Hut to Hut Hike - Alpina Capanna to Rifugio Fanes

Mountain spring water

Day one of the hut-to-hut hike. Manuela drove us to San Cassiano, where we set off into the Fanes-Sennes-Braies Nature Park — a 25,000-hectare protected area in the heart of the Dolomites, established in 1980 and home to chamois, ibex, marmots, and eagles, among other things that are better at altitude than we are. Our route would take in a section of the Alta Via 1, one of the most iconic long-distance trekking routes in the Alps, stretching 125 kilometres from Lake Braies in the north all the way to Belluno.

Manuela had presented us with options of varying difficulty. We briefly considered the hardest — also, naturally, the most scenic — before yesterday's cycling legs cast a decisive vote. The "easiest" option it was, which also bought us an extra half hour in bed. A win.

The trail began at Capanna Alpina with a forty-minute uphill climb to Col de Locia, after which it levelled out into a gentler path of rolling ups and downs through pristine alpine landscape. The kind I never seem to tire of, for the record. Lunch was at the small and rather charming Rifugio Gran Fanes, tucked into the plateau.

Manuela had suggested we might explore further trails upon reaching Rifugio Fanes, our lodging for the night, as options abound. That did not happen. We were simply glad to have arrived. We relaxed until dinner — simple, hearty mountain food — and called it a very adequate day.

The most stylish latte glass I've seen

My hiking pack for our 3 day hike. I'm happy with my effort! My normal travel backpack to the right for comparison

Our starting point of Capanna Alpina

I promise we did not set out to be matchy matchy. Ewghh

The first of many ascents (written in retrospect...)

Wildflower a plenty

I really should google all the different types because I love them!

Looking back down to Val Badia

The top grassy plateau behind Malcolm on the right was where we cycled up to yesterday

Snack time brought to you by...Singapore Airlines!

I never tire of seeing this

Hurray for rolling hills!

The setting was so magical, these horses should really be unicorns! Just so hard to capture on camera the feel of the place

Even the cows were happy and content

Postcard views

Lunchtime!

This was just called mountain pasta. Essential speck with cheese

We are hiking a part of the Alta Via 1

Somewhere down there was our rifugio for the night

Rifugio Fanes. Simple but very comfortable

Yay we don't have to sleep in the elements tonight!

We celebrated with a very yummy apple strudel. Strudels are not usually one my favourite desserts so that says a lot!

Salute!

All huts have boot rooms. Ski boots in winter and hiking boots in summer. You wear slippers inside

Our basic but very clean room. This was a private room with our own bathroom. Most rifugios are on a dorm basis.

View from our window/door

Our bathroom. Not all rifugios provide toiletries. If they do, it is very basic usually an all in one soap/shampoo

A Postcard on Two Wheels

This photo is mine! The stunning Pralongia plateau

Today was cycling day.

Cycling has never been my activity of choice, largely on account of a coccyx injury sustained as a child, which means every bike ride becomes an extended negotiation between me and my backside. And yet here I am, apparently honouring an annual tradition of reluctantly climbing onto a bicycle while on holiday.

Andrei, our guide, met us at the hotel and led us the gruelling twenty metres to the bike rental shop, where we collected our e-bikes and were given an instruction session considerably longer than I'd anticipated. Power modes, how to adjust the seat mid-ride (something I'd genuinely never encountered before), tips for climbing and descending on gravel, how and when to use the front and back brakes, and how to shift my weight appropriately...My brain was desperately trying to retain all of it while quietly wondering if it was too late to swap today's activity for a café.

Thankfully, the scenery distracted me almost immediately.

Our route took us through the beautiful villages of Colfosco, Corvara, La Villa and San Cassiano before climbing steadily towards the Pralongià Plateau at around 2,100 metres. "Steadily" is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence. Even with an e-bike, a continuous uphill climb is still... uphill. But every pedal stroke was rewarded. Jagged limestone peaks, green meadows, wooden huts, church steeples. Richard pointed out that it genuinely felt like someone had taken the Windows screensaver from the early 2000s and made it three-dimensional. And he was right. 

