The Lagorai bears no resemblance to the Dolomites that surround it, and you notice immediately: the rock here is not pale limestone but dark volcanic porphyry, giving the entire range a rugged, austere character. The chain stretches more than fifty kilometres and is considered the wildest, least-touched mountain area in Trentino: almost no lifts, few mountain huts, and a great deal of silence. Running along the ridges is the Translagorai, a high-altitude traverse of roughly eighty kilometres from Panarotta to Passo Rolle, reserved for those who are truly fit. And then there are the lakes: more than a hundred are scattered across the high plateaus, and it is from them that the range takes its name.
Walking in the Lagorai means accepting solitude and making it your companion. Here nature is in charge and humans are passing guests — something you see reflected in the traces they have left: along the entire crest, which during the First World War formed the Austro-Hungarian front line, kilometres of trenches, positions, galleries, and barrack ruins still remain. Excursions require fitness, self-sufficiency, and an honest reading of the weather, because shelter points are few and far between. In return, you take home one of the most authentic and intense experiences the mountains of Trentino have to offer.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Lagorai suitable for beginner hikers?
Only in part. Short, accessible loops around the lakes exist, but ridge traversals such as the Translagorai are serious undertakings: good fitness, self-sufficiency, and high-mountain experience are required, because huts are scarce and widely spaced.
Why does the Lagorai look so different from the Dolomites?
Because it is not made of pale dolomitic limestone but of volcanic porphyry. Hence the dark colours, the rugged profile, and that severe air that immediately sets it apart from the pale walls of the neighbouring groups.