Tre Cime di Lavaredo hike

The Tre Cime di Lavaredo loop: mountains that have become victims of their own success

Before describing the walk around the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, a few words are in order. If you really want to experience these mountains at their best, forget about visiting this magnificent corner of the Dolomites in summer. Take note of the advice below and wait until autumn to explore the stony paths beneath these three legendary peaks.

The reason for this, which you may or may not share, is as follows: this area is so beautiful and famous that it has become a victim of its success. In summer, hordes of motley-colored tourists swarm like crazed ants along the path that leads from Rifugio Auronzo past Rifugio Lavaredo and the Lavaredo col down to Rifugio Locatelli—Drei Zinnen Hütte. walk around the tre cime

You’ll stumble across a bit of everything, from rowdy school trips with leaders who are undoubtedly well-intentioned but who probably don’t know how precious silence is to fully enjoy the mountains, to barking dogs and crying children asking parents, weighed down by enormous rucksacks, how much further they still need to walk. Then inevitably you’ll hear a group shouting at the top of their voices, trying to listen to their echo; the “alpinists” preparing to deal with the De Luca – Innerkofler ferrata, headlamps already fixed to their helmets, harnesses filled to the brim with countless, unnecessary jingling carabiners; smartphones on speakerphone broadcasting conversations that everyone is forced to listen to; music blaring from Bluetooth speakers, as though even up here a soundtrack were essential; people more interested in framing their next selfie than in the scenery before them. Meanwhile, a local choir nearby sings “Signore delle Cime” (“Lord of the Mountains”).

What I’ve just written probably won’t please some… I don’t consider myself backward or an indefatigable traditionalist, but I love my mountains, and all this seems out of place. It hurts and bothers me. So I’ll state it clearly and unashamedly: I don’t enjoy the Tre Cime di Lavaredo in summer.

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It’s far more likely that you’ll chance across some marmots. These beautiful rodents tend to shy away from the summer crowds. Still, they scamper happily across the grassy slopes in autumn, searching for the food they’ll need during their long winter hibernation, generally from October to April.

Almost all flowers will indeed have disappeared, but the smell of wilting valerian will fill the air. Below the peaks, the larch trees turn into a rich golden color, transforming the forest into an enchanting kingdom. walk around the tre cime

With rare exceptions, autumn days are already too cold for climbing the legendary north faces of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo. On favourable days, however, the sunlit routes offer more pleasant and peaceful climbing, provided you take the shorter daylight hours and rock conditions into account.

If you can only visit in summer, I recommend setting off very early in the morning, even at dawn: the effort of getting up so early will be amply rewarded by the spectacle of sunrise and the silence that still reigns for a few precious hours.

Don’t follow the crowds like sheep at the height of the tourist season simply because this place is famous worldwide and you want to say, “I’ve been to the Tre Cime too — what a beautiful place!”

You would miss the very essence of these mountains and take home a distorted impression of them.

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Access

There are three main ways to reach the Tre Cime di Lavaredo: Cortina d’Ampezzo, Auronzo and Toblach. From each of these, you have to reach Misurina:
From Cortina, drive over Passo Tre Croci via the SR 48; from Auronzo, take the SR 48 to Misurina; from Toblach, take the SS 51 Alemagna, turning off left (east) at Carbonin, and continue along the SS 48a.walk around the tre cime

From Misurina, take the toll road up to the southern side of the Tre Cime and park near Rifugio Auronzo, where the road ends. Advance online booking is required for the car park. Before planning your walk, check the official website for availability, current prices and access information.

Route description

The path around the Tre Cime di Lavaredo is generally well signposted. The loop is usually walked anticlockwise, although it is equally rewarding in the opposite direction.

Bear in mind that in autumn the north faces remain in shade, even at sunset. In summer, however, they briefly catch the sun’s warm rays at both sunrise and sunset.

Here I describe the Tre Cime di Lavaredo loop in an anticlockwise direction. The starting point is Rifugio Auronzo, at 2,330 m (7,644 ft) on Forcella Longéres. From the hut, follow the obvious dirt road eastwards (CAI trail no. 101), following the signs for Rifugio Lavaredo, 1.7 km (1.1 miles) away.

The dirt road initially overlooks Val Marzon, where a winding path (trail no. 104) descends to Cason della Crosera, at 1,350 m (4,429 ft), and onwards towards Auronzo di Cadore. In winter, this valley is known for its long off-piste ski descent, best enjoyed in spring snow conditions.

