Hiking in the Fassa Dolomites - hut to hut through Marmolada, Sella and Sassolungo mountain groups

This is one of the most renowned itineraries of the Dolomites. It leads to the discovery of the most scenic landscapes of Val di Fassa while enjoying an extraordinary variety of natural sceneries. 

The itinerary we are presenting you goes from Marmolada, the largest glacier of the Dolomites, to Viel del Pan, the vast alpine pastures overlooking Lake Fedaia to then reach the desert of rocks in the heart of Sella mountain group. Here, the conquer of Piz Boè begins. With its 3.152 m a.s.l. Piz Boè represents the highest peak of Sella massif, although it is considered one of the easiest 3000 peaks of the Dolomites. The route continues crossing Sassolungo, hiking literally in the heart of the Dolomites, and ends reaching the fairytale meadows of Val Duron.

Three Dolomites groups in a single hut-to-hut hiking tour, a unique experience through the iconic symbols of Val di Fassa.

Program details 

• Day 1 - MARMOLADA 
  Ascent: +790m. Descent: -680m. Distance: 10km. Hiking time: 5h.
  Meeting at 08:00 am with our Mountain Guide at Karerpass. Private transfer to the trailhead in Passo San Pellegrino (1.920 m). We start the hike entering in the Marmolada group, taking the slopes of the Monzoni group - the first mountain chain of the Dolomites on your itinerary.
  With the Monte Civetta in the background, we hike to the Fuciade basin first and to the hut of the same name then. From here, we hike up along meadows and gravel to Pas da le Cirele (2.682 m). We have few people hiking in this area and there are good chances of sighting wild animals, as for example the Alpine ibex. They are not fearful of hikers and can “pose” for cameras for long periods of time. We now have a stunning view  on the south side of Marmolada and start descending towards the hut where we are going to spend the night. Dinner and overnight stay in hut (2.016 m).
   
• Day 2 - LAKE FEDAIA
  Ascent: +1190m. Descent: -1180m. Distance: 18km. Hiking time: 7h.
  The hike starts ascending to Rifugio Passo San Pellegrino, where we have a stunning view on Sella, Pordoi and Marmolada mountain groups. We face one of the most difficult passages of the hiking tour at the Forcia Neigra, where there is a short stretch of equipped trail easy to take with the help of the Mountain Guide. Having crossed the forcella, a quite steep descent begins. It brings us to the grassy hollow of Ciampac, a beautiful natural amphitheater which offers an amazing view of the Sella group. Here there are several huts for a break, to then continue descending to reach the small town of Alba. The last part of today’s hike develops on a trail that from ages is used by pilgrims as the main route to cross southern Val di Fassa. It goes uphill until we reach Lake Fedaia, where we spend the night. Dinner and overnight stay in hut (2.053 m).
   
• Day 3 - VIEL DAL PAN
  Ascent: +1250m. Descent: -740m. Distance: 12km. Hiking time: 6h.
  Today’s we are headed to the Sella mountain group – a petrified coral atoll that had formed in a prehistoric ocean. We start hiking on one of the most scenic trails of the Dolomites: the Viel dal Pan. This trail follows an ancient route once walked by bread merchants between Veneto and Trentino regions, while crossing vast grassy slopes near the ridge line. The “road of merchants” offers stunning views of the Marmolada glacier on the opposite side and the still azure waters of Fedaia Lake at the foot of the massif. We reach Rifugio Viel dal Pan and continue without important elevation changes until reaching Passo Pordoi. From the mountain pass, we walk to the Ossario del Pordoi, a war memorial dedicated to the Germanic fallen of the two World Wars. Dolomites were indeed an important theatre of the WWI battles. From here, the hike itinerary continues at higher altitudes and it is fully “dolomitic”. You hike the south-eastern side of the Sella group on terrain of different types: gravel, soil and rocky terrain. The impressive landscape of Sella, famous for the lunar landscape of its highland regions, accompanies us to the hut. Dinner and overnight stay in hut (2.536 m).
   
• Day 4 - PIZ BOÈ
  Ascent: +900m. Descent: -1220m. Distance: 12km. Hiking time: 7h.
  We start ascending Piz Boè, the highest point of the itinerary at 3.152 meters above sea level. Now we are on the top of Sella group and ready to descend its western side through new stunning lunar landscapes. The descent is long and challenging and brings us to Passo Sella. Here we enjoy a sunset with a view of a new dolomitic mountain range: the Sassolungo group. Dinner and overnight stay in 4-star hotel (2.180 m).
   
• Day 5 - SASSOLUNGO
  Ascent: +870m. Descent: -1190m. Distance: 12km. Hiking time: 6h.
  On the last hiking day we hike across Sassolungo, with technical rocky terrain. We start ascending to Rifugio Demetz, located in one of the most suggestive locations of the Dolomites. We are in a narrow gorge that bisects the massif and the hut is at the top of it. We start the descent to Rifugio Vicenza and take the trail that circumnavigates Sassolungo and Sassopiatto with new views on Catinaccio mountain range. After the last regenerating break of the hike at Rifugio Sasso Piatto, a short descent to Rifugio Micheluzzi in Val Duron. Shuttle and private transfer back to the meeting point.

Additional clarifications

The program could be changed at the discretion of the Campo Base Team / Mountain Guide (UIAGM certified) based on weather conditions and snow levels, maintaining unaltered, however, the basic structure and the aims of the proposal.

Discover our other hiking tours on the Alps