Gillian Price was born in England but moved to Australia when young. After taking a degree in anthropology and working in adult education, she set off to travel through Asia and trek the Himalayas. The culmination of her journey was Venice where, her enthusiasm fired for mountains, the next logical step was towards the Dolomites, only hours away. Starting there, Gillian is steadily exploring the mountain ranges and flatter parts of Italy, bringing them to life for visitors in a series of outstanding guides for Cicerone.

      When not out walking with Nicola, her Venetian cartographer husband, Gillian works as a freelance travel writer (www.gillianprice.eu). An adamant promoter of public transport to minimise impact in alpine areas, Gillian is also an active member of the Italian Alpine Club and Mountain Wilderness.

      Other Cicerone guides by the author

      Across the Eastern Alps: E5

      Alpine Flowers

      Gran Paradiso

      Italy’s Sibillini National Park

      The Tour of Bernina

      Through the Italian Alps

      Trekking in the Alps

      Trekking in the Apennines

      Trekking in the Dolomites

      Walking and Trekking on Corfu

      Walking in Corsica

      Walking in Sicily

      Walking in the Dolomites

      Walking in Tuscany

      Walking in Umbria

      Walking on the Amalfi Coast

      Walking the Italian Lakes

      Walks and Treks in the Maritime Alps

      © Gillian Price 2015

      Third edition 2015

      ISBN: 978 1 85284 787 6

      Reprinted 2016, 2017 (with updates)

      Second edition 2012

      First edition 2002

      Printed by KHL Printing, Singapore

      A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

      All photographs are by the author unless otherwise stated.

      To my inspiring parents, Bet and Dave, on their 60th wedding anniversary.

      Acknowledgements

      The Fondazione Antonio Berti in Venice generously made available a copy of J Gilbert and GC Churchill’s fundamental 1864 work The Dolomite Mountains: Excursions through Tyrol, Carinthia, Carniola, and Friuli.

      As usual, Nicola Regine excelled himself in mapmaking.

      Updates to this Guide

      While every effort is made by our authors to ensure the accuracy of guidebooks as they go to print, changes can occur during the lifetime of an edition. Any updates that we know of for this guide will be on the Cicerone website (www.cicerone.co.uk/787/updates), so please check before planning your trip. We also advise that you check information about such things as transport, accommodation and shops locally. Even rights of way can be altered over time. We are always grateful for information about any discrepancies between a guidebook and the facts on the ground, sent by email to [email protected] or by post to Cicerone, Juniper House, Murley Moss, Oxenholme Road, Kendal, LA9 7RL.

      Register your book: To sign up to receive free updates, special offers and GPX files where available, register your book at www.cicerone.co.uk.

      Warning

      Mountain walking can be a dangerous activity carrying a risk of personal injury or death. It should be undertaken only by those with a full understanding of the risks and with the training and experience to evaluate them. While every care and effort has been taken in the preparation of this guide, the user should be aware that conditions can be highly variable and can change quickly, materially affecting the seriousness of a mountain walk. Therefore, except for any liability which cannot be excluded by law, neither Cicerone nor the author accept liability for damage of any nature (including damage to property, personal injury or death) arising directly or indirectly from the information in this book.

      To call out the Italian Mountain Rescue, call the emergency number 118: this will connect you via any available network.

      Front cover: Rifugio Bolzano is backed by the splendid Catinaccio (Walk 34)

      CONTENTS

       Map key

       Overview map

       Route summary table

       INTRODUCTION

       The Dolomites

       Valleys and bases

       Geology

       Plants and flowers

       Wildlife

       Protected areas

       Getting there

       Local transport

       Information

       When to go

       Accommodation

       Food and drink

       What to take

       Maps

       Dos and don’ts

       Emergencies