Malga Crocifisso - Rifugio Baita Cuz (Via Ferrata I Magnifici 4)

Access to the starting point:
Access from Gorenjska: Drive through the Karavanke Tunnel into Austria, then continue to Spittal and on to Lienz (the motorway ends a little after Spittal). We continue along a relatively nice and wide road through the Drava Valley, which leads us into Itali. The road continues past Dobbiaco/Toblach and Brunico/Bruneck. Just after the last-mentioned town, which is passed by a bypass road, we turn left into the Val Badia valley. Continue along the valley past La Vila and Corvara. Then climb over the Passo Campolongo and Passo Pordoi. From Passo Pordoi, descend to the west side of the valley of Val di Fassa. At Pozza di Fassa, turn left at the roundabout towards Val San Nicolo. Follow this road to mountain pasture Malga Crocifisso. From mountain pasture you can follow the road for another kilometre or so and then turn left (signposted Ferrata) over a small bridge and park.

From the coastal side: From Nova Gorica, exit into Itali and continue on the motorway towards Venice/Venezia. At Portogruaro, leave the motorway towards Venice and turn right on the motorway towards Pordenone. At the next motorway junction near Conegliano, turn right towards Belluno. Follow the motorway until you reach the exit for Belluno. When you leave the motorway, you come to a large roundabout, which you leave at the exit for Belluno and Feltre. At the small roundabout in Belluno, turn right towards Agordo. Follow this road until Pozza di Fassa in the Val di Fassa. At Pozza di Fassa, turn right at the roundabout towards Val San Nicolo. Follow this road to mountain pasture Malga Crocifisso. From mountain pasture you can follow the road for another kilometre or so and then turn left (signposted Ferrata) over a small bridge and park.

Path description:
From the starting point, continue right along the stream to where the signs "Ferrata I Magnifici 4" direct you. The path leads us through the forest and initially runs along the stream, then turns left and starts to climb a little steeper. At the crossroads, follow the "Ferrata" signs all the way. The trail then leads to a small clearing which soon leads to a ravine where a protected climbing route begins.

Before entering the climbing part of the route, be sure to equip yourself with a self-protection kit and a helmet; it is also highly recommended to wear climbing gloves and an extra umbilical cord for resting.

The belayed route climbs almost vertically a few times in the beginning (difficulty D), then turns slightly to the left and climbs crosswise over the wall (difficulty C). The route then turns to the right again and the difficulty drops a shade, bringing you in front of the most challenging part of the route. There is also a rest area before the most difficult part of the route.

The path first climbs steeply here (difficulty D), followed by a short, very difficult climb over an overhang (difficulty E). Over the overhang, continue to the right and cross the overhanging wall. The traverse is also very difficult, especially for the first few metres (difficulty E). After the traverse, the wall is still overhanging, but there is an additional rope to help you (difficulty D). After the traverse, there is a steep climb upwards to the left (difficulty D, C/D). The first part of the protected path then ends and the path leads from a deep ravine surrounded by vertical cliffs to flatter slopes from which we have a beautiful view of the Val di San Nicolo and the surrounding peaks.

Continue for some time and then cross the slopes to the east. Here the path is mostly not difficult, but in a few places we are helped by a rope (difficulty up to B/C). There is also a small cave along the way, which can be used as an emergency shelter in case of bad weather. Later, the path turns slightly to the left and begins to climb again, leading us under a mighty peak. We head towards a narrow gully or crack in the wall where the path becomes more challenging again. From the gully, continue left upwards and initially climb vertically (difficulty D). Continue climbing steeply upwards for a while (difficulty C), then the steepness eases slightly and the route soon turns left and crosses the slope to the west (difficulty B, A). The route then briefly becomes easy again and leads to the last part of the climbing route. It is also possible to avoid the last part of the climbing route by continuing straight ahead on the flatter slopes.

The last part of the climbing route first ascends almost vertically to the right (difficulty C). Then there is a short traverse to the left and then a final difficult vertical climb (difficulty D, C). The climbing route then ends and leads to flatter grassy slopes. It is only a few minutes of easy walking to the Baita Cuz hut, which can already be seen ahead.

Descend the easy path that runs along the ski slope towards the Rifugio Buffaure hut. At the Rifugio Buffaure hut, continue left down the footpath, following the signs for Malga Crocifisso, which will take you back to the starting point. From the hut you can also go down the road that runs along the ski slope.

The route described is extremely difficult and is rated E, making it one of the most demanding of its kind. It is also considered by many to be the most difficult in the entire Dolomites. The route is only suitable for climbers and experienced mountaineers with sufficient strength in their arms.

We can extend the trip to the following destinations: Col de Valvacin, Sas de Adam

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