This is my fourth trip to the Alps. The mountains, landscapes, cultures, and especially the food keep luring me back for the third consecutive year. My previous thru-hikes were the Tour Du Mont-Blanc in 2022 , the Walker's Haute Route in 2023 and the Dolomites Alta Via1 in 2024. This year, I chose the French Alps—specifically, the Dolomites. There are 10 official Alta Via routes, each offering a unique hiking experience with varying levels of difficulty, duration, and scenery. I chose Alta Via 1—the classic! I know this won’t be my last, and if I have the chance to return to the Dolomites, I’ll make my own route and explore the best of the region.

I usually plan and book everything myself. I find that part of the fun, and it always helps me discover new places for my bucket list. This year was a little different. It was tough for me to plan ahead, but I decided to go anyway, making a last-minute decision. So, I outsourced the planning to an outdoor agency. Alta Via 1 is a very popular trail, and you need to plan at least a year in advance to book the refugios you want to stay in.

I feel very lucky to have completed this hike, just like the two previous ones in the Alps. Knowing that I always want to come back to the Alps whenever I have the chance, I try to stay in shape—and it really paid off! Some sections of Alta Via 1 are quite technical, but Mother Nature was on my side, giving me perfect weather throughout my 8-day hike. The reputation of Italian food on the Alta Via 1 trail didn’t disappoint me, and on top of that, the Italian people were so wonderful!

The main reason I came here was for the stunning landscapes of the Alps, but every time, it’s the people I meet and befriend that make it a life-changing experience. I don’t want to write too much, but I wanted to share my photo album—I think the photos will speak for themselves :-). If you have any questions, feel free to ask! Until my next adventure…

Recommendation: Buy Travel Insurance!

I always buy insurance when I travel abroad, especially when engaging in outdoor adventure trips. Over the years, I’ve been carrying less and less when I travel, so everything I have fits in my backpack. I don’t want to deal with the hassle of checking in luggage or risk losing it. It really paid off on this trip.

My flight was delayed due to a mechanical problem, so by the time I arrived at Chicago International Airport, my connecting flight to Venice, Italy had already taken off. The airline had rebooked my flight, but instead of flying directly to Venice, I had to fly to London Heathrow. I ended up waiting there for more than seven hours for another connecting flight to Venice. By the time I arrived in Venice, it was past 11 pm, and there was no public transportation available.

I didn’t want to check into a hotel and take a shuttle to Cortina D'Ampezzo the next day, so I decided to take a taxi for the two-hour drive to my hotel. I didn’t arrive until after 1 am, and the ride cost me over 300 euros. Was it worth it? In this case, yes! I had already planned what I wanted to do the next day, and this saved me time, so my plans didn’t get messed up.

I filed a complaint with the airline, and they gave me a $100 credit for my next flight. Travel insurance also reimbursed me close to 300 euros because of the delay.