Lago di Fedaia - Punta Penia (Marmolada) (Via ferrata Marmolada)

Access to starting point:
First, we drive to Cortina d'Ampezzo (to get here you can go via the border crossing at Rateče or Predel to Trbiž / Tarvisio and then on the highway in the direction of Udine to the exit Tolmezzo. From Tolmezzo we follow the road in the direction of the village Ampezzo and mountain pass Passo della Mauria. The road then descends and brings us to a crossroads, where we continue left (possible also right) in the direction of Cortina d'Ampezzo. At all following crossroads, we follow the signs for Cortina d'Ampezzo and then we follow the signs for the alpine pass Passo di Falzarego. Already in the first part of the ascent towards the pass Falzarego we will come to a crossroads, where the signs for pass Passo di Giau (2233 m) and Marmolada direct us to the left. The road after the pass Giau starts descending, and we follow it through the settlements in the lower part in the direction of Marmolada or pass Passo di Fedaia. The road, which then again starts ascending, brings us higher to the pass Fedaia, and we follow it to the other side of the lake, where we park on the parking lot near the hut Rifugio Castiglioni Marmolada.
Access from Primorska: We drive on the highway in the direction of Padova, but only to the highway junction, where we continue in the direction of Veneto and Belluno. Near Belluno the highway ends, and we follow the road ahead in the direction of Belluno, where at the larger crossroads we continue right in the direction of the town Agordo. From the mentioned town onwards we follow frequent signs for Marmolada or pass Passo di Fedaia. When we arrive at the mentioned pass we follow the road to the west side of the lake, where we turn left on the road which runs over the dam and then we park on the upper large parking lot.

Route description:
From the parking lot, we go on the path 606 following the signs “Punta Penia, Rif. Pian dei Fiacconi”. The path first ascends through rare dwarf pines and bushes a little left from the cableway, which runs towards the hut Pian dei Fiacconi. The path then brings us out of the dwarf pines and soon turns right and brings us to the west side of the cableway. Here the path starts ascending below the steep walls of the peak Col di Bousc (2494m) towards the south. Then follow a few ascents in zigzags and we are already at the saddle Col de Bous (2438m). At the saddle where there is a junction we continue left in the direction of the hut Pian dei Fiacconi.
Further, we ascend on rocky terrain towards the southeast. From the path by which we are ascending, wonderful views open up towards Marmolada and also towards the north where Piz Boé stands out. When we approach the cableway again, the path turns slightly right and to the hut where there are usually lots of people only a short undemanding ascent follows.
From the hut, we return a few meters back and at the junction we go on path 606 following the signs “Via Ferrata, Forcella Marmolada”. The path further for quite some time in a gentle descent crosses the slope towards the west. During the crossing the path descends approximately 200 elevation meters. During the descent we will cross a stream, and a little off the path we will also notice a small waterfall. The path then starts ascending again and turns left and brings us to the first quite flat snowfield. In the morning hours the snow is usually frozen, so crampons are already recommended here. After the first snowfield follows a short ascent on a poorly visible trail marked with cairns, then we start ascending a slightly steeper snowfield towards the notch Forcella Marmolada. The last few meters the snowfield is already quite steep and some caution is needed. From the end of the snowfield then follows a short ascent along the steel cable to the notch Forcella Marmolada, where the path from the south side joins.
At the notch we continue left and start ascending the steep slope with the aid of pegs. The path then turns slightly right and leads us briefly along the ridge, where a view opens to the south side. Further the path withdraws from the ridge a little to the left and then ascends for quite some time along the steel cable on numerous pegs and pitons. Such a path brings us back to a well-protected ridge along which we then ascend towards the east. In the last part the path becomes less steep and a short crossing of a flat snowfield follows. The snow here is usually already soft enough that crampons are not necessarily needed.
Follows a short undemanding ascent to the shelter, where from the left side the usual path over the glacier joins. From here we have only a few steps of easy walking to the highest peak of the Dolomites.

Along the route: Col de Bous (2438m), Rifugio Pian dei Fiacconi (2626m), Forcella Marmolada (2896m)

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