DOLOMITES ‘26

Above the Clouds Adventure

HUT TO HUT TREK, SEPTEMBER 11-16, 2026

Ascend Above the Clouds - a three-month program designed to transform how you train, think, and move in the mountains. Through specialized endurance and strength training, expert guidance, and a supportive community, you'll build the confidence and trail competence to take on one of Europe's most legendary routes: the Alta Via 1 in the Dolomites.

This is the hiker's dream. Traverse rugged trails where jagged peaks meet endless sky. Sleep in rustic mountain rifugios where hikers gather over hearty meals and swap stories. Experience dramatic shifts in landscape—changing colors of rock, blends of Italian and Austrian culture, and the thrill of not knowing what lies around the next pass.

The difference? You carry your pack. You sleep in alpine rifugios. You earn every vista. This is Level 3. For experienced adventurers ready to go high, go remote, and come back transformed.

Personalized Preparation

At VITAL, we focus on your current fitness level and customize a training program to ensure you’re fully equipped for the endurance required to tackle your specific adventure. Over three months, we’ll build your confidence and fitness ability, culminating in an immersive adventure featuring three exhilarating days of hiking along some of Italy’s most picturesque trails.

Group of hikers walking on a trail in a mountainous landscape with rocky peaks, green hills, and a partly cloudy sky.

The Vital Difference

Receive professional training, development & resources to empower peak performance, endurance and resilience.

  • Receive a detailed day-by-day fitness progression plan, focusing on building strength and endurance over three months. Train five days a week, with two days dedicated to strength training and three days focused on cardio.

  • Engage in VITAL group training sessions (and hikes) to foster community and motivation as you work towards your goals.

    We will also show you how to track your progress and connect with fellow participants through the VITAL Strava Club.

  • Access a wealth of resources in the Member Hub, including the VITAL Healthy Habits, essential gear recommendations, endurance nutrition tips, and travel planning advice.

    Plus get some kickass gear designed for VITAL teams, ensuring you’re fulling prepared.

  • Content sessions designed to prepare you for your adventure featuring experts in endurance sports nutrition, performance, and the destination.

A group of people on a hiking trail, posing for a selfie with two golden retriever dogs, outdoors with greenery and cloudy sky in the background.

Join Us!

The Dolomite Adventure is more than just a trip; it’s a chance to challenge yourself physically, connect with nature, and experience the raw beauty of northern Italy.

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Unparalleled Travel Experience

Enjoy stress-free travel with seamless transportation and reliable guidance that ensures a smooth and unforgettable Dolomite experience.

  • Your 4-night rifugio experience includes a mix of authentic alpine lodging—cozy shared dorm rooms and private double rooms—all with communal hallway bathrooms, rustic mountain charm, and spectacular high-altitude views. We've secured sacred spots in this high-demand hut system where reservations book out months ahead. Your first night features a comfortable private room at a 4-star hotel to refresh before your trek above the clouds.

  • A VITAL favorite is our private transfer service to and from Venice Marco Polo Airport on the first and last day of your Above the Clouds Adventure. If you plan to arrive or depart on different days, we’ll share easy options for booking your own transfer.

  • All meals from Day 1 - Day 5 feature the region. In the Dolomites, food is part of the journey. After a day on the trail, we gather around tables where handmade pasta, spätzle, speckknödel, and kaiserschmarren are served with warmth and pride. The same sun and soil that shape the mountains also nourish the grapes -producing reds and whites that reflect the land itself. And prepare for lots of delicious desserts, after lunch, coffee, or dinner! Often a simple slice of strudel or cake, and it might just be the best you have ever had!

  • Our Dolomite guides are seasoned mountain professionals - passionate, knowledgeable, and deeply connected to the terrain they call home. Each is certified through internationally recognized programs such as UIAGM/IFMGA or UIMLA, representing the highest standards in mountain leadership. Beyond their credentials, they’re storytellers, educators, and fellow adventurers—sharing local insight, laughter, and a love for the peaks that makes every day on the trail unforgettable.

Three smiling women sitting inside a red van, with the sliding door open, in a mountainous area with houses and a wooden building in the background.

