Snowshoeing in the Dolomites

Learning to snow shoe was simple, but for the first two days I also had to learn how to pick myself up. My feet felt huge. The walking was exhilarating and the views spectacular. I began to understand the mountaineer's drive to be in that terrain. At times I was overwhelmed with the effort it took for me to reach my destination but always felt happy to be participating. Different group members were warm and encouraging. Our guide was OUTSTANDING. I was a teacher and I appreciated all of the incentives Sara used to help me not only finish my walk but enjoy it too. A fantastic and memorable week! Thank you.

Amazing week with perfect conditions. The area is beautiful and the walks are varied. Great equipment provided lovely hotel and our leader, Sara, could not be faulted

A fantastic week. Lovely hotel, food and scenery. And the spa at the end of the day was bliss. Tougher than I expected but not a problem as there was no pressure or sense of shame in being last! The food at the hotel is truly gorgeous.

This trip had great progression from an easy first couple of days which was good for total beginners to get a feel for snowshoeing, building up to some longer but very rewarding days climbing some 2000+m peaks. Much to my delight, these last few days were much more like winter mountaineering but in snowshoes, rather than a tramp in the snow (as the first couple of days was). The hotel was also a great place to relax with wonderful sauna, pool and gym, and the most amazing food ever.

I think it was on the third day, high up in what seemed to be a white wilderness, that it occurred to me that I’d run out of superlatives – awesome, stunning, magnificent, all the usual stuff didn’t seem to do justice to the scenery. I settled on surreal. This is a trip that exceeds expectation though the guide did describe us as “the lucky group” partly because we had a big dump of snow on the second day despite the gloomster weather forecasts. I also found it tougher than I expected; snow shoeing is harder than it looks, and we started most of the walks at about the 2000m mark, so altitude played a part – we were asleep by 11, another new experience. The hotel was very comfortable though the food did not quite live up to the eulogies in other reviews – the pool was great for soothing tired limbs. Difficult to describe some of the interior decoration – eclectic, eccentric or possibly kitsch? The staff were certainly welcoming and attentive, and the rooms were warm and spacious.

A fabulous, varied week of snowshoeing in the Italian Dolomites lead by the inspirational Sara Bull. If you haven't used snowshoes or crampons before, don't worry. If you're reasonably fit, don't worry. We experienced a wide variety of weather conditions during our stay at the welcoming Hotel Adler, from warm sunshine to freezing blizzards and our leader Sara selected the perfect trek for each occasion, providing all the instruction, encouragement and support that our group required, regardless of their level of experience and fitness. Her catchword is 'enthusiasm' and hers is infectious. If you want to enjoy the Dolomites at their most dramatic and beautiful, then this is the trip for you.

Great

A superb week away, exploring just a bit of what the Dolomites has to offer. Stunning scenery, wonderful walks with views that are breathtaking - we loved it!

Overall, maybe helped by good weather, an excellent holiday in a very good hotel with a compatible group that all seemed to get on well.  Villabassa is ideally located for winter holidays

Wonderful scenery and walking combined with an excellent hotel and a first class group leader. Terrible handling of our transfer upon arrival though (see below).