Selva di Val Gardena Trek Trails

by Michele Suraci

Selva di Val Gardena is a great place for trek trails. In Summer, there are two main facilities to reach the top: Ciampinoi base and Dantercëpies base. You can walk along some easy and well-run trails, enjoying the quite of such wonderful landscapes. Sassolungo, the Sella’s group and Sas de Pordoi will always go with you during all your hikes. Here are a couple of very nice tour I’d suggest, whose difficulties are just in the length and the differences in level, both upwards and down. Technically, both quite easy. Even at altitude, you will always walk safe and don’t need to use your hands. Just walking.

1st trail

Ring crossing Sasso Lungo from Rifugio Comici

At first you walk through the charming “Città dei sassi” (i.e. city of stones), at the bottom of Sassolungo, that seems to follow and look after you during the whole walk. Finally you reach the Rifugio Comici, a very nice place. From the lodge, you go towards the Sella pass on the trail number 526, keeping on walking through the “Città dei sassi”. On the downstream side of the trail, some wide meadows. I was there in July and there were some amazing yellow blooming. It takes 1 hour and half to get to Sella pass from Ciampinoi trail. Here take the trail number 525 and go straight towards the very heart of Sasso Lungo, through the homonymous pass. The so called “Forcella del Sasso Lungo”

This part of the trail starts from 2.110 mt high to 2.662 mt. I found my first edelweisses just at the entrance of Sasso Lungo’s stone quarry. On top, you find Demetz’ Lodge where having some rest. The view is touching. This path took me 1 hour and 40 minutes time. Keep on the trail number 525, passing through another stone quarry between Sasso Lungo and Sasso Piatto (i.e. long stone and flat stone), climbing down to 2.250 mt high. This part takes at least 50/60 minutes. The view is a bit sad, just rocks as far as the eye could see.

Over the stone quarry, you get to the Vicenza Lodge and then to a crossroad. Take the trail number 256 to reach the Comici Lodge in more or less 1 hour and 20. It is a charming walk, stepping on the Sasso Lungo. Sometimes you can also reach out and touch it, collecting some of the pouring water dripping on the walls. Here a heavy storm caught me: that’s the mountains weather, baby!

Technical features:

distance: 17,65 Km
gain of altitude: +895mt
loss of altitude: -955m
time of walking: 4h 30′
total time: 7h 20′
Facility: Ciampinoi (roundtrip)
Trek trails: 21, 526,525, 526, 526A, 526, 21A

2nd Trail

Crossing Puez mountain group

That is a ring round trip trek trail at Selva di Val Gardena, starting and closing at the downstream station of Dantercëpies’ facility, getting to a top altitude of 2298 mt. The first trail you geti s the number 12A, almost flat. It takes 20 minutes to reach Jimmy’s Lodge. The view is great, ‘cause you are already at a high. Just before Jimmy’s Lodge, you find an entrance of a trail on the left. Pay attention, the sign is some meters higher. It is the trail number 2, included in the so called high way of Dolomites. Walk along the trail 2 for almost all the hike. The altitude goes just 300 mt up and it takes 1 hour to climb on top of the Forcella Cir. There is no lodge, but the view on top is worthy. It is a magic place: between the Cir peaks on one side and the Val De Chedùl on the other.

Then, from Cir’s pass, walk about 1 hour and 40 minutes. The altitudes goes down just a dozen meters, then goes up again, towards Crespeina’s pass. On the left, the whole Val de Chedùl. Cir’s peaks look far away in the background yet. When you reach this second pass, admire in front of you the whole Crespeina’s and Puez’ plateaux, with a lone peak called Col dala Sone (2.633 mt high), looking like a volcano. Walk down through the karst plateau of Crespeina still on the trail 2, till you get the homonymous pass. Here is a small pond and nearby you’d meet some mountain sheep flocks. Over the short and steep Ciampei’s pass, you will get to Puez’ plateau.

By now, you will have walked almost 4 hours and you’ll find here the Puez Lodge where having some rest and settle. Eat some fulfilling pasta meal and get back on track, from Puez’s Lodge through the trail number 14, out of the “high way of Dolomites”. By the end of the wood the trail will become the number 16. The altitude goes down slowly, by the end it will be 900 mt lower. You are slowly coming back to Selva di Val Gardena, to the facility of Dantërcepies’ valley. Take a break at the food court La Ciajota: after such a long walk, the beer and sandwich you will taste, will be the best ever.

Technical features:

distance: 18,5 Km
gain of altitude: +530m
loss of altitude: -1.210m
time of walking: 4h 35′
total time: 7h 35′
Facility: Dantërcepies
Trek trails: 12A, Dolomites high way number 2, 16, 14

To me these two trek trails are amazing. But there are endless paths, for all tastes, thematic thou. Those are my fav mainly for the view, but those mountains cannot go wrong. Ask some tips to the local tourist office, grab some free maps and customize your holiday as much as you like. Have a great time on holiday and ask me for any tips you may need.

Text and pics by Michele Suraci (I viaggi di Michele)