Your Stay

Five nights of authentic Alpine comfort across four carefully selected Rifugios and 3-Star Hotel. The first night features a comfortable double occupancy room at a 3-star hotel to rest & refresh before you begin your trek. Your 4-night rifugio experience includes a mix of authentic alpine lodging—cozy shared dorm rooms and private double rooms—all with communal hallway bathrooms, rustic mountain charm, and spectacular high-altitude views. We've secured sacred spots in this high-demand hut system where reservations book out months ahead.

A scenic mountain landscape with a wooden building, an outdoor deck, flags on a pole, and a gravel path leading past the building in a lush, green area.
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What to Expect

Time on Trail & Distance

Time on Trail: 6-10 hours per day over 4 consecutive days.

Distance and Vertical: Hikers will cover 30-35 miles, with a cumulative vertical elevation change of 8,300 feet. Daily ascents range from 1,951 to 4,323 feet; descents reach up to 3,916 feet on narrow, exposed mountainside trails.

Terrain

A Level II multi-day trek that takes you through awe-inspiring jagged peaks, pushing your endurance to the limit. Expect rugged trails with significant climbs and descents, rocky paths, and steep terrain requiring careful footing, strength, and balance. You're conditioned for four consecutive rigorous days, comfortable with exposure on narrow trails, and prepared for Alpine weather that can shift without warning.

Recommended For

This Level II multi-day trek is for seasoned adventurers with a solid fitness base and some experience hiking challenging trails.

Required three months of progressive training including strength work (squats, step-ups, knee protection exercises), uphill-specific conditioning, and long weekend hikes building to 10+ mile days with elevation gain. Trekking poles required.

Enrollment Process: Fitness questionnaire and required one-on-one call.

Itinerary Highlights

  • A smiling woman wearing a trucker hat and earrings looks towards the distant green hills and mountains in a rural landscape.

    DAY 1

    SAN VIGILIO

    Arrive in San Vigilio, The Dolomites

    Transport: Shuttle From Venice Marco Polo Airport to Hotel

    Activities: Team Welcome Dinner

  • Group of hikers with backpacks and walking sticks standing along a lakeside trail in a forested mountain area.

    DAY 2

    ALTA VIA 1: Fanes-Sennes-Braies Natural Park

    Distance: 3.5 miles, 1863 feet vertical

    Hiking time: 3 hours

    Rifugio Lavarella. Morning transfer to trailhead. Today's hike crosses the stunning Fanes-Sennes-Braies Natural Park, where new landscapes unfold at every turn. Ascend through alpine terrain dotted with small lakes and rounded peaks, following the Ru d'Al Plan River toward tonight's rifugio. Perched beneath Limo Pass, you'll enjoy sweeping views of the Tofane Mountains.

    (~2-3 hours hiking 5,5 km / 3,4 miles, 568m / 1,863’ ascent, 47m / 154’ descent.)

     

    Full itinerary details provided upon booking.

  • A house with a sloped roof in front of a dense forest, with tall mountain peaks in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

    DAY 3

    ALTA VIA 1: Cime di Fanis & Lagazuoi Massif (with transfer from Capanna Alpina to Passo Valparola)

    Distance: ~12.5 miles

    Hiking time: ~8 Hours

    Trail Description: Hike through high alpine terrain past mountain lakes and karst meadows, crossing a dramatic mountain gap with steep descents and striking views of sheer rock walls. Stop at a converted mountain farm and rifugio for meals before transferring to Passo Valparola.

    4.5 hours | 11.5 km (6.9 mi) | +540m / -875m (+1,770' / -2,870')

    Continue to explore the fortress-like Mount Lagazuoi (2,778m / 9,114'), where WWI military forts hide among dramatic rock spires beneath the Tofana di Rozes massif. Arrive at Rifugio Dibona for the night.

    3 hours | 9.1 km (5.5 mi) | +334m / -476m (+1,102' / -1,571')

    Full itinerary details provided upon booking.

  • A large mountain with a reflection in a calm lake in the foreground.

    DAY 4

    ALTA VIA 1: Hike from Rifugio Dibona to Passo Giau

    Distance: ~6.2 miles

    Hiking time: 6 hours

    Trail Description: Traverse beneath the towering Tofana di Rozes, crossing three high mountain passes while hiking along WWI trenches and fortifications that mark the former Hapsburg-Italian border. Climb through forests to the renowned Cinque Torri/Averau area, where sweeping views span the Pale di San Martino, Civetta, Monti del Sole, and the Marmolada glacier. Descend to your rifugio for the night (2,236m / 7,336').

