Summiting Lagazuoi, Alta Via 1, the Dolomites

In June, ten people each set a goal of their own. In September, we brought every one of those goals to life together, walking about 32 miles and climbing more than 10,600 feet along the Alta Via 1 in the Dolomites.

That's the part of a VITAL Adventure you won't see in the trip photos. You train on your own, on your own street, on a Tuesday morning before work. Then you arrive in the mountains and discover that the people you've been cheering on all summer are the reason the hard day feels possible.

One Goal Each

No two people signed up for the same reason, and that's by design. Before training begins, every VITAL participant names what they want to prove to themselves.

Coming back stronger. Cindy trained through her own recovery, building functional strength and adding real elevation to her walks and hikes.
Facing a fear head-on. One teammate named a fear of heights as the thing to beat.
Finding out what's possible. Patti arrived nervous and unsure, and wanted to know what she was really capable of.
Building a habit that lasts. Several of the crew wanted strength, hills and time on their feet to become part of their week long after the trip.

What they shared was a clear finish line and 12 weeks to get there.

The 12 Weeks That Made It Possible

The Adventure-Ready Training Plan started June 22 and moved through four phases: foundation, strength, endurance, then vertical. Each week mixed three strength sessions, a hill-repeat day and a long Saturday hike that grew from 700 feet of climbing in Week 1 to more than 3,000 by Week 10, fitted in around work, family and summer travel.

Three parts of the plan did the heavy lifting once we reached Italy:

Slow, controlled stepdowns. Eccentric work protects your knees on long descents, and the Dolomites hand you thousands of feet of downhill.
Back-to-back weekend hikes. Hiking two days in a row is the closest rehearsal for four days in a row on the trail.
Trekking poles from Phase 2. Practicing early meant poles felt like part of your stride, not a new tool on Day 1.

The crew rated their readiness for the terrain at 4.75 out of 5. What worked, in their words: "consistency," "time on feet" and "dedication." Patti put it simply: "Consistency is the key."

Twelve Weeks to Mountain-Ready

From June 22, the crew worked through four phases: foundation, strength, endurance, then vertical. Three strength sessions a week, a hill-repeat day and a long Saturday hike that grew from 700 feet of climbing in Week 1 to more than 3,000 by Week 10. All of it squeezed in around work, family, travel and everything else that doesn't pause because you've decided to hike the Dolomites.

We did a lot of slow, controlled stepdowns. Nobody loved them. Everybody's knees thanked them later.

We hiked back-to-back weekends, because one big day proves you can do it once. Two in a row proves you can do it again tomorrow.

It wasn't glamorous. That was exactly the point. As Patti put it: "Consistency is the key."

Then came the taper. And on September 19, we finally got to meet the mountains.

And the Dolomites Delivered

Day 1 on the Fanes-Sennes-Braies trail reminded our legs they'd just crossed an ocean. Day 2 at Capanna Alpina was our longest. Day 3 was the one everyone will talk about: a steady climb to Rifugio Lagazuoi at 9,043 feet, and the long walk back down on tired legs. It was the crew's favorite hike, and every single person rated it a 5. Day 4 at Cinque Torri traded height for rocky footwork and First World War history at every turn.

Our Summary: Four Days, ~32 Miles

Day	Route	Distance	Climbing	Top elevation
1 · Sep 19	Fanes-Sennes-Braies	8.16 mi	2,231 ft	7,197 ft
2 · Sep 20	Capanna Alpina	9.78 mi	2,727 ft	7,122 ft
3 · Sep 21	Altopiano di Fanes & Lagazuoi	7.71 mi	3,550 ft	9,043 ft
4 · Sep 22	Cinque Torri	6.31 mi	2,127 ft	7,473 ft
Total		~32 mi	10,635 ft

Thirty-two miles in the Dolomites sounds impressive on paper. What I remember more are the things that happened between those miles.

Long Climbs, Longer Lunches

The Italians understand something about adventure: after a morning spent climbing mountains, there's absolutely no reason to rush lunch. And in the Dolomites, we took that philosophy to heart.

Each day brought another extraordinary stretch of the Alta Via 1, with steep climbs, sweeping alpine views and the promise of a mountain rifugio waiting somewhere along the way. We settled into sunny terraces, jackets zipped against the crisp autumn air, with steaming knödel, warm apple strudel, cold Skiwasser, a well-earned beer and enough espresso to keep the Italians proud.

We lingered. We laughed. We ordered another round.

There was something delicious about the rhythm of these days. Working hard for the views, taking our time over lunch, then heading back out into the mountains before returning to a beautiful hotel, a hot shower, a wonderful meal and a comfortable bed.

And then waking up to do it all again.

At the end of our adventure, Judi celebrated her 70th birthday noting how it felt to hike 9,043 feet on Lagazuoi. A pretty spectacular way to mark seven decades, surrounded by mountains and doing something she loves.

The Dolomites gave us plenty to work for. And even more to savor.

If any part of this stirred something in you, that's worth listening to. Let's grab 20 minutes and talk about what stretching yourself could look like - no obligation, just a conversation. Book a 1:1 with Libby →

Every Goal Came Home

Remember those ten goals from June? Here's where they landed.

The teammate who named a fear of heights summed up their biggest takeaway in six words: "getting over my fear of heights." Patti, who arrived unsure, left knowing she's an endurance athlete. Jamie came home with "I can do hard things still." And M.E. called the trip a "big boost to my confidence and made life long friends."

When we asked for one word to describe the experience, the crew chose warm, carefree, copacetic and pleasurable. Overall satisfaction averaged 5 out of 5, and every person who answered our survey said they'd recommend it to a friend.

They were generous with ideas for next time, too: a gentler on-ramp into training, more ways to find vertical when you live somewhere flat, clearer fueling guidance and more pauses on technical ground to look up and take it all in. All of it is shaping 2027.

Three Lessons for Your Own Adventure

Name your goal before you train. A specific "why" gets you out the door on the mornings the plan feels long.
Respect the descent. The hardest miles were often downhill. Stepdowns and poles are your knees' best friends.
Let the crew in. Share the goal and the hard parts. Laughter and accountability carry you further than willpower alone.

Amy said it best: "We can really achieve anything. It's about what's between our ears."

What's Next

Azores: Between Fire & Tide - May 2–7, 2027
Dolomites: "The Window" - June 19–23, 2027
Grand Canyon - October 12–16, 2027

Team Dolomiti 2026, thank you. You each set a goal on your own and then carried one another to it. Training with you, climbing with you and lingering over strudel with you was a gift.

xx Libby

If any part of this stirred something in you, that's worth listening to. Let's talk about where you are, what's calling you, and whether this is your year.

Schedule Your 1:1 with Libby → Let's talk about where you are, what's calling you, and whether this is your year.

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Ten Goals, One Crew: Inside VITAL Adventure: Dolomiti