La Crusc - Lavarella (via Ju dla Crusc)

Access to the starting point:
a) From Kranjska Gora via the Koren saddle to Austria, where at the first major junction continue left towards Podkloštro / Arnoldstein and Trbiz / Tarvisio. At the end of Podklošter, signs for Šmohor / Hermagor direct you to the right on the regional road, which takes you past the town to the end of the Ziljska valley, or more precisely to Kötschach-Mauthen, where you turn right towards Oberdrauburg. The road continues over the Gailbergsattel Alpine pass (982 m), after which you descend into the above-mentioned town. After crossing a bridge over the River Drava, turn left towards Lienz. At the main roundabout in Lienz, turn left towards Sillian and Itali. Next we cross the national border between Austria and Itali, and we follow the main road past Dobbiaco / Toblach, Villabassa / Niederdorf, Monguelfo - Tesido / Welsberg - Taisten, Brunico / Bruneck. Just after the last mentioned town, which is passed by a bypass road, we turn left into the Alta Badia valley. Continue along the valley and we follow the road to Badia / Abtei. In Badia / Abtei, turn left and park in the parking lot at the bottom station of the chairlift. We then take two chairlifts to the highest point of the ski resort.

b) From Nova Gorica, drive into Itali and continue on the motorway to Portogruaro, where at the motorway junction turn in the direction of Belluno. Follow the motorway to its end (do not turn towards Belluno) and then continue driving towards Cortina d'Ampezzo. When you arrive in Cortina d'Ampezzo, follow the signs for the Passo Falzarego Alpine Pass. At the Passo Falzarego (2105 m), turn right towards Alta Badia and ascend the neighbouring Passo Valparola (2192 m), then descend into the aforementioned valley, which we follow to Badia / Abtei. In Badia / Abtei, turn right and park in the parking lot at the bottom station of the chairlift. We then take two chairlifts to the highest point of the ski resort.

The chairlift operates from 8:30 to 17:15 during the summer months.

Path description:
From the top station of the second chairlift, continue slightly to the right and follow the wide path through the forest to the church. At the crossroads by the church, continue straight ahead, with paths 13 and 15 leading off to the right. The wide path soon leads into the rare dwarf pines, where you come to a crossroads again, entering the Fanes Sennes Braies Nature Park. Continue right on path 7, crossing the slopes covered with dwarf pines to the south. Continue on route 7 and the path leads to the scree below the buttress of Le Ciaval. After climbing the scree, enter the gully where the climbing part of the route starts.
The ascent through the gully is secured by a rope and leads to a ledge which is then traversed for some time. The route is quite exposed and is mostly unprotected. The path then climbs steeply up along the steel cable a few times before crossing an exposed ledge to the south. There is also some rubble on the unprotected path, so great care is needed. Later, the path turns slightly to the left and climbs up a crumbly slope alongside a steel beam, with a few scrambles to help. There is then a slightly longer scramble along a ledge to the south. In the last part of the climbing route, the route turns left again and then climbs along the glacis towards the Ju dla Crusc saddle.
At the saddle where there is a marked crossroads, continue straight ahead on route 12, following the "Forcela de Medesc" signs. The scenic route descends gently at first and leads past some potholes. The path then turns slightly to the right and the view towards the summit of Lavarella begins to open up. After a slightly steeper descent, you reach a crossroads where you continue to the right on route 12b. Here the trail begins to climb again and soon leads to the Forcela de Medesc saddle.
At the saddle, where Route 12 joins from the right, continue slightly to the left, following the signs for La Varella. The path over the scree soon leads to the slightly steeper slopes of the summit of La Varella. The trail becomes more difficult further on and follows the steep western slopes of the mountain. In a few places the path climbs steeply and then there is a climb up a fairly wide shelf, which is covered with a lot of rubble. The path is not protected and considerable caution is required. Particular care must be taken when descending, as the path is dangerous for slipping. From the ledge the path turns slightly left and climbs steeply up the rocky slope. The path then becomes less difficult again and leads to a crossroads just below the summit of Lavarella. Continue left and soon reach the summit along the ridge.

On the way: Ju dla Crusc (2612m), Forcela de Medesc (2533m)

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