We refuelled at Rifugio Bioch with another hearty mountain lunch, sitting out the first round of afternoon rain before starting the descent.

If the climb tested my legs, the descent tested everything else. Steep gravel, switchbacks, and the occasional reminder that gravity remains undefeated. It was physically demanding, mentally exhausting, and at times just plain scary. The now-familiar daily thunderstorm was closing in by the final stretch, which turned the last kilometres into a genuine sprint back to the bike shop.

We made it. My quads are cooked, and my backside feels like it's been in a pub brawl, but we made it.

Sadly, I have not yet mastered the art of taking photos while riding a bike without falling off, so many of today's photos are courtesy of the boys.

Tomorrow, the boots come out, and we start our three-day hut-to-hut hike.

Still smiling practising at the parking lot

Crossing or cycling along the river in the Valley

Group photo!

Thank you to Richard for this photo

Um no to cycling on this

Just finished the ascent of the forest bit

Very happy to make it to the plateau!

No photo can do justice to what the eye can see 360 degrees

Many paths for cyclists and hikers

Local antipasti. So delish!

Chairs with the best view

Rifugio Bioch

Fancy dinner back at our hotel

Pepper steak

Golf At Altitude

A fantastic morning of golf!

Manuela picked us up at 9am and drove us over Passo Gardena into the neighbouring Val Badia. The journey offered an unscheduled glimpse into one of the Dolomites' growing pains, tour buses and overconfident drivers navigating narrow mountain roads with cheerful disregard for anyone else on them. What should have been thirty minutes took the better part of an hour.

The destination, however, was worth it. Golf Club Alta Badia in Corvara sits at the foot of the Sella massif, a nine-hole course widely regarded as one of the most beautiful in the Dolomites, and it earns that reputation without much argument. This was Mal's day, really; golf in the Dolomites with his university days golfing buddy had been on his list for some time. I'll direct you to his FindPenguin post for a proper account, because if I'm honest, when I look at the photos I genuinely cannot tell one hole from another. Don't tell him that...

Lunch was at the nearby Rifugio Boconara — simple, hearty, and set against views of Mount Sassongher, the Boé massif and Passo Gardena that made it very easy to linger. There was, of course, a full golf debrief. These things are non-negotiable.

In the words of Rocky from Project Hail Mary - Amaze, amaze, amaze!!

The full experience must include golf carts

An easy and scenic walk to lunch

Rifugio Boconara

Hugo or Aperol elderflower to enjoy the view with

The yummiest mushroom and truffle tagliatelle

When in the Dolomites...dumplings the go

Manuela then collected us and delivered us to our accommodation for the next two nights: the very lovely Hotel Cappella. I had not previously considered that I might need two bathrooms in a hotel room. I now know that I do. On account of the views I can see out of our windows and balconies (yes plural), I now also need to learn more synonyms for "scenic".

Dinner was included on a half-board basis, which meant we didn't have to think about it — always a bonus after a long day. It turned out to be a multi-course affair, complete with salad bar, cheese buffet and dessert buffet. The quality was a little hit and miss, if I'm being honest, but the overall experience was undeniably fancy, and sometimes that's enough.

Our first sitting room

Our bedroom at the end of the hallway

Bathroom & toilet one with the bath

Bathroom and toilet 2 with the shower

View from balcony one

Balcony 2

View of balcony 2. Balcony 3 offers more views...

The indoor pool

The indoor/outdoor pool

The outdoor whirlpool

Sun loungers in the garden area

View from the hotel dining room into the town of Colfosco

Cheese anyone?

Half of the dessert bar

Appetiser

Soup - mountain potato with truffle

Starter. Tagliatelle with porcini and venison ragout

Veal fillet

Cheers to another excellent day!