For a winter hike in December, we choose the Val Gardena and the “most beautiful alpine pasture in the valley”, the Col Raiser
Image gallery: Winter hike to the Col Raiser and its huts
It is the historic year of 2020, a time when we are mainly taking trips within our own region. For a winter hike, we decide on the Val Gardena with its magnificent huts and mountains. On this December day, the ski lifts and huts are closed due to Covid, which makes the tranquillity of nature all the more profound. The Juac, Col Raiser and Sangon Huts are normally open in winter, whereas the Firenze Mountain Hut (Regensburger Hütte) is only open during the summer season.
Almost the entire path is beaten, except for the section between the Col Raiser Hut and the Baita Sangon, where snowshoes would be an advantage. From Selva Gardena, we follow the signs towards Daunei and park our car just above the hamlet. We begin our winter hike on the first path to the left, marked "Seceda - Col Raiser", and walk through the forest until the turning on the right, always following the signs for "Seceda", "Col Raiser" and "Stevia" until we reach the Juac Hut.
The forest opens up from time to time, revealing wonderful views of Mt. Sassolungo and the snow-covered Sciliar. At the Juac Hut, we turn right. The path ascends gently at first and then becomes significantly steeper as it continues through the forest to a semi-frozen pond that reflects the mountains. We are now in the Puez-Odle Nature Park. The trail continues steadily uphill until, after 40-50 minutes, we find ourselves in front of the Firenze Hut. The panoramic view is magnificent: The Odle peaks and the mighty Stevia Massif are visible from here.
After a break, the hike follows the signs for "Col Raiser" (no. 4), which we reach after another 20 minutes. The Col Raiser is a panoramic mountain and is often described as "the most beautiful alpine pasture in the Gardena Valley". It can also be reached by the cable car from Santa Cristina Valgardena. At the mountain station, we follow the path to the left towards the Sangon Hut.
It descends steeply. Passing a small enclosure, the path leads to a ski slope, which we follow for 15-20 minutes to the Baita Sangon. This section of the trail is not cleared, and we sink into the snow - snowshoes would be ideal here. After a short breather at the hut, we hike uphill to the Juac Hut and from there, follow our outward route back to the car park. We get back after three hours.
Authors: Elena & Luca
Experienced in: December 2020
Last updated: 2025
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Panorama Val Gardena Dolomites (2347 Kb) -
- Starting point:
- car park in the locality Daunei, above Selva Gardena (1,702 m a.s.l.)
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- Overall time:
- 03:00 h
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- Total route length:
- 10,1 km
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- Altitude:
- from 1.702 m to 2.107 m
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- Altitude difference:
- +501 m | -501 m
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- Signposts:
- not signposted, 4, "Seceda - Col Raiser"
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- Destination:
- Col Raiser (2,107 m a.s.l.)
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- Resting points:
- Rifugio Juac, Rifugio Col Raiser, Baita Sangon
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- Recommended time of year:
- Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
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- Download GPX track:
- Winter hike to the Col Raiser and its huts
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- More information:
- The overall time shown above refers to the walking time only, not including breaks.
If you want to undertake this hike, we recommend you to check the weather and trail conditions in advance and on site before setting out.
