Around Tre Cime: three peaks and the circuit between the rifugi

The north faces appear beyond the saddle

From Rifugio Auronzo, trail 101 passes Rifugio Lavaredo and climbs to Forcella Lavaredo at 2,454 metres. This is where the celebrated north faces come into view. The official route describes reaching that reveal after roughly an hour, rather than finding the same scene directly above the car park. Route source

The circuit selected here is the official 8.8-kilometre listing, with about 550 metres of ascent and a four-hour estimate. Other Tre Cime itineraries use different branches and distances. A photograph labelled “Tre Cime loop” does not identify which one was walked.

Keep the rifugi in their proper order

Auronzo is the start; Lavaredo comes on the southern approach to the saddle. Beyond it, the route traverses below Monte Paterno. An uphill branch reaches Rifugio Locatelli, while trail 105 continues toward the Lange Alpe hut and lake before wrapping around the western side. Route source

Locatelli is therefore a choice to put into the day’s plan. Its appearance in nearly every destination photograph does not make the climb there an invisible extra within every published circuit. Decide which viewpoint and hut stops matter, then use the route statistics belonging to that version.

A high start has a separate access problem

The toll-road approach reaches Auronzo high above the valleys. Dobbiaco’s 2026 shuttle 444 required advance booking and ran from 31 May to 11 October; that season has ended by this edition’s check. The municipality links separate road, parking and reservation information. Route source Route source

Walking from Fischleintal or Innerfeldtal is another kind of outing. The official access descriptions allow several hours for those approaches before the high circuit is considered. They cannot inherit the 8.8-kilometre total merely because they eventually reach the same mountains. Route source

Match the circuit to the mountain season

The route’s high elevation makes snow a separate issue from a booking confirmation or a road-opening badge. Check the current road and walking conditions rather than reading a summer route description as proof of a dry October loop. The saddle, huts and western return should all fit within the actual access and daylight plan. Route source Route source