The Dolomites form a spectacular majestic mountain range in North East Italy that was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009. They fare part of the Southern Limestone Alps and extend from the River Adige in the west to the Piave Valley in the east. The northern and southern borders are defined by the Puster Valley and the Sugana Valley. ‘The Dolomiti’ are nearly equally shared between the provinces of Belluno, South Tyrol and Trentino.

There is much history is this part of Italy. During the First World War, the front line between the Italian and Austro-Hungarian forces ran through the Dolomites, where both sides used mines extensively. Open-air war museums are located at Cinque Torri (Five Towers) and Mount Lagazuoi. A number of long-distance footpaths traverse the Dolomites. They are called alte vie (high paths), and are numbered from 1 to 8. The trails take on the order of a week to walk, and are served by numerous Rifugio (huts) with amazing locations. The first and perhaps most renowned is the Alta Via 1 which is the theme for our itinerary.