Alta Via 2 of the Dolomites: the complete guide

Trekking guide · 12 min read

The Alta Via 2 is the longest, highest and loneliest of the Dolomites traverses: around 160 km (100 miles) from Bressanone to Feltre, 11,000 m (36,000 ft) of ascent, 13 classic stages. They call it the "Trail of Legends", and it is not a route for your first time at altitude. This guide tells you what to expect, stage by stage, without softening anything.

If you have already walked the Alta Via 1 you arrive here with one precise question: how much harder is it? The short answer: twice the climbing, cable-protected sections you cannot avoid, huts further apart and, in return, whole days without meeting anyone. Below you will find the 13 stages with approximate hours and elevation, the mountain groups crossed, where a via ferrata set is needed, the huts, the right season, the shorter variants and how to reach Bressanone and Feltre by train.

The Odle from Seceda: the Alta Via 2 skirts them on the Funes side between Rifugio Genova and Rifugio Puez.

What the Alta Via 2 is

The Alta Via 2 links Bressanone / Brixen (South Tyrol, 560 m / 1,840 ft) with Feltre (Veneto, 325 m / 1,070 ft), crossing eight Dolomite groups from north to south: Plose, Putia, Odle, Puez, Sella, Marmolada, Pale di San Martino and Vette Feltrine. It was laid out in the 1960s, a few years after the Alta Via 1, and has remained the "serious" Dolomites traverse ever since. The nickname Trail of Legends (Sentiero delle Leggende) comes from the Ladin stories that follow the route: the kingdom of Fanes, King Laurin of the Rosengarten, the Marmolada that was once a meadow.

The numbers depend on which variants you choose: 160–185 km (100–115 miles), around 11,000 m (36,000 ft) of ascent, highest point at Passo delle Farangole (2,932 m / 9,620 ft) in the Pale di San Martino, or Piz Boè (3,152 m / 10,340 ft) if you take the summit variant on the Sella. The typical duration is 11–14 days: the 13 classic CAI stages can be trimmed by skipping the first climb with the Plose gondola or by merging the short Pale stages.

The 13 classic stages

This is the traditional split, with approximate times and elevation for a fit hiker carrying 8–10 kg (18–22 lb). Our clients rarely follow it exactly: in the south, where huts are few, it pays to reshape the stages around bed availability.

Stage	From → To	Hours	Ascent / Descent	Overnight
1	Bressanone → Rifugio Plose (Plosehütte)	5–6 h (1.5 h with gondola)	+1,900 m / –50 m	Rifugio Plose, 2,446 m
2	Rifugio Plose → Forcella di Putia → Rifugio Genova	5–6 h	+800 m / –900 m	Rifugio Genova / Schlüterhütte, 2,297 m
3	Rifugio Genova → Forcella della Roa → Forcella Nives → Rifugio Puez	5–6 h	+950 m / –700 m	Rifugio Puez, 2,475 m
4	Rifugio Puez → Passo Gardena → Val Setus → Rifugio Boè	5–6 h	+1,000 m / –650 m	Rifugio Boè, 2,871 m
5	Rifugio Boè → Passo Pordoi → Viel dal Pan → Rifugio Castiglioni Marmolada	5–6 h	+450 m / –1,250 m	Rif. Castiglioni, Passo Fedaia, 2,054 m
6	Passo Fedaia → Rifugio Falier → Passo Ombretta → Rifugio Contrin	6–7 h	+1,000 m / –1,050 m	Rifugio Contrin, 2,016 m
7	Rifugio Contrin → Passo San Nicolò → Passo delle Cirelle → Passo San Pellegrino	6–7 h	+1,000 m / –1,100 m	Rifugio Fuciade or hotels at the pass, ~1,900 m
8	Passo San Pellegrino → Passo Valles → Forcella Venegia → Rifugio Mulaz	6–7 h	+1,100 m / –450 m	Rifugio Volpi al Mulaz, 2,571 m
9	Rifugio Mulaz → Passo delle Farangole (2,932 m) → Rifugio Rosetta	5–6 h	+800 m / –750 m	Rifugio Rosetta "G. Pedrotti", 2,581 m
10	Rifugio Rosetta → Passo di Ball → Rifugio Pradidali	3–4 h	+350 m / –650 m	Rifugio Pradidali, 2,278 m
11	Rifugio Pradidali → Passo delle Lede → Rifugio Treviso	5–6 h	+700 m / –1,350 m	Rifugio Treviso, 1,631 m
12	Rifugio Treviso → Passo Cereda → Passo Finestra → Rifugio Boz	8–9 h (often split in two)	+1,700 m / –1,550 m	Rifugio Bruno Boz, 1,718 m
13	Rifugio Boz → Passo di Mura → Rifugio Dal Piaz → Croce d'Aune → Feltre	7–8 h	+900 m / –2,100 m	Feltre (or a night at Rif. Dal Piaz, 1,993 m)

