Italy marks its paths with numbers rather than names. Understanding the system, and having a map that matches it, is the difference between following a route and guessing.
The CAI system
Paths are marked with red-white-red painted flashes carrying a number, maintained by the Club Alpino Italiano.
It is the number, not a route name, that appears on signposts, on rocks and on maps.
Following a route means following a sequence — path 401 to the col, then 403 down the far side. Guidebooks describe routes this way and signs confirm it.
This is why a map showing CAI numbers is essential and a general road atlas is useless.
The map series
Tabacco — 1:25,000, the standard for the Dolomites and northeast Italy. Excellent: CAI numbers, huts, via ferrata routes with difficulty, and reliable path status.
Kompass — 1:50,000 and 1:25,000, covering a wider area. Adequate for planning, less useful on the ground in complex terrain.
IGM — the military survey, more detailed topographically and less current on paths.
Regional series — several regions publish their own, and in the Apennines and Sardinia these are frequently the best available.
Where to buy them
In the mountain towns themselves — tourist offices, bookshops and outdoor shops stock the local sheets reliably.
Buying before travelling is possible online, and the selection abroad is limited and frequently out of date.
The local shop will also tell you which routes are currently open, which no map does — snow on north-facing sections into July, a via ferrata closed for cable replacement, a path shut after a landslide.
The CAI itself
Maintains the trail network, the waymarking and most of the mountain huts across Italy.
Membership gives reduced hut rates and includes rescue cover, and reciprocal agreements extend the discount to alpine club huts in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Slovenia.
For anyone doing more than a few hut nights, it pays for itself.
Reading the difficulty markings
Italian route grades appear on signs and in guidebooks:
| Grade | Meaning |
|---|---|
| T | Tourist — easy, obvious paths |
| E | Excursionist — mountain paths, sure footing |
| EE | Expert excursionist — exposed, some scrambling |
| EEA | Requires via ferrata equipment |
EEA is not a walking grade. It means harness, lanyard with shock pack, and helmet.
Via ferrata routes have their own difficulty scale on top of this, which varies between guidebooks.
Beyond the Dolomites
The Apennines — Gran Sasso, Monti Sibillini, Majella. Serious mountains, almost no foreign walkers, and good regional maps.
The Aosta valley — the Alta Via routes 1 and 2, beneath the Matterhorn and Gran Paradiso.
Sardinia — the Selvaggio Blu along the east coast, one of the hardest routes in Italy, and the Supramonte.
Sicily — Etna, with guided access to the upper craters, and the Madonie.
Practical
Rifugi need booking in July and August; half board is standard.
Season is late June to late September for high routes.
Carry cash for smaller huts.
Check with the local CAI section or tourist office for current path conditions before committing to a route.