Rifugio Coldai

A classic stop on Alta Via 1, at the foot of Civetta and just above Lago di Coldai.

Rifugio Sonino al Coldai stands at 2,132 metres at the foot of the huge wall of Monte Civetta, just above Lago di Coldai, a small emerald lake watched over by the Torre di Coldai. It is a classic stage on Alta Via 1, the long trek that crosses the Dolomites north to south, so multi-day walkers pass through all the time. Built in 1905 and renovated several times since, it belongs to the CAI Venice section and carries the name of Venetian mountaineer Adolfo Sonino, to whose memory it was dedicated in 1932. The setting plays the hard rock faces off against the soft meadows and the lake nearby.

You walk up from the Palafavera area or from Rifugio Capanna Trieste, on trails that climb towards the Civetta. The kitchen does solid mountain food, just what you need to refuel on the long Alta Via stages. With around eighty beds plus a winter room, it is in heavy demand from Alta Via 1 walkers who want to break the trek somewhere this good. The season runs roughly from late June to mid or late September.

The starting point is the Palafavera area, along the Zoldo road, or Rifugio Capanna Trieste in Val Corpassa, where the trails climb towards Monte Civetta. You drive to the parking areas where the routes begin, with any fees to be checked for the current year. From there you walk uphill on the trails towards the Civetta, allowing for a serious height gain. The hut opens roughly from late June to mid or late September, so that is the right window to go. As a stage on Alta Via 1, it sees a lot of walkers in the main trekking season. Set off early in the morning so you have time for the climb and for Lago di Coldai just beyond.

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