Three practical notes. Stage 1 from Bressanone is a 1,900 m (6,200 ft) climb on forest roads: almost everyone skips it with the Plose gondola from Sant'Andrea and starts walking from the top station, reaching the hut in an hour and a half. Stage 10 is short and many merge it with stage 11, sleeping straight at Rifugio Treviso, but Pradidali deserves a night: it is the most beautiful hut in the Pale. Stage 12 is the longest of the whole traverse and is best broken at Passo Cereda, where there is a hotel and a farm-stay.

The mountain groups crossed

Plose and Putia. The prologue: high pastures, the lone silhouette of Sass de Putia (2,875 m) and the first real col, Forcella di Putia at 2,357 m. Easy ground, with the Odle starting to appear on the horizon.

Odle / Geisler. From Rifugio Genova the Alta Via 2 wraps around the Odle on the Val di Funes side, then climbs to Forcella della Roa (2,617 m) and Forcella Nives to enter the Puez plateau. It is the same terrain we walk on our Puez-Odle Classic Trek, adding the Adolf Munkel trail beneath the north faces.

Puez. A lunar plateau at 2,500 m, almost flat, with Rifugio Puez isolated in the middle. From here you drop to Passo Gardena (2,121 m), the only contact with a road in this part of the route.

Sella. The climb up Val Setus is the first protected section: a steep gully with cables and steps up to Rifugio Pisciadù, then the high valley to Rifugio Boè at 2,871 m, the highest night of the traverse. Piz Boè (3,152 m) is a 90-minute detour for those who want it.

Marmolada. From Passo Pordoi the Viel dal Pan is the classic balcony walk facing the Marmolada glacier. From Passo Fedaia the standard itinerary rounds the Queen of the Dolomites from the south, passing beneath its 800 m (2,600 ft) south face and crossing Passo Ombretta (2,704 m) to descend to Contrin.

Monzoni and Costabella. The least known section: Passo delle Cirelle (2,683 m) is a steep scree slope, followed by the descent through the silence of Val di Fuciade to Passo San Pellegrino.

Pale di San Martino. The alpine heart of the AV2. From Mulaz you cross Passo delle Farangole (2,932 m) onto the Pale plateau, 50 km² (19 sq mi) of pale rock at 2,600 m, with Rifugio Rosetta on its rim above San Martino di Castrozza. Then Pradidali, Passo delle Lede and the long descent into Val Canali.

Vette Feltrine. The last three days in the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park: grassy, wild mountains, little-used paths, Passo di Mura and the Busa di Monsampiano before the final drop to Croce d'Aune. Many give up after the Pale. They are wrong to.

The Pale di San Martino: the Alta Via 2 crosses the group from Mulaz to Rifugio Treviso in four stages.

Protected sections: where you need a set

The Alta Via 2 is not a via ferrata, but it has several passages with steel cables, steps and rungs that do not exist on the Alta Via 1, or can be bypassed there. Not here. Where they are, in route order:

Val Setus (stage 4). A steep gully between Passo Gardena and Rifugio Pisciadù, cables and steps in the final section. On dry ground you can pass without a harness; with leftover snow early in the season (common until late June) you need care and, if you are not used to it, microspikes.

