The High Way of the Dolomites No. 8 runs along a route of approximately 63 km, made up of 4 stages, connecting Feltre (BL) with Bassano del Grappa (VI).
The itinerary is also known as the “High Way of Heroes” as it traverses a territory that still tells the heroic deeds of the many soldiers and civilians who experienced the Great War firsthand.
The route starts in Feltre, from the Piave valley, ending in Bassano del Grappa, in the Brenta valley. Two great rivers define the boundaries of this prealpine route that stretches from northeast to southwest and measures exactly 30 km in a straight line, while the trail reaches about 63 km. The High Way No. 8 crosses the entire Grappa massif and three provinces of Veneto: Belluno, Treviso, and Vicenza.
The journey, excluding the ascent of the first stage and the long descent of the last, remains at an altitude ranging between 1044 m at Forcella Bassa and 1775 m at Monte Grappa and is accessible to all hikers; only the CAI Montebelluna Trail is more challenging as it crosses the Cengia di Prada and the equipped section with fixed ropes near Forcella d’Avién.
For the more experienced, some alternative variants to the classic route have been included which offer more technical excursions. The most panoramic route runs along the ridge line of the following elevations: Monte Tomatico, Monte Santo, Cima Sassumà, Monte Peùrna, Monte Paión, Colle Crodarotta, Monte d’Avién, Sasso delle Capre, Monte Fontanasecca, Monti Solaròli, Col dell’Orso, Monte Casonét, and Monte Grappa. The only real refuge along the itinerary is the Rifugio Bassano at Cima Grappa (1745 m), as the stages meet only a few restored alpine huts, which is why it is recommended to bring a tent and a sleeping bag to camp outdoors.
The High Way No. 8 traverses truly extraordinary and unique landscapes, in the wild world that rises south of the UNESCO World Heritage Dolomites and is a path that recounts the places of the Great War culminating with the military memorial of Monte Grappa built in 1935 to house the remains of the Fallen between 1917 and 1918.
