Walk this route yourself in 3D!
The Video is a 3D walk through of this route, it will give you a unique sense of having walked through the route before you start.
I have created 3D Videos of my adventures and have shared them with the OutdoorActive community as well as my walking community.
Lago Di Sorapis Trail #215 is a up and down on the same track hike, the end point is a beautiful glacial lake, framed Hollywood style at the foot of Dito di Dio (“Finger of God”). As you get really close to the top, you walk through some very large rocks, and then suddenly you see the lake and the mountain behind it, it’s an unbelievable feeling, almost spiritual.
We walked this in May, and there was still a lot of snow around at the top, but this just added to the experience. But it meant we didn’t get to see the aqua blue lake as it was frozen over which it’s famed for, and why thousands hike this route every year, but at the same time we did get the lake side pretty much to ourselves.
Getting There: Directions, GPX and App Link
The Hiking App I use is ‘OutdoorActive‘ which has a free and Pro version, the Pro version will allow you to download the routes to your phone and use them without using up your data. The reason I mention it is that if you were to download it, below is the link to this route in my hike list on that app, you can follow the arrows and voice on that. I think it is best that you do get the app, as most of these walks are a bit tricky to explain.
- We stayed in Cortina, and we drove from there to the start point, so make sure you got satnav in some way or another.
- You leave the beautiful town on the main roads, and head out to get onto the SR48 road to a roadside car parking area, this google maps link and address SR48, 32043 Cortina d’Ampezzo BL, Italy, will get you there.
- You will see a tourist information board at the start of the path, and a path leading you through the field into the forest.
Navigation Aids:
- Follow this route on the Outdooractive App, it is free, and it will guide you around safely.
- Download my hand crafted *GPX file, and use it on your own guidance devices.
- * If you’re not sure what a GPX file is, I have put this post together that will hopefully explain it in plain words. It’s worth considering as well as mobile app navigation, as they will make your hikes better & safer.
Hike Map
Hike Profile
- Distance: 8m / 13km
- Duration: 6-6.5 hours (lots of sightseeing)
- Highest point: 6312ft / 1923m
- Difficulty: Moderatly difficult (steep short climbs), sometimes loose terrain through the woods and cliff side edges with cable guides, but season depending as snow can be thick in Spring.
- Route conditions: Well-worn pathways most of the way around, good walking shoes are a must.
Hike Description & Pics
The hike to Lago Di Sorapis, is’nt difficult, it’s mostly very well warned paths, and because this is a very popular path, the rocks underfoot in some areas have become very slippery, so be careful when stepping up. Otherwise, the path up is the same as the one down, but if you want a bit more exposure and are confident with your abilities you can come down on trail numbers 216 and 213.
If you are doing this route in the summer, you might be relieved to come down on these alternative paths, as the sheer number of people doing route 215 at the same time, can be a bit over whelming.
The start point is on road ‘SR48‘ and is very close to B&B Hotel Passo Tre Croci Cortina on the same side of the road. At the start of the path there is a tourist information board, and the path number 215 will be displayed on tree’s and signs and is the same for all the trails in the Dolomites.
It’s a beautiful start to the walk, the pine trees lining the path through the forest and as you wind your way around you pass some WW2 bunkers, really interesting, and as you walk on further and continually going up the trees open slightly on your left to reveal the mountain ranges surrounding this area, it is spectacular.
The forest continues for a while yet as you keep heading up, winding your way through and in some areas the paths become a little less solid, but still good enough to not have to worry, but once out of the forest you find yourself in a different environment, rocky cliff edges, incredible panoramic views everywhere and very steep rock faces on your right.
It’s just a case of making your way up now, and you know you’re close as you start to make your way through large boulders and you can see the peak of Dito di Dio in front of you, to make it even more dramatic for us, we had snow to get through, it was about a foot deep but there was a path through it.
And here is the magnificent ‘Lago Di Sorapis‘ in May 2023, snow covered and dramatic, exciting, and mystical, an amazing place to be anytime of the year!
Once you are ready to walk back, you take the exact same route, but this time you can face the mountains in the distance and take those in.
We all said we need to return to the Dolomites in summer, yes it will be busier but to experience the aqua blue lakes and the beautiful green and wildlife will be a new experience again.
That’s it, you’re all done, back at the car and hopefully the weather has been good, and you have had a great experience.
It is worth downloading this route onto the Outdooractive app, it’ll re-assure you time wise and that you’re not heading in the wrong directions. There is so much space up there and lots of alternative paths you could accidently join.
Hope you enjoy this walk, and I’d love it if you could share this post either with the social media buttons that follow you down the screen on your left, or below in the footer. Also, comments are very welcome, I love meeting new people and talking, and you never know we could meet up on one of our walks.
Fundraising for CALM, they do save lives!
Do you want to join me in making a difference? I’m raising money in aid of Campaign Against Living Miserably and every donation will help. Thank you in advance for your contribution to this cause which means so much to me.
More information about Campaign Against Living Miserably: Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is leading a movement against suicide. Every week 125 people in the UK take their own lives. And 75% of all UK suicides are male.
CALM exists to change this. Join the campaign to take a stand against suicide.
Please donate an amount you can afford, everything helps these poor people.
I have raised £572 so far, and I will keep trying to raise more.