Trekking from the Rifugio Pordenone in Italy’s Val Cimoliana (near Cortina), 6 days

Join certified mountain guide Lucia as she leads you on this 6-day trip of trekking from Rifugio Pordenone in Italy’s Val Cimoliana, near Cortina, where you will explore the isolated, raw and natural beauty of this region whilst trekking up and around various passes, mountains, plains and fields.

Private

Dolomite Mountains

6 Days

Jun - Sep

High

Highlights

* Trek around the glorious raw natural beauty of Val Cimoliana!

* See flora and fauna such as marmots and a stunning array of native flowers

* Cross the mighty Leone's Pass - one of the best hikes in Italy

* Experience the vast valleys, lush green fields and majestic mountains

Description

I will guide you as we spend 6 glorious days trekking and hiking around the sumptuous, gorgeous and beautiful Val Cimoliana in Northern Italy, an oasis of lush green forests and fields, rocky passes and memorable wildlife that provides some absolute amazing views on our trek, with the majestic Dolomites Mountains looming large above it all.

Val Cimoliana is a region nestled within the Friulian Dolomites in Northern Italy, renowned for its untouched, isolated nature and its unique flora and fauna. It is an increasingly popular area for hiking and other outdoor activities, with its very low population density also holding great appeal.

Our 1st day involves walking through the beech woods, ravines, screes and pine forests of the Cimoliana Valley to reach Rifugio Pordenone, a mountain hut that is our base and accommodation for the entirety of the trip.

Day 2 entails a challenging and rewarding hike up the famous Campanile di Val Montanaia, with epic sweeping panoramic views over the Central Cadore area and the Great Marmarole Massif.

Day 3 is the undoubted highlight of the trip for many, as we head along both the Val Monfalcon di Forni and Val Monfalcon di Cimoliana, crossing the breathtaking and jaw-dropping Leone’s Pass, taking in the scenery shaped by the glaciers that once stood here thousands of years ago.

Days 4 and 5 expose us to some of the more varied and interesting parts of the region, as we visit a restored dairy farm high on Mt. Ferrara, encounter flora and fauna such as marmots and superb native flowers, and admire yet more unbeatable views out over the valleys and the Dolomites.

Day 6 is when we finish and say our goodbyes, hopefully having inspired you to return and see more of this underrated slice of Italian natural beauty.

This 6-day adventure will provide you with memories to last a lifetime – book now to experience this lovely part of Italy.

For those who want to experience this region in a more rugged manner, check out our 6-day hut-to-hut trek in Italy’s Friulian Dolomites, near Cortina d’Ampezzo, here!

Alternatively, try our 6-days of trekking in Val Zemola and Val Cimoliana, with accommodation in mountain huts, here!

Itinerary

Day 1: Trek to Rifugio Pordenone

Arrive at Rifugio Pordenone through the magnificent Cimoliana Valley, with its varied
environments: beech woods, ravines, screes, pine forests and much more.

Day 2: Campanile di Val Montanaia

Go up to see the world famous Campanile di Val Montanaia and to the Montanaia Pass, with a great view over the Central Cadore area and the great Marmarole massif.

Day 3: Leone's Pass

A magical round trip along the Val Monfalcon di Forni and Val Monfalcon di Cimoliana, crossing the Leone’s Pass (this is actually my favourite hike in the world!). We will
ascend and descend two really different valleys and admire the wonders done by the glaciers that stood until 10,000 years ago, stopping for lunch at the Marchi Granzotto bivouac.

Day 4: Casera Bregolina Grande

A return trip to Casera Bregolina Grande, a restored dairy farm high on Mt. Ferrara, exposing us to great views on the Eastern Dolomites along the way, as well as encountering some wildlife, including marmots.

Day 5: Brica Pass

An amazing round trip will take us up through the Val Binon to Brica Pass, seeing some of the most amazing flowers of the Friulian Dolomites, and then down through Brica
Valley, with its enchanting bivouac – the right place to feel lost in the wild.

Day 6: Finish

Go back along the Cimoliana Valley and prepare for leaving.

About the guide

Lucia

5.00

(4)

Mountain Leader

My love for the mountains grew up with me in the flats of Romagna, thanks to my family that let me spent all my vacations in the Dolomites when I was a child. The Dolomites and the mountains between Romagna and Tuscany are the most vivid memories I have of my childhood.
Then I forgot the outdoors for a few years, and spent some time following the other great passion I have: travelling. When I wasn't at school I spent all my time wandering from one hostel to the other all around Europe with my best friend, always searching for new landscapes and new emotions.
I graduated from high school as Business and Programming Consultant, then I completely changed my core subject as I attended the Undergraduate Courses in Anthropological Sciences at Bologna's University. My thesis project brought me back to the mountains, with a research in Landscape and Disaster Anthropology that took me to Erto for the fieldwork, the town where I spent the last six years!
After that I attended the Graduate Courses in Cultural Anthropology, Ethnology and Ethnolinguistics at Ca'Foscari University in Venice, and this time I wrote a thesis on Alpinism. The subject was again Landscape and Risk Anthropology, but this time fieldwork took me to all the best climbing sites in Europe and beyond: Mont Blanc, Arco, Siurana, Montserrat, Elbsandsteingebirge, Céüse, Osp, the Todra Gorge in Morocco and other more...
Once finished with University I decided to turn my passion into a profession, so I took part in the selection for the courses organized by the UIAGM Mountain Guide's Association, and after a year of hiking and studying I became a Mountain Leader.
Now I take other people with me to discover the wonderful vertical world of our mountains, and enjoy the great times together in the outdoors.

Languages

Italian | English

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What people are saying about Lucia

5.00

It was lovely day. It is one of the best day we had in Italy. Lucia was very friendly and professional. We really liked the hike and she adjusted the hike according to our ability. We saw the open air museum for war . It was interesting. At the end , we had our lunch in the hut . The food was very delicious . I highly recommended this experience. Don’t miss it if you are in Dolomites.

5.00

I approached Gauthier about doing a hike with Lucia at the 11th hour and he was quick to respond. They tailored the hike to suit my 10 year old. While the terrain is something we could have navigated on our own - it was fabulous having Lucia as our guide. She knew all the WW1 history of the area, and the geology around how the Dolomites were formed. It was fascinating

jack

5.00

i cannot say enough good things about lucia! she got me through to the top both physically and mentally. give her 10 stars!!!! the hike itself gets 5 stars...my age limited my enjoyment of it to about 1 star. i simply bit off more than i could chew. at age 65, 5 star experience, but at nearly 87 ....too much for me.