Alta Via delle Dolomiti n. 3 or Chamois High Road

(Proposed by Mario Brovelli in 1966)

From Villabassa-Niederdorf to Longarone for mountain trails

Taking inspiration from his program of dolomitic itineraries, which appeared on “Lo Scarpone” on September 1, 1966, Mario Brovelli proposed this superb crossing that leads from the beautiful alpine center of Villabassa-Niederdorf in Pusteria to Longarone in the Piave valley through imposing and Dolomitic cathedral celebrations.

His great guidebook, written with the precious help of Bruno Tolot, and released in 1976 for the types of Editions Alpine Foto Ghedina Cortina, was titled “High Way of the Chamois” and carried the number 3.

In the premise the authors pointed out that the High Street no. 3 was designed for a long time, and reconnaissance began in 1971 and completed in 1974. They also suggested that while for some areas (Crystal, Sorapis, Monte Piana) it was possible to enjoy the old paths for others (Vallandro, Rite, Bosconero) was indispensable the intervention of Alpini (the italian Alpine Troops) and the usual volunteers of the CAI Who had exquisitely restored some ancient paths or had traced new ones.

This Alta Via delle Dolomiti, like the other famous coves, has the peculiar characteristics of a long, fractional excursion in different stages of the day. Refugees, Fixed Bivouacs and Hotels (but for those who want to live anxiously with the old things go well with a curtain and a hairdryer) offer comfort in the parking lots.

The basic route takes place on not particularly demanding trails for a good hiker, but always equipped with passageways or shaggy trails. Some stages have significant uphill slopes, others even downhill.

Here and where the mountain has remained firm at the pioneers’ time, and only the chamois live undisturbed, there are major difficulties, mostly psychological, given by isolation, by considerable altitudes, by the harsh environment, Water, from the great silence. And from fogs that often fall fast to swallow the environment!

However, this High Street, like the others more or less close, passes for truly extraordinary and unique places in the wildest wilderness of the Eastern Dolomites and Bellunesi. For the most experienced – and for their needs – some alternatives to the classical route are proposed, especially in the first part, with variations that consist of somehow more technical and profitable excursions, in others with only travel.

This High Way runs through some of the famous Dolomites groups left sufficiently immersed by the often heterogeneous crowds of so-called, more or less casual tourists. In the heart of these groups the car does not arrive and therefore, unfortunately, exceptions, there is not a massive invasion of disruptors.

Here is just enough to get away from the valley bottom to be in peace and find yourself in the true, primitive and uncorrupted mountains. Toni Sanmarchi’s words (another “inventor of Alte Vie”) that at thirty years away remain topical. However, always have to stay on the marked path, especially in the Bosconero Group where, on the Vias de Ponte, you enter for a while in the Valtellina Valuable Nature Reserve and where you find yourself in a rock (we are in the area Hunting) from the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park and its rare animals.

The Province of Belluno Provincial Office of Tourism, to which this merit is based, tends to valorise the “mountains of the home” and seeks – also through this work – to provide the most up-to-date information to the riders. We remind ourselves that some Authors have modified the original sequence of the route, adapting it to personal tastes or those of their users or tourist needs, here and there, modifying the original Italian route and carrying the journey to 12-14 days, with steps too short.

It is true that these would be ideal holidays, relaxing, enjoyable, but we preferred to stay in the tradition of “old times”, so in the 8 days, although some stages may seem a bit stiff in length. If you want, you can shorten the path further by joining one or more stages, but this will become a competition and this will go beyond the intentions of this guide that recommends “a go” serene, relaxing and fun.

Even in our case compared to the Brovelli-Tolot guide, which is now thirty years old (and the original is unrecognizable), some changes have been made, especially in the early stages where in the meantime some points have been missed, Support (Carbonìn, Three Crosses), which oblige the hiker to make inevitable, but in the end enjoyable trips by car (taxi or other).

Other data and updates, albeit slight, have been made to the primitive plot. In recent years, something has changed, both morphologically and appropriately, for the maintenance and equipment organs of the various sections of the path. This has taken nothing away from the originality of work and ideas; But there was a desire to improve it and further qualify it, in the respectful memory of Mario Brovelli and Bruno Tolot that these mountains had made their cause of life.

From the volume ALTA VIA n. 3 – 1° RISTAMPA 2007

Dolomiti Turismo srl

Via R. Psaro, 21 – 32100 Belluno Tel. 0437.940084 www.infodolomiti.it

Edition completely revised and updated by Italo Zandonella Callegher