San Cassiano to St Vigilio
Hiking trail
· Dolomites
An easy valley walk leads to a moderate climb into the Conturines range. At the top, open fields provide expansive views as you head north surrounded by impressive peaks, past Fanes hut, to Pederü, where you catch a bus to St Vigilio
moderate
Distance 18.6 km
6:20 h
758 m
739 m
2,171 m
1,524 m
This hiking route to the Fanes and Lavarella huts, then down to Pederü is a moderate long day, never too difficult, and quite popular. It's a pleasant day with great views.
There are restaurants enroute at Capanna Alpina, Gran Fanes, and Fanes hut (and nearby Lavarella).
The last stretch down to Pederü can get hot and feel pretty long, as there isn't much shade on this part of the trail. But it's downhill and goes pretty quickly. Pederü is a mountain inn with a restaurant and large car park, a hub for people exploring this valley. There are regular buses from Pederü to St Vigilio.
Difficulty
moderate
Technique
Stamina
Highest point
2,171 m
Lowest point
1,524 m
Best time of year
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Track types
Asphalt
0.2 km
Dirt road
8.1 km
Nature trail
7.6 km
Path
2.7 km
Rest stops
Capanna AlpinaMountain Hut Fanes
Refuge & alpine Guesthouse Pederü
Tips and hints
If it rains... There is no risk in hiking the main route in rainy weather. If you need to skip the hike, you can go by bus to taxi to St Vigilio, perhaps exploring easier trails through the valley near town, or just enjoying time at your hotel.
Start
San Cassiano (1,524 m)
Coordinates:
DD
46.569067, 11.935196
DMS
46°34'08.6"N 11°56'06.7"E
UTM
32T 724932 5161463
w3w
///rats.jeers.vegetables
Destination
St Vigilio
Turn-by-turn directions
- From San Cassiano, walk along the gravel path that follows the road gently uphill to Falzarego, reaching Amentarola in about 30 minutes. Continuing up the road, the trail leads to the Sciare riverbed. Cross the river and the main road to the Sass Diacia campground. Trail 11 runs through the campground to the Capanna Alpina buvette and parking area. You can enjoy views of Lagazuoi and Cimes de Fanes ahead of you, with the Conturines peak farther north to your left.
- You’ll pass the large parking lot at the Capanna Alpina, and now you’re ready to start... the really nice part of your hike begins. Keep left on trail 11 (unless you’re doing the longer day), heading uphill now toward Col de Locia, through woods and meadow in a very pretty valley.
- It’s a good climb - take your time. The trail eases at the top, now on a wide gravel path through a high valley. The massive Conturines is on your right, the contorted folds and layers of Sass dal Bec on your left.
- You’ll reach the Locia pass and the trail flattens into an easy stroll. You’ll enjoy open views with high peaks in every direction. Soon you’ll reach Malga Gran Fanes, a welcoming summer dairy farm that serves refreshments and simple meals.
- Leaving the hut, you’ll ignore trail 10 heading down to the right, and keep left, uphill again on the wide white crushed gravel road common in this area, uphill until you reach the open grassy Passo di Limo.. You’ll pass the shimmering waters of Lago di Limo on your right, a small lake with a few benches and picnic areas around it.
- From here, it’s an easy downhill hike to Fanes hut. You can stick to the road, but there is also a small trail that cuts off about half-way down and is quite nice, leading directly to the Fanes hut, a great place for a break. The neighboring Lavarella hut is just 20 minutes away, across the meadow.
- Fanes and Lavarella are popular mountain biking destination, and you’ll likely see many day trippers - hikers and bikers alike.
- From Fanes and Lavarella, simply follow signs downhill. It’s a wide mountain road following the St Vigilbach stream, that eventually leads to a narrower hiking that follows the road.
- You’ll wind through dwarf pine and lots of rocks, leading to a long descent down to Pederu.
- Pederu has a huge car park and definitely serves as the hub for the area. Take the bus to St Vigilio.
Note
all notes on protected areas
Coordinates
DD
46.569067, 11.935196
DMS
46°34'08.6"N 11°56'06.7"E
UTM
32T 724932 5161463
w3w
///rats.jeers.vegetables
Arrival by train, car, foot or bike
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Difficulty
moderate
Distance
18.6 km
Duration
6:20 h
Ascent
758 m
Descent
739 m
Highest point
2,171 m
Lowest point
1,524 m
Statistics
2D
3D
Maps and trails
- 4 Waypoints
- 4 Waypoints
Distance
km
Duration
: h
Ascent
m
Descent
m
Highest point
m
Lowest point
m
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