Internationale groepsreis Classic Dolomites

Walking in the Dolomites from a very fine hotel

The Dolomites are spectacular. I did the moderate week and found it accurately rated and described. The Hotel Adler was just the cream on the cake with friendly staff, a good bar and outdoor seating area and really, really good meals.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Every day the fabulous scenery in the Dolomites. July 1 - 100 year anniversary of the Battle of the Somme and we were in the trenches in Monte Piano the front lines of Italy and Austria Hungary.

What did you think of your group leader?

Alex was extremely knowledgeable and efficient. But more than that he took care to see everyone was safe and having a good time. His video on our last evening of winter activities in the Dolomites was absolutely spectacular and an unadvertised added bonus. I would not hesitate to follow Alex on future adventures

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Make full use of the Spa at the Hotel Adler. Make sure you have full wet weather gear. Most of our days the first week of July were warm and sunny. But one day a late afternoon thunderstorm caught us out and anyone without full wet weather gear would be soaked to the skin in minutes with miles more to walk down the valley.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

For me this was the perfect follow up to the Tour de Mt. Blanc trip the previous year.

Fantastic trip!

Excellent trip, beautiful views, lovely hotel with great facilities and last but not least a superb group leader

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Getting to the top of Monte Piano after a challenging climb. Seeing the WW1 history come alive in the tunnels and landscape

What did you think of your group leader?

One of the best leaders I have encountered- and as this was my 20th Exodus Trip I have had a few! Karl has a wealth of experience, knows the area like the back off his hand and is helpful and encouraging with everyone. He is friendly and approachable and in his hands I felt very safe. He was accommodating to members of the group who felt out of their comfort zone and helped them achieve what they thought they could not do. In addition he made sure we got everything we could out of our week even down to being on hand on our free day to help folks with their plans. A credit to and a great ambassador for Exodus.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Take walking poles! They were invaluable to me and others even on the non challenging week. Use the hotel facilities, I am sure it was the swim/steam/sauna at the end of each day that was responsible for the lack of "mountain legs" - never had an ache or stiff legs the next day.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

This is a great weeks walking in a beautiful place and coupled with the lovely comfortable hotel with the friendly staff and spa facilities it makes for a fantastic trip

Classic Dolomites

I did a C grade trip in september and spent an amazing week in the mountains under blue skies and sunshine. The views from the peaks were amazing, such incredible scenery! Really enjoyed all the walks which just got better each day. They were just the right side of challenging for me. If you've done the Slovenia Lakes and Mountains trip you will love this. The hotel was a really good family run one with friendly and helpful staff. Loads of choice for breakfast and 5 course dinners in the evenings. Also sauna, steam room, swimming pool and other facilities to use. .

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Standing on the top of each of the peaks we went up and just taking in the views. Something to live long in the memory. Seeing the WW1 trenches and tunnels, hard to believe soldiers fought and died up there.

What did you think of your group leader?

Karl was a great leader with lots of local knowledge, very sociable with the group and had lots of entertaining stories. There were some tricky parts along the walks and Karl made sure everyone was safe and felt comfortable at all times. He kept a good pace for us all and kept the group together well. Always ready to help with any problems. Top bloke.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Even if it's hot and sunny in the valley when you start the walk, those extra layers and hat and gloves will be needed at the top. Earplugs if you get a room at the front of the hotel, those bells start early. Hire a bike on the free day and go exploring using the great network of cycle paths. The Funbob at Innichen is indeed fun! Yes you will need a torch too as there are bunkers and tunnels to explore.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Spent the week with a great bunch of people but then i always do with exodus trips.

Amazing Adventure

Fabulous holiday with spectacular vistas every day, just the right side of challenging with the added luxury of returning to the hotel to partake of the spa facilities before settling down to the 5 course dinner. Learnt so much about the area and its history from the very friendly and knowledgable guide. Each days walking gave a new prepective of the area with differing terrain and amazing views. The hotel was excellent with good facilities and very friendly helful staff nothing was too much trouble would definately reccomend the trip to anyone who enjoys the great outdoors and a little luxury

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Realising with a little courage and encourage I could suceed when I thought it was beyond me. Learning about the history of the place area and the adversity faced by the locals during both world wars

What did you think of your group leader?

