The ultimate five night Dolomite Hut trip : Tour d’Erna

Travel/Destinations
Written By Andrea Ference

A few years ago I had booked a trip to Switzerland for my then boyfriend, now ex and I. It was all planned and paid for but before the trip happened. We broke up. And as the story goes, I phoned Erna to tell her the news and after a fraction of a second of empathy she inquired about the trip to Switzerland. A few months went by and I eventually caved and brought her with me. And now the expectation is that every two years I take her on a trip to Europe. Plan something incredible and break down crying at her inability to use a camera at least once.

Tis year (August 2024) following a cancelled Eras Tour in Vienna we spent six days hiking and sleeping in huts in the Italian Dolomites. With the partnership of Dolomiti Superski (which now I am set on the idea of going back in the winter to experience) and the regions of Alta Badia, Val Gardena, Alpe di Siusi and Val di Fassa I was able to take Erna on her very own route which I have aptly named, the Tour d’Erna.

This route, without any help from the Dolomiti Supersummer card would be 110.7km (68.8mi) with 8,475m (27,805ft) of elevation gain and loss (it is a loop after all) in six days.

Before I get into this, just a general disclaimer that I did my best to put together all of the information I cold find to the best of my ability. It is, to my knowledge, accurate as of Summer 2024. I am not a professional guide - just a girl who wants to see more people get out and do cool things!

More European Hiking Tips and Trips:
Haute Route Packing Guide
Haute Route Part 2 (Chamonix to Zermatt)
6 Amazing Swiss Mountain Huts
One Month in Switzerland - Packing Guide + More

 
 

What is the Tour d’Erna?

This hike is not official. It was something that I (along with Dolomiti Superski) were able to put together last minute during the busiest week in the high season of Italian Summer. It is a

  • Difficulty: Medium-high

  • Distance: 100km(ish) / 60miles (ish)

  • Duration: 6 days

  • Highest point: Piz Boè summit - 3,152 metres / 10,341 ft

  • Total elevation gain: 6,362 m / 20,873 ft

  • Average day: 3.5-7 hours

Tour d'Erna Overview

When to hike the tour d’Erna?

Mid-July to mid-September seems to be the consensus on the best time for hiking in the Alps. Early to mid-September is an especially enjoyable time to hike since September typically has less rain and a more stable weather pattern than either July or August, but the days are a lot shorter as the season goes on.

Accommodation in huts is often full during July and August so plan to book those in advance. However, by mid September a number of the huts along the route begin to close - but those that were open seemed to be available with a day or two notice (especially during the weekdays).

We started our hike August 10, 2024 and had overall really great (but hot) weather.

Dolomites Hiking Trip

Is it safe to hike without a guide or as a solo person (male or female)?

One of the main questions from North Americans about hiking in the Alps is : can you do this without a guide?

100% yes. There was not a second on this trip that my mom or I felt unsafe or lost unsafe on the trail. Most of the trail had cell phone service and there are people everywhere (nothing more demoralizing than 9 hours of hiking to meet up with a family of 5 piling out of a mini van).

Almost all of the trail is marked (red and white for easy trail,  blue and white for more challenging terrain) with signs indicating direction and hiking time to the next point of interest(examples below). We also had a gps map on our phone if we wanted to triple check anything.

As a note, in North America I find those time/distance signs time estimates to be pretty slow - in Western Europe they are accurate for a quite quick hiker.

Where to fly into for the Tour D’Erna?

This information and map are from the Val Gardena tourism website and can be found in their original form here. I find it to be the most accurate information to anywhere in the Dolomites. The easiest international airport to fly into is Munich. I do find the train systems very was to navigate (even as someone who does not use public transportation ever - I grew up in the country and most places I go are not like Italy and therefore not accessible by transit). But arriving by

By Car

Exit Chiusa/Val Gardena

  • From the north via Innsbruck-Brennero-Chiusa, from the south via Verona-Bolzano-Chiusa. 

