Passo di Fedaia - Punta Serauta (Via ferrata Eterna)

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, where we park in the parking lot of the Rifugio Fedaia hut.

Access from Primorska: Take the motorway towards Padua, but only as far as the motorway junction, where you 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, park in the parking lot of the Rifugio Fedaia hut.

Path description:
The start of the route is CLOSED! The entrance to the protected part of the trail has been changed and is now located below the western slopes of the ridge. Access is via the ski slope.
Old description. Soon you will see a path on the right below the wall, which leads through dwarf pines. Take this path and start to climb transversely in a south-easterly direction. The path then turns to the right and climbs up a grassy slope towards the cliff. Just before the wall, the path leads to a crossroads where a path branches off to the right towards the summit of Sass del Mul. We continue to the left towards the wall on which we can see a large red letter F. Here is the start of the climbing part of the route.
There is also a wooden sign at the start of the route warning that the route is closed. (August 2011) If you are going to climb this route anyway, it is highly recommended that you use an extra belaying with a rope, because especially in the first part of the route the fixed safety gear are in a very bad condition, and in a few places the fixed safety gear are not there at all.
The climbing route, called Via ferrata Eterna, climbs steeply up the rocky slope in the initial part and runs in a south-westerly direction throughout. The route offers very good views back towards the Fedaia Pass and the peaks to the north and east of the Fedaia Pass. The route is climbed on solid rock and the fixed safety gear are mostly placed in such a way that they are only used for belaying and "pulling the rope" is not possible. It should also be noted that the spacing between the pegs to which the rappel is attached is quite large. The climbing route then leads to the main ridge where it turns slightly to the right.
The route continues along and along the precipitous ridge and climbs and descends steeply several times. The route is extremely exposed in places, and is protected only by a rope all the time, only occasionally will we see a wedge, which is still there from the First World War. The closer you get to the top of Punta Serauta, the more World War I remains you will see along the way. Finally, there is a climb up the scrambles which leads to an artificial cavern where the Via ferrata Eterna ends. We continue along a slightly wider path along a small causeway, which leads us past a number of military caverns. When you reach the crossroads, continue right up the hill and there is a short climb along the steel cable to the top.
The descent is easiest to the Rifugio Serauta hut, from which a gondola cable car runs down to the valley. The other option is to descend the glacier, in which case you will need an ice axe and ice crampons. The third option is to descend via the Via ferrata Pontura climbing route.
This route is extremely difficult and is the longest protected climbing route in the Dolomites. It is suitable only for experienced climbers with sufficient fitness and compulsory self-belay.
The route is currently officially closed (August 2011).

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