How do you plan a first day hike in the Dolomites?

The Dolomites are the mountains that look as if they were designed by a set painter with a taste for drama: pale rock towers, green meadows, huts with geraniums in the windows. UNESCO added them to the World Heritage List in 2009, and the Dolomiti UNESCO foundation lists nine separate mountain systems within the site. That is a lot of choice for a first walk, so here is how we would narrow it down. This is planning advice in our own words, not a promise of safety; follow local signs, rules and the advice of guides and hut staff.

Choose by height gain, not distance

In the mountains, the number that matters is how far up you go. Ten kilometres on a balcony path is a pleasant stroll; five kilometres straight up a scree slope is a different afternoon entirely. The Swiss canton of Ticino's mountain safety guide offers a handy rule of thumb for estimating walking time: roughly 15 minutes for every 100 metres of ascent, every 200 metres of descent and every kilometre on the flat. Add those up, then add generous time for photographs, lunch and staring.

For a first day, look for a route with a modest climb, a well-marked path and a clear destination. Our guide to choosing a hiking trail covers how to read route descriptions.

Use the lifts

Cable cars and chairlifts are one of the great pleasures of the Dolomites. They let you start your walk already among the peaks, skip the steepest valley section, or come down without punishing your knees. Check the operating dates and the time of the last lift down before you set off, and plan to be there with time to spare.

Plan around a rifugio

A first hike in the Dolomites is improved immeasurably by lunch at a mountain hut. Choosing a route that passes a rifugio gives the day a purpose, a natural turnaround point and somewhere to shelter, refill and ask about conditions. Check that it is open on your date. Our page on what a rifugio is explains the etiquette.

Start early: afternoon storms

Summer thunderstorms in the Alps tend to build in the afternoon. The Ticino guide advises making the most of the morning in spring and summer because showers and storms are more frequent in the afternoon and evening, and it warns that the temperature can drop sharply and suddenly when they arrive. The Polizia di Stato makes the same point about how quickly the weather can change at altitude and advises sheltering under a rock rather than a tree if a storm catches you.

In practice: check the local mountain forecast the evening before and in the morning, set off early, and aim to be heading down by early afternoon. If clouds tower up or you hear thunder, turn back towards the valley or the hut. It is never a failure to leave a summit for another day.

What to carry

• Layers. Even on a hot day in the valley, it can be cold and windy up top. The Ticino guide notes that temperature falls by around 6°C for every 1,000 metres of height.
• A waterproof jacket, sun hat, sunglasses and sun cream.
• Water and food, even if you are planning to eat at a hut.
• A map, on paper as well as on your phone. The Ticino guide recommends a printed map in case your phone or GPS fails, and offline maps downloaded before you go.
• A charged phone with emergency numbers. The Polizia di Stato advises leaving your itinerary with someone at home and carrying a charged phone.
• Footwear with a good grip. Rocky paths and loose gravel are common.

If something goes wrong

The Italian alpine rescue service, CNSAS, advises calling 118, or 112 where it is in use, and asking the operator for mountain rescue. Its guidance is to say what happened, where you are as precisely as you can, how many people are involved and what the weather is doing, then stay reachable on your phone and in a safe place.