Looking out over Val di Fassa from half way up Civazes above the Sella Pass in October

The Dolomites are a spectacular mountain range with much to offer during the summer and winter months. But the shoulder seasons are somewhat neglected seasons, when traditional tourism falls by the wayside. Many hotels and restaurants use these seasons as a way to recover from the incredibly hectic previous season, when many people work seven days a week. But is it possible to travel to these beautiful mountains in other seasons and what will I experience? This time, I’m going to talk about autumn.

What is autumn in the Dolomites like?

The season stretches from around mid September through to the start of December. It will of course vary a bit from year to year, but I’d say these dates are good starting point. Historically, it was a rainy season when the temperatures would drop and winter might start in mid December; but in recent years the season has been very dry throughout. Indeed the season of 2018 saw high temperatures during the first half of October, bringing first forest fires, and then a Medicane, a type of lower force Hurricane which is seen during this time of the year over the Mediterranean. It was never the less extremely powerful and destroyed huge areas of forest which are now slowly, through land management regenerating. 

This all sounds a little grim, but don’t be put off. Autumn is a season of contrast, with foliage changing colour, often to a bright crimson, a lower angle of the sun bringing astonishing Alpenglow, and the snows at altitude making these rocky mountains whiter and even more spectacular!

The morning after a snow storm looking out over Val Pettorina from Casa Alfredino.

Weather

Of course, temperatures drop, but if you overlook most peoples perception that cold is bad/warm is good, you will find that actually during this period there is on average much less rainfall than the summer, the weather is usually more stable and you can get things done whilst the mountains are more or less deserted. For more information about how to predict what will happen, take a look at our article about the weather here. And it is important that you remain ever optimistic. These are the mountains, where weather can change on a dime and if you take any forecast too seriously, it’s more than likely you won’t even leave the house. You’ll see mist and clouds kissing the vertiginous walls, hanging mysteriously in the tree, their sudden parting sometimes making what might have been a disappointing walk into something of glorious excitement.

Fantastic, stable weather at the summit of Sass di Stria, looking towards Marmolada, Settsass, the Sella Massif and more. It's not ALWAYS like this!

Snow and how to deal with it

Of course at the other end of the spectrum, you might see substantial snow fall. Snow can happen at ANY time of the year, let alone in the run-up to December and the start of the ski season. It’s always a risk, so if you really can’t stand the stuff, maybe steer clear of this period. BUT a covering of the white stuff adds huge amounts of magic and transforms the landscape utterly in a matter of hours. 

Snow at low altitudes usually melts within a day. Whilst it might feel a bit intimidating if you’re not used to it, get out there and enjoy it. Make sure you pack a warm coat, hat and gloves and off you go! 

If you are driving, then you should be aware that by law you are required to be using a car with either snow tyres or be carrying snow chains between certain dates of the year. Your rental company must be able to provide you with appropriate equipment, some will charge, others not. Snow tyres are infinitely better than chains, but it’s extremely hard to find a car at a reasonable price with them fitted. If you take chains, familiarise yourself with them BEFORE having to put them on in anger as it’s nearly always a total pain to be doing it, laying down in the snow, fiddling about with cold fingers.

Driving over Passo Staulanza on the way to Venice Marco Polo, just because we could!

Where do we stay?

It’s important to book in advance, not many places stay open all season so don’t get caught out! One way to do it is to find self catering accommodation like Casa Alfredino or Rocca Bruna where you can cook for yourself (making it much cheaper too). South Tyrol is still far busier than Val Pettorina, so it depends on what floats your boat, but rest assured you can still see all the things you want to see!

What about the rest of the time?

What’s it like the rest of the time? Well the easiest way is to just park some photos here for you to see…

Monte Agner and the Pale di San Martino behind Val Pettorina
Civetta from Sass di Stria
Croda da Lago
Alleghe and Civetta from the lake
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