Four days over the Grava Pass
You see the whole route before you walk it. This one runs from San Vidal at 1,218 m to Val Dores at 1,503 m: three nights in huts and guesthouses, one guide in front.
- 01 · 9.0 km
- 02 · 9.9 km
- 03 · 14.3 km
- 04 · 6.8 km
What the four days add up to
Groups of 4 to 10, with a second guide from seven walkers. Chiara Pescosta, an International Mountain Leader, leads the route. The price is the same on all six departure dates.
Guide, half board in huts, all bookings, route notes, return transfer.
Three nights: a dairy farm and two huts
We book every bed before you arrive. The nights rise with the route. First comes a farmhouse room at Malga Pradel, then Rifugio Lago Scuro beside its lake, then Rifugio Grava under the far side of the pass.
Grava Pass Traverse · Dolomites, Italy
Day 01 · 9.0 km · 158 m up · 102 m down · Malga Pradel, 1,274 m
San Vidal to the dairy farm
Your guide meets the group in San Vidal at 9am. The path climbs through hay meadows to 1,368 m, the highest point of the day. Then it drops to Malga Pradel, where dinner and breakfast are served at the farm table.
Day 02 · 9.9 km · 212 m up · 36 m down · Rifugio Lago Scuro, 1,449 m
Up the valley to the lake
You climb 212 m in 9.9 km, following the stream up the valley to a high point of 1,481 m. The last stretch runs along the shore to Rifugio Lago Scuro. You arrive with time for boots off and an early night, because day 3 is the longest of the four, at 14.3 km.
Grava Pass, 2,625 m
Day 03 · 14.3 km · 1,176 m up · 462 m down · Rifugio Grava, 2,162 m
Over the Grava Pass, 2,625 m
Carry the day's water from Lago Scuro, since there is none above the larch. On the scree below the pass, Chiara stops with a hand lens to show you the gentians. From the top it is 462 m down to Rifugio Grava.
Day 04 · 6.8 km · 6 m up · 666 m down · Finish in Val Dores, 1,503 m
Down to Val Dores
The last morning is 6.8 km, with 666 m of descent and 6 m of ascent. You reach Val Dores around 3pm, and the transfer takes you back to San Vidal, where the walk began. Lunch is not included: buy it at a hut on the way or ask your hut for a packed lunch the night before.
Why the Grava Pass Traverse is grade 3
One or two days with more than 1,000 m of ascent. Some steep, rocky ground.
The route has one such day, day 3, with 1,176 m of ascent to the pass, so it sits at grade 3. The other three days climb 158 m, 212 m and 6 m. The height of the pass, 2,625 m, plays no part in the grade.
The other five routes in the 2027 season
High Dolomites Hut Route
DolomitesSix days of high huts and limestone ridges, with a night at 2,707 m and a cabled ridge at the end.
6 days · 62.1 km · 3,281 m up · Grade 4 of 5
Stubai Ridge Walk
Stubai and ÖtztalFive days along the ridge between two Tyrolean valleys, sleeping in alpine huts and one valley inn.
5 days · 52.4 km · 3,135 m up · Grade 3 of 5
Ötztal Hut Taster
Stubai and ÖtztalThree days and two nights, the shortest way to find out how you walk at altitude.
3 days · 28.2 km · 1,478 m up · Grade 2 of 5
Julian Lakes Crossing
Julian AlpsFour days of steep climbs to high lakes and limestone saddles in the Julian Alps.
4 days · 45.0 km · 3,685 m up · Grade 4 of 5
Julian Alps Traverse
Julian AlpsSeven days across the Julian Alps, from the valley to the ridge and back down on five of them.
7 days · 86.6 km · 6,397 m up · Grade 4 of 5
Walk the Grava Pass next summer
The route leaves on six Saturdays between 26 June and 4 September 2027. The 26 June date is full and 10 July has 2 places left. Full dates keep a waiting list. Owen Pryce reads every enquiry and calls you to talk through the route.
A £250 deposit holds your place. The balance is due eight weeks before departure.
