The Fiorentina Valley offers you numerous itineraries, suitable both for trained and skilled people and for beginners who start to hike for the first times the mountain paths and trails.
The starting points of the excursions are located here and there on our territory – from the hamlets of the municipality or from nearby areas that can be reached by car or by bus in few minutes. Moreover, in July and August the open lifts give everyone the possibility to enjoy wonderful panoramas at a high altitude.
The main mountain groups of the Dolomites included are: Pelmo, Civetta, Averau, Nuvolau, Marmolada, Pore and Cernera.
Before going on an excursion, look at the weather forecast, choose the right clothes and equipments and eventually ask the Alpine Guides for info.
–FORCELLA FORADA AND THE ANCIENT WAY TO CADORE
The beginning of the excursion is located in a wide car park at the foot of Mount Pelmo, at the third hairpin turn of the Staulanza Pass. From here, a trail leads you before to Malga Fiorentina and then to Rifugio Città di Fiume (1,918 m), where you can admire Mount Pelmo and its majesty. The ancient way to Cadore continues towards Forcella Forada (1,977 m), where you can enjoy a beautiful view of the Boite Valley and the mountains around. Just after this point, on the left there is a small wayside shrine dedicated to San Antonio. The legend says it was built after that a wayfarer, caught in a storm, made a vow to San Antonio. The way back follows the same itinerary.
Difficulty: easy Time: 2.00 hours outward way Distance: 4 km
–TREKKING OF THE MADONNINA BIANCA
At the end of the car park near the lifts in Pescul, the trail n.569 begins, going up through the woods (mainly of firs), until Rifugio Fertazza (1,839 m). Passing after the Rifugio, go towards the beginning of the second chair-lift. From here the path penetrates in a wood of firs and larches and after a short part turns left, starting an incline among meadows and old mountain huts. Arrived at the top of Mount Fertazza (2,101 m), instead of turning left towards Rifugio Belvedere, turn right and follow the walking path n.566. Behind you the north-west wall of Civetta and the majestic Mount Pelmo. In front of you the Queen of the Dolomites, the Marmolada, and the Sella Group. Walking along mountain meadows and rhododendrons, in a short time you reach a rock, where you find the well-known Madonnina Bianca of Mount Fertazza.
Difficulty: easy Time: 2.45 hours outward way Distance: 6 km
-RIFUGIO VENEZIA AND THE DINOSAURS’ TRAILS
From the Staulanza Pass (1,768 m), where you can leave your car, there is the start of the walking path n.472. After a 30-minute walk through firs and mountain pines, you arrive at a fork. Turning left there is the path that leads to the dinosaurs’s trails. If you would like to visit the site, follow the path going up a slope, which can be slippery if in the previous days it has rained, and arrive at the rock with the trails of Triassic dinosaurs. From here, follow again the same path to the previous fork and once there continue towards Rifugio Venezia. The path is an ups and downs that leads through some meadows, along the walls of Mount Pelmo. At the end, before reaching Rifugio Venezia (1,946 m), there is just a little change in elevation.
Difficulty: medium-easy Time: 3.30 hours outward way Distance: 6 km
-THE THREE RIFUGI: FEDARE – AVERAU – NUVOLAU
From Selva di Cadore go to Rifugio Fedare (2,000 m) by car, following the main road towards Giau Pass. Walk along the walking path n.464 until Rifugio Averau (2,413 m). As an alternative, you can reach the Rifugio Averau by chair-lift. Passing after the Rifugio Averau, the path leads towards east and rises along a rock way to Rifugio Nuvolau. From the top of Mount Nuvolau (2,575 m) you can enjoy a wonderful view of the Dolomites of Ampezzo and of Agordino.
Difficulty: medium Time: 2.00 hours outward way Distance: 3.50 km
-ON MONDEVAL MAN’S TRAIL ( L’ANDRIA – MONDEVAL – LAGO DE LE BASTE – L’ANDRIA)
This excursion begins near Toffol-L’Andria. Before the bridge follow a paved road that rises until the area of Piera de L’Autà (1,756 m). From here turn left to the walking path n.466 and continue your walk crossing the Cordon river and rising a slope that leads to the meadows of Mondeval de Sora, where you can find the rock of the Mondeval Man (2,158 m). This is indeed the area where the important and famous burial of the Mondeval Man, a hunter lived around 7,500 years ago, was found. The skeleton of our ancestor, perfectly preserved, and its grave goods are displayed at the Civic Museum in Selva di Cadore. Going after the rock, rise until the walking path n.436 (the Alta Via n.1) and continue towards Forcella Giau, walking along the slopes of Lastoi de Formin. Cross the meadows where once the Mondeval Man went hunting and reach a small lake called Lac de le Baste. Passing the lake on the left, the walking path n.465 starts going down towards the beautiful basin Busa dei Ciavai, between the Piz del Corvo and Cernera massives. Then, passing after the Ponte dei Sassi and Sas Strenc reach the wood. Go through it and after a long descent you get to the first houses of L’Andria hamlet. From here, you can go back to Santa Fosca in a short time.
