Shorter Walks in the Dolomites: 50 Selected Walks

I was pleased to find this book about shorter walks in the Dolomites, written in eloquent English. This is a wonderful area of German and Ladino-speaking Italy with many hiking options. I was completely unfamiliar with what we might encounter and this book gave ideas on where to go and what to do. There are many lifts and gondolas that run during the late spring, summer, and fall to take hikers from the main road to higher elevations to start hiking. There is nothing like this in the US so it was difficult to envision. The author gives an overview of the area and then describes each numbered hike (location found on large scale map) in exquisite detail, including directions to the trailheads, mileage, elevation gain (in meters), and walking time. There are beautiful color photos and small-scale maps of each hike. I emailed the author prior to our trip and she answered immediately with suggestions on which hikes to do given the location of our lodging. We had no idea how long it would take to drive even a short distance on the map. As it turned out, we stayed within a very small area as the roads are narrow and winding and we wanted to spend more time hiking and less time driving (although the scenery was spectacular!). We also had no idea how much the various lifts cost. It depended on the type of lift, location, and whether going one-way or round trip, but the ones we went on ranged from about 8-15 Euros per person. That can add up. Another thing we learned the hard way is that lifts close in the late afternoon and might be closed mid-day while hikers are at elevation and not yet ready to go down. You can always sit at the upper station, which likely has a cafe, and enjoy the scenery if they are not yet open for the descent. Be sure to check the closing time and make sure you beat it or it might be a painful, steep trip down. The rifugios, or huts, are a delight. Again, coming from the US we had no idea what they would be like. They are much bigger and have more services than expected. You can get some great food and hot and cold drinks. They have restrooms which they prefer you to use rather than the countryside. We would have enjoyed spending nights at them had we known how to go about doing this. We look forward to returning! Gillian Price has done an excellent job at putting together a rather comprehensive book of day hikes in the Dolomites. Note that there are many hikes available that are not mentioned. She picked a smattering of the best, and there is great variety.