RCGS: Classic Dolomites with Marlis Butcher

Trek through the Italian Dolomites with RCGS Fellow Marlis Butcher

Responsible Travel

Tourism can be a real help to local communities, providing income, positive cultural exchanges and a financial incentive to protect their natural environment. Ours is a 'total approach' to responsible tourism, covering everything from the way we plan and operate our trips to the practices of Exodus as a company.

On this trip, we spend the week in locally owned Hotel Adler that has a strong commitment to use 100% clean energy where hot water is supplied from central heating supplied by solar energy, whilst electricity is hydro-powered. They also employ local staff and uses local produce wherever possible which ensures that we are directly benefitting the local community.

As a walking holiday, we actively encourage clients to interact with the locals, visit local cafes and bars, support local produce and craft and to experience what life is really like in this region of Italy. Additionally, walking trips like this have very little detrimental impact on the environment and the locals as it is a quiet, low impact activity requiring comparatively little resources to support.

In March 2019, Exodus Travels launched the Exodus Travels Foundation where we support initiatives all around the world. But it cannot exist without travellers who care. Get involved or learn more about what Responsible Travel means to Exodus here…

Visa

Italy

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Italy. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/europe/italy
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/italy
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/italy/entry-requirements
• USA:  www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Italy.html

Please note: it is compulsory to carry ID with you at all times in Italy.

Vaccination

Italy

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for tetanus, rabies and tick-borne encephalitis. Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Eating and Drinking

All breakfasts, five lunches and five dinners, one of which will be an authentic Tyrolean gourmet dinner

Please note, an evening meal is not included on the first night, as flight schedules can mean a later arrival in Villabassa. Sandwiches or snacks are available at the airport.

For breakfast, the hotel offers a large selection of cereals, fruit, cheese and cold meats, (along with tea and coffee).

Five packed lunches are provided by the hotel. Each morning there is a small buffet with items to make your own lunch (eg bread rolls, ham and salad). To minimise the use of plastic and single-use items, the hotel provides Tupperware-style boxes and reusable cutlery.

Head chef Hélène Markart is a devotee of traditional recipes but is not afraid to give them a modern twist. At the heart of her philosophy is a reliance on local produce, from the local farmer to vegetables from the hotel garden. It’s no surprise to learn her prowess has been favourably reported in reputable guides such as Michelin.

There is a set menu for standard evening meals (usually three or four courses), which may include local specialties such as Speckknodel (a dumpling dish).

Our gourmet dinner will undoubtedly be the culinary highlight, though as keeping things fresh and seasonal is part of the charm, there’s no way to know quite yet what delights may be served.

Weather

In the Dolomites (as always in the mountains), the weather is very changeable. In summer, you can expect rain on one day in two, but it is likely to come in heavy and thundery outbursts of relatively short duration rather than prolonged showers. In the valleys, daytime temperatures range from 12C to 22C (54F to 72F), although 25C (77F) is not unusual. In the mountains, it will be a few degrees colder. There are always patches of snow on the higher peaks late May and early November; sometimes, due to unpredictable winter weather, this can remain for a little longer. There is the possibility of snowfall at any time of the season, therefore you need to be ready for anything, so pack shorts as well as warmer clothes, full waterproofs and sunscreen.

Is this trip for you?

This trip is rated Activity Level 3 (Moderate).

We usually walk between five and seven hours per day, so a reasonable level of fitness is required. The area is criss-crossed by a network of long-established trails and walking paths, most well maintained and waymarked. Even so, paths are rocky and on occasion exposed.

The exact itinerary (and therefore the length of each walk) may vary depending on weather conditions or other factors beyond our control. While aiming to always follow the routes described in these Trip Notes, it will be the leader’s decision to amend the itinerary if necessary.

Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.