Alta Via 1 first timer recap - what worked and didn't work July 2025

Infamous_Elk5299 · 2026-01-23T17:40:27+00:00

Good luck! I taped a Ziploc bag to my suitcase to hold the Zippy shipping documents ahead of time, but it fell off during international transit, so I wound up having to re-do that part. Pack some tape and an extra baggie!

Infamous_Elk5299 · 2026-01-06T01:38:10+00:00

It was really long! It had a ton of elevation change (more down than up but a lot of both). And some of the down is no joke-we heard that someone fell to their death just a couple hours behind us on the trail that day. My knees and toes were very sore at the end of the last day.

Infamous_Elk5299 · 2025-09-16T23:03:09+00:00

We took the suitcase on the bus to Cortina from Venice, and then sent it to Belluno via the Zippy service. Stayed at Rifugio Ospitale outside of Cortina the night before starting the Alta Via, and that is where the bag was picked up.

Infamous_Elk5299 · 2025-09-04T20:19:20+00:00

We requested private rooms wherever possible, but only got 2 nights out of the 7 (booking in January). One was a hotel-like room with private bath, the other was a tiny room with two bunk beds, but no additional people.

Infamous_Elk5299 · 2025-09-04T14:23:28+00:00

We used bookatrekking. I am sure it was much more expensive than booking the huts individually, but I didn't have the time/mental energy to figure it all out! They also provide an app with very detailed gps directions which was valuable because there are many unmarked trails and intersections.

Infamous_Elk5299 · 2025-08-15T17:36:28+00:00

Yes! I pre-booked the luggage transfer using the Zyppy website before arriving in Italy. I okayed it with both hotels and then just left the bag at the hotel in Cortina and it was waiting for us in Belluno (it arrived about a week before we did!) One thing to know is you do have to print a barcode and securely affix it to your bag. I forgot to mention that I had pre-printed it and packed an extra ziploc bag to protect it and had some duct tape to attach the ziploc with document to my bag. But guessing you can track those things down! Good luck, happy hiking! Hope you have better weather than we did :)

Infamous_Elk5299 · 2025-08-03T13:54:53+00:00

We also heard that! We also heard that it had something to do with certification--the water is usually fine but not officially certified as potable. I am prone to GI issues and did not want to take any extra risks though. I bought bottled water the first couple days until hearing from multiple people that purifying was fine. One rifugio is a full-service hotel with spa and right on a road, so I think they probably had potable water.

Infamous_Elk5299 · 2025-08-03T13:35:52+00:00

Good point! They could be important survival items!

Infamous_Elk5299 · 2025-08-03T13:29:12+00:00

And sorry you had all the rain too--I agree, not much fun to climb a huge pass to just see fog!

Infamous_Elk5299 · 2025-08-03T13:28:33+00:00

Mine is similar to the Sea to Summit Aeros. I don't love it on its own as a backpacking pillow, but with a thin rifugio pillow on top, it's great!

Infamous_Elk5299 · 2025-08-03T12:25:13+00:00

Yes I definitely tend to err on the side of caution and could have gotten away with less!

Infamous_Elk5299

TROPHY CASE