The Alta Via 1 is likely to have the
best conditions between mid-July and the end of the August. Huts are generally
open from mid-June until mid-September, which defines the hiking season for the
Alta Via 1. The specific dates for each of our Alta Via 1
itineraries aree defined by the opening season of the huts.
Here's what
conditions to expect at different times of year:
Late June:
Huts are open and routes from the valleys to the huts are clear. Problematic
snow may still remain on the passes and at high elevations, and in some years,
it may be necessary to bypass certain sections of trail using transportation
(which is not convenient and is usually expensive). Even if the passes are
clear in time for your hike, they usually clear at the very last minute, and
June hikers always have a couple of stressful weeks leading up to their hike as
they check webcams and eagerly wait for the snow to melt in time for their
hike. Almost every year, it is not possible to predict what trails are going to
be like in June until one or two weeks before. This is true even after a winter
with low snowfall. Some of the Dolomiti Bus lines don’t start running until
late June or early July, and timetables are not available in advance, which
makes planning difficult. Buses for Lago di Braies are running, but it may be difficult to access Malga Ra Stua, Passo Falzarego,
Palafavera/Passo Staulanza and other stops along the way.
July and
August: Problematic snow can remain on the route through the
first week of July, but it is less likely than in June. If snow remains, trails
should at least be tracked and easy to follow. Beginning the second week of
July, trails are almost always clear. Summer settles in and days are usually
mostly sunny with an afternoon thunderstorm or two. These thunderstorms rarely
interfere with hiking itineraries and are not usually problematic. Of course,
thunderstorm safety should be practiced. The wildflowers at the higher
elevations should be all out by mid-July. Hiking conditions during this time
are often favorable, and it’s a great time to be on the trail.
Early
September: The first snow of the winter usually falls in the
first week of September. The snow rarely sticks around for more than a day, but
the visibility can be very low, making navigation problematic on this one day.
Most days in early September are beautiful and perfect, and the thunderstorms
are less, but there is a higher risk of snowstorms and conditions that may
prevent you from completing your hike during this time. Many hikers have
incredible weather in September, but some do not. It’s simply a matter of luck.
The later you push into September, the higher the risk that unfavorable
conditions (usually snow, but sometimes extremely cold temperatures) can
interfere with your hiking itinerary. We notice that customers who are on the
trail beyond September 15th are much more likely to quit their hike
early due to conditions. In early September, the wildflower season is mostly
over, with the exception of brilliant bursts of fireweed that mark the end of
summer. The Malga Ra Stua shuttle is not running, and many of the Dolomiti Bus
lines (Passo Falzarego, Palafavera/Passo Staulanza, etc.) could stop running as
early as September 8th.
In all
months, it’s reasonable to expect 1 to 2 rainy days on the trail.
To research
more detailed information about average temperatures, precipitation, etc., we
recommend checking Meteoblue
(go to “History & Climate” and then “Climate (modelled)”) for Passo di Falzarego
and Forcella Staulanza.
Important
note about availability on the Alta Via 1: Many authors and bloggers have published
information that June and September are the shoulder seasons and are less
crowded on the Alta Via 1 than other times of the summer.
The word is out and now
huts tend to fill up faster in June and September than they do in late July and
August. In fact, for the past couple of years, August has had the most
availability for last-minute bookings. With that said, August is a busy time of
year for tourists in the area, so hotels in Cortina can be more expensive at
that time, and sometimes difficult to get.
The Alta Via
1 is a very popular route, and the huts are going to be full during the entire
season. If your goal is to avoid the crowds (although in most places the trail
does not feel crowded at all), then we recommend choosing a route that is less
famous, but just as, if not more, incredible. There are well over 800 mountain
huts in the Alps, and hut-to-hut possibilities are endless. Here are some great
tours to look at:
Best of the
Dolomites Trek
Culinary
Delight Hut Hiking Tour
Hut
to Hut Light in the Austria Alps
Tour
of the Vanoise
Hut
to Hut in Switzerland
Read more about Understanding the hut-to-hut hiking season in the Alps.
