We made this trip in collaboration with Travelbase. Our experiences, including the wobbly knees and the slightly smelly socks after three days of hiking, are entirely our own.
What do you do when you have two big teenage daughters who want to try something new, while you yourself aren't exactly known as the sportiest mountain goat in the family?
You say yes to a hut-to-hut hike in the Dolomites … apparently.
It was my eldest daughter Aurélie's idea. She wanted to hike in the Dolomites, sleep in mountain huts and wake up surrounded by peaks. In her head it probably looked like a viral TikTok: dramatic summits, hair blowing in the wind, flashy sunglasses and striding along effortlessly in one of those neon hydration vests.
My mum brain made a slightly different film out of it. One with sheer drops, twisted ankles, getting lost in the fog and a helicopter having to pluck us off a mountain somewhere.
So I wanted a bit of adventure, but also some certainty. That's how we ended up with HikeTribe by Travelbase. Together with Aurélie (18) and Ellis (14), I would spend three days hiking through the Dolomites, from hut to hut, guided by mountain guide Kiara.
Preparing for the mountains, and above all for my own head
In the months before the trip we went walking more often. At home I did little strength exercises to make my legs stronger and tried to prepare myself for longer days, lots of elevation gain and hiking with a full backpack.
Because let's be honest: I'm not the sportiest, I carry a few more kilos around than strictly necessary, and now a backpack was going to be added on top. The prospect of hundreds of metres of climbing regularly made me think: oh boy, am I really going to manage this?
Luckily, Travelbase took a lot of the practical stress away. The accommodation and mountain huts were sorted, there was a hotel before and after the hike, and Kiara would guide us through the mountains. So I didn't have to sit there with twenty open browser tabs working out where we'd sleep and how on earth we'd ever get there.
Which, of course, didn't stop me from opening twenty other tabs about my second challenge: my fear of heights.
I can cope with heights reasonably well and I don't freeze at every viewpoint. But narrow mountain paths with a lot of exposure? My head is rather less enthusiastic about those. For months I looked up photos of the route, watched YouTube videos and had ChatGPT analyse possible trails.
In hindsight, that wasn't my healthiest masterstroke. Sometimes more information doesn't bring peace of mind, just more images to lie awake worrying about at night. I could have trusted the experience of Travelbase and Kiara a little more.
Arriving in Italy: pasta, coffee and that Dolomites feeling straight away
We drove from Croatia to Italy. It was a pleasant, comfortable drive and easily doable in one day. Although, naturally, we consider stopping along the way for a first Italian pasta and a good coffee an essential part of the trip.
We arrived at the hotel in the early evening, where Kiara was already waiting for us. She introduced herself, talked enthusiastically about her experience in the mountains and went through the planned route with us. On top of that, good weather was forecast. That already felt like a reassuring start.
That first evening we had a short briefing and ate with the group for the first time. I'd been dreading that a little beforehand. After a tiring day of hiking, do you really have to spend hours being sociable and chatty with people you don't know?
But it soon turned out not to be a problem at all. The group wasn't too big and everyone was there with the same goal. So you instantly have something in common, even if it's just that you all voluntarily decided to walk up an unpredictable mountain with a backpack.
The hotel was spot on too. Not over-the-top luxury, but everything was perfectly looked after. As a mum who works in tourism herself, I automatically pay attention to the details. And here they were simply right. The view of the mountains and two sweet little churches immediately gave us the full Dolomites feeling.
Dinner was several courses: a starter, soup, salad, main course and dessert. Ellis and I are vegetarian and that was catered for brilliantly. Not the classic “we've taken the meat off your plate, enjoy”, but real, proper vegetarian dishes.
Afterwards we crawled into bed, exhausted but happy. The night cooled down beautifully and we slept as if we'd already finished the mountain hike.
The warm-up day: linen napkins and boots that still needed breaking in
The next morning started with the kind of breakfast that wins me over instantly: linen tablecloths, linen napkins and a card showing where all the local produce came from. Fresh rolls, cheeses, charcuterie, egg dishes and excellent cappuccino. There was honestly nothing that wasn't right.
We ate far too much, but luckily the plan was to walk it straight off again.
Because of the drought, the waterfall on the originally suggested walk had almost dried up. So we opted for an alternative warm-up hike. A relaxed walk of about two hours, with a mountain hut along the way where, of course, we ate again. By now you'll have grasped the basic principle of hiking in the Dolomites: walk, eat, walk, eat some more.
For Ellis this was also the ideal moment to break in her hiking boots. As a mum, I had naturally tested my gear well in advance. But teenagers follow their own training method, which apparently involves putting on brand-new hiking boots only once you're already standing in the mountains.
After the walk, Ellis had one more big wish: horse riding. The hotel and Kiara recommended a riding stable nearby. When we got there, we immediately understood why. From the stables you had an impressive view of the Drei Zinnen. Ellis headed into the mountains on a Haflinger, while we waited for her with tiramisu.
Everyone their own adventure.
That evening the last participants arrived too. After another lavish dinner we went to bed early. The next morning, the real hut-to-hut hike would begin.
