Pure Dolomites Thrill! Trail Running in the Sesto Dolomites

Arrive in Sesto/Sexten and check in to your hotel (private transfers available on request).
Sesto is 1,310m / 4,298' above sea level at the South Tyrolean Puster Valley exit. It is a climbing paradise near the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, a spacious climbing hall; it has terrific ski and cross-country areas available directly from the town center, numerous hiking, trail running, and mountain-bike routes, idyllic lakes, and rivers, and cultural sites, all offering fantastic adventures and recreation.

If you are taking a self guided trip, in the afternoon, meet with a Dolomite Mountains representative who will provide a trip briefing and orientation, as well as maps, and everything necessary for your self guided adventure.

The Sesto Group of mountains encompassing Tre Cime are practically bisected by the administrative border between Italy’s German-speaking south Tyrol and the predominantly Italian Veneto region – the frontier between Hapsburg Austria and Italy until 1918.
The area is famous for rock climbing and via ferrata, and also one of the most beautiful and most recognized areas of the Dolomites!
Today’s run presents no technical difficulty and is on well-marked and large paths. Follow to a lovely rifugio (2,405m / 7,890') and take some time to rest and admire the Tre Cime di Lavaredo right in front of you.

After a hearty mountain breakfast, leave your rifugio, and at the first crossing, follow the path to three small fascinating alpine lakes reflecting the Dolomites’ peaks.
You’ll soon turn onto a rocky trail and enjoy some technical challenges, as you enter a green valley, Val Fiscalina. This valley is only 4,5 km / 2,8 miles long, yet it is unsurpassed in beauty with its colorful carpets of flowers and dense forests; typical mountain pastures and impressive UNESCO World Heritage rock faces. You’ll enjoy a fabulous descent in the middle of nature to your hotel for tonight.
(Run ~13,5 km / 8,1 miles, 402m / 1,327' ascent, 1,287m / 4,247' descent.)

Today's run will quickly give you a stunning view: the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, the Croda Rossa Massif, and the peak of the Tre Scarperi Mountain range rising from the lush meadows surrounding the first rifugio stop. Along the way you can spot a herd of Finnish reindeer, perfectly accustomed to the climate and living in a large fenced-in area. Reach the easternmost pass in South Tyrol, a historical mountain pass between South Tyrol and Veneto. Opened by the ancient Romans in the Middle Ages, it represented a vital trade link between the North and South. It shaped the region of Alta Pusteria, its culture, and its people. Until 1919 Passo Monte Croce marked the exact border between Austria and Italy. It has been the scene of bloody battles and clashes during the World Wars.
Continue the trail run to your home for tonight. You'll be pampered in this simple yet cozy rifugio (1,950m / 6,398').
(Run ~ 16 km / 9,6 miles, 1,200m / 3,960' ascent, 720m / 2,376' descent.)

During today’s run, you’ll explore the two sides of the Sesto / Sexten Valley. The two parts are geologically completely different but equally fascinating. You’ll leave behind the verticality of the Dolomite pinnacles and caress the undulating landscapes of the Comelian and Alta-Pusteria pastures as you run along the traces of ancient and modern boundaries to your rifugio (1,887m / 6,191'). You will find your luggage here.
(Run ~16 km / 9,6 miles, 660m / 2,178' ascent, 710m / 2,343' descent.)

Today you’ll run on easy paths and discover Mount Quaternà, an ancient volcano, where you’ll see the outcrops of the oldest rocks in the Alps. This itinerary allows you to observe the oldest rocks in the Comelico area, the “phyllites,” which date back more than 500 million years ago. These are dark-colored rocks, often veined with white flint, and with a typical "foliated" (schistosity) appearance and dense, almost "squeezed" folds. You can see them along most of today’s route; they contain ancient sands and silts deposited in the shallow sea, which time has cemented, turning them into sandstones and siltstones.
You’ll also have spectacular views of the Sesto Dolomites and the Comelico area, a treasure of scenic and natural beauty and Ladin cultural and linguistic richness. These are also places of historical interest due to the battles held here.
At the end of your run, check into your hotel and celebrate the conclusion of your tour.
You will find your luggage here.
(Run ~ 14 km / 8,4 miles, 530m / 1,749' ascent, 1,090m / 3,597' descent.)

Breakfast and departure at your discretion (private transfer available on request).