Hey my fellow travel junkies!! Thanks for stopping by today — lets get right to it! Usually I’m torn between just sharing photos in a recap style post or doing an informative post so others can experience things better than we did. I’m not sure why I have a hard time just doing a little of both – I feel like I used to share only photos and our experience but then blogging changed and it’s all about giving out the best info for page views and yadda yadda. Anyways, here’s a recap/hopefully informative post about our experience hiking to Lago Di Sorapis.
Where to stay:
The lake is located in the province of Belluno – some do this as a day trip but being 3 hours from Vicenza we decided to make it an overnight event so that we could get hiking earlier in the morning without being utterly exhausted. We found the most darling Airbnb in Peaio. The Airbnb (see my walk through tour on Instagram) had a whirlpool tub and personal sauna! I mean, WHAT! I wish it was available for an additional night because it would have been glorious to come soak our tired muscles after the hike. The Airbnb had a perfect little tiny kitchen, bathroom, pull out sofa bed, a super cozy master bed, sauna, tub, self check in, lots of free parking space & even Netflix on the tv. It worked out perfectly for us!
When to go:
I recommend going during sometime between April (absolute earliest) and September (latest). We went in July and it was a bit chilly, there was visible snow in lots of areas & we wore layers and were glad we did. I would NEVER go when it is raining because the path is areas is slick and uneven in areas. We had several days previous we were wanting to go but with rain in the forecast pushed it back until we had a Saturday of only overcast. The lake does dry up during the winter and is the brightest blue in the months of June/July/August so aim for those months.
Parking:
There is lots of parking opportunities depending on when you arrive. If you get to the trailhead very early you can park and go right away. We didn’t arrive until about 1030am and ended up parking about a 5 minute walk to the trailhead. Here is the PIN for where we parked – I suggest driving straight to the trailhead and then driving around a bit so you can find a spot that works for you.
Trailhead & start of hike:
The start of the hike is beautiful, there were a ton of cows with bells on them & its level and gorgeous with peak views all around. You’ll think for a solid hour ‘wow – this is definitely way easier than people made it out to be’. Make sure you stay on trail 215 (out and back) and you’ll end up hiking 11km total.
The second half of the hike are were things get fun. You’ll gain some elevation & get your heart beating. There are a few portions where there is a cable you can hang on to if you’re scared of heights or don’t have great footing. These areas we had our ‘you need to stay serious and pay attention’ talk with Presley and Chad would stay right by her. I think the biggest reason people encourage you to hike WITHOUT kids on this one, is because you can’t fall and correct in these steep portions. You’ll just fall. (You can see the drop off sections in my video below at times 1:12, 1:42 & 2:27).
The Lake itself:
Finally!!! We made it!! I was ready to sit down and relax while watching people wait in line to get their instagram shots. The refugio was open but we had packed our own lunch so we just found some flat-ish rocks to sit down and eat on.
Tips
- 11km roundtrip, wear good comfortable hiking shoes with grip & tall socks
- Bring sunscreen & wear a lightweight hat & glasses
- Dress in thin layers – we’d end up cold & hot in certain areas
- Bring lots of snacks to keep your energy levels up
- There is a Refugio right by the lake for lunch IF it’s open – I highly recommend bringing your own sack lunch in case it’s closed. Pack it in, PACK IT OUT.
- Bring a small first aid kit
- You cannot swim in the lake but there are rocks you can step to to get some amazing photos
- Dogs are allowed – just pick up after them
- Mature kids can hike on their own with guidance, younger kids in a carrier during the steep parts would work if necessary
- Abandon ship if its raining
- No bathrooms along the trail so plan accordingly
- People recommend trekking poles – we were fine without them but if you have them handy you could bring them.
Need any more Inspiration? Check out these posts from some of my friends also located here in Vicenza who both did the hike in June: Staci & Amelia.
Adventure is out there! XO
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