  • From there, you’ll arrive in Ortisei after about 20 minutes on the well-marked mountain roads. A few kilometres further, you’ll reach S. Cristina and Selva.

Exit Bolzano Nord

  • From the north via Innsbruck-Brennero-Bolzano, from the south via Verona-Bolzano.

  • Exit the motorway at Bolzano-Nord, follow the main road toward Brennero until the Ponte Gardena exit, then take the SS242 to Val Gardena. After about 20 minutes, you’ll reach Ortisei and a few kilometres further, S. Cristina and Selva.

By Train

  • When travelling by train, you can leave your car at home. Instead, you’ll arrive at your destination quickly, safely and stress-free by avoiding traffic, tolls, refuelling or poor weather conditions.

  • Travel times, costs and ticket information can be found online. The closest train stations are Ponte Gardena, Chiusa, Bressanone and Bolzano. From there, you can travel by bus or taxi.

Search for a Connection

By Bus

  • Val Gardena can be reached comfortably and affordably by bus. Whether you want to plan your entire journey by bus or are only looking for transport to Val Gardena from an airport or train station, there are many options available. There are also convenient bus connections with frequent departure times for getting around Val Gardena later on.

Search for a Connection

Can you camp instead of staying in huts?

Kind of… but it is more of a legal grey area in Italy.

Erna and I love camping but opted out of it on this trip for two reasons:

  1. We wanted to experience the European hut system and;

  2. We did not want to carry heavy packs given the distances we would be covering every day.

You didn’t hear it from me, but you can not-so officially: “Wild camping” is not legal, yet is possible in the higher, undeveloped areas. It is more commonly referred to as “Bivouacking” or “camping between dusk and dawn with a non-permanent structure, such as a tent, in a non urban area (above treeline)” - there are a number of areas along the route that this is strictly forbidden.

Regardless, stay in at least a few huts. They are worth the splurge for the experience (and food) alone.

What are the mountain huts/refuges like?

Mountain refuges in Europe are nothing like North American hiking huts. They range from high alpine hotels to more dormitory style rustic hostels.

The rooms in the huts are large and contain anywhere from 4-16 beds(generally bunk beds stacked two or three high) or you can opt for a private room for a little bit more money (you will need to book in advance to secure these).

You’ll be provided with a mattress, pillow, and blanket, but you will need to bring your own sac à viande (meat bag or sleeping bag liner) and pillowcase. I outline all of this in my packing guide.

Most refuges provide half-pension (also called demi-pension or half board). This includes your bed for the night, as well as dinner and breakfast. Dinner is often a lavish, multi-course affair.

They can typically cater to vegetarians, vegans and those with gluten free diets with a few days notice. Breakfast is very simple and typically consists of cold cereal, bread with butter and jam, and tea/coffee. Some will have eggs though which is a true luxury.

Although you can bring your own food, I found the dinner to always be worth the cost  - even if the breakfasts were very basic compared to what I am used to. Plus, it’s a very social time to swap stories with fellow hikers and alpinists alike.

The cost of these huts vary from 60 - 150 euro per night including  half-pension.

Notes that apply to some, but not all, of the huts:

  • Alcohol and snacks can be purchased a-la-carte.

  • A packed lunch can usually be ordered for the next day (around 15 euro)

  • Electronic charging may be an additional fee

  • Showers are typically 1 euro/minute but I did outline the fees at our huts below

  • Some huts will have wifi but I would not rely on it

  • Not all have potable water, you can bring a water filter like a SteriPen for when it is not avail but bottled water can also be purchased

  • Bed bugs have been reported in some huts, call in advance

  • Bathrooms are shared

  • The huts get really warm overnight, even at low capacity.

  • People snore, bring good quality earplugs.

What languages are used along the route?