Above us rises Croda del Rifugio, which together with Sasso di Landro forms the southern outlying rocks of Cima Ovest. On the opposite side, to our right (south), beyond the flat summit of Monte Campedelle, stands the beautiful Cadini di Misurina group, with its many spires and pinnacles bearing evocative names.

From the start, you can already see the small chapel of Santa Maria Ausiliatrice in the distance, beside the track ahead. It was built in memory of the many soldiers who died from hardship or in battle during the First World War. About 50 metres (165 ft) before the chapel, keen-eyed walkers may notice a boulder on the left of the path bearing two large three-toed fossil footprints, each 30 centimetres (12 inches) long, discovered in 1992.

From the chapel, all three peaks are now visible above us: Cima Ovest on the left, Cima Grande in the middle and Cima Piccola on the right.

We soon reach Rifugio Lavaredo, at 2,344 m (7,690 ft), beneath Cima Piccola. Despite its name, Cima Piccola actually consists of three distinct summits: Cima Piccola, Punta di Frida and Cima Piccolissima. This sometimes confuses visitors: it is not unusual to hear the group’s self-appointed expert pointing up and announcing, “Look, there are the Tre Cime!” 🙂

From the hut, continue towards Forcella Lavaredo, at 2,454 m (8,051 ft). You can either follow the dirt road or take the clear path on the left, which climbs across the scree beneath Punta di Frida and Cima Piccolissima. Either way, the ascent takes about 20 minutes, and the view from the pass is truly spectacular!

To our left, the towering north faces of the Tre Cime rise majestically above us. Ahead, in the distance, stands Rifugio Locatelli, towards which the dirt road leads. Behind it is the small Torre di Toblin, with Punta dei Tre Scarperi, Piatta Alta, Piatta Bassa, Croda dei Rondoi and Monte Rudo further beyond. To the left, westwards, rises the imposing bulk of Croda Rossa d’Ampezzo.

The route now descends along the dirt road towards Rifugio Locatelli. Alternatively, a more exposed path leads to the same destination along the foot of Monte Paterno. This path includes a couple of footbridges; it is not technically difficult, but requires sure-footedness and confidence on mountain paths.

After about half an hour, we reach a junction. To visit nearby Rifugio A. Locatelli, at 2,405 m (7,890 ft), either continue along the dirt road or take the clearly signposted shortcut on the right.

If you prefer to skip the hut, turn left (south) and head downhill to another junction a short distance away. Here, take the left-hand path (CAI trail no. 105), which zigzags downhill, quickly losing height until it reaches the grassy Pian da Rin, at 2,192 m (7,192 ft).

On reaching the pass, another magnificent panorama opens up: to our right (south-west) are the northern slopes of Monte Cristallo and Piz Popena; ahead, beyond Lake Misurina, stands the shadowy Sorapìs massif; closer by, on our left, the Cadini di Misurina come into view once again.

The walk is almost over. Another 15 minutes brings us back to our starting point, completing the circuit around these extraordinary Dolomite peaks — legendary mountains whose unique beauty is known worldwide and whose faces have helped shape the history of mountaineering.

Huts

Rifugio Auronzo: Tel. +39 0435 39002
Rifugio Lavaredo
Rifugio A. Locatelli (Dreizinnenhütte): Tel. +39 0474 972002
Langalm – Capanna dei Pastori

Times and distances

From Rifugio Auronzo to Rifugio Lavaredo: about 30 minutes – 1.7 km (1.1 miles)
From Rifugio Lavaredo to Forcella Lavaredo: about 20 minutes – 1.0 km (0.6 miles), via the dirt road
From Forcella Lavaredo to Rifugio Locatelli: about 40 minutes – 1.9 km (1.2 miles), via the dirt road
From Rifugio Locatelli to Malga dei Pastori: about 1 hour 20 minutes – 2.8 km (1.7 miles)
From Malga dei Pastori to Rifugio Auronzo: about 40 minutes – 2.1 km (1.3 miles)

Total time

Approximately 3 hours 30 minutes, excluding breaks.walk around the tre cime

Length

9.5 km (5.9 miles)

Total ascent

405 m (1,329 ft)

Total descent

410 m (1,345 ft)

Toll road

Related post:
Do you want to read about my adventure on the north wall of Cima Grande di Lavaredo?

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