Karl was very knowledgable about the area and encouraged us to stretch ourselves to ensure we got the most out of our holiday, it was clear from the receptions he recieved at the hotel and mountain huts that he was considered a friend

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Will definatley be booking with exodus again.

Classic Dolomites

Excellent, good value trip. I had not visited South Tyrol before but the Dolomites had been on my bucket list for some time. I booked the regular trip not the more challenging departure but the walking was just right leaving at 9am and back to the hotel 5-6pm. I had looked at doing hut to hut treks but the real highlight was coming back to a base at Hotel Adler, using the pool and spa and loading up on local, delicious five course meals! Maybe less adventurous but an active holiday with maximum relaxation too.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

The stunning scenery brought to life by our guide and the hospitality of our family run hotel.

What did you think of your group leader?

Extremely knowledgable and passionate about the area. Well qualified to lead on the mountains and genuinely concerned that everyone enjoyed their trip. Honest advice.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Hire a bike from the hotel on the free day. Bolzano is too far away to be a good use of the time. Take wet weather gear and pack warm layers even in the height of summer if, like me, you feel the cold. Be prepared to test your fears (safely) if you don't like heights. Embrace the local food. If you want to use a little less English, scrub up on your German.....much more widely spoken than Italian in the area. If you have the time and budget, fit in a couple of days in Venice. Easy to get to from the airport transfer and a great contrast. Take home some prosecco!

Is there anything else you would like to add?

You won't be disappointed if you book this trip. There is no option to do via Ferrata routes but you will experience some short sections of wires and ladders to get a flavour without the adrenaline. Travelled in a pair ages 27 and 32.

classic dolomites

A fantastic holiday,great location.Scenery was stunning.Hotel great,nice staff,very helpful.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

The scenery,it was breathtaking.

What did you think of your group leader?

Karl Mather was brilliant!! His leadership skills were excellent,his knowledge of the area was second nature.He was very interesting and made our holiday.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Book this trip with Karl,you will have a great ,interesting trip.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

We wished we could have stayed a bit longer.

great walking high up in the dolomites

great hotel, great walking and great food, what more could you want !

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

trekking across mt piani , the walking made all the more fascinating by our great guide Carl who bought it to life with his history and intimate knowledge of the area added to the whole amazing experience,

What did you think of your group leader?

He was fantastic. A great tour leader, his knowledge and experience was appreciated and really made the trip ...

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

take walking poles

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Fun in the Dolomites (Classic Dolomites/ Tough)

Just back from a very pleasant week trundling around the Dolomites. Bit of huff and puff especially in the heat of summer but without too much terrifying exposure. The awesome scenery and beautiful summer widlflowers were intoxicating. Hotel Adler was great as was it's spa facilities especially the refershing mint shower, the food was delicious, plentiful and beautifully presented and the bar was raided with great enthusiasm every night!

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

It has to be the epic grandeur of the scenery in the mountains. The walk reaches some places where there are beautiful jaw dropping vistas to stare at.

What did you think of your group leader?

Karl was the perfect choice as a leader. His love and knowledge of the area really illuminated the territory that we were walking through. His recounting of the battles that took place around the area especially Monte Piano brought the history to life. Karl looked after us very well and made sure that we were safe, happy and well fed and watered at all times.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

I found that the "tough" week was in fact not that tough especially as there was no extreme altitude to deal with and any reasonably fit person would have no problems reaching the places we went to. We averaged around 7 hours walking a day with an elevation gain/loss of around 1000m.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

It's a really nicely balanced week of excercise, culture and comfort. Perfect for s wide variety of interests.

Great

Great walking, great views, great location, great guide, great people. So putting that all together, it was a great holiday.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Loved the Tre Cime.

What did you think of your group leader?

Our leader was interesting, friendly and helpful.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Classic Dollomites (Challenging)

This was a great trip...Lots of physical activity that yielded great views. Food included with trip price was very good...and when you asked nicely, you were able to order items not on the group menu. Hotel Adler deserves it's 4 star rating. Good location and loved the wellness center. At the end of a day of hiking the steam rooms were most welcoming...Not to mention the comfort of the bar. Our room had a terrace so it was possible to sit outside of our room as well as hang our wet items out to dry...As it did rain and we did do wash. Chose this date because it fit with my touring in Slovenia as part of the same vacation. Thought it would also provide the best hiking weather...We had bright sun the first day, a couple days later it rained and the next day it snowed and then it was sunny again. What a special trip. I have taken several trips with Exodus and this is one of the best for hiking during the day and comfort after the hike. Plus it starts and ends in Venice which makes it easy to extend one's stay in Italy.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

I have traveled to lots of places around the world but have to say the Dolomites were inspirational by themselves. Hiking in snowshoes on freshly falling snow, like we were able to do was very inspirational.

