How hard is Alta Via 4?
The hardest of the standard-line Alte Vie. Multiple obligatory via ferrata, long days between huts, and exposure. Reserve it for walkers with prior ferrata experience.
Remote
Alta Via 4
Alta Via 4 hut-to-hut: a remote 90 km Dolomites traverse from San Candido to Pieve di Cadore through the Popera, Cristallo and Sorapiss groups.
Distanza
90 km
Giorni
8–10
Salita
4,350 m
Quota massima
2,932 m
Alta Via 4, the 'Via Grohmann', is the least walked of the numbered Alte Vie. It crosses the eastern Dolomites from San Candido (Innichen) in the north to Pieve di Cadore in the south, weaving through the Popera group, Cristallo, and the eastern flanks of the Sorapiss.
Several sections involve real via ferrata (the Strada degli Alpini on the Popera and the Ivano Dibona on Cristallo are part of the standard line), and rifugi are spaced further apart than on AV1 or AV2. It is the connoisseur's Alta Via.
Punti forti
- Croda dei Toni north faces from Rifugio Carducci
- Tre Cime di Lavaredo north walls (lunch at Rifugio Locatelli on Day 2)
- Cadini di Misurina spires from Rifugio Fonda Savio
- Lago di Sorapiss and the Sentiero Vandelli ferrata
- Antelao's wild east ridge
Itinerario giorno per giorno
Giorno 1 — San Candido → Rifugio Tre Scarperi
4 h12 km600 m100 mShort approach day; path 105 along Val Fiscalina.
Giorno 2 — Rifugio Tre Scarperi → Rifugio Auronzo (via Rifugio Locatelli)
6.5 h14 km900 m600 mPaths 10/11/102/105; classic Tre Cime traverse. Locatelli = lunch stop.
Giorno 3 — Rifugio Auronzo → Rifugio Fonda Savio
4 h8 km500 m300 mPath 117 into Cadini di Misurina; ferrata grade A–B sections.
Giorno 4 — Rifugio Fonda Savio → Rifugio Città di Carpi
2.5 h6 km200 m300 mPath 116; short day — fast hikers combine with Day 3.
Giorno 5 — Rifugio Città di Carpi → Rifugio Vandelli (Sorapiss)
5.5 h12 km400 m900 mPath 120 to Misurina, SS48 + path 215 up to Vandelli. (Modern Cadini variant — old Lorenzi/Cristallo line is closed.)
Giorno 6 — Rifugio Vandelli → Rifugio Pietro Galassi (via Bivacco Comici)
9.5 h22 km1300 m1100 mLong day. Sentiero Vandelli ferrata grade C; Bivacco Comici is an emergency shelter mid-way (not a planned overnight).
Giorno 7 — Rifugio Galassi → Rifugio Antelao
4 h8 km400 m400 mPath 250; traverse below the Antelao group.
Giorno 8 — Rifugio Antelao → Pieve di Cadore
3.5 h8 km50 m1100 mPaths 250/253 then road descent to town.
Rifugi su questo percorso
- Rifugio Tre Scarperi
- Rifugio Auronzo
- Rifugio Fonda Savio
- Rifugio Città di Carpi
- Rifugio Vandelli
- Rifugio Galassi
- Rifugio Antelao
Logistica
- Come arrivare
- Train via Brennero to San Candido (direct from Innsbruck and Bolzano).
- Come tornare
- From Pieve di Cadore, bus to Calalzo (15 min) and the Venice train (≈2 h).
- Permessi
- No permit required.
- Prenotazione
- Book by April. AV4 huts are small (12–25 beds) and fill fast despite the route being less famous. Confirm the Strada degli Alpini and Ivano Dibona are open — both have had multi-year closures for cable maintenance.
Stagione e difficoltà
- Periodo migliore
- Mid-July to early September
- Difficoltà
- Demanding
- Partenza
- San Candido / Innichen (BZ)
- Arrivo
- Pieve di Cadore (BL)
Cosa mettere nello zaino
- B/C-rated approach boots
- Full via ferrata set (mandatory)
- 30–40 L pack
- Sleeping-bag liner
- Warm layers — averages 200 m higher than AV1
- Head-torch
- Cash — most huts have no card terminal
FAQ
Is Alta Via 4 doable without via ferrata?
No. The Strada degli Alpini and Ivano Dibona are on the only viable line through the Popera and Cristallo sections. Skipping them means descending to valleys and bussing — at which point it's no longer AV4.
Why is Alta Via 4 so quiet?
It's harder, the rifugi are small, and the route changed in 2020 after Rifugio Lorenzi closed permanently. Many guidebooks still describe the old line — fewer walkers attempt the rerouted version.