendid botanic garden featuring a variety of alpine plants; it is especially lush and attractive when the plants are in bloom. After a visit to the Vazzoler Refuge, it’s time to return to the valley, by taking the dirt road down to Capanna Trieste (1135 m) or Listolade.
This route requires good coordination from an organisational point of view, because the departure point does not coincide with the arrival point. To return to the departure point, you can use public transport (see www.dolomitibus.it) or the Zoldobus shuttle, which, upon request, leaves in the morning from the Città di Fiume car park for the Giau Pass, at the start of the path (info, costs and bookings +39 348 6700786 or www.zoldobus.it). the zoldobus servic is suspended for the summer season 2023, for further info please get in touch with the tourist offices.
Thanks to the Val di Zoldo section of the Italian Alpine Club for their invaluable collaboration in preparing the material.
