After the heat and crowds of Venice, we were ready for some cooler weather and the mountains. Be careful what you wish for!

Our plan was to take the train from Venice to San Candido, which worked out okay until we were stopped short by a train strike. At the last minute we caught a bus (thanks to some very nice bilingual bystanders that stepped in to help us) and eventually made it to San Candido. It had been raining steadily all day and we opted to take a taxi to the rifugio. I tried for an hour to get a taxi with no luck and finally called the rifugio and they called a taxi for us. It was quite a long travel day, but we finally made it to Rifugio Tre Scarperi. Yay!

Rifugio Tre Scarperi sits in a picturesque valley at the foot of Tre Scarperi. They were very friendly there and the food was delicious. Good thing - we ended up spending an extra night due to a snow storm. The forecast had said there was a possibility of snow - but likely just a dusting and at higher elevations. We weren't expecting close to six inches!

After a day of sitting around the hut, we were really ready to hit the trail. Although there was a lot of snow, the day was gorgeous - sunny and blue skies. We weren't prepared for that much snow - no winter boots, no waterproof pants, no gaiters, and certainly no snow shoes. But we were determined to start our trek. So off we went to Locatelli!

The distance to Locatelli was short, but we had over 775 meters elevation gain (over 2500 feet). Add in the weight we were carrying and the snow and it was slow going at times. I was very happy when we finally arrived at Locatelli. Locatelli is one of the premier huts in the Dolomites, situated across from the famed Tre Cime de Lavaredo (sometimes referred to as Italy's Matterhorn). There are many opportunities for day hikes and side trips from here, including several via ferrata routes, Sasso di Sesto, the WWI tunnels, and hikes to other rifugios. The scenery was stunning and we very much enjoyed our stay at Locatelli. It was a great way to kick off our two weeks in the Dolomites!