Hello Dave. That sounds like a dream to live on Lago Maggiore. Yes, you can do the Lago di Sorapis hike in the opposite direction, and I think it would actually be easier to hike up that gravelly section than going down it. It will be a beast of a climb, but you are much less likely to slip and fall. Plus you would have great views on the descent down to Lago di Sorapis. We did it in the other direction simply because we weren’t sure if we were going to hike the full loop, making that decision once we got to the lake. I’m really glad we did, because that section of trail (Lago di Sorapis and up and over Forcella Marcuoira) is the best part of the hike, in my opinion. We’d love to explore that part of Italy, plus go wine tasting in Piedmont, as it all looks amazing. We are looking at a return trip to Italy in 2026 or 2027… Have a great time in the Dolomites! Cheers, Julie

Hello Anna. Both are great hikes. The first time we did Tre Cime, it was also very cloudy and a bit drizzly. We repeated that hike on our most recent visit and it was much prettier with the sunny skies. However, if you like the idea of doing a new hike, Lago di Sorapis a good pick. I think Tre Cime is more interesting, more fun, and more scenic, and the only way for the Lago di Sorapis hike to compete with that is to go up and over Forcella Marcuoira as we outline in our hiking guide. Just be prepared for a challenging hike. I hope you have sunny skies for your time in Cortina and have a great time in the Dolomites! Cheers, Julie

Hello Man. The weather forecast was exactly the same right before our trip and it really had me worried. Our trip was in early July, so about the same time of year. Most mornings were bright and sunny and the rain came in the afternoon, usually as a thunderstorm, several of them quite epic. So, you might not have a lot to worry about. We did have some cloudy mornings, so I adjusted which hikes we did on those days (Alpe di Siusi is a good option). The higher elevation hikes and lake hikes are good to do on sunny days, for the best visibility and the best colors of the water for photos. We used the meteo.it website for weather forecasts and it was pretty accurate. It can be tricky to pick a day for the parking reservation. You could do it early during your stay in Cortina and if it turns out to be a bad weather day, you’d have several more days to reschedule your reservation. But it sounds like you have tons of time (awesome!) and the Sassolungo hike is on the top of our list on a return visit to the Dolomites. Have a great time!! Cheers, Julie