--- title: "Odle and Adolf Munkel Trail - Loop from Zannes in Val di Funes" type: "1day-itinerary" lang: "en" distance_km: 9.6 elevation_plus_m: 451 elevation_minus_m: 448 difficulty: "Medium" duration_days: 1 url: "https://dolomites-guide.com/hiking-dolomites/odle-adolf-munkel/" description: "Hike the Odle on the Adolf Munkel Trail: a 6-mile loop from the Zannes car park, its variants, bus access and the Ranui traffic light in Val di Funes." --- # Odle and Adolf Munkel Trail - Loop from Zannes in Val di Funes A loop from the Zannes car park, in Val di Funes, along the Adolf Munkel Trail in the Puez-Odle park: the long version, the short version, and how to park or come by bus. ## Overview A 9.6 km (6 mi) loop with 451 m (1,480 ft) of elevation gain from the Zannes car park in Val di Funes: you climb up to the Adolf Munkel Trail, follow part of it to the Gschnagenhardt and Geisleralm huts, then descend via the Glatsch Alm. Allow about 3.5 hours of walking. With no lift, it suits regular hikers and families used to walking who already know Seceda and are looking for the other, quieter face of the Odle. ## Stats - Distance: 9.6 km - Elevation gain: 451 m - Elevation loss: 448 m - Difficulty: Medium - Duration: 1 day ## Need to know ## Map of the Adolf Munkel Trail The Adolf Munkel Trail is part of the Puez-Odle Nature Park, which includes the Odle di Funes. The map follows this page's track: a loop from the Zannes car park, at 1,676 m (5,499 ft), which takes part of the trail and tops out at 2,012 m (6,601 ft). ## Which Hiking Experience Should You Choose? **The loop on this page** if you want a half-day walk that brings you back to your car. **The whole trail** if you are aiming for a hut-to-hut traverse and know how you will get back. **A short version** if you are walking with young children: the loop shortens into an out-and-back. ### Option #1: The Loop via the Adolf Munkel Trail ![The vertical walls of the Odle above the forest, seen from the Adolf Munkel Trail](/images/odle-adolf-munkel-sentier.webp "The Adolf Munkel Trail, at the foot of the Odle") - **The Goal:** To climb from Zannes up to the Adolf Munkel Trail, follow it west to the Gschnagenhardt and Geisleralm huts, then descend back to Zannes via the Glatsch Alm, with no lift. - **The Route Data:** - **Start/End:** Zannes car park, at the head of Val di Funes (loop) - **How to get to the start:** By car or by bus (see below). - **Sequence:** Zannes car park -> Zanser Schwaige -> climb up to the Adolf Munkel Trail -> Adolf Munkel Trail heading west -> Gschnagenhardt Alm (Malga Casnago), around the high point at 2,012 m (6,601 ft) -> Geisleralm (Rifugio delle Odle) -> descent via the Glatsch Alm (Malga Glatsch) -> back to Zannes. - **Distance:** 9.6 km (6 mi), measured on this page's track - **Elevation:** +451 m (1,480 ft) ascent / -448 m (1,470 ft) descent. - **Duration:** allow about 3.5 hours of walking, not counting breaks. - **The Reality:** Most of the climbing comes at the start: from Zannes, you gain about 200 m (656 ft) to reach the Adolf Munkel Trail. On the trail itself, you gain only a hundred metres or so over a few kilometres, beneath the spires: this is where you will spend the most time stopping. The Gschnagenhardt Alm and the Geisleralm, at the high point of the loop, are the natural lunch stop; the Glatsch Alm comes next, on the descent. Check that they are open before counting on them. The loop covers only part of the Adolf Munkel Trail and does not go above 2,012 m (6,601 ft). If you already know [Seceda](/hiking-dolomites/seceda-ridgeline/), this is the other face of the Odle: you look at them from below, instead of walking along their crest. **No bikes:** the Puez-Odle Nature Park regulations (art. 7), published by the [Autonomous Province of Bolzano](https://nature-parks.province.bz.it/en/puez-geisler-puez-odle-nature-park), ban cycling on the Adolf Munkel Trail. **No camping:** the same regulations ban camping in a tent or caravan in the park, except for alpine bivouacking. The loop, for its part, is done in a day. ### Option #2: The Whole Adolf Munkel Trail The official Adolf Munkel Trail runs from the Brogles hut (Brogleshütte) to Rifugio Genova (Schlüterhütte). The loop on this page follows only part of it. Walking it in full means doing a traverse: arrange your return to your starting point before you set off. ### Option #3: The Short Version with Children With young children, do an out-and-back rather than the loop: climb from Zannes up to the Adolf Munkel Trail, follow it for as long as you feel like it, then return the same way. The climb at the start is the steepest part; after that, the trail barely rises. ## How Do You Get to Zannes? ![The Zanser Alm and its car park, at the head of Val di Funes](/images/odle-zannes-parking.webp "Zannes, at the head of Val di Funes: the start of the loop") ### By Car: the Zannes Car Park The Zannes car park is **paid**. Some of the spaces can be booked online; the rest are allocated on site, first come, first served. A booking is final: it is not refunded if you do not turn up. Booking: [Val di Funes tourist office](https://www.odlesdolomites.com/en/parking-reservation/). In 2026, a traffic light at Ranui shows whether you can still drive up: - **Green:** drive up to Zannes and pay for your ticket on site. - **Red:** the car park is full, car access is only possible with a booking. **Red light, no booking:** park in Santa Maddalena (Ranui, Putzen or Filler car parks), then walk up or take bus 330, which runs up to Zannes every hour in 2026. In a van or motorhome, no booking is possible: the ticket is bought on site, at a separate rate, subject to the spaces remaining. ### By Bus Bus 330 serves Zannes from Val di Funes. Check the day's timetable on [Südtirol Mobil](https://www.suedtirolmobil.info/): it changes with the season. Going by bus spares you the question of the traffic light and the car park. If you are staying in Val Gardena, Val di Funes is the neighbouring valley: our [Ortisei hiking guide](/blog/ortisei-val-gardena-hiking-guide/) explains why it is worth a whole day, Santa Maddalena church included. ## When Should You Go and How Do You Check Conditions? ### The Best Season Aim for summer and early autumn. Outside that period, ask the Val di Funes tourist office about snow before you set off. In high summer, start early or book your space: when the Zannes car park is full, the Ranui light turns red. ### How to Check the Weather The loop climbs above 2,000 m (6,562 ft). Look at the day's forecast before you set off and turn back if storms are forecast. ## What Should You Bring? ![The Geisleralm and its pond in the meadows, at the foot of the Odle spires](/images/odle-adolf-munkel-prairies.webp "Val di Funes beneath the Odle") - **Footwear:** hiking shoes, safer than a pair of trainers on a wet mountain trail. - **Clothing:** a windproof jacket and a warm layer: at 2,000 m (6,562 ft), the air cools quickly when the sun goes behind the clouds. - **Sun:** sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat. - **Water and picnic:** a full water bottle, and a picnic if you do not plan to have lunch at a hut or if it is closed. - **Cash:** enough to pay for parking or a meal at a hut. ## Practical info - Best season: Summer and early autumn - Accommodation: Day loop, no overnight in a hut - Navigation: Medium, Adolf Munkel Trail, GPX track on this page - Gear: Hiking shoes, windbreaker, water, picnic - Start Point: Zannes car park, Val di Funes - End Point: Loop