The Via delle Bocchette
Known all over the world, famous ever since the SAT – Società Alpinisti Tridentini – inaugurated it in 1936, the Via delle Bocchette remains today one of the most spectacular ways to discover the Dolomiti di Brenta.
The vast network of equipped trails and via ferratas that composes it is among the most extensive and complex in the Alps, with sections reaching an altitude of 3,000 meters. Almost all parts are named after great mountaineers of the past (for example Vidi, Benini, Garbari, Brentari, Dallagiacoma, Detassis), celebrating the tradition of the encounter between man and mountain.
Before the hiker's eyes, a lunar landscape unfolds, made of steep walls, ledges, and terraces suspended in mid-air. The sky is right there, within reach, in a contact between man and nature that has no parallel anywhere else on Earth.
The Via delle Bocchette consists of several segments, the most famous of which are: the first, the so-called “Bocchette Centrali”, starts from Bocca di Brenta (2,552 m) and reaches Bocca dei Armi (2,749 m), with a total elevation gain of about 300 meters; the second, the “Bocchette alte”, continues to Bocca di Tuckett (2,648 m), with an elevation gain of 420 meters if started from the Alimonta mountain hut and 750 meters from the Tuckett mountain hut.
Bocchette Centrali
The first section, the Bocchette Centrali, has a walking time of about 3.5 hours. The route winds through a succession of ladders among natural ledges carved into the rock. The surrounding environment is particularly wild, with highly exposed but well-equipped rocky ledges. The views all around are truly hard to forget, and on clear days your gaze can range from the Marmolada to the Campanile Basso.
Bocchette Alte
Once you reach Bocca dei Armi, the most prepared mountaineers can continue on the Bocchette Alte trail, which is more demanding and takes about 6 hours. Here, the Dolomite environment becomes even harsher, often requiring the use of crampons, both on the ascent and the descent. To reward the effort, there is a memorable view both towards the southeast, with Lake Molveno and Cima Paganella, and towards the west, with the Adamello – Presanella group.
Route characteristics
The entire itinerary is well equipped, with some highly exposed sections.
Start and end of the route
Considering both the Bocchette (Centrali and Alte), the route goes from Bocca di Brenta to Bocca di Tuckett.
Technical data
The total elevation gain of the Bocchette Centrali is 300 meters, while that of the Bocchette Alte is 420 meters.
Means of transport
From Madonna di Campiglio, reach the parking lot of the Vallesinella mountain hut by car (about 5 km of road in total).
Required equipment
Trekking boots, waterproof windbreaker, sun protection (glasses, cream, hat). In some sections, due to the presence of snow and ice, an ice axe and crampons might be necessary.
Refreshment points and mountain huts
The mountain huts along the route are Tommaso Pedrotti, Tuckett, and Angelo Alimonta, all equipped for mountaineers to overnight during the summer season. Find out more in the Excursions section.
Photo credits: E. Veronese, D. Lira