This is the fun part - since the Dolomites (South Tirol) were part of Austria until the end of the First World War - most of the trail speaks German. However it depends valley to valley and Italian is also commonly spoken as well as Ladin. Nearly everyone spoke English with us - and on the trail you greet one another in Italian with a quick “ciao” or “buongiorno”

Just be extra patient and appreciative - remind yourself often that if they are speaking English to you that they are doing you a favour as it is their country in which English is not one of their native tongues. And download a translation app.

What do you eat on the Tour D’Erna?

On our overnight stays in huts we had “half board”.  And for lunch we would stop at a mountain hut on the way and have lunch, Erna’s drink of choice was a radler and I would splurge on my guilty please of an ice cold coca-cola.

At a restaurant or mountain hut:

  • Beer: 5 euro

  • Coffee: 5 euro

  • Pastry: 6 euro

  • Packed lunch from mountain hut: 10-15 euro

  • Lunch from a mountain hut: 15-30 euro

Is there water along the trail?

Yes, unlike in North America, Europeans do not filter their glacial water (unless there is livestock around). There are small “fountains” all along the trail and streams to fill up with that have potable water - I don’t think I ever needed more than 1L at any given time. Just remember to fill up before heading up a pass. And bring electrolytes with you. They are hard to find in Europe.

Will I need cash?

Not really - everyone accepted cards. But I would recommend bringing 150-200 euros per person with you just in case.

Note: USD is not accepted anywhere.

So…how much does it cost to hike the Tour d’Erna?

This was, of course, the biggest question. And while staying in mountain huts is a little bit more rustic… given the remote nature it really isn’t saving you a ton of money (unless you are traveling alone) in comparison to staying in hotels.

The cost for the huts is per person per night and you have a lot of variety when it comes to this. If you are comfortable sleeping in a larger shared dormitory style room and bring your own meals this will be a lot more affordable than staying in private rooms with half board (I would personally not recommend full board - the lunches are very basic and heavy… and you pass huts every day that will have better food for almost the same price)

Flights to/from Europe

This varies depending on where you are flying from and how far advance you book (or if there is a sale). The nearest airports to the Dolomites are with Munich or Milan (most locals recommend flying into Munich)

Transportation

We rented a car and drove from Vienna but I think that using the train system from wherever you fly into will make the most sense. This can be slightly confusing at first but every country has their own train system (and corresponding app) - and the trains typically do not need to be booked in advance. But having the app makes it easier to plan your route. You can also buy tickets at the train platforms - or what I did was plan my train and then purchase the ticket as soon as I got on (just in case I missed the train I was hoping for)

For the lifts we partnered with Dolomiti Superski and had a one week unlimited pass (called the Dolomiti Supersummer card) which you can purchase online and gives you access to all of the lifts across the 15 regions that Dolomiti Superski covers. This is crucial to accomplishing this route in the 6 day timeframe.

Meals and Accommodation on the Tour d’Erna

Budget around 125 euro per person per day if you plan on staying in mountain huts - this includes half fare at the huts and purchasing lunch.

Other

  • Phone plans : I have googleFi which includes international data (if you are thinking about it - click here to use my link to sign up). Otherwise any eSim works. Most of the huts do also have free wifi.

  • Travel Insurance: I purchased via TD as it is who I have my car instance with so it bundles and gives me a discount - it was $300CAD/year (you can only be out of Canada 30 consecutive days). But previously have used Manulife

Packing

For my full Tour d’Erna Packing Guide - click here.

packing guide

Tour D’Erna Route

Note that the distances and elevation gain/loss are numbers given by the organizers of this hike and do not include the distance/elevation that would be required if you chose to not use any of the lifts that we did. I do not believe that this route would be enjoyable without the assists of the lifts/gondolas in this timeframe for anyone except an elite ultra marathon runner. I planned this to be able to cover the most distance possible and show Erna some of the most beautiful parts of the Dolomites in the timeframe that we had.

Map

Click the below map for all of our stops and a few alternate suggestions.

