Cortina, Dolomites Trail Running Guided

A shared Run the Alps shuttle will take you from Venice airport to Cortina d’Ampezzo, about a two-hour drive. After checking into your hotel, you’ll have a little time to explore the town before meeting your guide. We’ll have a trip orientation, including a chance to get to know everybody in the group and talk through the route, gear, and weather, and set our expectations for the days ahead. We’ll finish the evening with a delicious dinner in the hotel restaurant.

After a short taxi ride, we’ll take a wooded trail up to the Rifugio Cinque Torri, then through the dramatic, rocky landscape of the iconic Cinque Torri. A technical trail leads us to another possible refreshment stop at the beautiful Passo Giau. From here, we join a quieter section of the famous Alta Via 1, circling the jagged spires of Croda da Lago, before a fun descent to wooded trails back to Cortina.

With the day’s effort over, we’ll enjoy an aperitif at one of Cortina’s many restaurants along the pedestrian-friendly downtown, perhaps taking in the end of the afternoon at an outdoor terrace.

We’ll start with a shuttle from Cortina up to the trailhead below Tre Cimes di Lavaredo. From here, we’ll take the main trail directly below the iconic three peaks, then break away on smaller paths that snake their way through the rocky landscape. We pass by the beautiful Lago di Cengia before arriving at Rifugio Zsigmondy to enjoy coffee and fresh apple strudel while admiring the north face of the nearby 3000m peak, Zwolferkofel.

After refueling we’ll join another great trail heading around the back of the Tre Cimes and over the Col de Medo pass. A long and fun forested descent brings us to Lago di Misurina and our hotel for the evening.

After a quick shuttle to Podestagno, we’ll start with a gradual climb up the Valon Scuro. We’re heading for the beautiful Senes plateau, a large expanse of alpine pastures that’s wild feeling, yet also dotted with several rifugios where we can stop for refreshments.

Our route starts to feel increasingly remote as we cross the plateau and climb up to the Senes pass. It’s even wilder as we descend the other side of the pass, zigzagging down steep scree slopes. This remote valley narrows to a gorge before we arrive in the larger and inhabited Val de Mareo. Easy running alongside a river brings us to the village of St Vigilio and our stop for the night.

Today we’ll start with a filling breakfast before the biggest day of the tour! After a cable car ride up to Col d’Ancona, we’ll run through forest and open alpine pastures and up towards Sant Antone pass. The scenery becomes more dramatic and the trail more technical as we draw close to the pass. UTMB’s Lavaredo Ultra 80k tail race also passes this way. The view of the Fanes region at our high point is a worthy reward for our climb. 

A quick descent leads to two refuges from which to choose for a trailside treat! Another gradual climb through wild terrain takes us to our second pass of the day, the Forcella de Medesc, nestled between impressive peaks. A long downhill brings us to the resort village of San Cassiano and a well-earned rest for the night.

A cable car take us up to Piz de Surega above San Cassiano for some easy running across a wide open expanse of alpine pastures. Utia Pralongia is a great spot for coffee, before heading onto quieter and more technical trails below the impressive cliffs of Setsas. Even more impressive are the views of the Marmolada, the highest peak in the Dolomites, looming in the distance. 

We’ll pass through an area of Austrian trenches and fortifications from World War I, and then refuel at a refuge before we start the steep and rugged climb up to Rifugio Lagazuoi. Mount Lagazuoi is rich with wartime history as the Italian and Austrian forces battled for control of this strategically important area. The rifugio, our home for the night, is perched nearly on the summit and offers unparalleled 360° views of the surrounding peaks. 

We’ll bid farewell to this spectacular refuge and head down to Lagazuoi pass. A quick traverse around the rocky mountainside brings us to the Travenanzes pass before descending into the Val de Travenanzes, a wild, remote-feeling and memorable corner of the Dolomites. 

Next, the valley narrows as it deepens and we follow the River Travenanzes as it changes from a mere trickle at the top to a raging torrent below. Competitors in the UTMB Lavaredo Ultra 50k and 120k races are also treated to this scenic route. Later, we traverse above Cortina before descending into the town to close the loop that we started six days prior! 

We’ll celebrate our big adventure and all that we have experienced with a farewell dinner at one of the many fine restaurants in Cortina.

We’ll enjoy a final breakfast together at our hotel before saying our farewells as our tour comes to a close. Those who have opted for the shared transfer to Venice will head off together after breakfast.