Bike & hike in the Dolomites – MTB hut Tour with summit hikes

Once you’ve had a taste for Alpine crossings, you can’t get enough. Riding hut to hut with minimal luggage is probably the most original and adventurous way to experience the Alps by bike. The feeling of being on the road for several days with just your bike and your rucksack, feeling close to nature, and sharing the relaxed atmosphere with like-minded people, is terrific. You experience adventures during the day whilst in the evening, you can share stories, enjoy the lively hut atmosphere and tuck into delicious regional delicacies.

Longing for the Dolomites

An alpine crossing does not always have to go in the direction of north-south. If you already have some experience with transalpine Tours, you can pick out the regions that impressed you the most. The Dolomites in the Fanes-Sennes-Prags Nature Park are one of these regions in the Alps that give you a sense of longing. When I'm there, I feel torn inside – should I bike or hike? So why not combine the two?

Bike & hike

Hike-a-bike is classically understood as a mountain bike Tour where you casually fling your bike over your shoulder and haul it to the summit. You can do that to a certain extent on this Tour too, but the downhills require advanced biking skills. Harald Phillipp, a pro rider, can show you how impressive these can be.

However, this Collection should be understood as an alpine MTB multi-day hut to hut Tour which includes easy summit ascents on foot (without your bike) that are relatively easy in comparison. If you are considering taking your bike to the summit, you will find information about the respective approaches in the comments for each stage.

Your adventure

This Collection is aimed at experienced mountain bikers who like to put on their trail running or hiking shoes. The bike routes are designed in such a way that you have the opportunity to climb a peak either in the morning or in the evening without having to push yourself to your physical limit. My clear recommendation – get up early and use the early hours for the ascent. The feeling of watching the sunrise and set over the pale mountain peaks of the Dolomites is sublime. The impressive play of colours reflected by the craggy giants is nowhere more impressive than at the summit cross of a mountain. Upon returning to your hut, you’ll be served a leisurely breakfast. It's best to discuss your sunrise plans with the hut host the night before and ask for options for a late breakfast or a snack pack in case it takes longer.

Of course, you can also divide this multi-day Tour so you have a day to bike and a day to hike, staying at each hut for two nights. This Collection leaves you plenty of room for flexible planning.

On the last day on Kronplatz peak, you can choose between a challenging enduro descent or a seemingly endless trail that brings you back to the starting point of the Tour. There’s no suggested summit Tour this morning as you’re practically already at the summit. Just a few minutes from the hut, you can find the best spots to watch the final sunrise of your circular route – either at the Skyscraper, a huge swing on the summit plateau, or from the Peace Bell.

On the recommended Tours, you mainly follow unpaved roads and side roads with little traffic. The single tracks require you to have a solid mountain bike riding technique. Some of the climbs can be very steep. This is the rule rather than the exception in the Dolomites. On some sections, you will probably have to push your bike. The summit Tours require surefootedness and a head for heights. Experience in rocky alpine terrain is an advantage.

The best time to take on this adventure is in summer when the terrain is free of snow. Most huts are open between mid-June and mid-September.

The region
The 25,453-hectare Fanes-Sennes-Braies Nature Park is located in South Tyrol between the extensive Pustertal Valley in the north, the Sesto Dolomites in the east, the Badia Valley in the west and the border with Belluno and the Ampezzo Dolomites around Cortina d'Ampezzo in the south. It is part of the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage Site. The region is characterised by the culture and language of the Ladin population. In the nature park, you regularly find yourself in places that are settings for the myths and legends of the Ladins. Many geographical names originate from the Ladin national epic ‘Empire of Fanes’. The most famous highlights of the region are the picturesque Braies Lake, as well as the karstic plateaus and alpine pastures of Prato Piazza, Senna and Fanes, which are enclosed by rugged peaks and rock faces.