What did you think of your group leader?

Our leader, Alex was very knowable of the outdoors and the trial offerings in the area. He quickly adapted where we would go depending on the weather and did a remarkable job. He did a good job instructing people on how to improve their hiking efficiency and thus improve technique, safety as well as conserve energy. If I was ever stranded in the wilderness, Alex is someone I would want with me. That said, I also found him a bit arrogant and not someone I would want to lead my next Exodus trip. A co-leader was Martin. Martin was fantastic. He may not know the Dolomites like Alex but he too was knowable about the outdoors and had great leadership and people skills.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

When drinking at the Hotel Adler bar, rather than pay as you drink, they encourage that you charge the item(s) to your room. Which is fine. But it is a 4 star hotel with 4 star bar prices which you won't discover until you go to check out. May want to close out bar tab nightly to avoid surprises on the last day.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I was able to combine this trip with trips in Slovenia. Used GoOpti transportation to get from Slovenia to Venice, which was very reasonably priced and timed to meet the Exodus group arriving at the Venice airport. Took advantage of the trip ending in Venice...relaxed and explored the city and all the cultural offerings.

Villabassa weeks guided walking

Alex our guide knew the area so well that he was able to make daily route adjustments to suit weather and ability. Above and beyond the call of duty. As usual the group was a great mix of personalitys. The landscape was truly exceptional. Don't forget your waterproof clothing though.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Last days walk. Weather and views were world class.

What did you think of your group leader?

First class

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Water proof clothing and footwear

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Classic Dolomites

A superb walking holiday with the benefit of staying at one hotel for the week. Couldn't fault the hotel:- room, food and pool, spa area were excellent and staff so friendly. Wonderful scenery, great walking and good bus / train links for free day all made this the best walking holiday I have done.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

There were many highlights but the morning we set off for the tre cime was so wet and misty that we were sure it would not go ahead. Great disappointment. However as we sat in the refuge drinking coffee a miracle happened - suddenly there was blue sky! We were off and what a wonderful day we had.

What did you think of your group leader?

Our leader was very personable and competent . He managed our expectations well and always had a food inspired goal for us to look forward to like pancakes or hot chocolate with rum. He was very knowledgable about the history of the war in the area and brought ' alive' the many bunkers, trenches etc still to be found.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

The only negative of this trip is that the group flights arrives very late at night and the transfer from venice is long.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Great walking in the mountains

A great week walking, seeing both lakes and peaks with fabulous views.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Walking around the peaks on the final couple of walks.

What did you think of your group leader?

Alex was excellent, great knowledge of the area and gave friendly helpful tips on how to use poles better, and walk across scree particularly downhill.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Pack waterproofs, but in going in July take shorts as well.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Excellent walking trip in the Dolomites

An excellent trip which I would highly recommend to other walkers. Each day's walk takes you to a different part of the Dolomites to explore and enjoy. Alex, our group leader, had very good knowledge of the area and could adapt our walks based on the weather conditions and was able to share his historical information with us. The hotel, Hotel Alder, in Villabassa, was a treat to come home to every night - the food was superb and the staff were very friendly. There were 12 of us in the group and we all got on very well indeed which made for a very good week.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

The last day's walk on Monte Piano was very special. We were lucky with the weather and had blue skies and lovely sunshine making the views just amazing. However, thinking about the events that had taken place up there during the war was a very sobering moment.

What did you think of your group leader?

Alex was an excellent group leader and kept our group together very well which made for a very united group.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Be prepared for all weather conditions in one day!

Is there anything else you would like to add?

To future travelers - you will spend most of the week having "wow' moments at the scenery - hope you enjoy as much as I did!

Memories for a life time

This was my first European walking holiday and I was very impressed with the quality of the whole holiday from the Hotel Adler and its staff who were very accommodating to our guide Alex and also the team at the office. I did wonder about food on holiday as I am a picky eater but all the food provided was delicious and more than enough. There is nothing I could fault on this holiday even with rain for 2.5 days of our walks we managed to do all but the last day of the planned routes and in my opinion it added a chance to see the Dolomites in a dramatic scene as well as glorious sunshine.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

The penultimate day of walking was beautiful scenery throughout the whole day and a chance to spot native flowers in the wild also.