Difficulty: medium Time: 5.00 hours circular excursion Distance: 10 km
-TO LAKE FEDERA AND RIFUGIO CRODA DA LAGO
This excursion develops in the area included in the first of the nine Dolomites Unesco areas, among Civetta, Pelmo, Croda da Lago and Giau Pass. The tour begins in L’Andria. Before the bridge take the paved road that leads before to Malga Pien de Vacia and then to Piera de L’Autà (1,756 m), where there is a fork. Turn left following the walking path n. 466. In the first part the path runs along the flow of the Cordon stream, goes after Casera Mondeval di Sotto and crosses the Cordon stream on a small bridge. From here the steeper part starts to rise until the plain of Mondeval de Sora. Then, it continues towards north to Forcella Ambrizzola (2,277 m). In the distance, on your left, you can see the rock where the burial of the Mondeval Man was found. Arrived at Forcella Ambrizzola, between the Lastoi de Formin and Bec de Mezodì, go down following the walking path n. 434 and walking along the walls of Croda da Lago until Rifugio Palmieri and its lake (2,046 m). This place is well-known since it is considered one of the most impressive areas of the Dolomites.
Difficulty: medium Time: 3.30 hours outward way Distance: 8 km
THE BEAUTY OF LAKE DE LE BASTE
This beautiful excursion leads to Lake Baste and the plain of Mondeval. It begins from Passo Giau following the walking path n.436 of the Alta Via n.1. The first part is quite flat, crosses the high Zonia Valley and passes Forcella Col Piombin (2,239 m). Then, it goes down through some rocks and from there rises until Forcella Passo Giau (2,360 m). From the Forcella you can enjoy a spectacular panorama of the Tofane and Cinque Torri. In front of you the plain of Mondeval de Sora and, if you continue along the meadows, your destination: Lake Baste. Going past some big rocks fallen from the Lastoi del Formin, called “The city of Rocks”, you reach the small lake. Mount Pelmo reflecting in the lake will leave you breathless and a photo here is a must. From here, in a short time, you can reach the archeological site of the Neolithic burial of the Mondeval Man and from there going back to the walking path n.436.
Difficulty: medium Time: 3.30 hours outward way Distance: 4 km
-IN THE REALM OF CHAMOISES: TOFFOL – PIZ DEL CORVO – MONDEVAL
This excursion is suitable for trained walkers. It partly crosses the range of Mount Cernera and leads to an area not so popular, where silence and nature dominate as rulers. Leaving behind the Toffol hamlet, follow a trail through the wood. Just after the small bridge over Giros stream, on your right there is the Neolithic site of Mandriz. Here, numerous finds dated back to the Neolithic period were found, such as flint artefacts and pottery crockery. Continuing your excursion, rise until the path n.465 that goes on with a pronounced slope passing before to “Sas Strenc”, where once sheep were counted, and then to “Ponte di Sassi” (2,115 m), a rock formation under which the Loschiesuoi stream flows. Further on, you reach the basin Busa dei Ciavai where you leave the path n.465, which leads to Forcella Giau, and continue instead towards right, going up the narrow valley between Piz del Corvo and Mount Verdal. Since there is usually few people in this area, it has become the ideal place for chamoises. Reaching the top, you have two choices: either rising to the top of Piz del Corvo (2,381 m), where you can enjoy a wonderful view of the Val Fiorentina, or going down to the ruins of Casera Vallazza (2,138 m). This part of the trail goes through high mountain meadows and pastures, going past Casera Mondeval di Sotto and arriving at Piera de L’Autà (1,756 m). Once reached the paved road, continue towards Malga Pien de Vacia and then to Toffol-L’Andria along an almost flat way that leads back to the starting point.
Difficulty: medium-difficult Time: 5.30 hours circular excursion Distance: 9 km
–AROUND MOUNT PELMO
From Staulanza Pass (1,766 m) turn right along the walking path n.472 towards Rifugio Venezia. The first part of the excursion develops through a wood of firs and mountain pines, then with ups and downs that run along the screes of Mount Pelmo until Rifugio Venezia (1,946 m). After the Rifugio begins a challenging part – the Flaibani path n.480. The path goes up along the screes and goes through some steep points, where there is an iron rope, and then continues until Forcella Val d’Arcia (2,476 m). Here, a steep descend leads you before to pass Val d’Arcia and then to cross diagonally the Pelmo’s screes. Later, the path enters through the wood and little by little you arrive again at the starting point – Passo Staulanza.
Difficulty: difficult Time: 6.00 hours circular excursion Distance: 12 km
–MOUNT CROT: TERRACE TOWARDS MOUNT PELMO
The start of the excursion is located at the top of Passo Staulanza, right behind the Rifugio Staulanza. The trail rises the ridges of grass with some turns until the first gap. From here a beautiful view of Val Fiorentina and the Dolomites around. Continue the rise, passing near some rocky cliffs and reaching another gap, a wider one, where Mount Pelmo (3,168 m) appears in its grandeur, so near with its wideness that it seems possible to touch it. Go on with attention near perfumed lilies of the valley along the short rocky ramp that leads towards the end of the incline. At the top a 360-degree panorama is waiting for you, leaving you breathless. The main peaks of the Dolomites around you: Pelmo, Civetta, Marmolada, Sella, Antelao, Becco del Mezodì and others.
Difficulty: medium-easy Time: 2.30 hours return Distance: 5.50 km
-MOUNT PORE
This excursion leads to the top of Mount Pore (2,405 m), a legendary one, formerly important for the iron extraction. There were numerous mines that branched off inside it: the Fursil Mines. Left the car at Rifugio Fedare (2,000 m), pass after it and follow the walking path n.463 that rises along meadows and pastures. Arrived at the fork with the path leading to Rifugio Averau, turn left to Mount Pore. From here the walking path becomes steeper and runs along the crest of Pore. The last part before the top is a bit more challenging, with the last incline leading to the top.
Difficulty: medium Time: 2.00 hours outward way Distance: 2.50 km
