From the 28th November this year, it has been possible to register for the fourth edition of the “Dolomiti Extreme Trail”, the running event set in the Val di Zoldo, in Italy, in the Dolomites, UNESCO World Heritage.
The event is organised by the Atletica Zoldo, together with other support groups, and will be held on 10, 11 & 12 June 2016. This year, the event will be even more extreme… with regards to the past: besides the 23km (D+1000m) and 53km (D+3800m) routes, during the spring of next year, athletes will be able to choose a third trail, one of 103km in distance, with a positive gradient change of 7150 metres and 7060 metres of negative gradient change, and with 16 rest points during the run.
This third and new route, sets off and finishes in Forno di Zoldo, as do the shorter two routes. However, the third trail reaches a wild and relatively untouched area within the National Park of the Dolomites of Belluno: the Spiz di Mezzodi and the Val Pramper. It will meet the 53km trail close to the Duran Pass, running at the base of the Mount Civetta, to reach Forcella Staulanza. From here, rather than continue towards the Sas de Formedal and Monte Punta, locations that strongly characterised the first three editions of the Trail, it will head off towards the Rifugio Venezia, at the base of the Mount Pelmo. It will then meander down to Zoppe di Cadore to then rise again towards the Monte Rite, the 360 degrees “balcony” on the Dolomites. It is here that Reinhold Messner created one of his “museums in the clouds”.
The trail then speeds downhill towards Forcella Cibiana and then again via the “tooth” of Forcella de Le Calade, and Rifugio Bosconero, where a further downhill route will bring the athlete to the final destination of Pieve, beside the San Floriano church, jewel of the romanic-gothic period.
In order to be able to take part in the 103km race, any athlete must have at least 2 points from a qualifying UTMB race, attained between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2015.