Hut to Hut in the Dolomites: A Trail Running Journey from the Man Who Ran the World
- Laura Whyms
- 5 days ago
- 8 min read
There aren't many people who can say they have run a marathon in every country in the world. In fact, there is only one!
Nick Butter.
Over 22 months, Nick ran a marathon in every country in the world, travelling from one corner of the globe to another and seeing the world through running shoes. Since then, he has continued to explore the world on foot, creating Run Weekends to share some of the places and trails he loves most with other runners.
And yet, for someone who has run in every country on Earth, there is one place he keeps coming back to.
The Dolomites.
The dramatic peaks, technical trails, mountain huts, turquoise lakes and endless views make this corner of northern Italy somewhere Nick never seems to tire of. In fact, the Run Weekends Dolomites trip has become our most popular adventure, selling out so quickly that we now run it twice a year.
Five days of mountain running. Around 65km of trails. Three mountain huts. And a lot of food, laughter, sweat and spectacular scenery along the way.
This is how Nick's latest trip unfolded.
Contents
Day 1: Arriving in the Dolomites
San Candido is where it all begins.
For Nick, there is something familiar about coming back here, but that doesn't make it any less exciting.
The mountains are already looming above the town and, before long, the runners begin to arrive. Some have travelled with partners or friends, while others are arriving solo, ready to meet the group for the first time. There are both new faces and returning guests, but everyone is here for the same reason.
For everyone, there’s a mixture of nerves and excitement. Five days of mountain running lie ahead, with technical trails, big climbs and nights spent in mountain huts. For those who have never done a trip like this before, there’s plenty to take in.
Once everyone has settled into their rooms, the group comes together for a safety briefing and a run-through of the days ahead. Nick and his team talk everyone through what to expect on the trails, the hut-to-hut format and everything they need to know before heading into the mountains.
And then, with the introductions made and the nerves beginning to settle, there’s only one thing left to do.
Dinner.
The adventure has officially begun.
Day 2: San Candido to Locatelli Hut
The first proper day in the mountains starts with a deceptively simple decision: what actually needs to go in the running pack?
Everything needed for the next four days has to come with the runners into the mountains, while everything else stays behind in San Candido. It is one of those moments when the reality of the trip starts to sink in.
This isn't a normal running holiday.
There is no returning to the hotel at the end of the day. No suitcase waiting in the room. No shower on demand.
For the next three nights, the mountains are home.
The group sets off from San Candido and begins climbing!
The first run is 17km with around 1,300 metres of ascent, so there is little time for the legs to forget that this is a mountain adventure. The pace is deliberately relaxed. This isn't about racing up the climbs or chasing a time. It is about staying together, taking in the views and making the most of being somewhere extraordinary.
A stop at Tre Scarperi Hut provides the chance to refuel before the trail continues upwards.
And then the mountains really begin to open up.
The Three Lavaredo Peaks appear. Monte Paterno rises above the trail, alongside Torre di Toblin and Torre dei Scarperi. These are the kind of views that make even Nick, who has spent years travelling the world on foot, stop and look.
Eventually, Locatelli Hut comes into view.
After several hours on the trail, it feels like a destination properly earned.
The refuges are one of the things that make this trip so special. They are not luxury hotels, and that's exactly the point. The accommodation is simple, with dorm-style beds and limited facilities, but the locations are almost impossible to beat. Three nights are spent high in the mountains, surrounded by some of the most spectacular scenery in the European Alps.
There is something wonderfully simple about it.
Run all day. Arrive at a hut. Eat. Drink. Talk. Play games. Watch the light change across the mountains.
Then sleep above 2,000 metres and do it all again tomorrow.
Day 3: Around the Tre Cime
Morning looks very different up here.
The group wakes early, hoping to catch the sunrise before breakfast and another day on the trails.
There is something about waking up in a mountain hut that makes the whole experience feel slightly surreal. Instead of looking out of a hotel window at a street or car park, the runners are surrounded by enormous peaks.
After breakfast and a hot drink, packs are filled with lunch and the group heads back onto the trail.
Today is shorter at 13km, but the terrain makes sure it still feels like an adventure.
The route skirts around the famous Tre Cime, beginning on a rough downhill path before opening out onto better trails through the pine woods. Eventually, the group reaches Rifugio Auronzo, where there is time to eat, refill water and regroup.
Then comes the more technical part of the day.
The trail begins to climb, with sections requiring the help of metal cables and wooden walkways. For some runners, this is exactly what they came for. For others, it is a reminder that this is as much a mountain adventure as it is a running trip.
And that's what makes the group dynamic so good.
Everyone moves at their own pace, but nobody is really doing this alone.
By the time the runners reach Fonda Savio Hut, the legs have certainly had enough for one day.
The hut sits in an incredible position between the peaks, and as the sun starts to drop, everyone settles in with dinner and drinks.
The cameras come out.
Because some views are simply too good not to photograph.
Day 4: Lakes, Climbs and Lake Sorapis
By now, the rhythm of hut-to-hut life has started to feel strangely normal.
