Alta Via Hut-to-Hut Practice
Walk a section of the Alta Via 1 with a mountain guide, practising at sunrise on rifugio terraces between 2,000 and 2,700 metres.
Dolomites Silent Week
Seven nights in a restored 1700s farmhouse at the head of Val di Funes. Noble silence, slow practice and ridge walks beneath the Odle peaks.
Overview
A week to put the noise down.
Maso Ranui sits at 1,350 metres, the last farm before the forest begins. It has been in the same Ladin family for six generations and has hosted our Silent Week since 2017. Fourteen guests, two teachers, and a kitchen that cooks almost entirely from the valley.
From the first evening until lunch on day six, the house is held in noble silence: no conversation, no phones, no reading beyond the books in the library. It sounds severe. In practice, most guests describe it as the most restful part of their year — the silence removes the low-level effort of being sociable and leaves room for the mountains.
The practice is led by Elin Marsh and Calum Fraser, with walks guided by Tomas Reiter. Asana is slow and accessible; meditation is taught step by step, with daily individual check-ins.
Daily rhythm
A typical day
06:30
Sitting meditation
08:00
Slow vinyasa
09:30
Breakfast
11:00
Walk or rest
13:30
Lunch
17:30
Yin or nidra
19:00
Dinner
Itinerary
Day by day
Shared transfer from Bressanone station at 15:00. Settle into the farmhouse, walk the meadow path to the chapel of St. Johann in Ranui, and gather for the opening circle at 18:30. Silence begins after dinner.
The first full day introduces the shape of the week. Sitting meditation at 06:30, a ninety-minute slow vinyasa class, and an afternoon walk to the Gschnagenhardt Alm at 2,000 m.
- 06:30 Sitting practice
- 08:00 Asana
- 14:30 Guided walk (3 hours, 450 m ascent)
- 18:00 Yoga nidra
A full day on the classic path beneath the north faces of the Odle group, practising walking meditation on the forest sections. Picnic lunch from the farmhouse kitchen. Evening restorative session.
No scheduled walk. Morning sit and asana as usual, then the day is yours: the sauna, the library, or a quiet visit to Santa Maddalena village. Optional one-to-one with Calum in the afternoon.
An early lift to Seceda (2,519 m) for meditation as the light reaches the Sassolungo. The most demanding day of the week, with alternatives offered for anyone who prefers to stay lower.
A final long sit and a closing asana class. Silence ends at lunch with a guided conversation practice, followed by a celebration dinner of Ladin dishes cooked by the farmhouse family.
Morning practice focused on carrying the week home, breakfast, and return transfer at 10:30. Phones handed back at the closing circle.
The essentials
What’s included
Included
- Seven nights at Maso Ranui, single or shared room
- Three vegetarian meals daily, seasonal and local
- Two daily practice sessions plus evening nidra
- Four guided mountain walks with a certified guide
- Seceda cable car and local transport
- Shared transfers from Bressanone station
- Pre-retreat call and post-retreat practice notes
Not included
- Flights and train to Bressanone
- Travel insurance (required)
- Massage and sauna treatments
- Walking boots and poles (available to borrow)
Gallery
From past weeks at Maso Ranui
Photographs by guests and faculty, 2019–2026. Select any image to view it full size.
Questions
Frequently asked
No. About a third of guests on the Silent Week have never sat for longer than ten minutes. Calum and Elin introduce the practice gradually over the first evening and morning, and there are daily one-to-one check-ins (the only time speaking is encouraged).
Asana sessions are slow and accessible, suitable for anyone with a few months of regular practice. Variations are offered throughout, and the teachers will ask about injuries during your pre-retreat call.
Fly into Innsbruck, Verona or Venice. We run a shared transfer from Bressanone (Brixen) station at 15:00 on arrival day and back at 10:30 on departure day. Train connections from all three airports are straightforward.
Yes, but we ask that you hand it in at the opening circle. Phones are kept in a locked cabinet and returned on the last morning. An emergency contact number for the farmhouse is provided for your family.
The ridge walks are planned with Tomas, a certified Alpine guide, who adjusts routes daily. The farmhouse has a 90 m² timber practice room with underfloor heating, so practice is never weather-dependent.
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Not sure which programme fits?
Book a twenty-minute call with our programme team. We'll talk through your practice, your calendar and what you want to take home.