Puez–Odle hut-to-hut: four days across the Puez-Geisler nature park, from Val di Funes to Val Gardena

Which route should you choose?

The Puez-Odle nature park was founded in 1978 and enlarged in 1999. It spans seven municipalities, from Funes in the north-west to Corvara in Val Badia. The Odle spires rise above the pastures of Val di Funes; the Puez plateau is a high stony tableland.

Most hut-to-hut routes link the same few huts: Rifugio Genova above Val di Funes, Rifugio Puez on the plateau, and the Cisles pastures above Val Gardena. The Alta Via 2 crosses the park from north to south. Below are four ways to walk it, from two to four days; the itinerary shows the four-day traverse from Val di Funes to Val Gardena.

4-day Zannes to Ortisei traverse, four days itinerary at a glance

Day 1 is short: from the Zannes car park at 1,680 m a path climbs past the Kaserill pasture to Rifugio Genova, about 4 km and 620 metres up in under two hours. With a spare morning, the Adolf-Munkel trail under the north faces of the Odle makes a longer approach.

Day 2 is the big one, about 12 km on the Alta Via 2 and five to six hours of walking. You cross Furcia de Medalges and the Medalges pasture, then climb the steep scree gully to Forcella de la Roa (2,617 m), the high point of the trek. A short, narrow, exposed rock step there has a cable handrail. Then the path crosses the Puez plateau to Rifugio Puez.

Day 3 heads west on trail 2 to Forcella de Sieles, with a few exposed passages secured with steel cables below the saddle. It then drops to the Cisles pastures, about two and a half to three hours to the Firenze area. Spend the night at Col Raiser or at the Fermeda hut on the Seceda pasture.

Day 4 climbs past the Pieralongia meadows to Seceda (2,519 m), with the famous tilted faces of the Odle beside you. Take the cable car down to Ortisei, or walk down in about two and a half hours. Forcella Pana was reported closed by rockfall in August 2026, so this route uses the Pieralongia path (2B).

1. Day 1 Zannes (Val di Funes) Rifugio Genova (Schlüterhütte) night at 2,297 m
2. Day 2 Rifugio Puez (Puezhütte) via Forcella de la Roa 2,617 mnight at 2,475 m
3. Day 3 Col Raiser area: Almhotel Col Raiser or the Fermeda hut on the Seceda pasture via Forcella de Sieles 2,528 mnight at 2,106 m
4. Day 4 Ortisei (Val Gardena) via Seceda 2,519 mnight at 1,245 m

Rifugio Firenze (Regensburger Hütte), the classic third night in Cisles, is listed by the Val Gardena tourist board as closed for reconstruction. In September 2026 the province approved its demolition and a new building costing over 10 million euros, with no dates. Night 3 is therefore shown at Almhotel Col Raiser (2,106 m) or the Fermeda hut; check whether Firenze has reopened before you plan. Sources differ on some altitudes. Rifugio Genova is given as 2,297 m by some sources and 2,306 m by others. Forcella de Sieles is given as 2,528 m on the Val Gardena Puez tour; a saddle on the Alta Via 2 side of day 2 appears as 2,505 m. The day 4 figure for Ortisei is the Seceda cable car's valley station. Walking times are guides only.

What it really costs

Four days in Puez-Odle cost mostly hut nights: no trekking permit or park fee applies. Add the Seceda cable car and path fee, trains and buses to the start, the visa if you need one, and insurance.

Fees and estimates checked on 6 November 2026.

Insurance that covers Puez–Odle hut-to-hut

Take a travel policy that covers hiking in the mountains and helicopter rescue. South Tyrol can charge rescued people a fee. Most travellers from outside Europe have no European health card (EHIC).

Some European alpine clubs include rescue cover with membership, but AVS covers only residents of Europe or the Mediterranean rim. Check residence conditions before joining an alpine club for its insurance. In an emergency, call 112.

Staying connected in Italy

TIM, Vodafone, WindTre and Iliad sell SIMs and eSIMs in Italy; shops ask for your passport and may create a tax code (codice fiscale) for you.

Signal is patchy in the high valleys and at the huts. Download an offline map before you start and tell the next hut if you will be late.

Getting there and where to stay

Fly into Venice (VCE), Milan or Munich, then take the train up the Brenner line to Bressanone for the start in Val di Funes. Ortisei, at the end, is about 40 km from Bolzano by road.

Gear: rent or buy

This is hut-to-hut walking: the huts give you a bed, blankets, dinner and breakfast, so you carry only clothes, water and lunch. Plan for cold mornings and afternoon storms. At about 2,000 m summer days are 11 °C to 16 °C, and higher up, above 2,500 m, it is a few degrees colder.

• Hiking boots with a stiff sole for scree and rockBuy
• Backpack of 30–40 litresRent or buy
• Sleeping-bag liner (mandatory in CAI huts)Buy
• Waterproof jacket and trousersBuy
• Warm fleece or down layer, hat and glovesBuy
• Trekking poles for the scree gullies and long descentsRent or buy
• Light crampons or microspikes in early summer, if the Roa gully still holds snowRent or buy
• Sun hat, sunglasses and high-factor sunscreenBuy
• Headlamp, first-aid kit and power bankBuy
• Via ferrata harness, set and helmet, only for the Nives variantRent or buy
• Cash for huts that don't take cards, showers and the Seceda path feeBuy

Add a few days in Italy

A spare day in Val di Funes or Val Gardena adds some of the park's most photographed views.

Frequently asked questions