Alta Via n. 4 (devised by Toni Sanmarchi)
From San Candido to Pieve di Cadore
«Alta Via n. 4 was dedicated to Paul Grohmann, the great Viennese mountaineer who, shortly after the middle of the nineteenth century, was the first to conquer – besides the peaks around Cortina – the Dolomite giants crossed by this Alta Via: the Tre Scarperi, the Croda dei Baranci, the Cima Grande di Lavaredo, the Cristallo, the Sorapis, the Antelao.»
So wrote Toni Sanmarchi in the foreword to his guide “Alta Via di Grohmann n. 4”, published by Tamari of Bologna in 1973 and again in 1976. It should be noted, however, that his explorations of this part of the Dolomites had already begun in 1942 (see “Dalle Marmarole al Sorapis” in the monthly review of the Italian Alpine Club, no. 1–2, 1946, pp. 3–9), when he studied and surveyed the real possibility of crossing via the “Banco di Sorapis”, the most demanding stretch of what would later become Alta Via n. 4.
The name itself originated from the programme of Dolomite routes outlined by Mario Brovelli in an article published in «Lo Scarpone» on 1 September 1966. Only later did Sanmarchi go on to describe this superb itinerary which, from the plain of San Candido in the Val Pusteria, leads to the historic town of Pieve di Cadore.
Like its celebrated sister routes, this Alta Via too has the distinguishing feature of a long trek that can be broken up into separate daily stages. Refuges and fixed bivouacs – though a small tent and a sleeping bag will do just as well – offer comfort at the resting points.
Grohmann’s Alta Via unfolds entirely across the high Dolomite mountains, following mule tracks and trails that are almost always in good condition, waymarked and, where necessary, equipped. It is, in essence, a route of good hiking rather than mountaineering difficulty, with no particularly demanding technical passages.
Only the stretch from Rifugio Vandelli to Bivacco Comici and Colli Neri, equipped with fixed ropes, calls for a certain amount of mountaineering experience. For the more expert – and to meet their needs – a number of alternatives to the classic route are offered, more technical and more rewarding variants for those seeking greater thrills.
The mountain groups this Alta Via crosses are famous, among the most celebrated in the Alps. For this very reason the route is of great interest, both for the beauty of its Dolomite formations and for their historical importance.
Some stretches on the Rondoi-Baranci, among the Cadini di Misurina or on the Sorapis, remain to this day remarkably wild and silent; here the hiker rediscovers that sense of primitive mountain wilderness so treasured by lovers of solitude and peace.
Credit for this work goes to the Tourism Department of the Provincial Administration of Belluno, which aims to promote these “home mountains” and, through this effort, to provide those who walk the route with the most up-to-date information possible.
For the sake of accuracy, we should note that German-speaking authors have altered the original sequence of the route to suit personal taste, the preferences of their readers, or tourism requirements, here and there reshaping the original Italian route with unusual variants and stretching the Alta Via to an excessive length: ten days instead of six, with some stages lasting just an hour a day!
It is true that such a pace would make for an ideal, relaxing, indulgent holiday, but we have chosen to remain true to the normal practice of the “old days”, even if a few stages may appear somewhat demanding in length.
Compared with Toni Sanmarchi’s guide, published in two editions some thirty years ago and now out of print, some changes and minor updates have also been made here to the original route. Over the years, in fact, something has changed, both in the terrain itself and through the appropriate maintenance and equipping work carried out on various stretches of the route by the responsible bodies.
None of this has taken anything away from the originality of the work and the idea; if anything, there has been a wish to improve and further refine it, in respectful memory of Toni Sanmarchi, known as “Capitan Barancio”.
From the volume ALTA VIA n. 4 – 1st reprint 2006
Dolomiti Turismo srl
Via R. Psaro, 21 – 32100 Belluno, Tel. 0437.940084 – www.infodolomiti.it
Edition fully revised and updated by Italo Zandonella Callegher
When to go and what not to miss
Alta Via n. 4, dedicated to the Viennese mountaineer Paul Grohmann, one of the pioneers of Dolomite exploration, is walked from late June to late September and crosses some of the most iconic and best-known groups in the whole Dolomite range: the Sesto Dolomites, the Cristallo and the Tofane, with views stretching from the Tre Cime di Lavaredo to the Cortina d’Ampezzo basin. It is a route that alternates hiking sections with more exposed passages, ideal for those who want to discover up close the places that mark the earliest mountaineering exploration of the Dolomites.
To continue southward, Alta Via n. 4 links ideally with Alta Via n. 3 of the Chamois, which leads all the way to Longarone through the Pelmo and Civetta groups. For a complete picture of all eight Dolomite routes, the Alte Vie of the Dolomites page brings together stages, difficulty levels and links to each route.
Fact box
- Stages: 6
- Length: about 85 km
- Elevation gain: about 4,500 m ascent, 4,800 m descent
- Difficulty: from E to EEA, with some equipped stretches
- Start: San Candido (1,174 m)
- End: Pieve di Cadore (880 m)
- Best season: late June–late September
- Main refuges: Tre Scarperi, Antonio Locatelli (Tre Cime di Lavaredo), Auronzo, Fratelli Fonda Savio, Città di Carpi, Col de Varda, Alfonso Vandelli, San Marco, Pietro Galassi, Antelao
Did you know?
It is dedicated to Paul Grohmann, the Viennese mountaineer who, in the mid-nineteenth century, was the first to conquer many of the peaks crossed by the route: Tre Scarperi, Croda dei Baranci, Cima Grande di Lavaredo, Cristallo, Sorapis and Antelao.
All the Alte Vie of the Dolomites
Alta Via n. 1
Alta Via n. 2
Alta Via n. 3
Alta Via n. 4 (you are here)
Alta Via n. 5
Alta Via n. 6
Alta Via n. 7
Alta Via n. 8