Start at the Baita Bai de Dones refuge with snowshoes, hike to the Scoiattoli refuge and the 5 Torri, both known for their characteristic bizarre shape. It is an easy excursion of around an hour and a half *, which is simply fascinating due to the variety of attractions. In just over an hour, you can walk around a frozen lake, cross a white-clad magical forest and reach the very best viewpoints on the majestic Dolomite walls.
Once you reach the Scoiattoli refuge, it is worth extending the route to the Averau refuge (about 30 minutes) and from there to hike to the top of Mt. Nuvolau at an altitude of 2575 metres.
* Estimated walking time
** If you don't have snowshoes and poles, you can rent them at the Sports Equipment Rental Pocol. The equipment will be provided to people who book the snowshoe hike with the accompaniment of Cortina’s Mountain Guides.
© Vendramet Ivan
From the parking lot at Bai de Dones, next to the valley station of the 5 Torri chairlift at an altitude of 1,889 metres, you reach the Baita Bai de Dones refuge. Here you can enjoy a tasty dessert, such as Sacher, Linzer, and apple or apricot strudel before leaving. On a flat stretch along a path running parallel to the piste, you can reach the Bai de Dones lake in 5 minutes. It is said that once this lake was inhabited by the “Anguànes”, cloven-footed female water nymphs.
After walking around the lake on the left, the path leads alternating up and down. Then it branches off into a forest path that meanders through the wood. Once out of the wood, a clearing opens up and offers a spectacular view of the most majestic of the 5 Torri, the Lastoi del Formin, the Croda da Lago and, in the distance, the Antelao and the Sorapiss. Pass in front of the Cinque Torri refuge, closed in winter, at an altitude of 2137 metres. Then, in about 25 minutes, you reach your destination: the Scoiattoli refuge, which offers an incomparable view of the 5 Torri. It is the ideal place to enjoy a tasty meal after a snowshoe hike, such as the egg dish “Ovetto in quota” or the venison fillet.
Return on the same way. From the Scoiattoli refuge, you can also return to the parking lot in Bai de Dones with the 5 Torri chairlift.
