Passo di Sant'Antonio - Monte Aiarnola (via normale)

Access to starting point:
From the Trbiž/Tarvisio - Videm/Udine motorway, take the Tolmezzo exit and follow the road ahead past the mentioned place in the direction of Villa Santina. There continue in the direction of Ovaro, descend through Sappada into the Cadore valley, where in San Stefano turn right. Ascend again to Padola, where at the junction choose slightly left (straight leads to the pass Kreuzbergpass / Passo di Monte Croce di Comelico and further to the settlement Sexten/Sesto). Continue driving through the place, at the end ascend to the road pass Passo di Sant'Antonio, where park on one of the nearby parking areas.

Route description:
On the northern side of the pass, signposts direct us onto an initially flat cart track, which soon rises onto an extensive forested plateau with numerous pastures. We follow the signs for our objective; at the first junction to the left (right leads to the Aiarnola pasture and lake, return variant), likewise at the second (bench), where our cart track ends. Briefly step onto a shady forest path, which soon begins to rise gently again, the forest increasingly transitioning into a mixed belt of dwarf pines and spruce. When the path flattens again, shortly below the summit Col di Val Pucera (1939 m) the next junction awaits us.

Straight leads the path towards the notch Forcella Valdarin (another return option), ours turns back towards the southeast and climbs steeply amid dwarf pines onto the grassy slope below the mountain walls, before that cross a scree gully. The easier path continues with a traverse slightly upwards towards the southern flanks; after crossing the next gully, shortly a path from the Cadore valley joins us, starting from Auronzo. Soon thereafter we arrive at the central gully, alongside which our path climbs steeply again all the way to its end at the top of the notch, where a cross with a logbook stands.

The path crosses to the north side and bypasses the first summits of the mountain along a scree, somewhat exposed ramp. Follows arrival on the ridge; shortly the path enters a gully, from which a steep crumbly chute (hardest part, unprotected) pulls us onto one of the numerous summits. The difficulties are over; a panoramic path along the ridge soon brings us, over yet two more summits, to the main summit.

Descent besides the ascent route is also possible via the path over the notch Forcella Valdarin (1428 m), suitable only for trained mountaineers. The terrain below the notch itself is very demanding and steep, the scree path also partly destroyed, collapsed (condition July 2019).

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