Wake up. Breakfast. Pack the day's food. Put on the shoes. Head into the mountains.
Today brings 17km and another big day of climbing, but the route begins with a welcome descent through the woods towards Misurina Lake.
After two days high in the mountains, reaching the lake feels like arriving somewhere completely different.
There is time for lunch, a chance to refill water and, if the weather is warm enough, perhaps even a dip.
But the day isn't over.
From the lake, the route winds through the woods before beginning the steep climb towards Vandelli Hut.
It is the final hut of the trip.
And perhaps that makes arriving here feel even more special.
For Nick, the huts are a huge part of why this trip keeps drawing him back. They strip everything back. There is no need for much more than a warm layer, a bed, a plate of local food and somewhere to sit outside and watch the mountains. The accommodation is basic, but the experience is anything but.
If the group still has some energy left, there is one more adventure waiting.
Lake Sorapis.
The group can walk down towards the lake for sunset, with the turquoise water sitting beneath the surrounding peaks.
It is the sort of evening that makes everyone forget how tired their legs are.
Eventually, it is back to the hut for hot drinks, warm layers and dinner.
Day 5: Down to Cortina
There is always something slightly bittersweet about the final morning in the mountains.
After four days of moving through the Dolomites, the group knows that this is the last time they will lace up their trail shoes at altitude.
The route from Vandelli Hut to Cortina is 13km, with a net descent of around 500 metres.
The trail gradually brings the group back towards the trees and pine forests of the lower mountains. After days surrounded by exposed peaks and rocky terrain, the changing landscape is a reminder that the adventure is beginning to come full circle.
And then, eventually, Cortina d'Ampezzo appears.
The mountain running is over.
Lunch in Cortina gives everyone the chance to celebrate, refuel and reflect on the previous few days before the journey back to San Candido.
The bus carries the group back towards where it all began.
And suddenly, there is a shower.
A proper bed.
Clean clothes.
And the rest of the luggage that has been patiently waiting in San Candido.
After three nights sleeping in mountain refuges, the return to the ATTO apartments feels like a small slice of luxury. The group settles back into its comfortable accommodation, enjoys dinner together and, for those who still have the energy, heads out to explore the village.
The contrast is part of what makes the trip work so well.
One night you are sleeping in a simple mountain refuge surrounded by peaks.
The next, you are back in comfort, with a hot shower and everything you left behind waiting for you.
And there is still one more morning in the Dolomites.
Day 6: One Last Run
Technically, the big adventure is already over.
But nobody is quite ready to say goodbye.
There is an optional 5km shakeout run around San Candido for anyone who wants one final taste of the trails. After four consecutive days in the mountains, nobody is expected to run. Tired legs are entirely acceptable.
For those who do head out, it is a fitting way to finish.
No huge climb. No summit to reach. No hut waiting at the end.
Just one final run together.
The rest of the day is free, with the option to visit Lake Braies, explore San Candido or, perhaps most appropriately after five days of mountain running, spend some time at the spa.
And this is another part of the Dolomites trip that Nick loves.
The first and last nights are spent back at ATTO in San Candido, meaning guests have the chance to experience the mountains in two very different ways. The hotel provides a comfortable base at the beginning and end of the adventure, while travel luggage can safely be left behind during the hut-to-hut section.
And after days of trails, climbing and mountain huts, the spa overlooking the mountains is a pretty spectacular way to finish.
At midday, the official trip comes to an end.
But nobody seems in much of a hurry to leave.
Why Nick Keeps Coming Back to the Dolomites
Nick has run a marathon in every country in the world.
He has run through deserts, cities, jungles and mountains. He has crossed borders on foot and spent years searching for the next place to run.
So why does he keep coming back to the Dolomites?
Perhaps it is because there is no single thing that makes the place special.
It is the combination.
The scale of the mountains. The trails. The lakes. The food. The refuges. The people. The feeling of waking up above 2,000 metres and knowing that your only job that day is to put one foot in front of the other.
It is also the fact that the Dolomites never seem to look quite the same.
The weather changes. The light changes. The seasons change. You can run the same trail and still find something new to look at.
And, after running in every country in the world, Nick knows what makes a place worth returning to.
The Dolomites have it.
That is why Run Weekends keeps coming back.
And why, when this trip sells out, we don't wonder whether we should run it again.
We simply add another date.
Run the Dolomites with Run Weekends
The Run Weekends Dolomites adventure is more than a running holiday.
It is five days of moving through some of the most spectacular mountains in Europe, carrying everything you need on your back and sleeping in mountain refuges along the way.
There are big climbs, technical trails, turquoise lakes, long lunches, mountain dinners and plenty of time to stop and take it all in.
You don't need to be the fastest runner.
You just need to be ready for the mountains.
Because, as Nick and the Run Weekends team like to say:
Bring your smile, not your speed.
And if you ask Nick whether he has had enough of the Dolomites after all these years?
The fact that he keeps coming back is probably the answer.
Explore all Run Weekends running holidays and find your next adventure.
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