Marmolada area (stages 5–6). The standard route over Passo Ombretta is a steep but unprotected path. The mountaineering variant over Forcella Marmolada (2,896 m), climbing from Fedaia along the edge of the glacier and descending on cabled sections towards Contrin, needs a ferrata set, a helmet and, with the glacier retreating, a judgement on conditions. We only recommend it with a guide.

Piz Boè and Sella variants (stages 4–5). The climb to Piz Boè from Rifugio Boè is an easy path. The direct descent from Forcella Pordoi to Passo Pordoi is a steep scree gully, no cables, but not advisable with snow. The variants via the Piz da Lech or Cesare Piazzetta ferratas are real via ferratas: set mandatory.

Passo delle Farangole (stage 9). The key passage of the AV2. The climb from Mulaz ends with a cabled stretch; the descent towards Val delle Comelle is exposed, with fixed ropes and steps on rock that is often wet. This is where people without experience on protected ground struggle most. Set recommended, helmet useful.

Vette Feltrine (stage 13). The Troi dei Caserin, below Sasso Scarnia, has a short but exposed cabled section. On wet ground it is not trivial.

The Alta Via 2 huts

Thirteen and a half huts, of very different character. In the north they are well-equipped South Tyrolean huts, often with hot showers and double rooms; in the south they are more basic CAI/SAT huts with dormitories and rationed water. Booking is compulsory everywhere, and in the small huts (Mulaz, Pradidali, Boz, Dal Piaz) beds sell out months ahead. To understand how they work, read our guide to Dolomites rifugi.

Rifugio Plose (2,446 m) — large, comfortable, reachable by gondola. Good South Tyrolean kitchen.

Rifugio Genova / Schlüterhütte (2,297 m) — historic hut from 1898 at the foot of the Putia, small rooms, sunset over the Odle from the terrace.

Rifugio Puez (2,475 m) — isolated on the plateau, spartan, the only bed for miles. Book early.

Rifugio Boè (2,871 m) — the highest of the traverse, renovated, often cold in the evening even in August. Alternative: Rifugio Pisciadù (2,585 m), lower and cosier.

Rifugio Castiglioni Marmolada (2,054 m) — at Passo Fedaia, on the lake, reachable by car: ideal for a pack swap or for meeting someone joining you.

Rifugio Contrin (2,016 m) — large, historic, run by the Alpini association; a meadow facing the Marmolada south face.

Rifugio Volpi al Mulaz (2,571 m) — small, a little rough, views of the Focobon. Book well in advance.

Rifugio Rosetta "G. Pedrotti" (2,581 m) — the "town hut" of the Pale, served by the cable car from San Martino: use it as an emergency exit or for a rest day.

Rifugio Pradidali (2,278 m) — the most beautiful, in a basin beneath Cima Canali. Small, always full.

Rifugio Treviso (1,631 m) — in the forest of Val Canali, welcoming, the last "big" hut before the south.

Rifugio Bruno Boz (1,718 m) and Rifugio Dal Piaz (1,993 m) — the two huts of the Vette Feltrine: small, family-run, simple food, starry skies with no light pollution.

Opening dates: most huts open between mid and late June and close between mid-September and early October. Boè and Mulaz, the highest, tend to open later. Always check the hut's or the CAI's website: the 2027 dates are not yet known.

When to go

The realistic window is 25 June to 20 September. Earlier, the high cols (Farangole, Cirelle, Val Setus) hold leftover snow and the southern huts are closed. Later, the huts close one by one and the daylight shrinks fast. In detail:

Late June – mid-July: flowers, snow in north-facing gullies, empty trails. Risk of snow still lying on the Farangole. Excellent if you have experience and microspikes.

Mid-July – late August: ideal conditions, but afternoon thunderstorms almost daily. On the AV2 you leave at 6:30 and are in the hut by 2 pm. The northern huts are full; the southern ones remain manageable.

September: our favourite month. Clear air, few people, still-good temperatures, first snowfalls possible after the 15th. Check closing dates for Mulaz, Boz and Dal Piaz. For the month-by-month analysis read best time to hike the Dolomites.