Hiking day one: almost 1,000 metres of climbing, one step at a time
Surprisingly, we were at breakfast on time. We'd packed our backpacks the evening before, with Kiara's help. She explained what we really needed, how best to distribute everything and how to adjust our backpacks properly. We took snacks, a packed lunch, a change of clothes, a small toiletry bag and above all plenty of water.
We took the cable car up to Alpe di Siusi, also known as the Seiser Alm. The moment you step out at the top, you understand why this place is so famous. Everywhere I looked I saw those typical jagged Dolomite peaks. I genuinely didn't know which way to look first.
The first part of the route was a pleasant walk across the alpine meadows. Around midday we reached a mountain hut where we had a hearty meal and refilled our water bottles. A good meal is simply part of the experience here. There are huts everywhere where you can eat pasta in the sun, drink hot chocolate or talk yourself into some courage with a schnapps.
Then the real challenge began: about 700 metres of climbing over a distance of barely three kilometres.
Three kilometres sounds like nothing. Three kilometres with 700 metres of ascent is a whole different kettle of fish.
I have rarely been so out of breath in my life. Aurélie wasn't exactly thrilled with her mother's slow pace and was pretty much at the top when I felt I'd only just started. Ellis was a real support, but towards the end of the climb she also went on ahead to the hut.
I took ten steps. Stopped to breathe. Took another ten steps.
I don't have to do the whole mountain at once. I only ever have to take the next step.
That was the thought that would carry me through the rest of the trip.
Fortunately, as far as my fear of heights went, this climb turned out to be absolutely fine. The paths were wide and easy to walk. I mostly looked at where I was putting my feet and not too much at what was below. When I was almost at the top, I saw a wide stretch of path with a bench. I sat down, looked around me and thought just one thing: I can't believe I've done this.
The view was so impressive that I completely forgot my fear of heights for a moment. A small emotional tear even rolled down my cheek. Not just because it was beautiful, but because it sank in that I had actually walked all the way up there myself.
Then one last easy kilometre across the gorgeous plateau. Rugged peaks all around us, cows and horses in the meadows and, in the distance, our first mountain hut: the Schlernhaus. The historic hut looked like the outpost of some old expedition. At the entrance stood horses that looked as if they'd been placed there especially to make my heart swell even more.
Our room was also much more comfortable than I'd expected, with neatly made beds. After a drink, there was another lavish dinner. By dessert, I sadly had to bow out. My energy was completely used up and, as if a hut-to-hut hike with extra kilos, a fear of heights and a backpack wasn't enough, I'd also got my period that day. Of course.
My daughters went off to watch the eclipse. I stayed sitting outside and quietly enjoyed the view. At that moment, that was exactly what I needed.
Hiking day two: my Roman Empire day
The second hiking day is my Roman Empire day: the day I still think back to all the time.
Physically, this stage looked friendlier on paper. We started with a short climb and after that the route was mostly gently rolling. But there was one section with a narrower path and quite a bit of exposure. In the months before, I had let that little stretch grow in my head into something like the north face of the Eiger.
So, unsurprisingly, I barely slept the night before.
Kiara had already offered to do that section with me. My first reaction was predictable: oh no, there's no need, I can manage on my own. A woman of many talents, but asking for help isn't one of them …
That morning, though, I decided to swallow my pride. I asked her whether she'd wait for me at the difficult part. Of course she would.
The hike started beautifully, with sweeping views over the mountains and the hut where we'd spent the night. But when the path narrowed and the drop made its presence very clearly felt, I was completely stuck in my head. Objectively, it was only a few metres of trickier terrain. For me, at that moment, it felt insurmountable.
That was exactly where I noticed the value of a group trip. Other hikers from our group came over, stayed calmly by my side and reassured me that it would be fine. No big drama and no complicated pep talk. Just people saying: come on, you can do this, we're here.
Further along, Kiara was waiting. She offered to carry my backpack, but I wanted to keep carrying it myself. Then she talked me through the section.
“You only have to take one step. Don't think about what's coming next. Just keep walking.”
Put your foot down. Make sure it's steady. Next foot. Again.
The difficult stretch took maybe just under half an hour, at my exceptionally cautious pace. But I did it. Thanks to Kiara, thanks to the group and, in the end, thanks to myself too.
Only once the drop eased off did I really take in the impressive view of the Rosengarten. There were sheep grazing and in the distance I could see the path we had just walked. Suddenly it all seemed smaller. Not because the path had changed, but because something had changed in my head.
A trip can give you beautiful photos, delicious food and lovely memories. But a trip on which you grow mentally and discover you can do more than you thought? That's something else entirely.
Pasta, marmots and Het is een nacht
At the next hut, Tierser Alpl, we had one of the best meals of the trip. The pasta dishes were creative, the portions gigantic and the prices a little steeper, but after a morning like that, food tastes as if there's at least one Michelin star hanging over the kitchen anyway. We sat in the sun for ages and were even offered a schnapps.
The second part of the hike took us through higher alpine meadows. We saw donkeys, horses, cows and even marmots. The path kept going up and down a little, so our legs did eventually start to feel it. As for my fear of heights, it stayed perfectly manageable, apart from a few brief moments.
