Dolomites walking holiday in Italy, self guided

Planet and people

UK Office:
We are well aware of the impact tourism has at home and abroad, and we make every effort to balance the environmental impact of travelling with the immense benefits sustainable tourism can bring to destinations and the people who live there. So we start in the office: we turn off all electrical equipment every night; we use energy-efficient bulbs; we measure print and paper consumption, and re-cycle wherever possible; we print our brochures on paper from sustainable sources, and send them out in bio-degradable packaging.

Leaders & local suppliers:
Hans and Filouena Fuchs are the third generation who have run the Park Hotel Bellevue for over a century. Remarkable photos of wartime troops enjoying drinks outside can be found on the walls, while milking stools, family heirlooms and historic pieces of agricultural furniture stand like works of art in the corridors.

Some of your weeks walking from here will be in the Ampezzo Natural Park, a protected heritage site since 1990 which is, unusually, still managed, administered and protected by the traditional Regole – an institution dating back hundreds of years, and comprising of descendants of the original families that settled in the area. With tradition being of such importance, the ancient practise of transhumance – livestock being moved to the lower grasslands after spending the summer in higher mountain pastures – still continues here. Whilst visiting the park you will be required to adhere to the park visitor regulations.

Staff:
Staff will suggest places to see and visit locally. Many of our overseas staff have worked for us for many years now – in fact, the 20 returning staff this summer have, between them, clocked up an impressive 189 years!

Group size:
Having no minimum number means that groups sizes can be small and therefore the trips have less impact on the environment.

Activity:
Walking has minimal impact on the environment as you provide most of the energy yourself and, when you’re strolling from village to village, you can enjoy a relationship with locals in a way motorists passing through never can. On foot, you get off the beaten track, and you’ll find that people treat you as a visitor rather than a tourist. Also, by walking independently, and not having to worry about keeping up with a group, you set the pace so you can soak up the sights, sounds and scents of your surrounds and really get under the skin of the place you’re visiting.

We proactively encourage walking clients to think about travelling responsibly too: packing light, saving water, buying locally and re-cycling all maps and route notes at the end of their trip.