Tre Cime di Lavaredo Hike Our First Day in the Dolomites
Cloud Nine Outdoors
417 views
We’re hiking the incredible Tre Cime di Lavaredo in the Italian Dolomites – and this was our very first proper adventure of the trip.
Starting from Rifugio Auronzo, we take on the full Tre Cime circuit, walking around one of the most famous mountain landscapes in Italy. The views were honestly unlike anything we’d experienced before.
Unfortunately, we'd both arrived in the Dolomites carrying a pretty rough virus, so hiking at around 2,500 metres made things considerably harder than we'd expected!
Along the way we visit the mountain rifugios, stop at Rifugio Lavaredo, try some proper Dolomites food, enjoy strudel, bratwurst, speck, local cheese and — naturally — a couple of well-earned beers.
We also discover what the Tre Cime trail is actually like underfoot, how busy it was in late September, what the altitude felt like, and whether paying to drive all the way up to Rifugio Auronzo was worth it.
On our visit, parking at Rifugio Auronzo cost €40 for a pre-booked time slot, which allowed us to start the hike right from the top rather than walking or catching the bus up.
What was supposed to be around a five-mile circuit eventually became roughly eight miles after our various detours, rifugio stops and attempts to find quieter sections of the trail.
And then somebody's backpack — complete with an iPad inside — decided to make its own way down the mountain...
This is the first video from our Dolomites series, with plenty more to come from one of the most spectacular places we've ever visited.
🥾 Route: Tre Cime di Lavaredo Circuit
📍 Start: Rifugio Auronzo
🏔️ Location: Italian Dolomites
📏 Our distance: Approx. 8 miles
⛰️ Highest altitude: Approx. 2,500 metres
📅 Filmed: September 2026
🗺️ Download our GPX route: https://connect.garmin.com/app/activi...
If you're planning a trip to the Dolomites or thinking about hiking Tre Cime di Lavaredo, hopefully this gives you a realistic idea of what to expect.
If you enjoy real-world hiking adventures, gear testing and exploring incredible places without pretending everything always goes perfectly, consider subscribing to Cloud Nine Outdoors.
More Dolomites adventures coming very soon.
#TreCimeDiLavaredo #Dolomites #Hiking
CHAPTERS
00:00 Rifugio Auronzo & our Tre Cime plan
01:49 Our car hire disaster
04:17 Starting the Tre Cime circuit
06:42 Rifugio Lavaredo
08:26 Heading around Tre Cime
11:11 The runaway backpack!
14:14 How busy is Tre Cime?
16:29 Dolomites food, beer & strudel
18:22 Choosing our route around the peaks
19:32 Salewa Rapace boots on Dolomite scree
22:36 The toughest climb of the day
25:19 Final rifugio & local food
28:50 Completing the Tre Cime loop
6 Comments
I certainly wouldn't want to slip and end up like that guys Rucksack though !! Thank you for sharing.
Did you get Bombed by an Eagle or something at the end ???
Tre Cime di Lavaredo Hike Our First Day in the Dolomites
Cloud Nine Outdoors
417 views
We’re hiking the incredible Tre Cime di Lavaredo in the Italian Dolomites – and this was our very first proper adventure of the trip.
Starting from Rifugio Auronzo, we take on the full Tre Cime circuit, walking around one of the most famous mountain landscapes in Italy. The views were honestly unlike anything we’d experienced before.
Unfortunately, we'd both arrived in the Dolomites carrying a pretty rough virus, so hiking at around 2,500 metres made things considerably harder than we'd expected!
Along the way we visit the mountain rifugios, stop at Rifugio Lavaredo, try some proper Dolomites food, enjoy strudel, bratwurst, speck, local cheese and — naturally — a couple of well-earned beers.
We also discover what the Tre Cime trail is actually like underfoot, how busy it was in late September, what the altitude felt like, and whether paying to drive all the way up to Rifugio Auronzo was worth it.
On our visit, parking at Rifugio Auronzo cost €40 for a pre-booked time slot, which allowed us to start the hike right from the top rather than walking or catching the bus up.
What was supposed to be around a five-mile circuit eventually became roughly eight miles after our various detours, rifugio stops and attempts to find quieter sections of the trail.
And then somebody's backpack — complete with an iPad inside — decided to make its own way down the mountain...
This is the first video from our Dolomites series, with plenty more to come from one of the most spectacular places we've ever visited.
🥾 Route: Tre Cime di Lavaredo Circuit
📍 Start: Rifugio Auronzo
🏔️ Location: Italian Dolomites
📏 Our distance: Approx. 8 miles
⛰️ Highest altitude: Approx. 2,500 metres
📅 Filmed: September 2026
🗺️ Download our GPX route: https://connect.garmin.com/app/activi...
If you're planning a trip to the Dolomites or thinking about hiking Tre Cime di Lavaredo, hopefully this gives you a realistic idea of what to expect.
If you enjoy real-world hiking adventures, gear testing and exploring incredible places without pretending everything always goes perfectly, consider subscribing to Cloud Nine Outdoors.
More Dolomites adventures coming very soon.
#TreCimeDiLavaredo #Dolomites #Hiking
CHAPTERS
00:00 Rifugio Auronzo & our Tre Cime plan
01:49 Our car hire disaster
04:17 Starting the Tre Cime circuit
06:42 Rifugio Lavaredo
08:26 Heading around Tre Cime
11:11 The runaway backpack!
14:14 How busy is Tre Cime?
16:29 Dolomites food, beer & strudel
18:22 Choosing our route around the peaks
19:32 Salewa Rapace boots on Dolomite scree
22:36 The toughest climb of the day
25:19 Final rifugio & local food
28:50 Completing the Tre Cime loop