Plockenpass - Cima di Mezzo / Keller Warte (via Rifugio Marinelli)

Access to starting point:
From Trbiž / Tarvisio, we head onto the motorway towards Udine. We leave the motorway at the exit for Tolmezzo. Then, we follow the signs for Austria and the pass Passo di Croce Carnico / Plöckenpass. Still on the Italian side of the pass, we park in a large parking lot.

Route description:
At the parking lot, we head onto a narrow road following the signs for Rifugio Marinelli (path 146). Already after a few dozen meters, we come to a junction where we go right onto the military mule track, on which we then ascend through sparse forest and meadows below the steep slopes of the mountain Creta di Collinetta (2238 m). The military mule track turns into a footpath and soon we also come to a junction, where the path to the mentioned mountain branches off to the right.
We continue on the left path, which in a gentle ascent crosses grassy slopes and brings us to a smaller plain. From the left, an unmarked path from the pasture Collinetta di Sotto joins us here, and just a little after that, we come to a marked junction where the path to Cresta Verde (2150 m) branches off to the right. We continue on path 146 towards the Marinelli hut, to which we have a little less than two hours. Here the path becomes somewhat steeper and ascends through slightly overgrown shrubbery and high grass. When we emerge from the shrubbery, the path becomes flatter and to the right branches the path to Creta di Collina (2659 m).
Here, while crossing quite steep slopes, we start to descend and some fixed protections aid us. There follows a somewhat more demanding descent through a natural window and crossing of steep slopes covered with nettles, which brings us to a junction.
The right path leads to Cima di Mezzo (2713 m), while we continue on the left path towards the hut. The path starts ascending again over meadows and just before the hut we join the cart track (path 148). Here along the path we will also notice the lake Laghetto di Plotta. The cart track soon ends and to the hut only a few minutes of ascent remain.
At the hut, we head northwest following the signs for Monte Coglians and start ascending over somewhat steeper grassy slopes. The path quickly brings us to an unmarked junction, where to the left the Sentiero Spinotti path branches off towards the Lambertenghi – Romanin hut. Our path turns right here and ascends to the grassy ridge. Further on, the path runs slightly left of the ridge again and rejoins it below the summit Pic Chiadin. The summit is just a few meters from the path.
Immediately after the mentioned summit, the path descends slightly and brings us via a short somewhat exposed ridge into a completely new world. Slopes covered with grass are almost instantly replaced by bare rock. Here the path also brings us to a marked junction.
To the left, the path leads towards the summit Monte Coglians, while we head right towards the summit Cima di Mezzo. From the junction, the path turns right and for some time ascends the grassy slope upwards. The path then turns slightly left and brings us to the eastern slopes of the mountain. Here the path soon becomes somewhat flatter and mostly gently ascends the slope strewn with rocks and boulders towards the north. The trail on this section is mostly not visible, so we must pay more attention to the markers. Such a path continues all the way to the notch on the eastern side of the summit Cima di Mezzo, where a marked path joins from the right, running along the ridge below the summit Creta Monumentz. Access to the notch, where Tibetan prayer flags are strung, is also possible from the north side via very demanding pathless terrain from the cirque Vallone della Chianevate. In the last part of the mentioned access, there are also some steel cables.
At the notch, we continue sharply left and start to ascend more steeply on the rocky slope. The path then ascends quite steeply for some time and brings us to the southern slopes of the mountain. Here the path turns right and ascends a fairly steep slope, after which we reach the forepeak.
From the forepeak, from which a view of the main summit also opens up, we first descend slightly and then the final easy ascent to the panoramic summit follows.

Along the route: Laghetto di Plotta (1970m), Rifugio Marinelli (2122m), Forcella Monumenz (2307m)

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