Difficulty: AV2 vs AV1

On our difficulty scale, the full Alta Via 1 is a level 3 and the Alta Via 2 a level 4: not because of one impossible stage, but because of the sum. Total ascent doubles (~11,000 m vs ~7,000 m, or 36,000 vs 23,000 ft), the average stage is longer (6 hours vs 5), the altitudes are higher (three nights above 2,500 m / 8,200 ft) and the protected sections cannot be avoided. Add that in the south there is no daily "plan B" cable car, and you see why we treat it as a different category.

In practice: if you walked the AV1 with margin, finishing stages under the guidebook time and feeling comfortable on the cabled bits, the AV2 is the natural next step. If the AV1 wrung you out, or you have never done it, the full comparison is in our guide Alta Via 1 vs Alta Via 2.

Minimum training: 6–7 hour days with 1,200 m (4,000 ft) of ascent and an 8 kg (18 lb) pack, repeated on consecutive days. If one such day leaves you wrecked, this is not the year.

Shorter variants: 5–7 days

Few people have two weeks. The Alta Via 2 splits well into two halves, with the road passes as hinges.

Northern half: Bressanone → Passo San Pellegrino (6–7 days)

Plose, Odle, Puez, Sella, Marmolada and Monzoni: the most varied part and the one with the best huts. Six or seven stages, easy exit at Passo San Pellegrino with buses to Moena and Predazzo. The right choice if you want a taste of the AV2 while the infrastructure is still solid.

Odle and Puez only (5–7 days)

Our Puez-Odle Classic Trek follows stages 2–4 of the AV2 and adds the Adolf Munkel trail, Seceda and Forcella Roa, based in Val Gardena. Level 3, with no compulsory protected sections: the AV2 with the doors open.

Southern half: Passo San Pellegrino → Feltre (6–7 days)

Pale di San Martino and Vette Feltrine, the most alpine and loneliest stages. Requires the same experience as the full AV2, because the Farangole are here.

Pale di San Martino only (5–7 days)

Our Trekking delle Leggende starts in Val di Fassa and crosses the Monzoni, Passo delle Cirelle and the Lagorai to the Pale and Lake Colbricon: the southern half of the AV2 redrawn to avoid the most exposed passages, level 3.

The Sassolungo from Col Rodella: the Alta Via 2 keeps it to the west for two days, between the Sella and Passo Pordoi.

Crowds: the south is empty

In the northern half you will meet people: Seceda, Passo Gardena, the Viel dal Pan and Fedaia are reachable in a day trip and in August the trails show it. The Puez, Boè and Genova huts are full because they are also day-hike destinations. Our crowd map shows in real time where car parks and lifts are saturated, so you can avoid the worst hours.

From Passo Valles on, everything changes. On the Pale plateau you see a few hikers up from the Rosetta cable car, then from Pradidali down the traverse goes quiet. In the Vette Feltrine, even in mid-August, you can walk an entire day and meet two or three people. It is why people who truly love mountains finish the AV2 feeling they have done something rare.

Getting to Bressanone and Feltre

Bressanone / Brixen is on the Brenner railway: regional and Eurocity trains from Verona (1 h 45), Bolzano (30 min), Innsbruck (1 h 15) and Munich (3 h 30). From the station, the town bus reaches Sant'Andrea, at the bottom of the Plose gondola, in 15–20 minutes. Most convenient airports: Innsbruck, Verona, Munich; from the US, Venice or Milan with a train connection via Verona.

Feltre has a station on the Padua – Montebelluna – Belluno line: regional trains from Padua (1 h 50) and from Venice with a change at Castelfranco or Padua. From Croce d'Aune, where the trail ends, you get down to Feltre with the local bus (few runs a day, check the Dolomitibus timetable) or on foot in 2 hours. Airports: Venice and Treviso.

Return link: Feltre to Bressanone by train via Padua and Verona takes 4–5 hours. For all options read how to get to the Dolomites. For your pack, our packing list: on the AV2 add a ferrata set, a light helmet and microspikes before mid-July.

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