Day one

  • starting point : Corvara (you park just adjacent to the golf course)

  • distance : 2km

  • elevation gain : 266m

  • elevation loss : 0m

  • transport : n/a

  • daily trail time : 40 minutes

  • ending point : Ütia Crep de Munt

View from our bedroom patio. 

thoughts

This was more of a warm up to the trail and Ütia Crep de Munt is more of a luxury hotel than a mountain hut. It is absolutely beautiful. We had our own private room and bathroom - there is even a sauna. If you wanted this to be even easier. You could begin in Corvara and take the Boè chair lift up and then descend 2km to the hut. If you wanted a little bit more a a hut experience I would recommend instead of Ütia Crep de Munt - staying at the Rifugio Franz Kostner al Vallon. It is 3.4km and 589m ascent from Ütia Crep de Munt but if you are using the Dolomiti Supersummer card you can access it via two lifts and a short 15 minute walk.

Notes:

Day two

  • starting point : Ütia Crep de Munt

  • distance : 15.7km (including side quest to Rifugio Franz Kostner al Vallon for morning coffee)

  • elevation gain : 1,444m

  • elevation loss : 678m

  • transport : Up the Vallon chairlift to Rifugio Kostner (lift starts operating at 8.45am) down the Vallon chairlift. Down Boè gondola, then the Borest gondola from Corvara to the Colfosco gondola which you take up to your hike starting point.

  • daily trail time : 7h30

  • lunch : Rifugio Puez

  • ending point : Rifugio Firenze/Regensburgerhütte

thoughts

We had planned on hiking to Rifugio Franz Kostner al Vallon for sunrise but Erna did not sleep well so we decided to sleep in, have breakfast at Ütia Crep de Munt and then take a leisurely morning leaving the hut around 8:30am and heading up the mountain once the lifts had opened to have a leisurely coffee in the morning light. I even ran into one of my guides from Patagonia along this trail. Talk about small world! From there we took the two lifts down into Corvara where Erna decided to purchase hiking poles and I dropped a few things off in our luggage. This pop into town is nice after one night when you have a better feeling for if you over or under packed at all.

The Borest gondola is a more lateral transport and then Colfosco helps you gain some elevation. But not all, it is still over 900m to go up through a very beautiful valley before having lunch at a very crowded Rifugio Puez. I ordered a pasta dish and we sat in the sun - it felt vey Italian Summer. This day was long - we made our way to Rifugio Firenze and arrived just before dinner in time to have a quick shower. We had a three bed room to ourselves. This hut was more rustic but the staff were so incredibly friendly and accommodating (such as me asking for hot water to make coffee at 4am when we went on out sunrise hike the following morning)

Notes: in 2016 I stayed at the Rifugio Fermeda Hütte which is higher in the same valley and it would add more distance/elevation to this day but would put you in a better position for watching sunrise the following morning. There was no availability this year but it is something that I would recommend looking into as an alternative to the Rifugio Firenze/Regensburgerhütte - depending on your preferences.

Showers are available for 3 euro and towels are available to rent. There is wifi but it is on the slower side.

Day three

  • starting point : Rifugio Firenze/Regensburgerhütte

  • distance : 14km

  • elevation gain : 1,178m

  • elevation loss : 689m

  • transport : Fermedacharilift up (lift starts operating at 9.30am) to Seceda viewpoint followed by Furnes Seceda gondola (down) to Ortisei village (short walk cross the valley) to the Ortisei – Alpe di Siusi gondola up.

  • daily trail time :

  • lunch : 6h15

  • ending point : Rifugio Tierser Alpl

thoughts

We woke up around 4am and began hiking at 4:30 for sunrise from the Seceda viewpoint (10km with ~400m ascent/descent roundtrip). Unfortunately for me the sun was rising directly behind Seceda which is not the photos I wanted. In mid October the sun is further south and provides a much nicer side light at sun rise. We ended up taking photos toward Langkofel Mountain instead.