After yet another bend where we fervently hoped to finally see our hut, there it suddenly was: the Plattkofelhütte. The landscape changed from Mordor to the Shire. The hut sat a little lower down, sheltered between the mountains. It was noticeably warmer there, so we sat outside in T-shirts and ordered an Aperol.
That evening, one of the loveliest things of the whole trip happened. A girl of about twelve picked up her guitar and started playing Het is een nacht (a Dutch singalong classic). Before we knew it, everyone was singing along.
And there we sat: a collection of hikers who all smelled a bit, but who for a moment felt completely connected.
To that girl: if you ever read this, know that you made our trip even more unforgettable.
After another delicious dinner, with a salad buffet and tiramisu, we went to our surprisingly luxurious room. The Plattkofelhütte felt almost like an eco alpine hotel. Only the shared bathrooms reminded us that we were still sleeping in a mountain hut. Even those were clean and spacious enough: we could all take long showers without ever feeling there was an irritated queue of people outside the door.
Hiking day three: going downhill with a dodgy knee
On the last hiking day we mainly had to descend. Physically, that was perhaps what I was most stressed about. I have a weaker knee and it had already made itself felt now and then over the previous days. But we were prepared: painkiller taken, knee support on and a slow start.
The route first ran across rolling alpine meadows, with the Witches' Forest as the cherry on the cake. Ahead of us lay Alpe di Siusi once again; behind us we could see the Rosengarten and even the pass we had crossed the day before. That remains a special feeling: a route that looked gigantic beforehand is suddenly visible behind you.
Slowly we made our way back to civilisation. Beforehand I'd often heard that the Dolomites are far too crowded these days, but during our hut-to-hut hike we hardly felt that at all. There were stretches where we walked completely alone and could fully enjoy how small a person feels among the mountains.
After the Witches' Forest, which is actually a really fun play forest and a clever reward for children after a somewhat less exciting descent, we came to a hotel and mountain hut with a playground. We had one more drink there before walking on to the cable car.
It was only on that last stretch that we saw more day trippers. That made the contrast clear: a hut-to-hut hike is a completely different experience from a day out. Because you spend the night in places that can only be reached on foot, the big crowds disappear by themselves and you often have the mountains almost to yourself.
We still had the ambitious plan of fitting in Seceda that day as well. It's not a huge walk, we told ourselves. But our collective batteries were flat and even we could no longer deny it.
Instead, we had another fantastic pasta with wild mushrooms on a terrace. Then we took the cable car down, freshened up and went for one more Aperol in the little town right next to the hotel before our last dinner together.
“We actually did that”
On that last evening we took a group photo. In just a few days a real bond had formed between the families. You get to know each other pretty well along the way: the good, the bad and the ugly. And then everyone has finally had a proper shower again and you're sitting there together at the table as if you've known each other for much longer.
Before this trip I had expected fantastic views, physical challenges, good food and beautiful photos. What I hadn't anticipated was the feeling of accomplishment.
I looked at my daughters and said: “We actually did that.”
Aurélie laughed a little at her emotional mother, but it was true. We had done it. With a full backpack, literally and figuratively. With my fear of heights. With my knee. With our different walking speeds and, now and then, our different personalities too.
That feeling is worth its weight in gold.
Ferragosto and saying goodbye to the Dolomites
The next morning was 15 August: Ferragosto. There were processions in the area and people walking around in traditional dress. For a moment it felt as if we'd accidentally wandered onto the set of The Sound of Music. We could hardly have dreamt up a better finale.
For a moment we considered going to the Drei Zinnen after all. Especially my daughters, raised on TikTok footage of the famous spots, had been keen beforehand to see the classic highlights.
But then one of them said something that summed up the whole trip for me:
“I don't think any bit of the Dolomites we saw on TikTok could be more beautiful than what we've just seen.”
And that's exactly how it felt. Once you've experienced what it's like to trek through the mountains without the crowds, you don't really want to go back to just the famous photo spots. The silence, the walking, the huts and the simple rhythm of the day made this trip complete.
Aurélie is already planning her next trek through the Dolomites. I'd set off again straight away too, although next time I might choose slightly shorter stages and more hiking days. And when our youngest is old enough, I'd absolutely love to experience this again as a whole family.
Is an organised hut-to-hut hike worth it?
If you have lots of mountain experience, you can probably plan a trek like this perfectly well yourself. For me, as a less experienced mountain hiker and a worried mum, the planning and guidance from Travelbase were worth their weight in gold.
I knew the huts were booked, that someone knew the route and that Kiara could judge what was safe and doable. That meant I could eventually let go of the worrying and trust the trip. And that is exactly what made room to enjoy it, even at the moments when my legs, my knee or my fear of heights claimed otherwise.
For me, a hut-to-hut hike through the Dolomites is one of those experiences you should have at least once in your life. Not because every step is easy, but because some steps give you far more in hindsight than just a beautiful view.
More pictures from the trail
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Any questions about our experience, the fear of heights, hiking with teenagers or what we packed? Feel free to send me a message on WhatsApp.
