A typical day in the Dolomites...
- We usually start each day with a hearty and healthy breakfast and some great Italian coffee. Then we're out the door by 8:30am ready for the day's walk and adventure. We'll either walk right from our hotel or drive to a trail head and walk from there. If we are moving hotels we'll have our bags packed, and if not we'll just have our day packs with a water bottle, camera and a jacket. Some days we might walk to our next hotel and our luggage will be transported for us, or we'll drive there after our days walk in our comfortable van.
- One of the great aspects of the Dolomites is the huge variety of walks for people of all ages and abilities. We always find options so that everyone is happy. We use cable cars to get us up into the mountains and to the better views quicker, and to save our knees on the bigger hills and to extend our range for the day. We'll find a walk that suits you perfectly! All walks are optional, so people can choose to take a shorter or a longer walk, or take a bike ride, hang out and explore a village, or relax at the hotel spa.
- A typical day walk, led by Dolomites guide Gary Scott, would consist of a few hours slow and steady walk in the morning at your own pace, stopping at Refugio's (lodges) along the way for coffee or a soda (and real toilets). We'll walk for another hour or so and stop for a delicious lunch on the sun deck of a refugio (mountain lodge) while we revel in the incredible views before us. After lunch we'll walk for another hour or two, maybe stopping for an drink and a bite of strudel along the way. Pretty much anyone can handle these walks - this is civilized walking not a grueling death hike - and there is often the opportunity to shorten the walk or make it longer - it's up to you.
- We usually get back to our hotel by 3-4pm and then you're free to do whatever you like - take a nap, read a book, relax in the hotel spa, go shopping, explore, or take a bike ride or another walk. People find our walks are enough but not too much, and they enjoy having some time at the end of the day to relax and do their own thing.
- The hotels are very comfortable, quaint and clean with every amenity, and friendly staff who welcome my groups and who treat us very well. We often meet for a drink in a local bar before heading out to sample the local cuisine at one of my favorite restaraunts. The food is another highlight of the trip - you foodies will be very happy! After dinner there are bars, disco's, live music or simply enjoying a gelato as you stroll through the streets.
- We travel as a group but there is never any pressure or demands that you be "groupie" - I want people to do their own thing - and so people can spend time on their own at any time. I consider that this is your trip - I am just there to make it a great one. My job is to have fun and to help you have fun!
- The Dolomites are perfectly suited for adventure and attract hikers, casual walkers, bicyclists, motor- cyclists, road trippers, rock climbers, photographers, skiers, golfers, fishermen and mountain lovers from all over the world. The Dolomites are truly a nature lover’s paradise. The network of paths, many with cable car access, are of various degrees of difficulty for excursions and pass by crystal-clear mountain lakes, green forests and colorful meadows full of sweet-smelling wild flowers of the highlands; gentian and edelweiss, primroses and dwarf rhododendron greet the wanderer as the falcon swoops above in the sky.