    5-6 hours | 10.4 km (6.2 mi) | +840m / -470m (+2,755' / -1,542')

    Full itinerary details provided upon booking.

  • A glass of white wine on a wooden surface with pink flowers, green trees, snow-capped mountains, and cloudy sky in the background.

    DAY 5

    ALTA VIA 1: Hike from Passo Giau to Rifugio Pelmo.

    Distance: ~10.2 miles

    Hiking time: ~6 hours

    Trail Description: Hike through varied alpine terrain with sweeping views of the Tofana, Monte Cavallo, and distant southern peaks. Cross lush meadows where wild edelweiss grows, stopping at a rifugio for refreshments. The trail brings you beneath the dramatic north face of Monte Pelmo (3,168m / 10,394')—the "Throne of the Gods"—before arriving at your mountain rifugio for the night (1,783m / 5,850').

    6 hours | 17 km (10.2 mi) | +464m / -1,188m (+1,530' / -3,919')

    Full itinerary details provided upon booking.

  • Group of smiling people seated inside a bus with large windows showing a green outdoor landscape.

    DAY 6

    PASSO GIAU

    Depart Passo Giau, the Dolomites

    Activities: Breakfast & Checkout

    Transport: Shuttle from Rifugio to Venice Marco Polo Airlport

    Farewell and Arrivederci

Package Pricing

$6,800 per person // double occupancy.

$1,500 secures your spot — Unlocks your goal-setting program, pre-season training recommendations, essential gear list, and community connection. Non refundable.

Balance due May 15, 2026 — Unlocks your full 3-month adventure program (strength, cardio, mobility training), expert workshops, and exclusive Member Hub with team resources

A rustic log cabin with a stone chimney on a grassy hillside with mountains and blue sky in the background.
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Package Includes

    • VITAL Strength & Conditioning Program

    • Performance Nutrition Masterclass with industry specialists

    • Personalized goal-setting and training accountability framework

    • Ongoing coaching support and performance optimization resources

    • 1 night accommodation in 3-star hotel in San Vigilio

    • 4 nights accommodation in rifugios (shared dormitories)

    • All meals

    • Round-trip airport transfers from Venice Marco Polo Airport (Day 1 arrival and Day 6 departure)

    • Luggage and Select Transfers per itinerary

    • Lift tickets on select trails

    • Guided hikes through panoramic peaks, valleys, mountain villages, forests, and diverse Dolomites landscapes

    • 14 meals from Day 1 dinner through Day 6 breakfast

    • 2 local English-speaking hiking guides

    • Team kickoff and celebration events (Day 1 and Day 5)

    • VITAL Ventures team gear celebrating your community and earned achievement

    • €18 donation to Wow Nature's reforestation projects, making your trip carbon-neutral

    • International airfare to/from Italy

    • Travel insurance (we partner with Wanderwell Insurance and happy to share details)

    • Personal transportation outside of scheduled VITAL Ventures transfers

    • Alcoholic beverages

    • Guide gratuities (optional—budget $100-150 per person to be pooled for our two Italian guides if you've had an exceptional experience)

Group of women sitting at a wooden table in a cozy, wood-paneled room with large windows and decorative wall sconces.
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Testimonials

  • I learned that I can challenge myself and I can take care of myself when the challenge is greater than I can do.

    Carolyn H.

  • "Vital nailed it! Challenging effort in physical, mental, emotional growth through out this experience."

    Pamela L.

  • "This was an incredible mix of training, teamwork and adventure. I was inspired throughout the summer enjoyed meeting new people and connecting with others who are interested in staying strong and fit. This adventure inspired me to make time for my training and contributed to my overall happiness and well being. "

    Virginia P.

  • "This was the most rewarding adventure I’ve ever been on! Awesome training, professional coaching, and top-notch trip management allowed me to relax and take in the beauty of the Dolomites, all the while surrounded by a truly special group of new friends!"

    Susan P.

  • “So grateful to Libby for her vigilance, encouragement and belief that we are able to be strong, train and explore with like minded people!"

    Mary Ann S.