Logistics

There are no permits required to hike the Alta Via 2. The rifugios are the trickiest part, as many book up far in advance. When planning, we found a couple rifugios already booked up for late June (especially in the north), so I went ahead and booked everything in advance.

If I were to do it again, I might book only 2-3 days at a time using WiFi at the rifugios for more flexibility, but honestly our reserve-in-advance approach worked just fine.

As this hike was part of a larger Europe trip, we traveled first to Feltre, where we dropped a large duffel bag at an Airbnb. We took a train from Feltre to Brixen/Bressanone, then hiked south back to our belongings in Feltre. This worked well.

For anyone interested in the hike, the Cicerone guidebook is really all you need. The book comes with a link to a downloadable GPX file, which you can import into Caltopo or your app of choice.

Difficulty

The AV2 was challenging, but notably easier than high routes like the SHR, KCHBR, or WRHR. Thanks to the rifugio network, you're carrying minimal weight, eating warm meals daily, and sleeping on a mattress. I consider it somewhat "luxurious".

That said, the actual hiking along the AV2 had quite a bit of vertical gain (some long ascents thanks to the glaciation in the dolomites) and the sections were generally longer and more strenuous than other hut-based hikes I've done like the Manaslu Circuit. There is also quite a bit more exposure on the AV2 thanks to short sections of via ferrata, enough that I would recommend via ferrata gear to anyone who does not have a head for heights.

Photo Recap