4 lessons I learned from hiking the Italian Dolomites
In June of 2022, my boyfriend Matt and I went on a Northern Italy adventure. Starting in Milan, we then made our way into the Italian Dolomites, staying in Ortisei for a couple of days and then finishing off in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
It was a truly magnificent trip hiking and exploring the northwestern area of Italy for the first time. If you’ve never heard of the Dolomites, they’re simply the section of the Alps within Northern Italy (the Alps also run through France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, and Slovenia).
I loved this trip. Not only was it amazing and gorgeous, but it taught me a lot as well. Here are 4 lessons I learned from my time in the Italian Dolomites.
Lesson 1: The early bird gets the worm
The older I get the more I understand this sentiment. While it may feel hard to get moving, I’ve never regretted a time where I did it. Typically, those early morning adventures create some of the best memories - the hike around Tre Cime being one of those.
We first drove up to one of the most famous rock formations in the Alps, Tre Cime di Laverado, around 10am and the line of cars was so far down the mountain it would have taken us 2+ hours to make our way up to the entrance (the mountains are huge, but the parking lots are not). We decided to turn around and try again when it first opened the next day, which was around 7am. It was the best decision we ever made. Not only was the trail empty leaving it completely open for us to do what we pleased, but the sun was just coming over the mountains which was absolutely gorgeous. As we hiked we also saw climbers belaying up the face of one of the rocks, which was unreal and something I’ve never seen in-person before. We were able to explore areas off the beaten path, set our own pace, and just enjoy each other's company in this super surreal environment.
Good things happen when the rest of the world is still sleeping.
Lesson 2: Nothing about hiking the Alps is a breeze
I went into this trip thinking it wouldn’t be that challenging and I could handle whatever the situation was, but the Dolomites are not for the faint of heart. I love a physical challenge and proving to myself that I can do hard things, but this adventure further solidified that you can’t underestimate anything.
While the hikes we did weren’t exactly steep, the terrain was tough. The ground is very loose because of the type of rock that makes up this part of the Alps, in turn making it very easy to slide on narrow pathways. Not only that but there are parts of the hikes where water flows through (amazing to drink btw) which again makes it very easy to slide/lose your footing if you’re not cautious. So all in all, it can be a bit slippery. The hikes can take a lot out of you just from the sheer length of them, as well. Granted, I’m sure we could have picked some shorter ones, but the best views came from the longer trails and I wasn’t about to pass them up.
If I had to plan the trip again, I’d have a day of hiking followed by a day of recovery/easy exploring. Hiking the Dolomites is not a breeze and can be quite taxing on the body. I love a challenge but I also love recovery and feeling able to tackle challenges effectively. You can’t do that if you don’t give yourself a rest day. Rest is always something we put on the back burner, but life’s not fun if we’re fighting our body the whole time.
Lesson 3: No matter how many times you remind yourself you’re looking at rocks, you’ll still be amazed and in awe of nature
If this adventure taught me anything it was that nature is freaking amazing. I have more pictures of rocks on my phone than I could ever need. Looking back, no picture looks that different from the last but in person it was jaw-on-the-floor at all times.
Embrace what is around you. Take pictures of everything, but make sure you’re not only looking at it through a lens. Enjoy the sheer mass of what’s around you. It doesn’t matter if they all look the same. Document as much of life as you can because one day when you look back, the whole memory comes alive again.
Lesson 4: We are not infinite
Standing amongst these natural wonders makes you appreciate what the world has to offer. I’m just one being on this massive floating rock. While all the things we worry about are valid, we need to remember to put them aside sometimes, get out of our heads and explore more. This world is amazing, full of extraordinary things that our eyes deserve to look upon. Don’t wait until everything’s as you want it to do something for yourself. Just start. Take one step towards making it happen. You can’t sit around hoping things happen so you can experience the world around you, you deserve to do things now, as you are.
Enjoy life. We are not infinite beings.
Are the Italian Dolomites on your bucket list? Have you ever thought of exploring them? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!