Lago di Fedaia - Punta Penia (Marmolada)

Access to the starting point:
First, drive to Cortina d'Ampezzo (you can get here via Border crossing Rateče or Predel to Trbiž / Tarvisio and then take the motorway towards Udine to the Tolmezzo exit. From Tolmezzo, follow the road towards Ampezzo and the Passo della Mauria mountain pass. The road then descends and leads to a crossroads where you turn left (possibly right) towards Cortina d'Ampezzo. At all subsequent junctions, follow the signs for Cortina d'Ampezzo and then follow the signs for the Passo di Falzarego Alpine Pass. In the first part of the ascent towards the Falzarego Pass, you will reach a crossroads where the signs for Passo di Giau (2233 m) and Marmolado point to the left. After the Giau Pass, the road starts to descend and we follow it through the settlements in the lower part towards Marmolada or Passo di Fedaia. The road then starts to climb again and leads us higher up to the Fedaia Pass, which we follow to the other side of the lake, where we park in the parking lot near the Rifugio Castiglioni Marmolada hut.

Access from Primorska: Take the motorway towards Padua, but only as far as the motorway junction, where we continue towards Veneto and Belluno. Near Belluno, the motorway ends and we follow the road towards Belluno, where we turn right at a major junction towards Agordo. From there, follow the frequent signs for Marmolada or Passo di Fedaia. When you reach the pass, follow the road to the west side of the lake, where you turn left onto the road over the dam and park in the large parking lot above.

Path description:
From the parking lot, take route 606, following the signs "Punta Penia, Rif. Pian dei Fiacconi". The path initially climbs through sparse dwarf pines and bushes slightly to the left of the cable car leading to the Pian dei Fiacconi hut. The path then leads out of dwarf pines and soon turns to the right, leading to the west side of the cable car. Here the path begins to climb southwards under the precipitous walls of the Col di Bousc (2494m). A few more climbs in the keys follow and we are at the saddle Col di Bousc (2438m). At the saddle where the crossroads are, continue left in the direction of the Pian dei Fiacconi hut.

We continue climbing on rocky terrain towards the south-east. From the ascending path, you can see magnificent views towards Marmolada and also to the north, where Piz Boe stands out. As we approach the cable car again, the path turns slightly to the right and there is only a short, easy climb to the hut, which is usually very crowded.

From the hut, continue south towards the glacier. The poorly marked path runs slightly to the right of hut Capanna al Ghiacciaio and soon leads to the glacier.

After the glacier, keep slightly more to the left in the lower part, and in the upper part, when the slope is already slightly steeper, then cross to the right until you reach a steep rocky slope, where you leave the glacier. In summer this is a well-used route, so there is a well-worn path across the glacier. It is compulsory to use ice-skates and a snowshoe when ascending the glacier. However, as there are some dangerous crevasses on the glacier, it is highly recommended to climb in a roped party.

After leaving the glacier, there is a steep climb up a well-protected rock slope. A steep path along the steel cable then soon leads to a ridge on the north side of the mountain. From here on we will again need a ice axe and crampons. Climb up the right-hand side of the ridge on the snow slope. Shortly before the shelter, the snow ends and we have only a few steps of easy walking to the highest peak Dolomites.

On the way: Col de Bous (2438m), Rifugio Pian dei Fiacconi (2626m)

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