The Cimonega Loop in the Vette Feltrine

There are Dolomites that no one photographs. The Cimonega group, in the heart of the Vette Feltrine, is one of them: an amphitheatre of severe, little-known peaks in the Belluno Dolomites National Park, far from the celebrated destinations of the Belluno area. No tour groups pass through here, there are no cable cars nor huts fitted out at every corner: there is silence, a handful of bivouacs and the bare mountain. It is precisely this isolation that has kept the Vette Feltrine out of the mass-tourism routes, even though they lie only a short distance from the Venetian plain.

The loop

The reference point of the loop is the Feltre-Bodo bivouac, a small, always-open and unstaffed shelter set in the heart of the Cimonega group, at the foot of the Sass de Mura, the area's most distinctive peak with its slender shape. The classic itinerary is a demanding loop that climbs from the valley floors toward the high saddles, crosses the stony cirques beneath the walls and reaches the bivouac, from which you enjoy one of the most solitary views of the southern Dolomites. All around, grassy hollows, hidden valleys and peaks like the Sass de Mura and the walls of Cimonega draw a world apart.

You generally climb from the Val Canzoi, in the Feltre area, a green and peaceful valley with a small artificial lake, from which the trails set off up toward the high mountains. From there on the walk becomes ever harsher, up to the rocky surroundings of the bivouac. The loop can be walked by sleeping at the Feltre-Bodo, thus splitting the effort into two days.

Getting there

You arrive by car from Feltre, climbing up toward the Val Canzoi and the car parks from which the hike begins. Public transport is scarce, so a car is practically indispensable to reach the start of the trails; from there everything continues on foot.

The Vette Feltrine mark the southern edge of the Dolomites, the one that first looks out over the Venetian plain, and the Cimonega group is its most secluded corner. Unlike the celebrated peaks of the northern Belluno area, here tourist infrastructure is entirely absent: no lifts, no large huts, no village at the foot of the walls. The Feltre-Bodo bivouac, set in a spectacular and solitary position, is often the only sign of human presence for miles. Climbing, you pass from the woods and pastures of the low valley to the rocky, severe surroundings of the high mountains, in a crescendo that makes you feel the distance, physical and mental, from the everyday world.

The difficulty

The difficulty is high: the Cimonega loop is an itinerary for experienced hikers, with long stages, considerable elevation gains and stretches over steep terrain, paths that are sometimes faint and exposed passages requiring a sure foot. It is not an outing for families or beginners: it takes good fitness, route-finding ability and self-sufficiency, because the bivouac is a bare shelter with no services. Those who sleep at the Feltre-Bodo must bring everything they need, including food, sleeping bag and water, since sources at altitude are uncertain.

When to go

The best time is high summer. July and August are the months when the saddles are free of snow and the Alpine environment is safest; earlier you risk finding snowfields on the high slopes, later the first cold snaps arrive. Even in August, a month of great crowds in the celebrated Dolomites, solitude here stays guaranteed: the Vette Feltrine are not a picture-postcard destination and the harshness of the trails discourages casual tourism. It is one of the rare places where you can walk an entire day without meeting almost anyone.

A practical tip: treat the bivouac with care and set off completely self-sufficient, bringing enough water, food, a good sleeping bag and warm clothing, because at night at altitude it gets cold even in high summer. Check the weather carefully, because summer afternoon storms make the exposed saddles dangerous, and set off early in the morning to tackle the high stretches in stable weather. Leave the bivouac clean and tidy as you found it: in these silent corners of the Dolomites, respect is the rule that makes solitude possible.

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