After sunrise we made our way back down to Rifugio Firenze for breakfast. Packed up and Erna took the gondolas per the itinerary (and number above)and I decided to go for a 12km trail run as part of my marathon training plan(as seen on my strava). I do not recommend this. We then met up in Ortisei Village and ate at the top of the Ortisei – Alpe di Siusi gondola. I would probably not recommend eating here. It is extremely expensive, the staff were quite ruse and the food was probably the worst we had the entire trip. There are plenty of smaller huts just a short walk along the trail that I think would be better.

The hike from the Ortisei – Alpe di Siusi gondola to Rifugio Tierser Alpl is not easy (especially in the heat). We ended up taking a small detour into Compatsch to use their restroom and fill up with water. Which extended our hike slightly. At the end there is a large pass to climb - but the Rifugio Tierser Alpl was my favourite accommodation along the trail. Not only is there an extremely beautiful sunset spot 15 minutes form the hut - the food was incredible, the hut its self was really beautiful and the staff were extremely accommodating. We shared a 7 person room with 4 men - don’t forget your ear plugs!.

Notes: Showers at Rifugio Tierser Alpl are 5 euro for 3 minutes of hot water and towels are available to rent. There is also wifi available.

Day four

  • starting point : Rifugio Tierser Alpl

  • distance : 16.5km (not including short 15 minute sunrise hike)

  • elevation gain : 529m

  • elevation loss : 785m

  • transport : You essentially cross one valley by taking the Pradel-Salei gondola down and thenPian Frataces-Gherdecia gondola up the other side. And then the Passo Pordoi – Sass Pordoi tram which saved a lot of elevation gain up to our hut.

  • daily trail time : 5h15

  • lunch : Rifugio Friedrich August

  • ending point : Rifugio Boè/Bambergerhütte

thoughts

We woke up at 5am and left Rifugio Tierser Alpl at 5:30 for a 6am sunrise at the small hill beside Rifugio Tierser Alpl - we then made it back before breakfast started. So we packed up before breakfast ate and began our hike. It turns out that this was an Italian National Holiday and so this trail was PACKED. We stopped for lunch at Rifugio Friedrich August - which was good but very busy and quite expensive for what we ate. It does have very beautiful views and I do not regret this stop. But if you are on a budget it may be one to swap out.

Small detour: We veered off of our path by about 15 minutes to ride the COFFIN LIFT (Forcella Sassolungo). This was more of a novelty and you can find my video on instagram here. It is about 20 minutes up and 20 minutes down. We ended up ending to ride it twice as we were unaware that filming is not allowed without first speaking with the person int he ticket booth. If we were not short on time due to the double lift we would have likely had a coffee at the cafe at the top before riding it town. If you do purchase the Dolomiti Supersummer card I would absolutely take this gondola as a novelty - there are also ways that you could incorporate it into your hiking trail and not as a detour.

After our detour we headed down the Pradel-Salei gondola and then up the Pian Frataces-Gherdecia. Hiked for 30 minutes or so and then made it to the Passo Pordoi – Sass Pordoi tram. This tram felt nostalgic for me as I took it for a sunset hike (photo below) in 2016 with my friends Hayden and Kelsey and we met the boys from the Swiss photography group The Alpinists who have since become some great friends. At the top of this tram we hiked a small ridge line to our home for the night - Rifugio Boè/Bambergerhütte. This is a very cool looking hut and a great place to spend some time. They also make a great cappuccino. The dinner is a set menu with a few choices that you choose from at check in - if you have the option for the polenta with cheese - get that. It is what Erna had, I went for the white steak (which ended up being pork which I do not typically eat) and plain polenta and it was… fine at best.

The rooms are quite modern and we shared a room with two women from Germany - whom Erna woke ups t 3:30am when she spilled the contents of her backpack on the floor when leaving the rom to go and read. This is when she got a lecture form me about having everything ready the night before when sharing a room in a hut.

Notes: Showers at the Rifugio Boè/Bambergerhütte are available for 1 euro per minute and towels are NOT available. There is wifi but it is extremely slow and there is very little cell phone service. The water is not potable and can be purchase for 1euro/litre. This hut is more remote and all services have to be helicoptered in. The experience does reflect this.

