Guide Alpine Cortina

The group of mountain guides of Cortina, with an office on Corso Italia. It organises group outings and private guiding to via ferratas, climbing, Alta Via 1 crossings and, in winter, ski touring and ferratas in the snow.

Who they are

The Gruppo Guide Alpine Cortina – Scuola d'Alpinismo brings together the high-mountain guides of the Ampezzo valley. Its history begins, so they say, in 1864, when the Austrian mountaineer Paul Grohmann gave Francesco Lacedelli the first guide's licence; Grohmann spent the summers of 1862 to 1865 in Cortina and his 1877 book on the Dolomites opened the valley to mountain tourism. The website does not give the founding date of the present group. Today it is made up of about twenty mountain guides and three mid-mountain escorts, presided over by Andrea Piccoliori, and all of them appear on the website by full name. All are registered with the regional and national guides' colleges, which in Italy is the legal guarantee that they are qualified professionals; the logo of the international federation IFMGA also appears on the website.

What they do and when

In summer the group leads outings to via ferratas, trekking, mountaineering and normal routes to the summits of the Ampezzo Dolomites, both in groups, with a price per person, and with a private guide, with a price per day. In winter it offers snowshoeing, ski mountaineering, freeride, ski touring, winter ferratas and ice climbing. It publishes a calendar of group outings with fixed dates, and also organises trips outside Italy: for 2027 it announces ski mountaineering in Georgia and Turkey and a family trip to the Norwegian fjords. They say they pay special attention to group activities for children.

Equipment, groups and safety

The website does not publish the maximum group size, the minimum age or which equipment is included or hired; for a ferrata you need a helmet, harness and energy absorber, so it is worth asking when you book whether they provide it. The conditions make clear that the guide may change or suspend the itinerary at any time because of the weather, lack of preparation or because a participant cannot continue, and that the participant accepts the risks inherent in the mountains. For group outings there is a minimum number of participants; if it is not reached, a surcharge may apply.

Bookings, cancellation and languages

Booking is compulsory and must be made at the latest the day before, with the "Prenota" form on the website, by email to [email protected], by WhatsApp or on +39 0436 868505. It is confirmed in writing and with a 30% deposit; the rest is paid the morning before the outing. If the client cancels with less than 24 hours' notice, nothing is refunded. If it is the guide who suspends because of bad weather or safety, another date is sought and, if there is no agreement, the deposit is refunded. They also sell gift vouchers.

The office is at Corso Italia 69/a and is open Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 12:00; it is closed from 2 November to 5 December, although they still answer email and WhatsApp. The website is in Italian and English; it does not say in which languages they guide, so for an outing in Spanish you must ask.