Lago Di Coldai & Monte Coldai Dolomites Hike Guide

Lago Di Coldai & Monte Coldai is a popular hike located in the Civetta area of the Dolomites. The hike to Lago Di Coldai, a high alpine lake, is much more popular than the hike to the top of Monte Coldai but both are equally awesome hikes. There are a number of different ways to start this hike, but the easiest is from Palafavera where you can even take a chairlift part way up, shaving off a number of miles.

Lago Di Coldai & Monte Coldai Quick Facts

Virtual Trail Guide: Lago Di Coldai & Monte Coldai

Lago Di Coldai & Monte Coldai  Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 Stars)

Distance: 6 Miles / 9.6 KM RT If Taking Chairlift, 7 Miles / 11.2 KM If Walking From Base 

Elevation Start: 5,000ft / 1524m 

High Point: 7,861ft  / 2,396m

Total Elevation Gain: 3,000ft / 914m – Take off 1,000ft / 300m if taking chairlift

Estimated Time to Complete: 4-5 Hours RT – Could be much faster with chairlift 

Difficulty: Moderate What does this mean?

Class: Class 2 – What does this mean?

Season: June – October – Expect snow outside of these months

Check the Weather Forecast

Directions to Lago Di Coldai & Monte Coldai

Trailhead: Rifugio Palafavera

Getting Here: Although there are other ways to start this hike, this post assumes a start from Rifugio Palafavera located in Val di Zoldo. From the base area, either take the chairlift or walk up the service road for about a mile to begin the true start of the hike.

Parking: There is ample parking at the base of Rifugio Palafavera, just be sure to keep an eye out for the free spots as there are areas where you do need to pay or be a guest of the Rifugio. There are restrooms inside the Rifugio that do require a fee or purchasing something to use. 

Fee: None if hiking – 7 Euro Up, $10 Euro Up & Down

Summary

Dogs: This hike to Lago Di Coldai is dog friendly but I would not recommend bringing one up to the summit of the mountain since the trail is narrow, semi-eroded and dangerous in spots. Since there is livestock in the area, it’s best to keep them on a leash as well.  

Lodging: You could stay at Rifugio Palafavera or the Rifugio Coldai both located along this hike. 

Trail X Factors: Social Trails & Trail Conditions

On your way up to Lago Di Coldai, there are a number of social and game trails in the area. While route finding isn’t really an issue, it can be confusing in parts on where to go. In general, just use your common sense and follow the most traveled path. 

After you get up to Lago Di Coldai and continue on to Monte Coldai, the trail is very well established until the last 100 yards or so. At this point, the trail is fairly loose and very narrow with medium exposure. A fall here would not be fun so be sure to pay extra attention to your footing. 

Hike Tip(s): Even if your plan is not to hike all the way up to Monte Coldai, I would recommend hiking a bit farther past the lake to get a better view and fantastic spot to eat a lunch or snack. When planning a hike to either objective, be sure that weather is good as well because a storm could roll in here very quickly and there is no shelter unless you made it back to the Rifugio on the mountainside.  

Best Views: Even though Lago Di Coldai is far more popular than Monte Coldai, continuing on to the summit is recommended. The views from the lake are far inferior than the top of the mountain but both are beautiful. 

Lago Di Coldai & Monte Coldai Hike Route

Gear Needed

• Men’s Trail Runners
• Women’s Trail Runners
• Backpack (Summer)
• Food & Water
• Optional: Garmin inReach
• Optional: Hiking Poles – 120CM
• Optional: Headlamp
• Optional: Garmin Fenix Watch
• Optional: GoPro, Joby Tripod, GoPro 360
• Optional: Drone
• *Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you.

Our Trip to Lago Di Coldai & Monte Coldai: August 2022

It was the last full day on our trip to Italy and the Dolomites and we wanted to sneak in one more hike. The weather on the day was looking iffy and as much as I wanted to do another big day on a via ferrata, we decided to settle for Lago Di Coldai & Monte Coldai instead. We ended up taking the chairlift up the mountain instead of walking because of my ambitious plans for a larger day.

The hike up to the lake was relatively straightforward and uneventful besides a massive herd of sheep. As we hiked higher and higher, we ran into more people and by the time we reached Lago Di Coldai, there was a fairly large crowd up there. With the clouds still looking nasty, we decided to push on and enjoy the lake on the way down. The rest of the climb to Monte Coldai was very easy to follow but much steeper. The last few hundred feet of climbing and 200 yards or so of trail became much more loose and exposed but we only ran into two other hikers. When we arrived at the top, we had it all to ourselves and the views were outstanding. 360 degree stunning scenery with beautiful Dolomites mountains all around us. For a relatively small hike, the rewards were outstanding. 

We managed to avoid the storms and I ended up running down back to the car while Jackie took the lift back. This day was a perfect hike to end our trip and a cherry on top of an amazing time in the Dolomites. 

Lago Di Coldai & Monte Coldai Virtual Trail Guide