What did you think of your group leader?

Alex was fantastic. He was informative and supportive to all group members setting the pace at a level that suited all abilities in the group.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

There is a lovely pool in the hotel that you can relax after a day's walking. If you have the chance to take this walk from Brunex to local ski resort they have a ski lift to 3000ft which gives most impressive panaromic views of Alps and Dolomites on a clear day.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

This is a great holiday and worth booking, I have fantastic memories and can't wait till my next holiday.

Dolomites

A great week away walking in the dolomites, weather was perfect.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Scenery fantastic, hotel comfortable, staff friendly and welcoming, food very good, beer cold, sunshine all week, what could be better.

What did you think of your group leader?

Excellent leader, helpful, knowledgeable, friendly worked well with the group.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Just book it you won't regret it

Is there anything else you would like to add?

CLASSIC DOLOMITES

If it says not for those 'suffering vertigo' believe it. It means sheer drops, little protection and scree underfoot!

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Getting up and then getting down! Being revived by excellent spa facilities ready to go for the next day

What did you think of your group leader?

Very, very competent

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Please make sure you are comfortable with large drops, narrow ridges and lose scree underfoot. There are few options if you do a grade C week. But its exhilerating and worth the effort to get to the tops.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

CLASSIC DOLOMITES

Totally Awe inspiring. You get right into the heart of the mountains.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

We were lucky we had 2 days of snow - it really made the trip even more spectacular than it would have been anyway.

What did you think of your group leader?

Carl, was very Knowledgeable, and was on hand with lots of suggestions for the day off. He kept the group together well, so we ended up at the summits all as one group. 

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Please take walking poles! we were not expecting snow and it stopped us from doing a grade C walk that was scheduled. The poles were essential for the second day of snow as well which was grade C, without them it would have been a little dangerous. All drinks, treatments in the spa, bike hire @ The Adler are all put on your room tab so you don't need to take huge amounts of cash. Be prepared for a lot of food - buffet style breakfast and 5 course dinners!!! absolutely delicious though.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I would really recommend if you have the funds to arrange for an extra day in Venice at the end as there is no time allocated on this trip.

CLASSIC DOLOMITES

This was our first Exodus trip. It turned out to be even better than we expected. The scenery and was fantastic, the hotel was superb and the group was wonderful company. We definitely want to go an more Exodus trips.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

There were many memorable moments. In the mountains, the emotions are torn between the uplifting  majesty of the scenery contrasting so poignantly with the evidence of brutal human conflict.

What did you think of your group leader?

Karl was excellent. He was informative, humorous and sensitive to the capabilities of the group members. We all thoroughly enjoyed his leadership and company.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

If you want a walking holiday amongst fantastic scenery based in a high quality hotel, you will enjoy this trip.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Brilliant holiday - so memorable

CLASSIC DOLOMITES

A stunning part of Europe with really varied walking.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Getting to the top of Monte Piano via the Pioneer's Path.  Walking on virgin snow...in September.  Enjoying the evening sunshine on a bench above Villabassa and just taking in the view.

What did you think of your group leader?

Karl was very friendly (even came out with us for dinner on the 'free' night) and very knowledgable about the local area and history. Perhaps a little authoritarian about long trousers and walking poles.... And surprisingly (to me!) he's a Brit - being a Karl with a 'K' I had assumed he would be local/Austrian!

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Don't be intimidated by the grade C trips.  While the walking did have its moments and everyone on the group has done some quite serious walking before, the group was pretty mixed in terms of age etc and no-one really struggled. Take walking poles: Karl was insistent that we used them on some days, so if you don't want to borrow mis-matched ones from the hotel, take your own.  And if Exodus book you onto an EasyJet flight, make sure they fit in your hold luggage: they won't let you check them in as a separate item or take them as hand luggage. And despite being in Italy, the majority language spoken is actually German, so dust off your GCSE.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

The hotel is really nice: take your swimmers to take advantage of the 'spa', and take your appetite to enjoy the huge evening meals.  As other travellers have said previously, if you can't sleep through church bells ask for a room at the back (they were very accommodating with our gruop's requests to change rooms, but I guess it depends how full they are).