Day five

thoughts

I initially asked to swap Rifugio Boè for Rifugio Capanna Piz Fassa di Bernard Guido as it is located right at our sunrise location - Piz Boè, one of the most accessible 3,000m mountains in the Italian Alps. However it was only a 22 minute hike up in the morning so I should truly not complain. Sunrise from Piz Boè is 100% worth the hike up. And Erna even conned the hut into selling her a cup of coffee (for me) at 6:30am upon thanking her for the coffee her reply was, and I quote “ you are a lot more enjoyable to be a round one you’ve had a cup of coffee”. I do not disagree and will try my best to appreciate Erna and her lack of fear when asking questions even when she knows the answer is likely no.

After sunrise we sprinted down to make it in time for breakfast at Rifugio Boè - which I will say was very disappointing. There is no ordering specialty coffee (most will do this for an additional charge) and the breakfast was a buffet of cheese and meat as well as granola and yogurt but you are only allowed one piece of bread and one small bun. Typically there is no limit on carbs.

From breakfast we packed but knew that this day was exceptionally short so were in no rush. We left Rifugio Boè in the later afternoon and did our 3.7km hike to Rifugio Pisciadù still making it before lunch. This trail is mostly easy as it wraps along a broad plateau but there is a small section wherein the trail is quite washed out and steep. I would be careful when crossing this section it is just as you drop into the basin for Rifugio Pisciadù.

We ate lunch at Rifugio Pisciadù (I had the mushroom polenta and added cheese - do this it is 10/10 incredible and Erna had their signature pasta which was also good). There is a lake that people were swimming in but by the time I got around the ring down it was quite windy so I opt’ed to not get in (and slightly regret it).

Erna and I were to hike up Piz Piscadù for sunrise but decided to try our luck at sunset instead and it was beautiful. We left the hut at 7pm and arrived at ~7:45pm, 30 minutes before sunset and were treated to a spectacular show. We even got down before dark and Rifugio Pisciadù saved our dessert for our return (dinner was at 6:30 so we only had our first 2 courses before we had to leave).

Notes: Showers are not always available. It sounded like some days they open the showers at 3pm some days there are no showers. If there are showers they are 1euro/minute. No towels are available. The wifi here is pretty weak but there is cell phone service.

Day six

  • starting point : Rifugio Pisciadù

  • distance : 7.1km

  • elevation gain : 9m

  • elevation loss : 1,350m

  • transport : Borest to Corvara town and Boé up (followed by a short hike back down to your car)

  • daily hike time : 2h30

  • ending point : Corvara (you park just adjacent to the golf course)

thoughts

Our final day. I feel if you have made it this far you will notice that this trip was structured with three really long hard days and three very casual days but it was a loop that ended us right where we started and that was the plan. This was all downhill (RIP to your knees) - we took photos at sunrise from the hut and then packed up. Breakfast was good (salami, cheese and bread with optional preserves) but the coffee was terrible - I ended up asking for hot water and quietly made a Starbucks via.

And then we hiked out. It was mostly uneventful. A few sections that had iron ropes in place for added support. But just a very downhill downhill into town where we met the Borest gondola that took us to Corvara. We ended up meeting with a friend who works at Alta Badia tourism for a coffee at Berghotel Ladinia (which was the very first inn in Alta Badia). It has amazing coffee and a beautiful ambiance. I would highly recoemdn stopping by on your way out of town. We were given a ride to our car but had we not, we would have taken the Boè gondola up and had a short 30 minute hike back down to our car and starting point.

Notes:

Also! My full GPS tracks are available by following me on Strava (you can find each day by looking at August 10-16, 2024). But I did try to build a map of what this hike would look like without supports on strava. You can find it via the button below.

Tour d'Erna on Strava

*Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission on any purchase made - at no additional cost to you. As always, all ideas and opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own. Thank you for your support!

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Andrea Ference
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